Extra! Extra! Tink All About It!: Candlelight Bookings Now Available!

 

Hey, Tinkers!

      Exciting news today, straight out of O-Town! On this intensely hot, melt-your-face-off kind of day, I gotta admit, I'm doing a little Christmas dreaming a little early this year. So what better day for Disney to announce some of the 2015 Epcot Candlelight Processional Narrators and open booking on the dinner packages?!?! Here is what we know so far:

11/27 - 11/29: TBA
11/30 - 12/3: Neil Patrick Harris ("How I Met Your Mother" and award show host)
                    More About Neil
12/04 - 12/05: Whoopi Goldberg ("Sister Act" and "The View")
                    More About Whoopi
12/06 - 12/08: Joe Morton ("Proof" and "Scandal")
                    More About Joe
12/09 - 12/11: TBA
12/12 - 12/14: Meredith Vieira ("The View" and "60 Minutes")
                    More About Meredith
12/15 - 12/23: TBA
12/24 - 12/26: Edward James Olmos ("Miami Vice" and "Battlestar Galactica")
                    More About Edward
12/27 - 12/28: TBA
12/29 - 12/30: Amy Grant (singer/songwriter)
                    More About Amy 

     Of course, all Guests with admission to Epcot are welcome to attend the Candlelight shows, which are presented three times a night, at 5:00pm, 6:45pm and 8:15pm, but for priority seating, you can choose a restaurant to book a dining package at. The package does NOT guarantee front row seating, or even really a good seat necessarily, but it DOES allow those with the package to enter the theater prior to the general public, and if you're in line when that happens, you're likely to get a seat at the front of the theater. If you are not in line at the time that you are advised to be there, don't expect a seat to be help for you. You still need to arrive before the show, but the good news is, you only need to be there about 30 minutes before the show, as opposed to 2 hours before the show, like the rest of the Guests. The package meals are a pre-determined dollar amount, and vary based on the location that you select. All meals include an appetizer, entrée, dessert and non-alcoholic drink OR full buffet. At the end of your meal, your server will issue your Candlelight passes, and inform you of when you will need to check in for the show. The time of your dining reservation will determine which show time you will be attending. The participating restaurants are:

          Biergarten
          Coral Reef
          Garden Grill
          La Hacienda de San Angel
          Les Chefs de France
          Nine Dragons Restaurant
          Restaurant Marrakesh
          Rose and Crown
          San Angel Inn
          Teppan Edo
          Tokyo Dining
          Tutto Italia
          Via Napoli

     But you may be wondering... IS IT WORTH IT???? Do I need a dining package?? Well, my Mum and I did one last year but we did it for two reasons: #1. We knew we wanted to go the Candlelight no matter what, and due to my mom's bad knee, standing in line for hours in advance was out of the question. (Yes, Guests line up HOURS before, depending on who the host is for the night.) And #2. We planned on dining at Chefs de France anyway. If either of those two scenarios apply to you, or if you're only dates in the park are the ones right around Thanksgiving or Christmas, then, YES, it is totally worth it! If you just want to see a show and you have the ability to wait in line, or don't mind standing in the back of the theater, you may want to pass on the dinner package.
     Some restaurants, (particularly Coral Reef, Garden Grill, Tutto Italia and Via Napoli), do fill up very quickly, especially for the dates closest to Thanksgiving and Christmas, so booking as early as  possible is a good idea. You can now go online, HERE, or call 407-WDW-DISNEY. Happy Booking, and remember....Only 171 more days until Christmas!!!!!