Originally Posted By AutoPost This topic is for Discussion of <a href="http://www.LaughingPlace.com/Latest-ID-80607.asp" target="_blank"><b>Latest: Disneyland's Candlelight Processional Going to 20 Nights in 2012</b></a> <p>From the Official Disney Parks Blog...</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">The Candlelight Ceremony and Processional has been a Disneyland Resort tradition since 1958, bringing holiday magic to Main Street, U.S.A., with the help of celebrities like Cary Grant, John Wayne, Dick Van Dyke and, in 2011, Gary Sinise.</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">This holiday season – for the first time in its history – the Candlelight Ceremony and Processional is being extended to a total of 20 nights at Disneyland park, with two performances each night. The first two nights, December 1-2, will be invitation-only events; however, performances from December 3-20 will be open to Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders and guests booking special, to-be-announced dining packages for the 2012 holiday season.</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">The Candlelight Ceremony and Processional is a beautiful evening performance of beloved holiday music and the telling of the first Christmas Story in Town Square on Main Street, U.S.A. The first performance was in 1958 and has continued every year since. These classic performances touched off another tradition at the Walt Disney World Resort – the popular Candlelight Processional at Epcot.</p> <p style="padding-left: 30px;">These are all the details we have at this time, but stay tuned to the Disney Parks Blog for more information on registration for Annual Passholders and booking for the new dining packages. We’ll share more details on the 2012 Candlelight Ceremony and Processional at Disneyland park as they become available.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p>
Originally Posted By Kidz-n-k9s <<performances from December 3-20 will be open to Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders and guests booking special, to-be-announced dining packages for the 2012 holiday season.>> I'm confused. Do you think they are closing the park and only allowing in the people that buy dining packages?
Originally Posted By berol They wouldn't have to close the park if it went back to fantasyland theater.
Originally Posted By schnebs Sounds like they're going to make Candlelight a hard-ticket event, kinda like Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom. I wonder if it'll just be Candelight and it'll be done after Park closing, or if the evening will include all the other stuff we get (got?) with Park admission. We'll see...
Originally Posted By TP2000 They've done dining packages for APs in the past, using the Town Square format. Generally it's the second show of the night and the fancier the meal was the better your seats are. It sounds like they are just expanding this for each night and stretching it out for three weeks. I've never seen Candlelight in its entirety, but have always wanted to. That's a bold move on TDA's part to expand the one overtly religious thing Disneyland does; telling the biblical story of Christmas out in the park. I have no problem with it, but I'm sure the peanut gallery will have a few cranky PC things to say about it. That said, the cynic in me (who me?!) can instantly realize this is another way to get the APs to spend more money on property, this time with dinner sales.
Originally Posted By Mickeymouseclub Does anybody recall what it was like to "score' a few tickets when it was held back in the Fantasyland Theatre. I can remember waking at 4 a.m. and quietly leaving my Disneyland Hotel room to start standing in line; the line had already begun with a few of the cast members hoping to get extra tickets for relatives and friends. That was probably 10 years ago. It seemed like those few extra tickets were only offered the day of performance??? Does anybody remember and was it 2 weekends back then ?? Thanks I will be very sad to see it leave the Main Street RR Station location because the experience of watching them walk down the Main Street in Procession is very beautiful and emotional. Hoping that does not happen but eventually with crowds on Main Street...it seems inevitable.
Originally Posted By 999HAUNTS All I know is this is going to cause a hell of a lot of congestion. We are used to one weekend being crowded, but this might be a nightmare.
