cartchamp
Registered: September 2009
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 21
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Review Date: Sun September 13, 2009
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Great worship!
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Cons:
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None
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This was an awesome event! We were front row for Newsboys, and 2nd row for Chris Tomlin and Kutless! All of the bands were great and the crowd was very courteous to one another. The planning & directions by staff was clear and uneventful. I was worried because of all of the previous negative posts, but this was a great event and a magical last night of our vacation!
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maconMouse
Registered: June 2007
Location: Macon, GA
Posts: 29
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Review Date: Sat December 27, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 5
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Pros:
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Worship & good times surrounded by Disney magic
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Cons:
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Having it at Hollywood Studios; Poor crowd control & planning
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I was so very disappointed with this event this past season in the new venue of Disney's Hollywood Studios. I hope this is not its new permanent home. If it is, many changes & improvements are needed to get it back to the same quality as it was for its first 25 years in the Magic Kingdom.
First of all, Z99.3 FM did an outstanding job in sponsoring and helping with this event once again. I have attended the last five Night of Joys, and love how they introduce all the guests & drum up support year round for this event. Hearing this channel in the background music throughout the park is also quite fun.
I truly miss having the all big performers on outdoor stages. Hearing "MercyMe" sing "I Can Only Imagine" with Cinderella's castle in the background is completely different than hearing it on a darkened Lights, Motors, Action stage. I did not like being asked to sit down at each venue, and having to get there up to a half hour beforehand to be guaranteed entrance. At the Magic Kingdom, you could easily come & go from the three main outdoor stages.
The cast members at the Studios need to be better trained for the onslaught of crowds that come for this event. They were not this past year. There also aren't enough rides & attractions available to accommodate the crowds as in past years at the Magic Kingdom. The food options were even more limited.
I truly love this special weekend of worship & good times, and hope Disney truly addresses all the complaints from this past year. The line of people at Guest Relations requesting refunds on the Saturday night of the event hopefully had some impact.
I'm curious as to the reasoning behind the move to the Studios since I haven't talked to anyone who liked it better in this new venue. Over at the Magic Kingdom on the Friday night of this event, the first Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween party was taking place. September 5th seems so early for this first party, and it seems like they could easily wait until the next Friday as in past years.
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hardenjas
Registered: September 2008
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Thu September 18, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? No
| Rating: 1
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Pros:
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Christian event at Disney World
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Cons:
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Location Hollywood Studios
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As a regular of the Night Of Joy event, I was very disappointed overall. I felt as though I wasted my money and will not return. The location at Hollywood Studios was a mistake and it needs to be moved back to the Magic Kingdom. In previous years, we were able to see the more popular bands at the castle stage and then we could come and go from the other stages and at least hit a song or two at each one. We could not do this here as the line at Lights Motors Action stage was so long that you couldn't even get in much, less stop in for a couple of songs and leave. The cast members were not friendly and it appeared that they had no idea what they were doing. I expect to see rowdy crowds at this event but it was over the top. I was in Toy Story Mania and they had to have 3 cast members inside to tame the group of kids trying to destroy the set pieces and pull the monkeys from the ceiling. Disney needs to take a serious look at the event this year and move it back to the Kingdom, train the cast for and about the event and also look at crowd control measures. In the future, I think I will go during Food and Wine and Halloween party and avoid this event altogether.
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Anet
Registered: September 2008
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Wed September 17, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? No
| Rating: 1
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Pros:
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great music-when we got to see it
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Cons:
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almost everything else
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Holding this amazing event at the Studios was an absurd mistake on Disney's part. Way too many people. Way too small a venue. Extremely POOR crowd control particularly at the Lights, Motor, Action stage and the first attempt to see Casting Crowns. My husband is in a wheelchair and it was unbelievable the way that he was treated-by Disney castmembers! He was caught in a mob of people literally storming the gates to get into the LMA seating area.It was difficult to see artists that we wanted to see. Crowd control was ridiculous. I felt like the bands were forced to give very shortened performances. I have to say that the kids that were there were pretty well behaved. I did not witness anything bad, they were all having fun and being kids. But Disney really blew it by shoving this event, as an afterthought, out of the Magic Kingdom to start the Halloween Party one day early. We are NOJ veterans and have been truly blessed by this in the past. This whole thing was a disaster and we will not spend hard earned (and carefully saved for) money during a lousy economy to go to this event again. I am appalled at Disney for such terrible judgement.
