Looks like we are getting Joe Morton (whoever that is without Googling it. Can't say I am familiar with his body of work.
He played the Henry the Mechanic/Scientist on the tv show Eureka. Currently he is/was on Scandal and Proof. Anyway, here's a clip of him at a previous candlelight... Joe Morton Candlelight
I was mistaken about Viper and MANTIS... But he was on Eureka (cool but tragically short lived show on Sci-Fi channel).
I've alerted the planning board to the opening of the reservations. The information I received from my travel agent said you have to pay when you make your reservation, but I haven't seen any confirmation of this on the WDW web site. If that's true, it would be difficult to make a group ADR.
I've never seen it that way before, but I wonder if they are confusing it with needing a credit card to hold the reservation. Then again, with all the changes Disney has made of late, it wouldn't surprise me. However, it seems it would be more trouble on Disney's part if you change or cancel your ADR and need to get refunded.
I followed up with my travel agent, and the information was incorrect. A credit card guarantee is still required, but full payment is not required until after your meal.
So I'm definitely in assuming we are doing the early show like last time so that there's plenty on time to set up for illuminations. I might be doing candlelight twice that night then as I decided to splurge a bit a got a ticket for the AllEars Candlelight event that night (show, private dinner, private viewing of illuminations and a "special ride" on a "favorite attraction")...
"Favorite attraction" = Soarin'. It was too expensive for me. Deb's dessert parties are a cut above the rest, but $200 was outside my price range.
It's a one time thing as I've always wanted to go to one of their shindigs... But with previous allEars and reunion events, they always sold out before I found out about them.