Disneyland Candlelight Processional 2022 Dates, Celebrity Narrator Rumors, Info & Tips
Disneyland’s Candlelight Processional occurs twice nightly this weekend. This post offers dates for the show, viewing tips, celebrity narrator info, our review and history of the event, which is held at the Main Street USA Train Station during Christmas. (Updated December 3, 2022.)
In contrast to Epcot’s Candlelight Processional performances that are held dozens of times over the course of the Christmas season in an outdoor theater, Disneyland’s Candlelight Processional is held 4 times, total, and is an intimate affair. Also unlike Epcot’s version, Disneyland’s Candlelight Processional is a mostly-private (we’ll get to what that means below) event.
The 45-minute show is a musical retelling of “The First Christmas” story through song and scripture, featuring a mass choir as the centerpiece of the show. The Disneyland Symphony Orchestra, fanfare trumpets, hand bell ringers, and a celebrity narrator join the choir in this joyous holiday tradition.
Disneyland’s Candlelight Processional will be held on December 3 and 4, 2022 for invited guests, Club 33 members, and other VIP guests with shows each night at 5:30 pm and 7:45 p.m. Regular park guests are also able to see the show from Main Street, which we cover in with viewing recommendations below.
The narrator of the 2022 Candlelight Processional at Disneyland has not yet been announced, despite the first performances being today. Usually, the narrator is unknown until right before sound check on night of the first performance, with fans speculating about who it’ll be and rumors–usually wrong–circling prior to that.
Currently, there are no credible rumors about the 2022 Candlelight Processional narrator at Disneyland. We’ll update this section later today once rehearsals start and it becomes obvious who is narrating. (Unless Disney manages to conduct rehearsals out of guest view, in which case we’ll update when the first Candlelight performance starts!)
With that said, it’s always fun to guess, so my shot-in-the-dark prediction is Angela Bassett. She’s done a lot with Disney in the last few years and is in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. I can’t think of anyone else who checks all of the same boxes, save for one of the Guardians of the Galaxy stars. (So perhaps Chris Pratt again?)
Often, the narrator of Candlelight Processional at Disneyland is a celebrity appearing in a Christmas season Disney, Marvel, Pixar, or Star Wars movie. Or someone who recently appeared in such a film. These are the “contract obligation” narrators. The last few years have several examples of this, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Chris Hemsworth, and Chris Pratt.
Last year, the Disneyland Cast Member choir was informed that Sterling K. Brown will be the Candlelight Processional narrator. Sterling K. Brown is best known for his role in the NBC television series, “This Is Us.” For Disney, Brown played N’Jobu in Marvel’s Black Panther and voiced Lieutenant Mattias in Frozen II.
Other times, the Candlelight Processional narrator is simply a famous or well-respected Disney Legend who has nothing to promote and is in no way a synergistic pick. There are lots of examples of both throughout the history of Candlelight Processional (more on this below).
Now, let’s move on and cover what occurs during Candlelight Processional at Disneyland…
These celebrities narrate the Christmas story at the Main Street Train Station while the Candlelight mass choir is sings beautiful holiday songs. Disneyland’s Candlelight Processional has been a tradition since 1958. Celebrities like Cary Grant, John Wayne, Dick Van Dyke, Gary Sinise, Kurt Russell, Jon Voight, Geena Davis, Chris Hemsworth, and James Earl Jones being past narrators.
Disneyland sets up seats for Candlelight Processional, which are reserved for invited guests. These “invited guests” are typically Disneyland VIPs, such as Club 33 members, media, and high-profile Disneyland guests. We have gotten a lot of questions about how to get seats for Candlelight Processional at Disneyland (that’s actually our reason for posting this), but the unfortunate reality is that if you don’t already know how to get seats…you can’t get seats.
There are no dinner packages, no standby line for regular guests, no ticket lottery, nor any means of becoming an invited guest. Because of this, Disneyland does not publicize the event. There are typically not posts on the Parks Blog, social media, or elsewhere until after the event. That’s why info on Disneyland’s Candlelight Processional is so scarce.
