DitP Perspective: Candlelight Processional 2010

The stage is set for the 2010 Candlelight Processional

Written by Amy Naluai

One my favorite holiday traditions is Disneyland's annual Candlelight Processional.  Candlelight is always held on the first weekend in December, with two shows on Saturday night and two shows on Sunday night.  It begins with a procession of choir members dressed in an assortment of different colored choir robes and holding candles (albeit battery operated ones) as they make their way down the parade route from It's a Small World to Main Street and Town Square.  Upon reaching Town Square the choir members fill the stage behind a beautiful orchestra, with members of the Cast Member Choir forming a living Christmas tree.

About an hour before showtime, final stage preparations are made

A celebrity guest narrator is introduced to tell the story of Christmas as written in the book of Luke from the Bible.  Throughout the story the narrator pauses and the choir sings Christmas carols with the help of the live musicians, including the spectacular fanfare trumpeters, a hand bell choir, and a pair of professional singers brought in to sing a duet for one of the songs.  The songs performed are:  "Sing Praise To Him Our Lord", "The First Noel", "Candlelight Carol", "He Is Born", "Angels We Have Heard On High", "What Child Is This?", "We Three Kings", "Sing Noel", "Joy To The World", and "Peace, Peace" with "Silent Night".  The final song the choirs sing is "Hallelujah!" from Handel's Messiah.  To say that it's a perfect ending to a powerful, emotional, and beautiful evening is an understatement.  You can't walk away from Candlelight without being filled from head to toe with Christmas cheer.

The crowd begins forming for the Candlelight Processional around Town Square

From what I've been able to gather, the history of Candlelight dates back to Disneyland's earliest days with the first Candlelight Processional held in 1955.  It started as a Choir Festival with individual choirs performing under a gazebo near the The Jungle Cruise.  For the next few years the ceremony consisted of participating choirs who performed around the hub facing the choir director.  By 1960, Candlelight had grown to 800 singers who followed the Christmas parades.  Finally, in 1961, a narrator was added to the ceremony to bring us the show we know and love today.  Past Disneyland narrators include Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, John Wayne, James Earl Jones, Mary Hart, Edward James Olmos, Mickey Rooney, Dick Van Dyke, John Stamos, Marie Osmond, and David Ogden Stiers, just to name a few.

This year it was announced that Tom Skerritt (Alien, Picket Fences, Steel Magnolias, Top Gun) would be the guest narrator.  For me, the narrator is just an added perk.  I would go no matter what, but the fact that Steel Magnolias is one of my favorite movies made this year even more exciting.  So after consulting my schedule, it was decided that Sunday's 5:30 performance would be the best fit.  We made sure we made it into Disneyland well before the last Christmas Fantasy parade so that we could stake out a spot in Town Square.  We had a pretty descent spot and prepared to wait about 4 hours for the magic to begin.

But as they say, into every life a little rain must fall.  And such was the case on Sunday, December 5th, 2010.  Unfortunately for Candlelight goers, rain caused the cancellation of both performances on Sunday, which meant no Candlelight for us!  To say that we were disappointed is quite an understatement, and the rest of our evening could have very well become a negative experience.  But the truth is that there are times when your Day In The Park won't go quite the way that you planned; a ride could close down, a parade could be canceled, bad weather happens, and we are left to either let that ruin our day, or adopt a more positive approach and "roll with the punches" so to speak, and make the best of what happens.

Hundreds of adoring fans are gathered just prior to finding out about the cancellation

So that's what we chose to do.  We decided to go grab dinner instead, which of course everyone else decided to do at that point in time as well.  But the longer line and the rain made our delicious meal in the warm, dry Plaza Inn even more enjoyable.  After dinner we were able to check out ElecTRONica, watch the TRON: Legacy sneak peak, and ride one of our favorite attractions, Tower of Terror.  And in the spirit of positivity, we got to enjoy a warm, dry bus ride back to the Toy Story Lot at the end of the night!

So, even though there are times when your Day In The Park doesn't quite go the way you had hoped and planned, there is always a sliver lining to be found if you're willing to look for it!  It's really up to you and the attitude that you choose to have.  Isn't that how it is with life in general?  Honestly, when you're at Disneyland with friends and family that you love and enjoy spending time with, that is as good a reason as any to find joy, choose happiness, and make it a great day one way or another.  And in the end, isn't that what the Candlelight is all about; joy and happiness?

May you and yours have the joy and happiness of this season within your hearts in abundance!

Already looking forward to trying again in 2011