I am pleased to say that, in my opinion, moving the event to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex was a wonderful idea. Holding the event at WWoS (Wide World of Sports) had some positives I hadn’t thought of originally. All 3 venues had seating available and 2 of the venues had air conditioning! On top of that, they were just better concert venues. As awesome as it is to worship in front of the castle, it isn’t awesome if you are in the throngs of people packed in all the way down Main Street USA.

The headliner concerts were held in Champions Stadium, a baseball stadium where the Atlanta Braves hold their spring training. Here we saw Chris Tomlin, Casting Crowns, For King and Country and Newsboys in a stadium concert setting with great audio and lighting effects. VIP floor seating was available for an additional $20 per person per night.

The HP Fieldhouse was home to concerts by Matthew West, MercyMe, Switchfoot, Red, and Thousand Foot Krutch. In this building the floor was open for standing and the arena seating was open. The Jostens Center was a multi-purpose venue holding concerts for up and coming acts like Tim Timmons, Veridia and Zealand Worship. Unfortunately, the audio in this venue wasn’t nearly as well done as at the other locations. It was very bass heavy and often downright painful to listen too. This stage was also used for some artist Q & As on Saturday night. This building was also home to character meet and greets, classic video games, Minute to Win It competitions and the first ever artist merchandise tables at Night of Joy.

Down on the “Fields of Joy” were food trucks for additional dining options, a great DJ and from 5-9pm there were fun athletic competitions. While the “Fields of Joy” activities couldn’t take the place of a ride on Space Mountain, it was nice to have some activity options for kids who wanted a break from the concerts.

It has already been announced that Night of Joy 2017 will again take place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and that there will be even more musical acts. Mark your calendar now for September 8-9, 2017. Event tickets aren’t on sale yet but its not too early to book your Walt Disney World Resort Stay. Just Email Me for more information!

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I’ve talked to several youth pastors, teens and young adults about the venue change and we’ve come up with a list of pros and cons with this change:

Pros:

• More of a festival feel
• Indoor and outdoor venues
• Seating at venues
• More affordable pricing

Cons:

• No Magic Kingdom attractions
• Less of an outreach event. Unsaved friends will come for a trip to Magic Kingdom but not to a Christian concert.
• No Dole Whip
• There is just something special about worshiping Jesus in front of the castle.

One youth pastor told me they won’t attend Night of Joy if it isn’t in a theme park. The kids like the mix of rides and concerts. Personally, I understand that a lot of people don’t like change and I too like attending in the theme park because you can catch a few rides with shorter than normal wait times! To help quench your need for rides Disney is offering  ticket options that include admission to 1 theme park and Night of Joy at a discounted rate.

2016 Night of Joy Ticket Prices

• A single-night, concert only ticket for Friday, Sept. 9 – $39 plus tax (in advance); $45 the day of the show (if available).
• A single-night concert and one-day Disney theme park ticket (valid for one of the four Walt Disney World Resort theme parks) for Saturday, Sept. 10 – $99 plus tax (in advance); $114 plus tax the day of the show (if available).*
• A two-night concert ticket (which includes Friday and Saturday nights’ concerts and one-day Disney theme park ticket (valid for one of the four Walt Disney World Resort theme parks) – $119 plus tax (in advance).*
• Group tickets are also available for groups of 10 or more.

* The one-day Disney theme park ticket is only valid for Saturday, Sept 10.

2016 Night of Joy Artists

Friday, September 9, 2016 – “Praise & Worship” Night

Champion Stadium

• Casting Crowns
• Chris Tomlin
• Francesca Battistelli

HP Fieldhouse

• MercyMe
• Matthew West
• Crowder

Jostens Center

• Stars Go Dim
• Zealand Worship

Saturday, September 10, 2016 – “Rock and Pop” Night

Champion Stadium

• Newsboys
• for King & Country
• Young & Free

HP Field House

• Switchfoot
• Red
• Thousand Foot Krutch

Jostens Center

• Tim Timmons
• Veridia

Please note: Artists and schedule are subject to change without notice.

photo courtesy of Disney

In addition to the concerts there will also be other activities lending to more of a music festival feel.

• Expo with a variety of vendors
• Tasty food and beverage options—including Food Trucks
• Talent Spotlight Competition
• Youth Leader Lounge with food and non-alcoholic beverages
• Family Activity Zone
• Premium reserved seating upgrade option with commemorative lanyard and pin

To plan your trip to Night of Joy to get started.

What are your thoughts about the location change? I can’t wait to see how things work out, I’ll be there and I hope you are too!

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