Despite this, Candlelight Processional at Disneyland is held during park hours, and at the very front of Disneyland, where it is plainly visible to guests entering the park. This, coupled with the small size of the reserved seating area, means that guests who camp out in Town Square can get a good view of the show. (Additionally, if there are empty seats, Disneyland sometimes allows regular park guests to fill them–but no promises there.)
However–and this is a huge however–it’s not simply a free for all up front. Because Disneyland is so busy these nights and seating/standing areas are in high demand, there are strictly-enforced limitations on where you cannot stand or sit to watch Candlelight Processional. If you’re attempting to wait and watch in a thoroughfare, you will be told to move in short order by crowd control Cast Members.
Some guests camp at the perimeter of the reserved seating area for the entire day on Candlelight Processional days. We’ve rope-dropped Disneyland on these days, and instead of racing to Peter Pan’s Flight and Space Mountain, we’ve seen guests racing to areas at the edge of the reserved seating area.
This is excessive, even by crazed-Disneyland fan standards. We are sharing this info so you know what you’re potentially getting yourself into should you decide to camp out for Candlelight Processional. In fairness, you can typically show up “only” a couple of hours in advance and still get a decent view of the stage, but it’s not going to be ideal.
However, don’t expect to be walking through Main Street 10 minutes before Candlelight Processional starts and simply stop to watch. It doesn’t work like that. There’s a good chance you won’t be allowed to stop in Town Square even an hour before Candlelight Processional begins.
Additionally, some of those individuals who camp out early in the day will leave following the first performance of Candlelight Processional, so if you show up towards the end of this, you might be able to wiggle your way into a better position. Again, no guarantees, as most guests who camp out all day will stay for both shows.
One word of warning: Candlelight Processional is held on two busy weekend nights during the Christmas season, which is already a busy time of year at Disneyland. At the front of the park. This means that the crowd in Town Square is basically a restless mob by the time Candlelight Processional rolls around, packed into the public areas like sardines. We would only recommend this to locals with a surplus of time.
If you’re vacationing at Disneyland, this is not a good use of your time. Moreover, if you’re vacationing at Disneyland during the Christmas season and will be visiting the park during either of these days but are not interested in Candlelight Processional, stay away from the front of the park before, during, and shortly after the showtimes. Getting people into and out of Town Square (and even the Hub) is an operational nightmare, and it will take a long time to navigate to/from Main Street.
If you are interested in Candlelight Processional at Disneyland, but not camping out for a spot to view it, the processional does come down the parade route. Guests who line the curb on Main Street shortly before the processional starts will be treated to something beautiful and uniquely “Disneyland.” While we don’t recommend camping out for the show, we do recommend this. It’s a special little moment that you can enjoy without nearly the time commitment.
We did Candlelight Processional a couple of years ago at Disneyland with Kurt Russell as the narrator, and we were blown away. It’s a lavish production that is wonderfully presented, and it felt like an intimate experience that probably still bears a lot in common with the 1958 edition.
We far prefer the Disneyland version to the way it’s performed at Epcot, but the difference is that one has stayed true to its roots while the other has opted for a more guest-friendly offering that tries to accommodate the high level of demand for the show. It’s hard to fault either version for their approach, but it is too bad that there is not a feasible way of having the best of both worlds.
If you are lucky enough to be invited to attend Candlelight Processional at Disneyland, do not pass up the opportunity. It is an incredibly memorable experience. Our only recommendation would be to treat it like the lavish event that it is: get dressed up, have a nice meal at Napa Rose or Carthay Circle Restaurant, and then enjoy Candlelight Processional at Disneyland. It’s perfect for a Date Nite at Disneyland!
If you’re visiting Disneyland during Christmas-time, make sure to read our Ultimate Christmas at Disneyland Guide to get the most out of the special Christmas offerings! As for figuring out the rest of your Disneyland trip, including what to pack, whether you should stay off-site or on-site in a Disney hotel, where to dine, and a number of other things, check out our comprehensive Disneyland trip planning guide!
Your Thoughts
Have you ever done Candlelight Processional at Disneyland? Did you have reserved seats or did you camp out? What did you think of the experience? Was it worth it? Any tips to add? Share any other questions or comments you have below!