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dunkie7557
Registered: September 2008
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Sat September 13, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Great Artists
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Cons:
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Hollywood Studios too small
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I came from VA. and I was lucky to get into at least 3 of the concerts. Good thing as I would have been real mad with all of the associated costs. I went on the Saturday night. But so many others were not so fortunate.
I agree completely with the other reviews on the absurdity of holding it at HS. So many people never got to see any concert in one of the seated venues. The lines were so long, clearly a oversold event for the size. All of the good performers were in the seated venues so if you did not get in, it was tough luck. Or you could come back at 12:45 a.m.! to see the last show. Ridiculous. There were not many rides open and you couldn't go anyway as the concert schedule was so tight, you would have missed them. You could not go from concert to concert at the seated venues because once you got to the next one, it was already full. They were lining up people at 11p.m. for the next Toby Mac concert at 12:45 A.M.! So many people left.
MGM at night is poorly lit up. Not enough food vendors either.
They had some open air concerts with the lesser known people and that was even kind of crowding the paths you walk on to get through the main part of H.S.
Please bring it back to Magic Kingdom!! I won't go if it is at HS again as you risk literally not seeing one good performer. Or you may only get to see one concert. If it is open aired, you can see them all.
There are lots of teenagers but I did not come across any real bad behavior at all. They were all excited and having fun.
Does Disney also have to charge a full day's worth of parking for these events too? Let people in for free if they bought a concert ticket. You can't get in until 7:15 p.m. anyway.
The concert stage in the stunt show area where Casting Crowns and Toby Mac performed was terrible. Unless you were in the center, you could barely see them. They had the sides of the stage covered and also had some tents on each end blocking the views. What were in those tents that could not be on the ground? No big screens to see them. That would have been a huge help. They were great performers and also I loved Mandissa along with the whole audience.
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scrolsaw
Registered: September 2008
Location: Jupiter, FL
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Thu September 11, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? No
| Rating: 5
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Pros:
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New Location
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Cons:
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Uninformed Cast
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We have attented NOJ many times. This year we felt the move to HS was acceptable but still MK better. Our greatest concern was the lack of informed/trained CM at the Lights,Cameras, Motor Cars venue. We had my 87-y/o wheelchair bound mother-in-law with us. Upon entering the stadium we were informed Handicapped seating was at the far end of the seating. (Grumpy CM as mentioned in an earlier review.) Upon arrival we found non-handicapped folks seated in a well marked area so located to a secondary seating area, since the CM attendee was not enforcing the H/C seating. Immediately that CM appoached us advising the wheelchair could not be parked in that area because it was a "Fire Exit". (keep in mind this section is clearly marked with H/C symbols and blue striping on the benches). I showed her the "special" H/C pass, plus advised her my mother-in-law could not relocate from the chair. She continued to express, rather gruffly I might add, we could not set in that areas. I advised her that the area could not be a "fire Exit" and H/C at the same time. I asked for a Manager.
A management CM came later and redirected us to the eleavator leading to the 2nd level. Once there we were kindly led to a special H/C area directly above the control booth - dead center of the stadium. (What great seats and viewing.)
I too would recommend returning to MK. Much better staging of entertainers plus more activities available.
Thanks Disney for providing a Christian event. What an opportunity to share God's work.