Originally Posted By tashajilek "All I know is this is going to cause a hell of a lot of congestion. We are used to one weekend being crowded, but this might be a nightmare." Im glad i will be arriving a few day after, not like it will be less busy lol.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros If it's running the entire month of December (essentially), I really can't see them doing it in Town Square, as it completely messes up crowd flow for the entire park. The obvious choice would be the Fantasyland Theater, but I doubt it will be ready for any noteworthy-sized audience in time. Plus, add in the congestion that area sees at night during the holidays because of iaswh, I doubt they would want to do it back there. Instead, I'd bet they'll use the Big Thunder Arena. In the last couple years they've really been pushing to use that space for special events for park guests, including the assortment of activities going on there this summer, while Carnation Gardens is closed for construction. I suspect that the entertainment department was given control of that space, and they're trying to find way to ensure that they maintain control of it in the future, given the stories of internal DLR politics. What I think is really interesting is that there will apparently be no way for day guests to see it without buying a special ticket. APers seem to have the opportunity to see it for free, but all others will be forced to pay extra. Wihle it's a fantastic event that I've really enjoyed each time I've seen it, I really can't support the upcharge. WDW offers it roughly the same number of nights (possibly even more), with several shows per night (3 most nights, I believe), and still manages to have it available to guests who didn't pay the extra fee. Speaking of the WDW version, is this related to DL now having its own Voices of Liberty? I know they're scheduled to end their run at the end of the summer, but given the scale of this event, I doubt they'll convince local high schools (or the parents!) to send kids to DL every night for a month. The WDW version uses a choir anchored by the Voices, so it seems like a semi-logical connection
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt <a href="http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2012/08/an-early-holiday-gift-for-disneyland-guests-twenty-nights-of-disneyland-candlelight-ceremony-performances-scheduled-for-2012/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DisneyParks+%28Disney+Parks+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher" target="_blank">http://disneyparks.disney.go.c...dfetcher</a>
Originally Posted By DBitz2 I seriously doubt, given the crowd control logistics, that they'll hold all of the performances in Town Square. (I'm working on the assumption that it won't be an after hours thing. I don't see them closing the Park early during the busy Christmas season. At least I really hope not.) A friend and I were discussing it and we both agree that they'll probably hold the first, invited guests only, weekend in Town Square as is traditional, and, then hold the rest elsewhere. I can see them using Fantasyland Theater. They could do enough work on the venue between now and then to be able to use the theater, then, resume work after the holidays. Unless they are doing a MAJOR rebuild of the theater, I don't know why they rushed to close it now when they are saying the new show won't start until next summer. I hadn't thought of Festival Arena, as Ferret suggested. That could work, too. Anyway, I think that it will be somewhere that allows for smoother crowd control than Main Street during the holidays. Crowd issues aside, I don't see them leaving all the show equipment up for most of December, either. It has a not insignificant impact on Main Street. It is an interesting move. I saw many Candlelights in the 1980's and into the 1990's before the AP numbers grew to the point where it was too much of a hassle. Thanks to some fleet footed friends who scored tickets, I was able to see it at least a couple of times when they moved it to the Fantasyland Theater. It would be nice to see it again. I haven't seen it for many years now. I am hoping that maybe they'll use some of the same personalities they have announced for Epcot. I have considered making a trip out to WDW to see Olivia Newton John when she does it. It would be nice to catch her here instead! Although, there will be a New Fantasyland to see out there, and, I haven't been to WDW at Christmastime since about 1996.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt It says right in the blog post that the events are held in Town Square. From the link: "The Candlelight Ceremony and Processional is a beautiful evening performance of beloved holiday music and the telling of the first Christmas Story in Town Square on Main Street, U.S.A."
Originally Posted By berol Having it 20 times should cut crowds a lot except for the first 2. They might not need the same amount of seating afterwards. The park will close at 9pm for a bunch of the days.
Originally Posted By DBitz2 I read the post, and, at first I thought all shows would be in Town Square, too. But, I think the wording is a bit ambiguous. It describes what Candlelight "is", not necessarily what it "will be" this time around. Let's just say that I'll be very surprised if it is held in Town Square for all 20 nights. It doesn't make sense logistically to me. Anyone who has been to the Park on Candlelight weekends knows what I mean!
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt I would think that if the decision has been made to hold the performances at a different venue they would have said so. Especially since they reinforced the location of the show by posting a picture of it happening on Main Street.
Originally Posted By disneylandfan8 And don't forget to factor in possible early DL closures for cast member parties. Do they still do those?
Originally Posted By TP2000 If they can do this for one weekend, and do it every year, then why couldn't they just keep doing it for 20 nights instead of 2? What makes December 12th so much unworkable than December 3rd? The weekday nights would be less busy than the weekends, and as has been mentioned after the first two nights they could cut out a hundred chairs or so in the back of the seating area, removing a few rows that normally spill out into the street, and reduce the footprint quite a bit. Voila! A smaller and more manageable Candlelight ceremony for December 3rd through 20th.
Originally Posted By Manfried What makes candlelight special is the procession down Main Street, U.S.A. and the living Christmas Tree in front of the train station. Anything else is bleah.