This year it is Lin Manuel Miranda. My friend Robin is the Concertmaster!! I was herded around the rope perimeter to the exits and back around for about an hour. I did not know about camping out or the grand-poo-pah invite only, but clearly it was a VIP dealy. So at least I saw a glimpse of the show and worked off my Pizza Planet lunch.
I worked at Disneyland for ten years, first in Security then in the Entertainment Division as a Supervisor. While in security I was always in a good spot, but as a Supervisor in the E Division we got seats. It’s impossible to get seats but as some have said here, you might luck out on the night of the event.
BTW – the restrictions on standing are strict and controlled. Disney works to keep foot traffic moving and keeping lanes open. If people are allowed to stand anywhere all control of foot traffic would be lost. Disneyland is pretty strict about this for good reason.
Maybe you would know,or where to go for information: the Soloist for 12/8/19
~ 5 pm ? Are they listed on the program? Especially the name of gentleman that gave us Silent Night would appreciate any help -thank you, K Thomas
I was in the park on Sunday, December 2. I wasn’t there to see the event. As they do not publicize it, I was not even aware it was going to happen. As a Passholder, I can come and go as I want and my plan was to drop into the park after church and leave about 4:00. My main goal for the day was to see the Christmas Parade. At 4:00 I started to make my way out. I wanted to get some ice cream at Gibson Girl and sit in town square to eat it, soaking up the atmosphere on Main Street.
Then I confronted the Main Street nightmare.
The sidewalks on Main Street–this is four hours before the performance–were already one way. The only way to get to Gibson GIrl was by going through the back of Coke Corner. I bought my sundae and then had to go through the Emporium to reach town square. Here, I found every bench and nearly every seat wall roped off. Finally, I found a seat wall in front of the Tour Guide garden that was not roped off and sat down to spend the last few minutes in the park enjoying my sundae.
But no. I was confronted by a female host who told me I had to keep moving. When I insisted I be allowed five minutes to eat my ice cream and then leave the park she left and returned with a security guard. I wish I could say I departed gracefully, but I did lose my temper. It was pretty clear to me now that I was NEVER going to enjoy that sundae, so I tossed it in the trash and left.
So take note: Starting four hours before the event IT IS ILLEGAL TO SIT IN MAIN STREET.
When I read above about places where people can camp out for this thing, I have to call baloney. They don’t let anyone settle down for a minute–anywhere: “Please keep moving, sir!!”
My advice is that if you are in the park on the day of this event–and you aren’t ticketed for it–just STAY AWAY from Main Street from 4pm to well after the second performance ends.
Its Chris Pratt this year! Just saw him in hotel lobby while checking in!
I’m kicking myself. I’m here for one day and chose CA Adventure I love Chris Pratt!
Any idea wh!t the dates are for the 2019 processional?
It won’t be Mark Hamill this year. He’s in Prague shooting Knightfall for The History Channel.
How does one find out what time the performances will be? I had the privilege of singing in the choir for the candlelight procession many many years ago, and I have always wanted to see it again.
I was lucky enough to be a college program intern and perform in the Epcot version of the “Candlelight Processional” at Walt Disney World Resort. You start rehearsing in September, the cast members wear the gold robes and a guest choir (usually a local high school or community choir) wears the green robes. I was shocked also that you did not have to audition, you show up to practice get a practice audio recording with your voice part (alto, soprano, etc.) and just show up whenever you feel like it to perform. No schedule! They have enough cast members somehow to never make a schedule and always have enough, sometimes they have to turn away extra cast members. We would get free guest park tickets as payment everytime we performed. When I performed in 2001 Gary Sinese was the narrator, you might be disappointed (as I was) to discover the choir does not get to meet the celebrity narrator, they are whisked on and off stage via a different route and you never get any other encounter other than being 4 feet from their backside. Still a moving and memorable experience with uplifting Christian Christmas music and scriptures read aloud from the celebrities. I’ll never forget it and I still have my special t-shirt that says “Candlelight Processional Cast Member” Of course they make you purchase it! LOL Still magical!
