Final Celebrity Narrator Added for 2026 Candlelight Processional at EPCOT, Completing Full Lineup

Walt Disney World has added the last celebrity narrator needed to complete the lineup for the 2026 Candlelight Processional, with Jordan Fisher now slated to host in the final TBD spot. This post covers everything we know thus far about the Christmas-time special event, held during EPCOT’s Festival of the Holidays.

This year’s EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays will run from Friday, November 27 until December 30, 2026, making it one day longer than last year. Shortly before the 2026 EPCOT Festival of the Holidays starts, the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival ends on November 21, 2026.

This time-honored tradition of Candlelight Processional has been a part of the holiday season at Walt Disney World since its opening in 1971. Experience the celebrity narrators, the Voices of Liberty acapella ensemble, a 50-piece live orchestra and glorious massed choirs as they present a heartwarming retelling of the traditional Christmas story.

EPCOT will once again share this tradition with the community, inviting guest choirs from across Florida to take part in the show. Choirs comprised of Walt Disney World Cast Members will also return, bringing magic to their performances as they do in their roles every day.

Now in its 55th year at the Walt Disney World Resort, and 32nd year at EPCOT, showtimes for 2026 will be at 4:45 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 8:00 p.m. at the America Gardens Theatre in World Showcase. Walt Disney World has also released the lineup of celebrity narrators for the 2026 Candlelight Processional at EPCOT.

Walt Disney World released info about the 2026 Candlelight Processional even earlier than last year, which came almost a full month before the previous two years when the lineup was released in October. This is still late by historical standards from ~2019, but the circumstances were different and that was more of a phased approach.

The downside to the earlier announcement is less certainty about the schedule. Announcing narrators closer to Thanksgiving reduces the likelihood of last minute cancellations by the narrator should another obligation pop up. This approach for the 2026 Candlelight Processional strikes us as the happy medium, as most of the lineup was known early, and there has only been one narrator change (so far).

Here’s a rundown of the revised and final roster of 2026 Candlelight Processional celebrity narrators, followed by dining package dates & details. Strikethroughs show what was originally announced, with the line below reflecting the current status of that date range as of October 23, 2026…

2026 Candlelight Processional Narrator Lineup (Revised)

This year, the following celebrity lineup will lend their talents to the performance:

• November 27 & 28, 2026 – Auli‘i Cravalho
• November 27 & 28, 2026 – Jordan Fisher
• Nov. 29 – Dec. 1, 2026 – Gary Sinise
• December 2 & 3, 2026 – To Be Announced
• December 2 & 3, 2026 – Benjamin Bratt (NEW)
• December 4 & 5, 2026 – Whoopi Goldberg
• December 6 & 7, 2026 – Robin Roberts (NEW)
• December 8 & 9, 2026 – Jason Kelce (NEW)
• December 10-12, 2026 – Neil Patrick Harris
• December 13 & 14, 2026 – To Be Announced
• December 13 & 14, 2026 – Josh Groban (NEW)
• December 15 & 16, 2026 – Lauren Daigle
• December 17-19, 2026 – Ralph Macchio
• December 20 & 21, 2026 – Henry Winkler
• December 22 & 23, 2026 – Lacey Chabert (NEW)
• December 24 & 25, 2026 – Jodi Benson
• December 26 & 27, 2026 – Simu Liu
• December 28-30, 2026 – Eva Longoria

As a reminder, celebrity narrators, dates and other entertainment are subject to change or cancellation without notice.

In fact, this already has happened, with Auli‘i Cravalho exiting (hence the strikethrough for the first two nights of the season). Thankfully, Walt Disney World has several local back-up celebrities on speed dial who can be called on to perform should there be a last-minute cancellation.

This happened, quite literally, a few years ago when Ashley Eckstein got that call same-day at 2:15 pm back on November 29, 2023. Eckstein immediately said yes to fulfilling a childhood dream, raced to EPCOT, was in hair and makeup by 4:30 pm, and on-stage shortly thereafter.

There were actually multiple last-minute cancellations that year, and that was despite the narrator lineup announced later-than-normal in 2023. Accordingly, we’d recommend keeping an eye out for updates, as this “complete” Candlelight schedule may end up being not-so-final in the event of another cancellation.

At the same time that Auli‘i Cravalho exited, both Josh Groban and Benjamin Bratt were added to the lineup. That brings the total number of new celebrity narrators to 5, up from 3 before. That’s still a decrease from last year’s 8 newcomers, but it’s solid number.

Now, the final celebrity narrator joins the lineup: Jordan Fisher. He’s a returning face, but still somewhat of a recent addition, having first narrated in 2023. Fisher has a strong Walt Disney World connection as the voice of the fan-favorite Happily Ever After fireworks at Magic Kingdom.

We’ve yet to see Jordan Fisher narrate Candlelight, so I can’t speak to his performance there, but other fans seem to love him. Fisher definitely skews slightly younger in terms of guest appeal (although the popularity of Happily Ever After transcends generations). Because of this, Jordan Fisher strikes us as a good addition to round out the Candlelight lineup.

