Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains Does anyone have an idea when the dinner packages will start being offered?
Originally Posted By MOLLYSMOM Well...if you were going to WDW you could buy them now. Word on the street is that Disneyland will be available in November.
Originally Posted By Mrs ElderP I gotta put my two cents in and say that inmho Candlelight Dinner Packages are overrated!! You pay $75 a person for a meal and a reserved seat. For $10 a person you can go pick up a slice at pizza port and show up 20 minutes before the show and get a *great* view. (5 minutes before the show will get you a half way decent view.) I hear if you're willing to stick around for the second show you can even get a *free* seat if you are willing to get there as soon as the first show is over. Then again I'm not willing to pay for the fantasmic desert package either, so what do I know?!
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains The dinner last year at Steakhouse55 was amazing - one of the best meals I have ever had!! That said - my meal was free (thanks again Uncle M) - But I do have friends that to them this would be and experience - I would not say fantasmic dessert box seating and Candlelight dinner are even comparable!
Originally Posted By Mrs ElderP If it floats your boat go for it!! (Especially if someone else is paying for it. *grin*) For me, and it's just my opinion, if I had the money I'd still buy the great meal. Looking at the menu for $50 you can be extreamly extravagant. Then I'd go get a free standing seat. OR I'd eat the meal just before the first show and walk over and get a free seat for the second show. Then you have an extra $25 per person for a cute Disneyland purse! Like I said, it's just my opinion. If you've got the budget, by all means go for it! (It should also be said that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the candlelight show and go see it every year I get a chance.) Oh, and I'm also the one telling the people about to pay for a bottle of water that DL gives you a glass of ice water for free.
Originally Posted By gottaluvdavillains <Oh, and I'm also the one telling the people about to pay for a bottle of water that DL gives you a glass of ice water for free.> I do the same thing and get slammed for it by some people on here - BTW - you can't eat at the candlelight package places before the shows unless you buy the package because they cook a special menu for the packages and the seating is limited for it. So if you wanted to eat at those places you would have to wait until the end of the Candlelighting Ceremonies. THis is what we were told before we got our free meal and seats - oh and our seats were sitting next to the podium. This year I will be doing the free viewing unless the free meal comes up again! But for some this is a once in a lifetime experience and want the full experience.
Originally Posted By juicer The whole reservation system for the packages for the past few years have been a nighmare - Last year I basicly gave up on getting a reservation and saved a lot of money by standing on the sidelines with a great view. It was great and with a lot less stress!
Originally Posted By retlawfan Getting back to the original question. I think they go on sale as late as October. What bugs me, is that they usually don't announce who the narrator is until a couple of weeks before. Well AFTER the packages are offered and sold out. Did I mention that really bugs me?
Originally Posted By MOLLYSMOM It may be outrageously expensive, to be sure, but..... I have a friend that has older parents and a mother that cannot stand for any length of time. She is taking her parents to Disneyland during Candlelight. She wants to get them the Candlelight Dinner Package as an early Christmas gift. This will be her parents' first trip to Disneyland for Christmas, and considering their age...their only one. Expensive? Yes. Amazing memories for her parents? Yes. Can you put a price on that? No. She'd gladly spend the $100 per person to give that to her folks...no question.
Originally Posted By LuLu Wasn't it November last year? It seems like it was really late, like 3 to 4 weeks ahead of the event. But I'd keep my eyes peeled if you really want to do it.
Originally Posted By retlawfan I think it was through disneygallery.com. As I recall, there were overload issues for the last two years on the server that was being used due to the large volume of traffic. Click early and often!
Originally Posted By retlawfan At least 4. I can think of Napa Rosa, Storytellers, Steakhouse 55, and Hook's Pointe. Can anyone add to my list?
Originally Posted By amazedncal2 We did the package 3 or 4 years ago. The year Marie Osmond was the narrator and one of the nights was rained out. It was magical. We ate at Hooks Pointe. In "those days" LOL, we phoned for the package and DH just got lucky. The meal and the evening really stands out in our minds. Even though as as DH puts it "we looked right up Marie's nose" sitting and not standing was worth every cent on a cold wintery night for my bones and cold feet We ate, had to meet a certain minimum for the bill, paid, then were given the tix and sent back to Disneyland to stand in a line. A bit of confusion in the line up because Disneyland was still open and people without tix were confused and would get in line I'm sure it's all different now though. The idea that it could start raining again at any moment really added to the electricity of the night. We hope to be able to go again sometime. Keep in mind for anyone who hasn't done this before that the tix are hard to come by. There are many more people who want the tix than there is seating for. Be prepared to take any time slot or restaurant. Yamabuki was on the restaurant list.
