Benjamin Bratt and Josh Groban have joined the 2026 Candlelight Processional at EPCOT, and Auliʻi Cravalho is no longer on the narrator schedule. Bratt takes December 2 and 3 and Groban takes December 13 and 14, the two slots that were still open when the lineup first came out in September. The opening nights of November 27 and 28, which Cravalho held in that first version, are now listed as “To Be Announced.”
Disney marks both Bratt and Groban as new to the show on the updated 2026 narrator lineup posted October 6. That puts the count of first-time narrators this season at five, joining Jason Kelce, Robin Roberts and Lacey Chabert, who were announced with the original Candlelight Processional schedule on September 8. Disney has not said why Cravalho is off the list or who will take the first two nights.
If you picked your trip dates around a particular narrator, the change only matters for those three blocks. Every other name and date from September is the same, including Henry Winkler on December 20 and 21, shown above narrating the 2025 show.
The Updated 2026 Narrator Schedule
- Nov. 27 and 28: To Be Announced
- Nov. 29 through Dec. 1: Gary Sinise
- Dec. 2 and 3: Benjamin Bratt (new)
- Dec. 4 and 5: Whoopi Goldberg
- Dec. 6 and 7: Robin Roberts (new)
- Dec. 8 and 9: Jason Kelce (new)
- Dec. 10 through 12: Neil Patrick Harris
- Dec. 13 and 14: Josh Groban (new)
- Dec. 15 and 16: Lauren Daigle
- Dec. 17 through 19: Ralph Macchio
- Dec. 20 and 21: Henry Winkler
- Dec. 22 and 23: Lacey Chabert (new)
- Dec. 24 and 25: Jodi Benson
- Dec. 26 and 27: Simu Liu
- Dec. 28 through 30: Eva Longoria
Showtimes And How To Get A Seat
The Candlelight Processional plays three times a night, at 4:45 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., at EPCOT’s America Gardens Theatre. Each performance pairs the narrator’s reading of the Christmas story with a 51-piece orchestra, the Voices of Liberty and a choir of more than 150 cast members and community singers. This is the show’s 55th year at Walt Disney World and its 32nd at EPCOT.
Regular seating is first come, first served and often fills up fast. To guarantee a seat, book a Candlelight Processional Dining Package, which pairs a meal at a participating EPCOT restaurant with a reserved seating badge for a set showtime. Booking opened October 14, and adult prices this year run from $43 to $109 depending on the restaurant. If you want a guaranteed seat for Bratt, Groban or the still unnamed opening night narrator, book soon, since packages are subject to availability. Package holders still need to arrive early for the best view inside the reserved section.
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