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StrawberryGirl
Registered: September 2008
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Wed September 10, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Great Music, Fun Times, Worshiping with Others
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Cons:
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This year was the first time I had ever attended Night of Joy. I do not know what it was like at the Magic Kingdom, but I had an amazing time. I went with a group from my church. There were 8 of us. On Friday, we saw everyone we wanted to see (Chris Tomlin, Mercy Me, Rush of Fools, Barlow Girl). We also were able to ride the rides and just have lots of fun. We had expected Saturday to be more crowded. We had planned on seeing the 8:15 show for Casting Crowns. To our dismay, at 7:45, there was already a very long line. We decided to ride rides and come back for the 9:45 show. We had a great time riding rides. Around 9:15, we decided to go back to see what the line was like for the 9:45 show. A Disney Cast Member told us we could stand in the standby line and see if we got a seat. Rather than doing this, we decided to ride more rides. We had also planned on seeing Toby Mac, but missed it because we were riding rides at the time. While we were disappointed that we didn't get to see anyone on Saturday, we still had a great time with great friends. We went with the attitude that we were there to worship God...not just to see some bands. I did hear a Disney Cast Member (I believe he was a little higher up than some of the others) telling a couple of women that they moved to the Studios to offer guests a different type of experience than previous years. He also said they did not know if this was a permanent move. They were just trying it out to see how it worked. Every Disney Cast Member I saw had a smile on their face (despite all of the loud and obnoxious guests they were dealing with). Everyone we dealt with was extremely polite and helpful. As I told some of our group, I have never encountered a Disney employee I didn't like. Some of the workers were really enjoying themselves by dancing, clapping, etc. I have alway wondered just how non-Christian workers at events like this. What kind of an impression do we leave with them? Do they want to know more about God because of this event? Did they get saved because of it? As a Christian, I was embarrassed at the attitudes and behavior of some who attended this event. I think we need to remember who we represent when we attend an event like this. If you go with the right attitude and for the right reason, it is an enjoyable experience. We are already planning our trip for next year and have more people who want to go because of our stories and pictures. Great job Disney and Z88!
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amparents
Registered: September 2008
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Wed September 10, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? No
| Rating: 2
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Pros:
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Christian Music
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Cons:
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venue
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Our teens have gone to Night of Joy the past two years with our church youth group while we stayed behind at the resort. This year upon arriving at Wilderness Lodge not a single cast member even knew it was Night of Joy weekend and none had answers to my questions about transportationt to pick up my teens at HS at 1am. Dropping off/picking up was horrible. No direction at the park at all. The group as a whole did not enjoy the event at HS since there are so few rides and most shows were cancelled to hold concerts. Our Youth Group will be going to Rock the Universe next year if Disney keeps NOJ at HS. My teens only rode 1 ride (Rock N Roller Coaster). What a disappointment! Bad move Disney! Please move NOJ back to Magic Kingdom!
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presley35
Registered: September 2008
Location: Orlando
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Tue September 9, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 6
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Pros:
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Casting Crowns
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Cons:
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Too Crowded/ Not enough room in the shows
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This was the first year my son and I attended this event. It was overly crowded, the stages were quite a distance from each other and the shows were staggered so you couldn't see very many of them, because by the time one show would let out and you walked to another one, it would be closed due to over occupancy. We went to the Lights Motor Action stage early to get seats for Casting Crowns and it was extremely hot and they didn't have the fans turned on for the longest time. The band Red played first and I have no idea why they were even at such an event, because there was nothing christian about their music. Casting Crowns was awesome though and very inspiring and spirit filled. We loved it. When we went to see Mandisa's last show... no room. That was disappointing so we left early.
An excellent concept but maybe it would be better to take it back to Magic Kingdom.
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ladybuddy
Registered: September 2008
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Mon September 8, 2008
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Would you recommend the product? No
| Rating: 1
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Pros:
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none- NOJ has no Joy at Hollywood Studios
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Cons:
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the entire experience since it moved from Magic Kingdom
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I have been attending Night of Joy for 17 years with my husband and a friend. This event was always held at the Magic Kingdom. This year, they moved it to Hollywood Studios. This was a big mistake and until it is moved back to the Magic Kingdom, we will no longer be attending Night of Joy. First, there are only 5 rides you can go on at this park, two of which have health restrictions that prevent a good portion of people from riding them (Tower of Terror and Rock N Rollercoaster). They also had two shows - Beauty and the Beast and Indiana Jones; however, the shows were 15 minutes apart...you could not see both.
