Happy Holidays — the Festival of the Holidays event is HERE!
EPCOT’s International Festival of the Holidays began and will continue to delight guests through December 30th. This festival features tons of exciting holiday kitchen food booths with countless special offerings, exclusive merchandise that can only be bought during the festival, and entertainment, like the highly-anticipated show that happens each year. That’s right — the Candlelight Processional is BACK!
The Candlelight Processional happens three times each evening of the festival — once at 5PM, once at 6:45PM, and a final time at 8:15PM. A 50-piece orchestra and choir made up of mostly Disney Cast Members (and some guest choirs from around the country) are joined by a celebrity narrator each night to tell the Christmas story. This year, those narrators are:
- 11/29 – 11/30 Josh Gad
- 12/1 – 12/2 Nico Santos (NEW)
- 12/3-12/5 Chrissy Metz
- 12/6 – 12/7 Whoopi Goldberg
- 12/8 – 12/10 Tituss Burgess (NEW)
- 12/11 – 12/12 Brendan Fraser
- 12/13 – 12/14 Ralph Macchio (NEW)
- 12/15 – 12/16 Gary Sinise
- 12/17 – 12/18 Neil Patrick Harris
- 12/19 – 12/21 Pat Sajak
- 12/22 – 12/23 Gloria Estefan
- 12/24 – 12/26 Edward James Olmos
- 12/27 – 12/28 Sterling K Brown
- 12/29 – 12/30 Jodi Benson
Since we visited EPCOT on the very first night of the festival, we got to catch one of the very first shows! We stopped at the 6:45PM show and found it to be MAGICAL. Some of the most popular celebrity narrators will draw large crowds, so you’ll want to either secure your spot in line at least an hour before showtime on those nights or book a dining package to ensure your seat is reserved.
Now, for the big reveal. We got to see THE voice of Olaf…Josh Gad! He even took to Instagram to express his gratitude for being part of the show, writing, “These incredible singers never cease to amaze me. Thank you for allowing me to stare in wonder at all of you and for allowing me to host this beautiful #candlelightprocessional at Epcot.”
The show was absolutely wonderful, and it never disappoints. If you’re someone who appreciates live entertainment, music, and an overall moving show, you won’t want to miss this offering.
Looking for more Festival of the Holidays news? Check out our posts below!
Be sure to stay tuned to DFB for all the latest holiday news in Disney World!
Learn all there is to know about this year’s Festival of the Holidays right here!
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- The COMPLETE schedule of events for the Holiday Season
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- And, of course, we'll tell you where to eat!
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MORE Disney World Holiday INFO!
Learn About Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
Get the Latest Information About the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays
Get All the Details About Disney Jollywood Nights
Everything You Need to Know About Disney World Holiday Dining and Events
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What’s your favorite part of the Candlelight Processional? Tell us in the comments!
Georgette says
My favorite time at WDW is when my then high school girl got to sing in the Candle Light Professional. I was SO PROUD!
Me says
Meh, seeing Josh Gad would probably make me leave. Dude is annoying and way over hyped. He kinda HAD to show up because Disney owns his soul. But even then, he’s better than Whoopi Goldberg.