Candlelight Processional Narrators Announced for Select Dates During 2019 Epcot International Festival of the Holidays

The holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year and with it comes the return of Epcot® International Festival of the Holidays. This special event runs November 29 - December 30, inviting you to discover holiday cheer throughout Epcot and across all 11 World Showcase pavilions. Seasonal fun includes sweet and savory treats at Holiday Kitchens throughout the park and special entertainment such as the Guest-favorite Candlelight Processional.

Held in the America Gardens Theatre, the Candlelight Processional is a cherished part of the Walt Disney World holiday season, combining the talents of a live orchestra, massed choir and celebrity narrator in the retelling of the traditional Christmas story in a spectacular and heartwarming performance!

Here’s the line-up of celebrity narrators* confirmed to-date, and stay tuned for updates as additional narrators are announced:

• Whoopi Goldberg – 12/6-12/7
• Pat Sajak – 12/16-12/18
• Steven Curtis Chapman – 12/22-12/24
• Edward James Olmos – 12/25-12/26

The Candlelight Processional is performed three times per night (5:00, 6:45 and 8:15 PM), and guaranteed seating is available by booking a breakfast, lunch or dinner Candlelight Processional Dining Package at select Epcot eateries. Availability is limited and advance reservations are highly recommended and can be made up to 180 days prior to your visit. Bookings for Candlelight Processional Dining Packages will begin on July 3, 2019.

Following the show, you can shop “around the world” to find the perfect holiday gift with a variety fragrances, specialty handbags, ornaments, toys, dolls, jewelry and stocking stuffers available at merchandise locations across Future World and World Showcase. And you won't want to miss the new, limited-time nighttime spectacular, Epcot Forever, debuting at Epcot this October.

For Disney Vacation pricing contact me! As a Disney Vacation Planner, I'll help you plan the perfect vacation at no extra charge to you! Just a few of the few things I'll do for FREE!

• Help to find you the perfect Walt Disney World hotel; 
• I'll make your Advance Dining Reservations (no early mornings for you!); 
• I'll make your Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Reservations;
• I'll make your FastPass+ selections (once gain no early mornings for you!); 
• Book any tours or unique experiences; 
• Send you tips and tricks to get the most out of your vacation investment; AND 
• Get a FREE DISNEY GIFT CARD for qualifying vacations and more!

To book your Disney vacation with me, Lauren Gonding a professional Disney Vacation Planner, contact me by: email me at lauren@magicaltravel.com; answer a few quick questions to request a quote; message me on Facebook; or call me at 800-883-1535 x 46! 

*Narrators and entertainment are subject to change without notice. Theme park admission is required.

2019 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, Epcot International Festival of the Holidays

Details were revealed for two Guest-favorite festivals at Epcot®: the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival and the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays.

The 2019 Epcot International Food & Wine Festival will run August 29 - November 23, 2019 making it the longest Food & Wine Festival in the park’s history at 87 days! The festival’s Eat to the Beat Concert Series will run August 29 - November 19 and will feature a lineup of pop, rock, R&B, country, Christian, swing and Latin artists. (NOTE: The concert series will conclude a few days earlier than the festival in order to set the stage for the return of the park’s beloved Candlelight Processional).

This year’s festival will continue its tradition of offering tasty dishes, fine dining events, and appearances by favorite Disney culinarians and top celebrity chefs.

Stay tuned for updates on this year’s celebrity chef appearances, Eat to the Beat artists, dining packages, special events and more.

The 2019 Epcot International Festival of the Holidays also returns November 29 - December 30, 2019. The park’s seasonal celebration invites you to discover holiday cheer across all 11 World Showcase pavilions and throughout the park. Special entertainment, storytellers, seasonal favorites at Holiday Kitchens and eye-catching holiday decor are all part of the fun. The Candlelight Processional, a holiday must-do for many Epcot guests, will feature nightly retellings of the traditional Christmas story read by a celebrity narrator, accompanied by a massed choir and live orchestra.  

Stay tuned for more information as it’s released!

For Disney Vacation pricing, contact me! As a Disney Vacation Planner, I'll help you plan the perfect vacation at no extra charge to you! Just a few of the few things I'll do for FREE!

