Candlelight Processional without ADR?

[Dafid Duck]

Who has gone to the Christmas Candlelight Processional without the dining package? I have been able to go before with the dining reservation. I know there is a line for those who do not have a reservation. What are the chances someone makes it in? Is there a place to view it from a distance outside the theater?

 

[Mukta]

I saw it in 2010 without an ADR. I also saw it in 2012 and 2013 with an ADR. I prefer to watch with an ADR.

As for your chances, it depends on the day or the week and the narrator. If it is someone popular like Neil Patrick Harris, you might have to line up 6 hours before.

There are some spots to watch it by standing outside the theater. The show is long and I wouldn't want to stand for that long personally, but it is an option.

 

[sxeensweet]

Me and DH never do the dining package for it and we were able to get in every time in 2009, 2012, and 2013. We always tried to go durning the week while we were there and not on the weekend. That helps to have less of a wait.

 

[Dafid Duck]

Me and DH never do the dining package for it and we were able to get in every time in 2009, 2012, and 2013. We always tried to go durning the week while we were there and not on the weekend. That helps to have less of a wait.

How long beforehand did you get in line? How were the seats in the back?

 

[sxeensweet]

How long beforehand did you get in line? How were the seats in the back?

Maybe 30 min before, at the most 45 min. Seating no matter where you are is pretty good, and even if you have the dining package you could be in the back. There is a separate line you still have to wait in if you have the package. So whoever is further up in the line for the packages gets the better seats and so on. There is a reserved section but no reserved seating. So regardless you would be waiting in line with package or without the package. If you don't want to take a chance then book a package. I would not want to give you this advice and you miss out for some reason. Oh and we were not always in the back when we waited, we were about mid way down on the left or right of the center 2 of the times.

 

[popcenturylover]

We went last year the 1st week in Dec. We had an ADR & went to line up 20 minutes before the show & the line was backed up to Morocco! I don't imagine too many, if any got into the show without an ADR.

 

[71dsp]

We went in early December in 2012 with an ADR package. We lined up about 45 min before and we were waaaaay back in the dining package line. There was also a HUGE line for the nonADR package. We were fortunate, as it started raining right before the show started and we were a couple of rows in front of the last row under the roof. I imagine nearly everyone without ADR packages were in the rain. I was very surprised (first time we went to the Processional). When we went Jodi Benson was narrating. She was *awesome*. We'll go again for sure during our next Dec trip.

 

[sissa216]

It's still possible, but I agree the wait can definitely be long. We were there on an NPH night, and I could not believe how long the line was!

 

[jmcdougall]

We were in disney for Christmas this year and I told my husband I wanted to stand outside and watch it. He was walking around and i went to stand outside of the theater to get a good spot (25 min before show) A security guard came up to me and asked what I was doing and I told him I was waiting to see the show. He said why don't you go in? I said I did not have reservations and he told me all of those were seated and there was no line. My husband came up and we went in and got a seat. The show was breathtaking and I will remember it always. It was a weeknight.

 

[piglet1]

I think there are two factors that could impact being able to walk in without the Package reservation -- the day of the week (weekends are more crowded) and who the celebrity reader is. We've done both, and have decided if there isn't a "popular" celebrity, we won't pay for it again. If the celebrity is someone like Neil Patrick Harris or Whoopee Goldberg, you will probably need a reservation. Someone not so famous, particularly on a weeknight, I wouldn't bother. Also, when we have the package, we never seem to make it to the reserved Illuminations area, either.

 

[Master Yoda]

It is possible, but not all that practical. Disney will sell out the entire theater to dining packages. This does not always happen, but it is possible that there will be few to no seats available to standby.

The real determining factor is when you go and, to some extent, who is speaking. You will have a much easier time getting a seat on an odd Tuesday during the first week of December vs Christmas day.

 

[sissa216]

It is possible, but not all that practical. Disney will sell out the entire theater to dining packages. This does not always happen, but it is possible that there will be few to no seats available to standby.

The real determining factor is when you go and, to some extent, who is speaking. You will have a much easier time getting a seat on an odd Tuesday during the first week of December vs Christmas day.

True, but you nailed exactly when NPH was there- an odd Tuesday during the first week of December

 

[Master Yoda]

True, but you nailed exactly when NPH was there- an odd Tuesday during the first week of December

Hence the line "and, to some extent, who is speaking."

 

[sissa216]

Hence the line "and, to some extent, who is speaking."

I know

 

[Lisalyn]

I always do the ADR and still have to line up 1.5 to 2 hours before show time starts. I have had extremely popular narrators (Neil Patrick Harris and Gary Sinese) and the stand by lines were longggggggggg. Those people were actually already in line PRIOR to my ADR time for my CLP Dinner Package!!

As you can see by my wait time WITH an ADR in order to get mid way thru the pavilion for seating I was there 1.5 to 2 hours early.

 

[bigorangeandy]

We stood in line a couple of years ago, and the wait was not so bad maybe 90-100 minutes. We set down for over half the wait, so that made it seem not so bad. We did go the first show of the evening, it was a weekday, but it was only 4 days till Christmas. If I was going again I would stand in the standby line again, unless it was Christmas Day.

 

[Dafid Duck]

We stood in line a couple of years ago, and the wait was not so bad maybe 90-100 minutes. We set down for over half the wait, so that made it seem not so bad. We did go the first show of the evening, it was a weekday, but it was only 4 days till Christmas. If I was going again I would stand in the standby line again, unless it was Christmas Day.

Was your speaker Trace Atkins? I noticed he has hosted the same days for the last four years; Dec 20 - 22. That is when we are hoping to go this year. I don't like country drawl so I'm not sure I want to pay so much if he is the speaker.

 

[Poofiesdream]

I never do the reservation package. I just get in line about 45 minutes early. You will get in. The reservation line is just as long as the stand by line! They just load that line first. You still have to get in that line 45 minutes early too.

 

[Dafid Duck]

I never do the reservation package. I just get in line about 45 minutes early. You will get in. The reservation line is just as long as the stand by line! They just load that line first. You still have to get in that line 45 minutes early too.

Don't they let all the reservations in before the non-reserved? Couldn't most of the arena be filled with ADRs and only a few others get in?