Candlelight Processional at 5pm - is it less atmospheric?

[Pink_Fairy_Dust]

We will be with family in Epcot on the day we do the Candlelight Processional dining package, they have booked a table around 3ish I think at Teppan Edo and it says we will have access to the reserved seating areas for the 5pm show. I would prefer to dine later and see a later show - is the 5pm show a lot less atmospheric than the later ones when it is darker? I'm assuming it must be... any thoughts?

[Millie2017]

I hope you don't mind me tagging onto your post - is the Candlelight Processional something you need to book/be early for/ get a seat at etc etc? I don't really know much about it. Is it at the same place they hold the concerts during the Food & Wine Festival?

[Elise79]

We have done the 5pm show several times and always enjoyed it. Under the cover it is fairly dark at 5pm in December anyway.

They offer dinner packages with reserved seating for CP - we have done this way each time we have seen the show as the standby line can be long depending on the narrator and we'd rather being enjoying Epcot than standing in a line. I know when we saw Edward James Almos a couple of years ago not everyone in the standby line got seating at the first show and had to wait for the next show.

[Pink_Fairy_Dust]

Hi

You don't need to book a dining package but as the OP says the lines can get long and I've heard people queue really early and because we don't go all that regularly to Disney we need the time in Epcot. The dining package gives you a guaranteed seat within a reserved seating area (to be there for a certain time I imagine). Seating is then just as it is with say access to the fantasmic reserved area that comes with the fantasmic dining package, first come first served within the reserved area. It does take place in the area where the concerts are for Food & Wine. You can book the dining package with any table service restaurant at Epcot and there is a set price that differs at each restaurant, and there is usually a difference in price between lunch and dinner.

[Pink_Fairy_Dust]

Ah glad to hear it is fairly darkish for the 5pm show

[TigerMom]

We've done both and they were much the same. The 5pm one was with Sigourney Weaver so DH was delighted. It's one of the things we've enjoyed most at Disney.

[mariechez]

Is this one or two dining credits? thanks

[Rescuer]

Originally Posted by mariechez

Is this one or two dining credits? thanks

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Two credits

[KK_Cat]

Originally Posted by Pink_Fairy_Dust

Ah glad to hear it is fairly darkish for the 5pm show

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We did the 5pm show last year for the first time having done the later shows a few times. It wouldn't have been my first choice but there was no need to worry at all, as poster above said it was quite dark by the time the show started. It seemed as if it wouldn't be when we were seated but then all of a sudden it seemed to get dark just at the right time. We ate in Garden Grill and our narrator last year was Warwick Davis who did a fantastic job.

For others who may be reading, in addition to doing dining package we have often arrived just before a show to have a quick look and regularly get a spot at the rope at the back of the theatre. There is quite a good view during the week, not so much at weekends though. I've never actually queued for the standby line.