• Help to find you the perfect Walt Disney World hotel; 
• I'll make your Advance Dining Reservations (no early mornings for you!); 
• I'll make your Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Reservations;
• I'll make your FastPass+ selections (once gain no early mornings for you!); 
• Book any tours or unique experiences; 
• Send you tips and tricks to get the most out of your vacation investment; AND 
• Get a FREE DISNEY GIFT CARD for qualifying vacations and more!

To book your Disney vacation with me, Lauren Gonding a professional Disney Vacation Planner, contact me by: email me at lauren@magicaltravel.com; answer a few quick questions to request a quote; message me on Facebook; or call me at 800-883-1535 x 46!

Candlelight Processional Dining Packages

Even though summer is in full swing, Walt Disney World® Resort is excited to announce  information about this year’s holiday events at Epcot®!

Part of the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays, the Candlelight Processional is one of the most beloved events at Walt Disney World Resort. Many Guests plan their holiday vacations around their favorite celebrity narrators. This year’s event starts on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2018 for the first time ever.

The Candlelight Processional presents the traditional story of Christmas in truly spectacular fashion – with a 50-piece orchestra, a massed choir and a celebrity narrator. The processional is performed three times per night (5:00, 6:45 and 8:15 p.m.) during the holiday season at the America Gardens Theatre. Also available, on select days and evenings, Candlelight Processional Dining Packages which include a delicious meal and a guaranteed seat for one of the Candlelight Processional performances. Availability is limited for these dining packages as they allow guests to get a great seat for the Candlelight Processional without having to wait for it!

This is where you need to start paying attention: Candlelight Processional Dining Packages go on sale Wednesday July 11, 2018! This means if you've been waiting to book your holiday vacation, now is the time to do so!

Here are a couple of names of currently booked celebrity narrators.  Returning favorites include actress/host Whoopi Goldberg; entertainer Pat Sajak; actors Neil Patrick Harris, Chita Rivera, Gary Sinise, Blair Underwood and Edward James Olmos; and Jodi Benson, who voices Ariel in Disney’s animated classic “The Little Mermaid.”

Here is the lineup so far. We hope to share more names soon.*

• 11/22 – 11/23 – Chita Rivera
• 11/24 – 12/2 – TBD
• 12/3 – 12/6 – Neil Patrick Harris
• 12/7 – 12/9 – Whoopi Goldberg
• 12/10 – 12/12 – TBD
• 12/13 – 12/14 – Blair Underwood
• 12/15 – 12/17 – Gary Sinise
• 12/18 – 12/20 – Pat Sajak
• 12/21 – 12/23 – TBD
• 12/24 – 12/25 – Edward James Olmos
• 12/26 – 12/27 – Jodi Benson
• 12/28 – 12/30 – TBD

Lunch and dinner packages are available at some favorite Epcot restaurants including: Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (Norway pavilion); Biergarten Restaurant (Germany pavilion); Chefs de France (France pavilion); Coral Reef Restaurant (The Seas pavilion); The Garden Grill Restaurant (The Land pavilion); La Hacienda de San Angel** and San Angel Inn Restaurante (Mexico pavilion); Nine Dragons Restaurant (China pavilion); Restaurant Marrakesh and Spice Road Table (Morocco pavilion); Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room (United Kingdom pavilion); Teppan Edo and Tokyo Dining (Japan pavilion); and Tutto Italia Ristorante and Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria (Italy pavilion).

Breakfast, lunch and dinner options are also available this year at Epcot-area resort restaurants at Ale & Compass at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, with breakfast and dinner options being offered at Trattoria Al Forno at Disney’s BoardWalk Inn.

Candlelight Processional Dining Packages start at:

• For Breakfast: $38 plus tax per person for adults and $22 plus tax per person for children, ages 3-9.
• For Lunch: $50 plus tax per person for adults and $16.99 plus tax per person for children, ages 3.
• For Dinner: $55 plus tax per person for adults and $16.99 plus tax per person for children, ages 3-9.

Epcot provides an extravaganza of holiday entertainment, merchandise, food, beverages and festivities where Guests can celebrate at Epcot throughout the holiday season. Time-honored traditions come alive through the sights and sounds of the countries of World Showcase, and live performances enliven the park throughout the day.

