EPCOT’s 2026 Candlelight Processional has lost its opening narrator before the first performance. Auli’i Cravalho, the voice of Moana, was booked to start the season on November 27–28, but she has now been removed from the schedule. Disney has not explained why and has not named a replacement.
The revised schedule also fills two previously empty dates. Benjamin Bratt will narrate December 2–3, and Josh Groban will take December 13–14. Dining package reservations open October 14, so guests have only a few days to adjust their plans.
Six Decades of Candlelight
The Processional began at Disneyland in 1958 as a candlelit carol walk down Main Street, U.S.A. It arrived at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in 1971, then moved to EPCOT’s America Gardens Theatre in 1994. There it became the full concert production guests know today.
Very little about the show has changed. Performances run from November 27 to December 30, three times nightly at 4:45 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 8 p.m. A 51-piece orchestra, the Voices of Liberty, and a choir of more than 150 cast members and community singers accompany a guest narrator reading the Christmas story. Because the narrator changes every few days, the narrator schedule is what guests book around, and a single change can affect many trips.
The Revised Lineup
Opening weekend has no narrator listed for now. Gary Sinise follows from November 29 to December 1, then Benjamin Bratt narrates December 2–3, and Whoopi Goldberg narrates December 4–5. Robin Roberts and Jason Kelce make their first appearances on December 6–7 and 8–9, ahead of Neil Patrick Harris on December 10–12.
Groban’s December 13–14 dates suit the show well, because his career is built on choral and orchestral crossover music. After him come Lauren Daigle (December 15–16), Ralph Macchio (December 17–19), Henry Winkler (December 20–21), and first-time narrator Lacey Chabert (December 22–23). Jodi Benson narrates on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Simu Liu follows on December 26–27, and Eva Longoria closes the season December 28–30.
Is a Dining Package Worth It?
Standby seating is first-come, first-served, and the line for popular narrators forms well before showtime near The American Adventure. A dining package removes that risk. It pairs a meal at one of the EPCOT restaurants with entry to a reserved section for one performance that day. Seats within the section are not assigned, so you still need to arrive early.
Adult prices run from $43 at Regal Eagle Smokehouse to $109 at Le Cellier Steakhouse. Regal Eagle can only be booked on the day and does not accept the Disney Dining Plan. La Crêperie de Paris, at $59, is the cheapest package you can reserve in advance. Most packages include an entrée, dessert, and a drink, and most cost one Dining Plan table-service credit. Every package gives access to the same reserved section, so paying more gets you a different meal, not a better seat.
What This Means for You
If you planned your trip around Cravalho’s opening weekend, decide before October 14 whether to keep those dates or move them. Groban, Kelce, Harris, and Benson’s Christmas dates are the most likely to fill first. Pick your narrator, set a reminder, and book as soon as reservations open.
Which Candlelight Processional narrator would you plan your trip around now? Let us know in the comments below.