We arrived at 6:50 pm and went to the Toy Story ride. There was already an hour wait and much to our surprise - NO fastpass or even single riders line! We waited over an hour to get on the ride. After the ride we discovered a huge line of people (several thousand?) trying to get seats at the Casting Crowns Concert - they were in line over an hour in advance! For veteran NOJ participants, the thought of having to wait in line and "hope" to get a seat was just unacceptable. We got in line over an hour early to see Mandisa and met several people who complained that they were unable to see their favorite artists Friday night due to limited seating, also noting that Friday night was not as busy. They informed us that people were already in line now (8:10) for the 11:15 Toby Mac show! We got in to see Mandisa, but not everyone did - there weren't enough seats.
After the Mandisa Concert, we got in line for Toby Mac. I had a disabled pass and was unable to climb stairs. At the entrance to the Lights, Motors, Action Stage, I asked a cast member where the Handicapped line was. She was nasty - and in a snotty voice yelled at me that I had to wait in line with everyone else and that there was an elevator so I could sit anywhere. I said no, I can not climb stairs. She refused to tell me where to go. Apparently unless you are in a chair of some sort you are not disabled...which is not true since I have a legal disability. As we all walked into the general line, the cast members yelled "you are not guaranteed to get a seat".
We stood in line from 10-11:10 and there were hundreds of people ahead of us. Disney did not make the Casting Crowns concert goers exit the stage after their concert, so most of those people just moved down to lower seats. When we were let in, no cast member would help me find the handicapped area. I found out it was at the total opposite end of the stadium and no one was reserving it for those with disabled passes. I had to fight others basically to sit in the section and those in motorized scooters and chairs were already there. All I wanted was access to the wheelchair ramp to avoid the stairs and I was on my own to find it and fight for a seat. Nevermind the fact I was in so much pain from standing still in line for so long.
The Toby Mac stage was off to the right, so anyone on the left side really couldnt see a thing. They didnt even use the big stunt show screen on the set so others could see him. The acoustics were terrible and it wasn't Toby Mac's fault. The sound seemed to bounce off the metal stadium and then off the back set of the stunt show. My friend, who was unfamiliar with his music, was unable to make out most of the words he sang.
Following the concert, we went on The Great Movie Ride, and our Night of Joy, or as we now refer to it - our Night of H--- ended.
Disney failed its guests on every count. They seemed greedy and wanted to hold a seperate ticketed event to make more money at the Magic Kingdom, so they dumped us in the Studios. It was sloppily put together. Banners were tacked up here and there, it wasnt planned or appropriately decorated like at the Magic Kingdom. Further, they didnt leave the stages "open" like at the Magic Kingdom so you spent your entire night standing in line for a show, hoping you would get in. Even worse, there were few places to get a quick drink or snack as you waited in these horrible lines. The cast members were short staffed and quite rude.
Unlike a competitor park who had big open spaces and viewing screens, Disney had nothing. They could have put large projection screens up outside of the arenas so those who could not get in could at least see the show (but they shouldnt have been enclosed/restricted seating to begin with!)Another guest complained to us about only having one show that night for a performer and not getting in after waiting over an hour.
There were few rides, limited seating for concerts, and only two performance shows 15 minutes apart. Not enough to enjoy or entertain all night. There just isn't enough space at the Studios for this event.
My suggestion is a strong "Dont Waste Your Money" if they choose to have it at Hollywood Studios again. They need to put it back at the Magic Kingdom and if not - how about EPCOT? There are more rides, more open spaces, and more stage areas at EPCOT. If the Future World and World Showcase were both open, it would be large enough to handle the crowds and provides more rides.
We left wanting our money back and vowed to attend the competitor park both nights next year unless Disney steps up and treats their special events Night of Joy guests with respect. I am making it a point to email my favorite Christian performers and suggest they choose another park to perform in. The night was totally unacceptable, especially compared to the quailty we had seen the previous 17 years.
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Aurora
Registered: October 2006
Posts: 8
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Review Date: Sun October 29, 2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Christian music all over the park
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Cons:
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David Crowder's venue not big enough
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It was weird but cool to hear Christian music piped into the Magic Kingdom everywhere. The bands were great and could be heard for a distance from the stage which was good because the crowds were tremendous. We didn't get good viewing for any of the bands but that was due to lack of planning on our part. We should have just gone to the place that we wanted to see rather than try to do everything and to ride the rides. The waits for the rides like Space Mountain were long. Conversely, we walked right onto Winnie the Pooh. Philharmagic was wonderful with the group of enthusiastic teens that was there! I wonder if Disney couldn't hold this event in MGM. The Fantasmic area would be stupendous for the headliner bands. I think I'd go back again now that I know what to expect.