When you book your holiday Disney vacation with me, Lauren Gonding - A Disney Vacation Planner, you will get my planning services for FREE including booking the Candlelight Processional Dining Package for you! There are a few ways you can book with me (or to request a quote or to have questions answered), you can:1.    Email me at lauren@magicaltravel.com;2.    Answer a few questions to request a quote;3.    Message me on Facebook; or4.    Call me at 800-883-1535 x 46

As a Disney Vacation Planner, I'll help you plan the most magical vacation - all for free! You won't pay one penny more by booking with me but you'll get personalized help and advice from someone that will get to know you, your wants and your travel plans (which you’re not going to get if you book on your own or direct with Disney)!  Just a few of the few things I'll do for FREE!

• Help to find you the perfect Walt Disney World Resort; 
• I'll make your Advance Dining Reservations (no early mornings for you!); 
• I'll make your Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Reservations;
• I'll make your FastPass+ selections (once gain no early mornings for you!); 
• Book any tours or unique experiences; 
• Send you tips and tricks to get the most out of your vacation investment; AND 
• Get a FREE DISNEY GIFT CARD and more! 

With all of these perks from me, you're bound to have a magical vacation!

*Narrators and entertainment are subject to change without notice. Epcot admission is required and not included in the dining package price.

** Candlelight Processional Dining Packages are available for dinner only.

2018 Epcot® International Festival of the Holidays

Recently, dates for this year’s Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parties at Magic Kingdom Park were announced and here is another holiday update! This year's Epcot® International Festival of the Holidays will return to the park November 18 - December 30, 2018. The Candlelight Processional also returns this year and for the first time, the popular holiday tradition will open for Thanksgiving on November 22 - December 30, 2018.

The Epcot International Festival of the Holidays invites you to discover holiday cheer throughout the park and across all 11 World Showcase pavilions. Special entertainment, storytellers, seasonal favorites at Holiday Kitchens, and eye-catching holiday decor are all part of the fun. Evenings during this time are topped off with a special holiday presentation of “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth.”

The Candlelight Processional, a holiday must-do for many Epcot Guests, is a retelling of the traditional Christmas story read by a celebrity narrator, accompanied by a massed choir and live orchestra.

To book your holiday Walt Disney World vacation, email me at lauren@magicaltravel.com. Or you can use this fast and easy form to request a free, no obligation quote! As a Disney Vacation Planner, I'll help you plan the most magical vacation - all for free! You won't pay one penny more by booking with me but you'll get personalized help and advice from someone that will get to know you, your wants and your travel plans (which you’re not going to get if you book on your own or direct with Disney)!  

Just a few of the few things I'll do for FREE:

• Help to find you the perfect Walt Disney World Resort; 
• I'll make your Advance Dining Reservations (no early mornings for you!);
• I'll make your Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Reservations; 
• I'll make your FastPass+ selections (once gain no early mornings for you!); 
• Book any tours or unique experiences; 
• Send you tips and tricks to get the most out of your vacation investment; AND
• Plus my clients that book a vacation package get a FREE DISNEY GIFT CARD and more! 

With all of these perks from me, you're bound to have a magical vacation!

Epcot Celebrates Coco

At Epcot® this holiday season, you will get a taste of the magic and music of Disney•Pixar’s blockbuster film “Coco,” which is now playing in theaters.

From now until January 6, 2018, El Mariachi Coco de Santa Cecilia, a new musical group inspired by the film, will entertain at the Mexico Pavilion. Named for the town of Santa Cecilia seen in the film, El Mariachi Coco de Santa Cecilia perform songs from the movie including the beautiful “Remember Me” and the heartwarming “The World Es Mi Familia.”

The film “Coco” revolves around Miguel, who dreams of becoming an accomplished musician – despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events during the celebration of the Dia de Muertos. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.

Later this season, Mexico Folk Art Gallery, which currently houses a spectacular collection of “Dia De Muertos” artwork, also will feature an interactive exhibit and festive dioramas showcasing scenes from the film.

In addition to this new musical experience, your Clients can enjoy “Las Posadas,” featuring colorful dancers and performers from Mariachi Cobre celebrating the holiday customs of Mexico during the Epcot International Festival of the Holidays.

To book your Walt Disney World Resort vacation, email me - lauren@magicaltravel.com - a Disney Vacation Planner. Or use this fast and easy form!

As a Disney Vacation Planner, I'll help you plan the most magical vacation - all for free! You won't pay one penny more by booking with me but you'll get personalized help and advice (which you’re not going to get if you book on your own).  