We happened upon this event in 2011 by accident and were uterly amazed at what we witnessed there were thousands of people gathered around to see and hear a celebrity read the Christ birth story straight from the Bible and hear amazing real Christmas music from a phenomenal orchestra and beautiful choirs. The music was about Christ and wisemen not about snowmen and reindeer then it concludes with the thousands gathered joining in to sing Silent Night. Very emotional. We have not missed one since then nor will we miss another. It is our greatest anticipated Christmas event of the year. Disneyland really knows how to do Christmas right!
I wholeheartedly agree. It is an amazing experience and will give you chills when the herald trumpeters play! I have been fortunate enough to have participated in the choir about 8 times. Watching as a fire is the highlight of my Christmas season
We ended up at the park the weekend of the show one year, but had no idea it was taking place at first. We figured it out pretty quickly. One big thing to remember is that this show has a huge impact on other parts of the park. They shut down the train and Jungle Cruise while the show is going on which, as we all know by now, affects the traffic around the crowded park. We will be there again and hope to see at least the Main Street procession.
I must admit that I was very unhappy with all of the closures and congestion when we stumbled upon it. Call me Grumpy Scrooge because I was both. A very nice middle aged lady worker saw us, noticed I wasn’t real happy and invited us to pass the rope and stand for the show that was starting in about 10 minutes. I agreed and was taken from playing Ebenezer Grumpy Scrooge to playing Happy. It was a very well produced program and the presentation was definitely up to Disney’s high standards. We found the worker later and thanked her for getting me back in the true Christmas spirit. I wouldn’t camp out all day for this, but I would definitely try to see at least part of it if you are there.
I’ve been fortunate enough to see this several times. To me, it’s as moving as any church service for Christmas. Once, I had my small nephew with me, and he fell asleep shortly before it began. We were near the reserved seat area, and a cast member moved is to chairs so I could be more comfortable holding him. We were in about the 10th row. I love this performance. It says everything about how wonderful the holidays can be.
I believe it was 2008 when we “accidentally” attended. My husband and I decided to go and experience our first disneyland Christmas experience the first Saturday of December. We didn’t know anything about the candlelight processional nor that it was happening that night. We were headed out of the park and saw everything set up at the front of the park. I don’t even remember how we ended up in the crowd in the front, but we ended up finding a small opening and got to see the entire show. It was absolutely amazing and a complete fluke that we ended up with a decent view. I have always wanted to go back and see it again.
2007 was one of a couple of years you could buy a dinner package for a seat. I believe it was open first to Annual Passholders. I took my daughter and parents. Jane Seymour was the speaker. It was a most magical and awe inspiring experience, one I will never forget. Without a guaranteed seat, I am not willing to fight the crowds anymore.
I was lucky to get a invite from Disneyland to attend this year for my first time, I am beyond excited to go and so honored to be invited. This article helped me get even more excited and to prepare for another magical Disneyland moment! Something tells me my 123rd visit will be one to remember. Thanks for this information.
What is the start time for the Candlelight processional?
Hey Mark, I’m a fan of yours (I have a couple of your drawings gracing my walls). Congrats on your invite this year! Enjoy it! But if you can’t make it please let me know, I’ll take those tickets! LOL!
What time does this craziness start? I will be there Sunday with my husband, two small kids, sister and Alzheimer’s patient mother who will be in a wheelchair. This is something we definitely definitely need to avoid.
I was able to see this beautiful event December of 2012, my daughter’s senior year in high school. Her chamber choir from her high school was selected to perform among the choir singers. Not once but two different days! I was so very proud of her and this was an event she said she’d remember and treasure being a part of forever. On her second performance night, Dick Van Dyke was the speaker and it was his Birthday… everyone sang HBD to him. The best part was the processional…all dark down Main Street except for the hundreds of choir robed singers holding candles…beautiful to see and hear….all quiet and dark, except the candles and the sound of beautiful singing.
I try to go every year it’s starts my Christmas season off the way it should be about Christ’s birth. I love ,love ,love it. I always go after the 1st show and it’s easier to get I good spot.
We are going to try to go. If we do decide to camp out, where is the best place to stand to see the processional and the speaker?
