Walt Disney World has revealed most of its star-studded narrator lineup for the 2026 Candlelight Processional, and this year's list includes an unlikely pairing of an NFL podcast host and a Good Morning America anchor reading the Christmas story to crowds at EPCOT. Jason Kelce is set to narrate the show on December 8-9, marking his debut in the role, while Robin Roberts takes the stage December 6-7 as another first-timer added to the 2026 rotation.
The lineup, reported by WKMG, also includes Marvel star Simu Liu on December 26-27, ahead of his appearance in “Avengers: Doomsday” releasing in December 2026, according to Mickey Visit. Hallmark actress Lacey Chabert rounds out the debut narrators with a December 22-23 slot; she is set to star in “Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True,” an upcoming Hallmark Christmas movie set at Walt Disney World, with the film set to premiere in late November 2026, per WDW News Today. Kelce co-hosts the “New Heights” podcast, the same outlet notes.
Returning favorites round out the schedule alongside the newcomers. Auli'i Cravalho opens the season November 27-28, Gary Sinise follows November 29 through December 1, and Whoopi Goldberg takes December 4-5. Jodi Benson, who voiced Ariel in “The Little Mermaid,” narrates December 24-25, while Eva Longoria closes out the run December 28-30. Neil Patrick Harris, Ralph Macchio, Lauren Daigle, and Henry Winkler fill out the remaining dates between December 10 and December 21, per the report's schedule.
Two Narrator Slots Still Unfilled
Not every date has a confirmed name yet. The December 2-3 and December 13-14 performances currently list unannounced narrators, leaving open questions about who will fill those slots as the season approaches. Whoever ultimately takes the stage will join what the same report describes as three officially recognized Disney Legends in this year's cast — Whoopi Goldberg, Jodi Benson, and Robin Roberts — a distinction that underscores the strong corporate ties woven through this year's roster.
This marks the Candlelight Processional's 55th year at Walt Disney World Resort overall and its 32nd year specifically at EPCOT, where the show has anchored the America Gardens Theatre since Disney moved it there in 1994 to accommodate guest requests for more opportunities, according to AllEars.Net. The Florida rendition moved to EPCOT for 15 nights in 1993 and was extended to 30 nights in 1994, and the tradition traces back even further to Disneyland's original 1958 Candlelight Ceremony, conceived by Dr. Charles Hirt, per D23.
Showtimes Shift Earlier, Choir Grows to 150-Plus Voices
Each nightly performance features a celebrity narrator backed by a 51-piece orchestra and a choir of more than 150 Disney cast members and community singers, alongside the Voices of Liberty ensemble. Showtimes for 2026 are set for 4:45 p.m., 6:30 p.m., and 8 p.m. nightly at the America Gardens Theatre, shifting 15 minutes earlier than the 2025 schedule of 5 p.m., 6:45 p.m., and 8:15 p.m., a change worth noting for anyone planning dinner reservations around the show, per Disney Tourist Blog.
Casting the Voices of Liberty wasn't a formality this year. Disney Live Entertainment opened submissions in July across five vocal parts — Alto, Soprano, Bass, Baritone, and Tenor — with in-person callbacks held in New York and Orlando in August, according to Broadway World.
Dining Packages and Same-Day Options for Guaranteed Seats
The Candlelight Processional itself is included with standard park admission, running as part of the EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays from November 27 through December 30. Guests wanting reserved seating instead of standby lines can book dining packages that include a meal at select EPCOT restaurants, alcoholic beverages for guests 21 and older, and breakfast, lunch, or dinner options; those packages become available October 14. That included-admission structure sets the festival apart from Disney World's separate paid after-hours events, such as Magic Kingdom's Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and Hollywood Studios' Jollywood Nights, which Hoodline detailed in its coverage of the 2026 party lineup.
Travelers who miss the advance booking window aren't entirely out of luck. A same-day dining package can be purchased on a walk-up basis at Regal Eagle Smokehouse in the American Adventure pavilion, though availability for those counter-service packages is limited, per Undercover Tourist.
More Holiday Programming Beyond the Main Stage
EPCOT has also offered a paid add-on called Behind the Seeds: Glimmering Greenhouses, as described in WDW News Today's general tour information.
The separately ticketed holiday parties sit alongside Disney World's included-admission holiday festival, even as longstanding holiday traditions like the Grand Floridian's gingerbread display change this winter.
