While Halloween events at Disney Parks were recently cancelled it looks like Christmas events are starting to get cancelled as well. The OC Register announced that the Disneyland Candlelight Processional has officially been cancelled.
Disney officials confirmed that this beloved holiday has been cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. They state that this event takes several months of planning and they still do not have a clear understanding from the state of California for when theme parks will be able to reopen.
The Candlelight Processional is a traditional annual separate ticketed event for many, and it is sad to think that the choir groups who normally bring the story of Christmas to life will not be here this year to fill us with holiday cheer.
If you’ve never attended the Candlelight Processional before, this event started back in 1958 as a way for Walt Disney to show his gratitude to the Orange County community in California that was home to his first Disney theme park. The Candlelight Ceremony and Processional is a Disney Parks holiday mainstay, in which choirs comprised of local choral groups and Disney cast members to celebrate the Christmas story. Over the years, the event has become so popular that it was also introduced at Walt Disney World’s inaugural holiday season in 1971 (starting at the Magic Kingdom, and moving to Epcot in 1994).
Usually a celebrity tells the story of the first Christmas between songs. Past celebrities have included: Chris Hemsworth, Dick Van Dyke, James Earl Jones, Chris Pratt, and many more!
According to D23, actor Howard Keel, who narrated the ceremony at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World in the 1980s, put it best-“I’ve never been a very religious person, but when you stand up there for all of those people with that incredible chorus and orchestra beside you, it’s a wonderfully moving experience.
“In fact,” he added, “I was so moved I could hardly speak.”
The Candlelight Processional at Epcot in Orlando has sadly been cancelled as well.
While these holiday events being cancelled is extremely disappointing, we are already looking forward to the holiday cheer Disney is sure to bring us next year!
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