Walt Disney World's Candlelight Processional

Uplifting Christmas music filling the air. The sound of a choir lifting their voices to the skies. A 50 piece orchestra creating majestic holiday music. The Christmas Story being read by a well recognized voice. Candlelight glowing against a backdrop of holy and reverent music. All things you expect to hear at a treasured Christmas Eve Mass. But the breathtaking event described here takes place several times nightly in a theme park located in the heart of America's Playland. Yes, this is the Candlelight Processional performed in the American Gardens of World Showcase at Walt Disney World's Epcot.

Beginning in late November, with a history going back more than 35 years at Walt Disney World, the Candlelight Processional is a holiday tradition that is loved by both park guests and locals alike. Choirs from around the world converge on Orlando, Florida with an invitation to sing alongside a choir full of Disney cast members and headlined by the angelic a cappella singers known as the Voices of Liberty. The show is performed three times nightly until shortly before New Years Eve and is free with admission to the park.

The show begins with the audience and stage in darkness. Soon, choir members carring lit candles weave their way through the audience and line up on the stage. The choir members who are not based in Orlando take their places on rafters on either side of the stage. The center of the stage is reserved for the cast member choir. These volunteer vocalists dress in evergreen robes and are lined up in the shape of a Christmas tree. The choir member perched at the top wears a splendid golden collar, forming the star at the top of the tree. Lined up in the middle are the Voices of Liberty, singing into microphones and bringing a sound continuity to every performance, regardless of the different guest choir sounds.

In front of the stage is a fifty piece orchestra, playing glorious swelling music as both a backdrop to the choir and beautiful music in it's own right. And then, center stage is the narrator. Disney offers celebrity narrators who lend their familiar voices to the bible passages detailing the story of Jesus' birth. Narrators have included such notables as Gary Sinise, Neil Patrick Harris, Marlee Matlin, Edward James Olmos, Jim Caviezel and many more. The narration is a highlight of the Processional, but the story is told through the music as well, combining traditional and familiar holiday favorites with music that was written specifically for the Candlelight Processional.

The location of the show, the American Gardens, is an outdoor theater experience located in the United States Pavilion of World Showcase. Although home to many musical acts during the year, the stage is transformed into an elegant and reverent holiday spectacular for the Candlelight Processional. Lines begin forming long before each show begins and Disney has capitalized on the demand for guaranteed seating by offering a Candlelight Processional Dining Package. Guests are able to call in advance for reservations at a number of Epcot restaurants where they are able to enjoy an excellent dinner and also receive tickets for seating. The package does not guarantee a specific seat, however. Guest will still need to line up at least 45 minutes ahead of time to get the best seat locations. The ticket will guarantee that the guests will be seated in the theater.

So can you see this glorious production without spending time and money for dinner? Absolutely. The theater is completely open and guests can hear the music and narration from anywhere in the United States Pavilion. Taking a few moments to stop and listen can add a magical touch to any Epcot evening.

The Candlelight Processional is a can't miss holiday attraction at Walt Disney World. Taking the time to enjoy the production is well worth it. And guests can take the production home by purchasing a CD of the entire show. Bring a taste of the Disney holidays home and add the Candlelight Processional to your family holiday traditions!