Josh Groban and Benjamin Bratt are likewise good additions. Bratt has a strong, ongoing Disney connection given the importance of the Coco franchise; he’ll be reprising his role in the sequel. Groban’s Christmas music is fantastic; his album Noël is an all-timer. Groban also has a Disney Parks connection! “Believe” from The Polar Express appeared in the defunct World of Color – Winter Dreams at Disney California Adventure.

Most of those longtime favorites are back this year, with the exception of Josh Gad, Pat Sajak, Gloria Estefan, and Edward James Olmos, although I’m pretty sure Olmos and at least one other name on that list have “retired” from Candlelight.

Some of those celebrities have narrated Candlelight Processional every year (or almost every?) since we started attending in 2007. A couple of them are definitely not my personal favorites, but I know other fans love them. It’s nevertheless nice to see a well-rounded list of classics and new talent.

Out of the two returning newcomers from last year, I’m glad that Henry Winkler is returning for 2026. He was at the top of our must-see list for last year, but had dates too late in the season for us. Winkler is back even later in December 2026, and while we’ll miss him again this year, his return at least gives me hope that he’ll be back again in 2027, and maybe earlier in the season. (Or maybe we’ll finally travel later with school schedules to contend with.)

Out of the other returning narrators, our favorites are Gary Sinise and Neil Patrick Harris, and we probably could make either of those work with our dates (Sinise is the more likely of the two). Both are fantastic, and highly recommended.

We enjoy NPH because he’s a diehard Disney fan who helped fight the good fight to bring back Dreamfinder and Figment. Meanwhile, Sinise does similarly–except in a more literal sense–with his Snowball Express retreat for families of fallen military heroes.

The other three newcomers are great additions. Robin Roberts has a great voice and story, and should be a fantastic addition to the lineup. Jason Kelce more polarizing, but we think he could end up being a great addition. Both have strong Disney connections in the bigger picture of the company, although Kelce’s family has been making highly visible visits to the parks in 2026.

Meanwhile, Sarah is all-in on Lacey Chabert. She’s a notable addition as the star of Hallmark Channel’s new “Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True,” the first-ever Christmas movie filmed at Walt Disney World.

Chabert has been in approximately 1,971 other Hallmark Channel Christmas movies, and I’m told she was in mainstream teen television and movies in the early aughts, making her a “huge deal” with women of Sarah’s generation.

From ABC to NPH to the NFL to Hallmark Channel, there’s something for everyone in the 2026 Candlelight Processional lineup. And honestly, I’m not too worked about anyone who is not returning this year; Susan Egan and Brendan Fraser are probably the biggest losses, but at least one of them is likely to be back in 2027.

2026 Candlelight Processional Dining Packages

Candlelight Processional Dining Packages have returned, and are now available to book. Advance Dining Reservations (ADRs) are highly recommended and can be made up to 60 days prior to your visit. The bad news is that most ADRs are already sold out, filling up within minutes of opening back on October 14th.

The good news is that it’s still possible to find ADR availability if you’re determined and diligent. We covered the ins and outs of this last week in How to Find Availability for Sold Out Candlelight Processional Dining Package Reservations. All hope is not lost! We’d strongly recommend continuing to try to find a package, especially as opposed to waiting hours in line for standby seating or rope dropping Regal Eagle.

By way of update, I’ve started getting ADR availability notifications for a party of 1 at Biergarten on a daily basis. (Read Our Christmas Feast at Biergarten Restaurant for what the holiday time experience is like there.) About half of the time, the reservation is already gone by the time I see the email, but it has found some options for me. I expect this to continue working in the weeks to come, with even more availability in the final couple of days before my park visits.

Here’s the list of participating restaurants for last year’s Candlelight Processional Dining Packages:

• Akershus Royal Banquet Hall – Norway Pavilion
• Biergarten Restaurant – Germany Pavilion
• Chefs de France – France Pavilion
• La Crêperie de Paris – France Pavilion
• Coral Reef Restaurant – The Living Seas
• Garden Grill Restaurant – The Land Pavilion
• La Hacienda de San Angel – Mexico Pavilion
• Le Cellier Steakhouse – Canada Pavilion
• Nine Dragons Restaurant – China Pavilion
• Regal Eagle Smokehouse (same-day only) – American Adventure
• Rose & Crown Dining Room – United Kingdom Pavilion
• Spice Road Table – Morocco Pavilion
• Shiki-Sai: Sushi Izakaya – Japan Pavilion
• Teppan Edo – Japan Pavilion
• Tutto Italia Ristorante – Italy Pavilion
• Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria – Italy Pavilion

If you have other questions, see our Guide to Candlelight Processional at EPCOT. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more about the Dining Packages and everything else coming to the 2026 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays, along with any other schedule changes to the Candlelight Processional lineup.

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YOUR THOUGHTS

Thoughts on the addition of Jordan Fisher, Josh Groban or Benjamin Bratt? What do you think of the celebrity narrator lineup for the 2026 Candlelight Processional? Looking forward to the food booths, live music, Holiday Storytellers or anything else during the 2026 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays? Agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing feedback about your experiences is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!