Just a few of the few things I'll do for FREE: help to find you the perfect Walt Disney World Resort; I'll make your Advance Dining Reservations and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Reservations; make your FastPass+ selections; and free tips and tricks!  

Plus my clients that book a vacation package get a free Disney Gift card and more! With all of these things from me, and all of the great things happening at Walt Disney World - you're bound to have a magical vacation!

Complete List of Candlelight Processional Celebrity Narrators

Rounding out this year’s celebrity narrators for the  2017 Candlelight Processional, part of the Epcot® International Festival of the Holidays, are two new faces and two returning favorites.

Disney Legend Kurt Russell, who has starred in Disney films from the 1960s to 2017’s “Guardians of the Galaxy 2” will read the Christmas story this year – as well as gold- and silver-medal-winning gymnast Laurie Hernandez. Two veterans of the event – actress/comedienne Ana Gasteyer and Jodi Benson, voice of Ariel in Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” – complete this year’s list. 

New narrators for this year’s lineup include Matt Bomer (“White Collar,” “The Last Tycoon,”); Star Wars fan favorite Warwick Davis, who played Wicket the Ewok in “Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi;” Daytime Television Legend Pat Sajak and TV star CCH Pounder, who was recently at Disney’s Animal Kingdom for the grand opening of Pandora – The World of Avatar.

And returning this year are everyone’s favorite hard-driving Dr. Bailey from “Grey’s Anatomy,” Chandra Wilson – and newly-named Disney Legend Whoopi Goldberg, co-host of ABC’s “The View.”

Here is the full list of narrators *:

• Nov. 24- 26 – Laurie Hernandez – NEW!
• Nov. 27-28 – Matt Bomer – NEW!
• Nov. 29 – 30 – Ana Gasteyer
• Dec. 1-3 – Whoopi Goldberg
• Dec. 4-5 – Pat Sajak – NEW!
• Dec. 6-8 – Jodi Benson
• Dec. 9-11 – Kurt Russell – NEW!
• Dec. 12-14 – Warwick Davis – NEW!
• Dec. 15-17 – Trace Adkins
• Dec. 18-21 – Neil Patrick Harris
• Dec. 22-24 – CCH Pounder – NEW!
• Dec. 25-27 – Jaci Velasquez
• Dec. 28-30 – Chandra Wilson

The Candlelight Processional presents the traditional story of Christmas in truly spectacular fashion – with a celebrity narrator, a 50-piece orchestra and a massed choir. The processional is performed three times per night (5:00, 6:45 and 8:15 p.m.) during the holiday season at the America Gardens Theatre. 

The Candlelight Processional Dining Packages, available on select nights, include a delicious meal and a guaranteed seat for one of the Candlelight Processional performances. Availability is limited so book now!

In addition to lunch and dinner packages, breakfast options are available at some favorite restaurants in and near Epcot like Akershus Royal Banquet Hall and The Garden Grill. Breakfast, lunch and dinner options are also available this year at Captain’s Grille at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort,** with breakfast and dinner options being offered at Trattoria Al Forno at Disney’s BoardWalk.

Candlelight Dining Packages for breakfast start at $35 plus tax per person for adults and $21 plus tax per person for children, ages 3-9. Candlelight Dining Packages for lunch and dinner start at $44 plus tax per person for adults and $15.50 plus tax per person for children, ages 3-9.

Epcot provides an extravaganza of holiday entertainment, merchandise, food, beverages and festivities where guests can celebrate throughout the holiday season. Time-honored traditions come alive through the sights and sounds of the countries of World Showcase, and live performances enliven the park throughout the day.

To book your Walt Disney World Resort vacation, email me - lauren@magicaltravel.com. Or use this fast and easy form to request a free quote!

I'm a Disney Vacation Planner with hundreds of satisfied clients and I want to help you plan a magical vacation for your family at no extra charge! You won't pay one penny more to book with me but you'll get personalized help, tips, advice and much more (which you're not going to get if you booked on your own).  

Just a few of the few things I'll do for you for FREE: help to find you the perfect Walt Disney World Resort; I'll make your Advance Dining Reservations and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Reservations; make your FastPass+ selections; and send you tips and tricks!  

*Narrators and entertainment are subject to change without notice. Epcot admission is required and not included in the dining package price.

** (NOTE: Captain’s Grille is currently under refurbishment. Candlelight Packages will be available once it reopens.)