Accessible Seating at Candlelight processional (without dining reservations)

[jbm02]

Is anyone familiar with the seating accessibility at the Candlight Processional without dining reservations? We will be there Thanksgiving week. Crazy busy, I know, but one of our family members will be heading off shortly afterwards for a 1 year deployment to the Middle East. We were fortunate to be able to book a hotel (SSR, handicapped accessible room) and now are in full planning mode. We've never been there for the holidays before. the restaurants that still have availability for dinner/show seating are not ones that my family is especially interested in. But I really want to see this, so... I appreciate any suggestions!

 

[gap2368]

I know they have handicap setting in the middle and the back I think the dinning reservation go in the front of the area while standby get the back. So you will be setting in the back if the person using a mobility device can walk or transfer you can take the mobility device close to the row you are sitting in and then move the device for them. If it is a popular person get there early

 

[Michigan]

I wouldn't waste my money just get in line early. The last show is the least crowed. With dinner package you will be in the last row of the covered part. Without you will be in the 1st row behind that.

 

[RaySharpton]

I know they have handicap setting in the middle and the back I think the dinning reservation go in the front of the area while standby get the back. So you will be setting in the back if the person using a mobility device can walk or transfer you can take the mobility device close to the row you are sitting in and then move the device for them. If it is a popular person get there early

Yes, I have seen these spaces too, and I have some photos below and some links that might help the original poster.

Is anyone familiar with the seating accessibility at the Candlight Processional without dining reservations? We will be there Thanksgiving week. Crazy busy, I know, but one of our family members will be heading off shortly afterwards for a 1 year deployment to the Middle East. We were fortunate to be able to book a hotel (SSR, handicapped accessible room) and now are in full planning mode. We've never been there for the holidays before. the restaurants that still have availability for dinner/show seating are not ones that my family is especially interested in. But I really want to see this, so... I appreciate any suggestions!

Hi, jbm02.

I love watching the EPCOT Candlelight Processional.

I have seen the EPCOT Candlelight Processional with the Candlelight Processional dining package and without the Candlelight Processional dining package.



Here is the Candlelight Processional dining package seating area with the wheelchair/ECV section in the rear. There are 4-seat benches alternating with 2-wheelchairs/ECVs space. (This is not the rear of the rear of the theater.)

If it is a slow day for wheelchairs/ECVs, you may get one of these wheelchair/ECV spaces if they don't fill up with Candlelight Processional dining package wheelchairs/ECVs. The cast members usually escort you if you are using a wheelchair/ECV.

This is the rear of the theater with white benches and some wheelchairs/ECVs spaces at the end of the brown benches where overflow could go if not super busy with wheelchairs/ECVs.

This near the middle and you can see the cut out for the wheelchairs/ECVs spaces.

If I don't go inside the theater, I try and get a space outside near the curb and rope.

Here is a link to my thread from December 2018:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/e...l-photos-using-my-wheelchair-12-2019.3727669/

 

[gap2368]

Yes, I have seen these spaces too, and I have some photos below and some links that might help the original poster.



Hi, jbm02.

I love watching the EPCOT Candlelight Processional.

I have seen the EPCOT Candlelight Processional with the Candlelight Processional dining package and without the Candlelight Processional dining package.

View attachment 439781

Here is the Candlelight Processional dining package seating area with the wheelchair/ECV section in the rear. There are 4-seat benches alternating with 2-wheelchairs/ECVs space. (This is not the rear of the rear of the theater.)

If it is a slow day for wheelchairs/ECVs, you may get one of these wheelchair/ECV spaces if they don't fill up with Candlelight Processional dining package wheelchairs/ECVs. The cast members usually escort you if you are using a wheelchair/ECV.

This is the rear of the theater with white benches and some wheelchairs/ECVs spaces at the end of the brown benches where overflow could go if not super busy with wheelchairs/ECVs.

This near the middle and you can see the cut out for the wheelchairs/ECVs spaces.

If I don't go inside the theater, I try and get a space outside near the curb and rope.

Here is a link to my thread from December 2018:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/e...l-photos-using-my-wheelchair-12-2019.3727669/

I was pretty sure you would have photo. And they are great as always

 

[Bete]

The Candlelight Processional sounds important to you. I wouldn't do stand by for many reasons. Scooters, as well as, wheelchairs have access to handicap spots. If those with dinner packages take all the available handicap spaces then the stand by has to wait for the next show. Then, it could happen again with no handicap spaces available for the next show. This can become a very long ordeal even if you have success.

I would check every date you have and see if you can get a dining package that will suit your crowd. Then, you can go to Epcot on the day you get your dining package reservation. Also, remember you can choose breakfast, lunch and dinner packages; so, that gives you more opportunity to get a reservation. Even with a dining package I would show up early.

If you have a popular narrator it even becomes more difficult to get in without a dining reservation.

 

[RaySharpton]

The Candlelight Processional sounds important to you. I wouldn't do stand by for many reasons. Scooters, as well as, wheelchairs have access to handicap spots. If those with dinner packages take all the available handicap spaces then the stand by has to wait for the next show. Then, it could happen again with no handicap spaces available for the next show. This can become a very long ordeal even if you have success.

I would check every date you have and see if you can get a dining package that will suit your crowd. Then, you can go to Epcot on the day you get your dining package reservation. Also, remember you can choose breakfast, lunch and dinner packages; so, that gives you more opportunity to get a reservation. Even with a dining package I would show up early.

If you have a popular narrator it even becomes more difficult to get in without a dining reservation.

Hi, Bete.

I agree.

Every December Keep seeing both lines for the EPCOT Candlelight Processional with the Candlelight Processional dining package and without the Candlelight Processional dining package get longer and longer.

I have seen the standby line go beyond the multiple looped areas beyond Italy when non-wheelchair guests didn't make the show and had to wait for the next show. That's when I watch from outside the theater if I can get a good curb/rope front space to see.

And even the Candlelight Processional with the Candlelight Processional dining package has lined back past Japan to Morocco filling up all dining package seating areas including wheelchair spaces. One time I saw late arrivers had to sit in the regular seats behind the wheelchairs.

 

[Talking Hands]

If you can transfer to a bench do it. While I am in a wheelchair I am also hard of hearing and transfer to seating in the area reserved for people using sign language. You can transfer and someone in you party can park the wheelchair out of the way. If you cannot transfer there are spots for you but the go quickly.

 

[CJN]

Is anyone familiar with the seating accessibility at the Candlight Processional without dining reservations? We will be there Thanksgiving week. Crazy busy, I know, but one of our family members will be heading off shortly afterwards for a 1 year deployment to the Middle East. We were fortunate to be able to book a hotel (SSR, handicapped accessible room) and now are in full planning mode. We've never been there for the holidays before. the restaurants that still have availability for dinner/show seating are not ones that my family is especially interested in. But I really want to see this, so... I appreciate any suggestions!

Keep checking the restaurants. Even though these ADRs are prepaid now there presumably will be cancellations.

We were there last year during Thanksgiving weekend and did CP twice with the CP dining pkg. We just wanted the peace of mind to know we’d get into the show we wanted. If you do get reservations, one thing to be careful of is the time of your meal in correlation to which show you’re assigned. We didn’t give a second thought to having a 2:25 Via Napoli ADR and 5pm show. It was well past 4pm (maybe 4:15-ish or later) by the time we walked out of the restaurant and all we saw was a wall of people lined back to Morocco. Since we ended up at the back of that line I decided to park the ECV (where Ray’s pictures show) and transfer because it gave more options for where the family could sit. If we’d been earlier in line I may not have.