If you visit Disneyland in early December, you might see a stage in front of the train station and chairs set up in Town Square. You might notice that the entertainment schedule is different from other days. That's all because a special ceremony takes place usually the first full weekend in December. The Candlelight Ceremony, also known as the Disneyland Candlelight Processional, is a musical retelling of the story of Christmas. The ceremony is held twice nightly on a weekend in early December. This year, it falls on Dec. 7 and 8 in 2024, with Marvel's own Kathryn Hahn as the surprise narrator. Here's everything to know about Disneyland Candlelight Processional and how to see the show if you hoppen to be in the park.
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Overview of the Disneyland Candlelight Processional
The Disneyland Candlelight Processional is a special ceremony for invited guests. The ceremony began in 1958 as a way for Walt Disney to thank the Orange County community leaders. Today's invitees are Club 33 members, VIPs, high-profile guests and special guests who work with or near Disneyland. Invited guests may receive complimentary tickets to the parks and are assigned a showtime and date. Tickets list a colored section. Guests arrive early to take their seats in their preassigned color-coded section. Guests are seated in order first-come, first-served fashion. They cannot save seats. Once all the guests are seated, if there are open seats, the ushers may bring parties one-by-one from the park guests waiting on the sides to fill in the empty seats.
If you've seen the Candlelight Processional at EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays in Orlando, this one is a bit different from the one at EPCOT. First of all, the EPCOT version has a dedicated theater space for it. It's open to all park guests. It takes place on multiple nights with varying narrators. The celebrity narrators are announced in advance.
The Disneyland Candlelight Processional, though for a limited audience, is a more spectacular sight. It takes place over two nights, with two shows a night. The same narrator does all four shows and is usually a surprise until the mic check or first show on Saturday. The show takes place in public spaces of Disneyland in front of the train station with the seated audience sitting between the tall Christmas tree and the train station. Park guests can stand outside the seated area.
Here are the more recent Disneyland narrators:
- 2018: Chris Pratt
- 2019: Lin-Manuel Miranda
- 2021: Sterling K. Brown
- 2022: Viola Davis
- 2023: Brie Larson
- 2024: Kathryn Hahn
Besides the celebrity narrator, the ceremony includes a symphony orchestra, vocalists, a grand choirs and some rooftop fanfare trumpeters. The choir is comprised of Disney cast members and guest community choirs. The ceremony is religious in nature, as it is about the story of Jesus, but the narrators are always inclusive and wish the viewers Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah, and they acknowledge all the holidays of the season. Lessons and the story are surrounded by beautiful music and singing. It's a truly beautiful ceremony that comes together for four shows a season. The choirs wear robes of either yellow or green. The singers in green stand in a pattern to create a Christmas tree. The choir members proceed through the theme park, holding candles and singing as they walk to the stage and climb risers to take their place. The lighting is stunning.
How to See the Disneyland Candlelight Processional
If you are not an invited guest, you may want to know how to see this beautiful show. Disneyland keeps quiet about the details (unlike its EPCOT counterpart) because the event is more intimate at Disneyland. There just is not enough space to open it up to everyone. You won't find this on the entertainment schedule or information about it on the Disneyland site or in the Disneyland app. But if you hoppen to be there, you'll be in for a treat!
First of all, you need a park ticket and park reservation. Park reservations do fill up early for these dates in the fall. So plan ahead if you want to visit the first weekend in December. Once in the park (as early as the park gates open), some people camp out for standby viewing in Town Square around the outside of the seated viewing area on curbs. At some point, the street does fill and cast member will make others not already in the area move on. After the first show, the crowd disperses. If you are nearby, you can swoop in for the second show.
You might be able to find some standing room on the fringes or catch sight of the ceremony as you walk by. Sometimes cast members let people queue for it and fill in empty seats before the show starts. The process may vary each year, so ask a cast member about it that day if you're interested in catching it. The later ceremony is easier to see with lighter crowds.
5:30 p.m. — the First Show of the Day
Once in the park (as early as the park gates open), some people camp out in Town Square around the outside of the seated viewing area on curbs. At some point, the street does fill and cast members will make others not in the area move on. After the first show, the crowd disperses. If you are nearby, you can swoop in for the second show.
The procession is longer for the first show. The choir walks from "it's a small world" toward Town Square. Park guests may line the parade route to watch them walk by.
7:45 p.m. — the Second Show of the Day
For the second show of the day, the choir walks down Main Street, U.S.A. to Town Square. You'll spend less of your day waiting if you can get in place to watch the second show.
Keep in mind that it is dark for both shows and can get chilly, so dress accordingly. Rain can delay the shows.
How Candlelight Ceremony Affects Park Operations
The show can put parades and other events on a special schedule, so plan accordingly! The parade may run early at 12:45 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. on those days. That way, the cast members can finish setting up and the parade does not affect the ceremony. You won't see parade dining packages offered those days. Nighttime spectaculars run as usual, but Wintertime Enchantment at Sleeping Beauty Castle may be on a different schedule.
You'll encounter crowds in Town Square as you enter or exit the park. While the show clears out, you may be stopped from entering the Main Street area, and may be directed through alternate routes to exit the park. You'll need to pack extra patience on these days and follow instructions of cast members. It can also be challenging to get to the lockers to retrieve your belongings in between shows. So plan ahead for that.
Candlelight brings crowds to the parks. You might want to get Lightning Lane Multi Pass to manage your lines, and get a park hopper so you can also enjoy Festival of Holidays entertainment in Disney California Adventure that day.
The week leading up to Candlelight and for a few days after, you'll see the setup in front of the train station. That may limit entertainment and parade-viewing space during that time, so we suggest watching the parade in a different area.
Are you planning to try to see the Disneyland Candlelight Procession this year? Share your tips an strategies in the comments section below. If you are looking for Disneyland tickets, save some green with discount Disneyland tickets! You'll want multi-day tickets to see and do it all this holiday season.
Related: Guide to the ~Hoppiest~ Holidays at Disneyland
Related: Hoppin' Good Guide to Disney Festival of Holidays
Hoppy planning!
