Candlelight Processional Wait Times 2017

[only hope]

Hello! Does anyone know how early people were lining up to the processional with Laurie Hernandez yesterday? Did all of standby get in to the first show or did some have to wait until the next one? Perhaps we can post our experiences here this year to serve as a reference for others.

 

[siskaren]

Except the wait times for Laurie Hernandez aren't going to be helpful for someone who wants to see someone other than Laurie Hernandez. (Like especially Neil Patrick Harris.)

 

[wgeo]

Yeah, I mean we all know that Neil Patrick Harris is hard to see - but I think it would be helpful to hear about other people's experiences with other hosts. It at least gets you a ball park idea of what's going on this year.

 

[Southernmiss]

We were just at the 6:45 candlelight processional tonight. People started lining up for 5 o'lock at 3 o'clock.

We took a chance and walked into the cue at 630. We got in, but had to sit along the wall. There were plenty of people behind us who did not get in. And many others who stood outside the area to watch. Cast members filled in most of the entire seating area. I did not see many open roped off spots.

Did not bother us to sit on the wall. We were glad to get in and see it. It's about a 40 minute show. Great to put you in the Christmas spirit.

 

[only hope]

Yeah, I mean we all know that Neil Patrick Harris is hard to see - but I think it would be helpful to hear about other people's experiences with other hosts. It at least gets you a ball park idea of what's going on this year.

That’s what I was thinking. In the past I’ve tried finding info on when people were lining up. One thread for the season will make it easier for people to find info this year and next.

We went to the 5 o’clock today, Laurie Hernandez. We walked by at 3:30 and the line was partway along the first row, at the wall. We relaxed at the fountain and got in line at 4. It was to the third row in the queue. People started pouring into line shortly afterwards. We were let in at 4:28.

I don’t know if everyone got in but the back of the theater looked full. Standby was only allowed to use the back third or so of the theater. You were told which section of the theater to go to, though you could pick a row. The rest was for people with the dining package and there were ropes with attending cm to prevent others from going through. There were plenty of seats left in the roped off section. Packages for today were still open for booking this morning; perhaps they didn’t sell out. We think that stand by should be allowed to fill all avaliable space and not stuck at the back of the theater.

 

[wgeo]

Anybody have any reports of standby waits over the last week?

 

[Disneybuckeye]

We waited stand by on Monday. Got in line 30 minutes before and had a seat on the right side about half way back. Lots of people got in after us. It was an uncrowned park day.

 

[only hope]

Monday was Matt Bomer, for future reference. Anyone have times to post?

 

[Happy_2_B]

Anybody have any reports of standby waits over the last week?

We saw Whoopi a few days ago. People started lining up at 2 PM for the 5 PM show when we walked past at that time. It wasn't a lot of people- but we were amazed guests would waste 3 hours of park time standing in the sun to get a seat. We went to the second one, and a considerable number of the standby people got in, but there were still a lot in the line that didn't get in when I went to the restroom just before show time. If I had to estimate- it was around two hundred people, maybe more- again, just an estimate. When our show was over- that line was at least doubled- and probably more- it was a LOT of people (again, just a guess). Gauging from the number of rows available from the second show for standby- if I had to guess only half to 2/3 of those waiting would have gotten in for the third show. Whoopi is pretty popular, though- as she is one of only 12 people that have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony award in individual categories. I agree with the PP- no way to predict the optimal time to get into standby- earlier is always going to be better. Some narrators are a big draw- and others not so much. And even though this report for Whoopi is pretty complete- I am just guessing on numbers and whether or not the percentage of people turned away was accurate or not.

 

[wgeo]

So these are just estimates but --- the standby area has ropes that run back toward the bridge (as you are walking toward Italy). In that little area by the bridge they wind the ropes back and forth creating a que. From the best I can tell, most of the people - but not all the people that were in the roped area got into the standby seating. When we showed up on a freezing Saturday for Kurt Russell - the line was already outside of the roped que by at least 100 people at 3:45. The CM's working the area were pretty clear with everyone that far back that they weren't gonna get into the 5:00 show.

 

[disneycountrygirl]

Yesterday at 3:30 there was already a long candlelight processional line for the 5:00 show. We got in line at 7 for the 8:15 show (had tix cause the dinner pkg), and there were a ton of people in front of us. We still got fabulous seats close to the front. This was for Kurt Russell.

 

[Chaoticsweetness]

Whoopi had a huge standby line for her last show at CP. It went all the way thru Italy into Germany. We tried to watch from the back of the theater, there was 5+ people deep. It was insane. I think they started lining up during the first show. Incredible fans dedicate a whole day just to see her at Epcot.

 

[mshanson3121]

Can you FP this?

 

[disneykate28]

Can you FP this?

No. The options are to wait standby or get a dining package that includes a ticket to the processional.

 

[mshanson3121]

No. The options are to wait standby or get a dining package that includes a ticket to the processional.

So to do standby, basically you have to be in line an hour in advance?

 

[lomillerin]

How early do you need to get in line with package if good seats aren't important? We just want seats.

 

[Happy_2_B]

So to do standby, basically you have to be in line an hour in advance?

That will get you a good seat WITH the dining package- closer to the front of the theater. To be front and center with the package- lines start to form about 2 hours before for popular narrators. Arriving an hour before with popular narrators doing standby and you aren't getting in based on what we saw during our 3 days in EPCOT recently- won't even be close.

How early do you need to get in line with package if good seats aren't important? We just want seats.

This describes us to a point. We did Whoopi this year, and we got in line about 40 minutes before. Lines were already beyond the queues- and they were lining people up four across outside the queues so we jumped in line. You can arrive just before the show and get seats- but they will be the ones behind the trees where no one wants to sit. If you don't care- arrive when you want- your seats are guaranteed. We sat in the last row of the roped off area close to the isle. The seats next to us in the reserved section remained empty- they were behind a tree.

 

[AnneK]

We had tickets for the 8:15 show with Kurt Russel last night. We got in line at 7:10 and got amazing seats in the middle and close to the front. Even though it was FREEZING cold the show was amazing!

 

[Lothlórien]

Anybody have any reports of standby waits over the last week?

Roughly 2 hours, or just shy of that.

 

[only hope]

I saw Warwick today, with a dining package. He did a great job. I really miss seeing him at SWW!

At 3:06, standby had hardly anyone. It ended across from the Espresso stand. At 3:37 the first few rows were full. At 3:09 the package line had maybe 12 people, so I watched the Voices of Liberty perform. When I returned and joined the line at 3:38, I counted 32 people plus four who were sitting on the two benches farther back. Handicap was let in at 4:13. Standby was let in at 4:18.

By the way, if anyone is interested in videorecording the show, you should know no tripods are allowed to be used in the theatre. I wish they would state this on the info page. I wouldn’t have dragged it around all day. (No, I was not blocking anyones view but my own and it was not in anyone’s way as there was about ten feet of empty space in front of me).

Another note. If you have a wheelchair or scooter, theres really no need for a cp package if your group is small and you’re not seeing a crazy popular narrator. I don’t know if they filled the front handicap with just cp package or not, but all of them got in before anybody else did. I saw several empty handicap spots and there may have been more empty spots I didn’t see.