The Candlelight procession is one of my favorite traditions that occur on Disneyland grounds. I have been lucky enough to be one of the choir members the past couple of years and the experience is beyond magical. Walking through Main Street seeing all of the people on the side smiling and taking pictures while singing the carols with you, it’s impossible to frown in such a moment. Despite the minor pains you get for standing on the train station for an extended amount of time, singing these songs always puts a tear or two in my eye. It’s such a feeling of sheer moving beauty to hear the First Christmas Story and being able to share a cheerful unity with everyone else on stage and in the park is an experience that makes one not take the holiday season for granted. I have never seen the procession itself as part of the crowd, but I am extremely happy to see that people enjoy this tradition and seems like it won’t be going away any time soon.
Once, a few years ago (and the only time I’m aware of this having ever happened) Disneyland had several more than just the 4 showings. Seats were made available to Annual Passholders via a lottery. I was lucky enough to be one of the winners and was able to get seats for myself, my daughter, sister, brother-in-law and my niece and nephew (lap-sitters). I am not religious at all, but the prosessional was awe inspiring. Absolutely Magical. It is one of my favorite Christmas/Disney memories. I will be forever grateful that for whatever reason the Disneyland Resort made the processional available to so many that year. If I ever have the chance (not likely now that I have a toddler) I would absolutely take the time to see it again.
I remember that; I want to say it was 2012. From what I heard, it was a complete and utter operations nightmare, and they basically said “never again” after that.
I could see Candlelight Processional being expanded at Disneyland, but I’m betting that would require moving it to Fantasyland Theater. Personally, I’d rather maintain the history of having it on Main Street (even if I can never get a seat for it there). I just think that’s such a great tradition that it should never change.
Your right, it was 2012. And I agree that keeping it on Main Street is better than expanding it elsewhere in the park.
I was in town for Candlelight last year, and it was my reach goal to be able to watch at least one showing. I ended up being able to see it all four times, and extremely luck to get a seat for one. I gave up a lot of time that could otherwise be spent in the parks, and that was my decision for the weekend because I knew for myself this would be a once in a lifetime chance.
My tips for viewing it are:
– Try entering the park during the showing. For those that haven’t been to Disneyland during the event, there are roped off areas for standing room open to day-guests surrounding the seating areas. They clear these areas between each performance of the night. They do crowd control with one way traffic, and that means that the right side (from the vantage of those entering) has less people in the standing room area than the left side, which fills up with people from inside the park on their way out. I saw two performances in this area, and you can get close to the front. The view is a bit obstructed because it is a side view, but you are not overly packed in.
– The view from down on Main Street of the opening processional is great in itself, even if you can’t later see the rest of the show. Unless you need to see the show, I would just recommend this and then go spend the rest of your time in the park. I stood in line for the second showing during the first show, which meant I was in the right spot for the processional. It was truly one of the most magical, spine tingling moments I’ve had in a park.
– I would not ever plan on getting a seat, unless you know you have a seat. I tried pulling all my favors with Cast I know and asking around all week with no luck. I was staying at Grand Californian that weekend and you could tell that they were pulling out all the stops for the invited guests the morning of the first show. There was even a temporary Club 33 desk on our floor, and the poor gentleman working it never had any rest. At the same time, I was very very lucky to be granted the chance to fill in a single seat after waiting in the standing room only section. I’ll emphasize that one of the reasons I was able to sit was because I was solo and willing to go anywhere. I was also polite and thankful, and did not expect anything from the Cast Members. I didn’t even know this would be an opportunity until moments before the procession when the event team confirmed that the invited guest wasn’t using their event ticket. My standing room spot was actually less obstructed of a view and closer by just few feet, so the seats are necessarily better.
Those are some really great tips, particularly the first one. It makes perfect sense, but I had never thought to try that.
I think the Club 33 desk in the Grand Californian is a permanent fixture. That alcove is one of my go-to spots to use my laptop at Disneyland Resort if I have work to get done, and I’ve seen someone stationed there several times over the last 6 months. (I’ve also overheard some very humorous guest encounters, epitomizing the word entitled.)