Nowhere are the holidays more magical than at Walt Disney World® Resort. The Candlelight Processional has been a shining star of the holiday season since the inaugural event at the park in 1971 and continues to be a must-experience performance for choral students and directors alike.
Our team at Bob Rogers Travel has had the privilege of organizing travel experiences featuring the Candlelight Processional for decades. Today, we’re excited to share our expertise and provide some delightful holiday inspiration for you and your choir.
Why the Candlelight Processional?
The Candlelight Processional is a 40-minute musical performance that features a celebrity narrator, a 50-piece orchestra, herald trumpets, the Voices of Liberty ensemble, a mass choir of Disney Cast Members, and student groups from across the country. If it sounds epic, it is!
Together, these performers share the story of Christmas and its proclamation of peace – a message of hope and love that can be appreciated by anyone and everyone. EPCOT® hosts this event three times each evening from late November to late December in the America Gardens Theatre.
This professionally-produced event, with its full orchestra, stunning lighting and staging, and the signature quality that Disney delivers, is the highest level of musical production most students will encounter as young performers.
*It’s important to note that Disneyland® Resort in California features its own Candlelight Processional, dating back to 1955, though it limits applications to schools in Southern California.
The Application Process + Preparation
You can review the application requirements and submission dates on Disney’s PlanEars website – but don’t worry, we’ll walk you through it.
The Walt Disney Company provides a selected piece for your students to learn and asks that you submit a piece of your choosing as well. You’ll create a video of both pieces for your submission and estimate the number of student performers that will attend. This part is important, as Disney will expect that at least 90% of applied performers attend.
Once accepted, your group will learn a selection of music the Disney team will send you, along with pre-recorded tracks your students can download. This opportunity to learn such a wide range of pieces, each with detailed notes, is powerful for your students – they’ll learn how to meet these high expectations and grow from this level of polish.
The Performance Experience
All those months of rehearsals will pay off when your students don the traditional gold robes, walk candle-in-hand, step foot onto the beautiful holiday stage and sing their hearts out for thousands of fans. Who will the celebrity narrator be that evening? Recent narrators include Josh Gad, Ralph Macchio, Neil Patrick Harris and the voice actress of Ariel in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Jodi Benson.
Your students will remember this moment for the rest of their lives! But while this performance is the shining star of your tour, it’s only one part of your fun-filled Florida adventure.
Like every BRT itinerary, your Candlelight Processional experience is fully customized, designed with you and your students in mind. Interested in Disney Imagination Campus? Prefer two park days or three? The options are endless, guided by our relationship with you and the travel dreams you share with us.
Dreaming of the holidays yet? We’d love to share more about the Candlelight Processional and other holiday events, like our Thanksgiving Parade of Bands, if you’re considering a holiday season trip for your group. Your students will never forget the kind of Disney magic that sparkles throughout November and December at Walt Disney World® Resort. Let’s connect and start dreaming together!