thepianoman said:
I just wanted to make you aware that while directors of the participating groups have reserved seating (up to two directors per group), Disney is very clear about not providing reserved seating for families of performers or chaperones.
I bring my high school choir each year to participate in Candlelight, so I'm pretty familiar with the inner workings. We are required to remain backstage with our group during the pre-performance rehearsal, so without reserved seating for directors, we would be unable to see the performance ourselves.
Hope that clears things up.
I just got back from WDW Saturday morning.
I had a great time. Phil Donohue and the guy from that new Pentagon TV show were both great.
I am sorry to hear about the bad experiences.
On Wednesday night, December 14, 2005, I attended the 8:15 P.M. Candlelight Processional and saw the Pentagon TV show guy. Sorry, no windows for my WebTV to look for a name without losing what I have written.
I was at the very front of the line and all six rows of the regular reserved benches that are under cover were blocked off what was described as "white ticket" V.I.P.'s and "gold ticket" V.I.P.'s.
The white ticket VIP's that I talked to were all school chaperones and a school choral director and a school association president. I was able to get a seat at the center, end seat, and watched everyone that was VIP enter the middle section that was roped off.
When I first entered, they directed all of the Candlelight Processional Package ticket holders to sit three rows back from what the rows of 7,8, and 9 of the uncovered seats, but most people ended up sitting there.
I only saw 4 people with CP badges in the 6th row, but they may have been VIP's too that just bought a CP ticket that night.
I don't know what the gold ticket VIP's were.
I guess that this was a one time thing for the night.
At the Phil Donohue CP night I saw what looked like over a hundred suit and ties and tuxes enter from the middle to be seated in the first six rows, but there were still seats on the end for CP ticket holders.
I thought this was unusual, but I must have hit the unusual times this year.
And this was the first time in years that I saw so many seats taken by VIP's.
I waited in line very early to take pictures, and I asked many waiting for a castmember to let the rope down to let them in the center section of the front six rows.
They had the ends of the six rows roped off too.
What was unusual this time was that all CP ticket holders were not allowed to enter the front six rows on the ends, too.
We were all directed to walk all the way accross to the far end of the theater between the 6th and 7th rows, where there is a walkway and not to sit in the 7,8, and 9 rows either. That didn't happen as people started coming down to sit in rows 7,8, and nine, but not the roped off VIP areas of the first six rows of covered seats.
Very unusual, I thought.
Sincerely, Ray