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tink1988
Registered: September 2006
Location: Cologne, NJ
Posts: 4
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Review Date: Tue September 26, 2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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Magic Kingdom, does it get any better?!!
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Cons:
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too many tickets sold!
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This was my family's 3rd annual NOJ trip, and as usual, the entertainment was AWESOME! Nothing like having a huge fellowship in the middle of the Magic Kingdom! However, I do have to add that I felt there was just too many tickets sold to this event. It was sold out both nights, but I think Disney should consider selling less tickets next year. This was the first year we were able to attend both nights, having bought our tickets weeks in advance. We enjoyed Rebecca St. James at the Galaxy Palace Theater, with seats, how nice! Then we went to watch Casting Crowns, sitting along Main Street, because we didn't want to deal with the crowds directly in front of the castle. Still could hear the band, feel the magic, see ok, and rest on the sidewalk when needed. Sat. night, it rained, but that didn't dampen our spirits! We just bought ponchos and set up camp close to the front of the castle for Barlow Girl. But, when Toby Mac was about to go on, we HAD to try and get closer, so we went to the front of the circle, and stood there elbow to elbow with hundreds of others, and had a blast! TOBY MAC ROCKS!!! We love him! Nothing better then jamming in a concert with your husband and two teenagers, 17 and 16, praising the Lord! I do recommend this event, just be prepared for the crowds! Don't plan on riding anything that night either!
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marsh97
Registered: September 2006
Location: GA
Posts: 2
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Review Date: Tue September 19, 2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Great music, variety of artists
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Cons:
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tremendous crowds
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My 12 yr old daughter and I attended NOJ on Friday, Sept. 8. We arrived at the MK at 6:30 and easily made our way to the castle forecourt stage as all the artists we wanted to see performed on that stage. Barlow Girl, Casting Crowns and MercyMe. We were able to secure a place right in front of the stage and did not dare leave because the CM's would not let you back in that particular area until a few minutes prior to the next group's performance and you had to go to the back of the line that had formed to see that group. We left the area after seeing Casting Crowns as we thought we may ride Space Mountain. No way. There was a 90 minute wait. We decide to eat at Cosmic Ray's which was crowded but we were quickly served. We went back to the castle stage in time to hear MercyMe, but only from a distance. This was our first experince at NOJ and we both enjoyed it in spite of the large crowds. We would attend again.
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kimh
Registered: September 2006
Posts: 6
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Review Date: Sun September 17, 2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 6
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Pros:
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good music and popular artists
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Cons:
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crowd
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We attended Fri. night, Sept. 8. We enjoyed the music but the crowds were incredible. We saw more people than we saw the 3 previous days together. We did not see the problems with poorly behaved teens that others have seen. We also had a positive experience with the cast members. The ones we talked to were instructed to close the bridge near the Crystal Palace to traffic towards the Castle area. This was done for safety reasons. We did see an stretcher taken in from that bridge. We are glad we went this year (our first) but we are unlikely to do it again, just because of the size of the crowd.
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shawwoman
Registered: September 2006
Posts: 1
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Review Date: Fri September 15, 2006
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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There is no place better than the Magic Kingdom
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Cons:
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Only one stage offers limited seating
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This was our first time at the Night of Joy. My sister, 12 year old daughter, and I attended on Friday evening. We would absolutely go back, but we learned a lot for the future. I had been told by a former cast member that it was the second most dreaded night to work. Second only to grad night. This is because of the behavior of unsupervised teens. This may account for the hostile attitude of some cast members. If you go for the rides you will encounter this. If you go for the music you won't. We found the big acts on the castle stage were, of course, very crowded. If you got in the middle of a great group of christians it was awesome. Everyone was singing and worshiping together. We did have to move through the crowd to find such a group. Many people were standing there talking, loudly. The smaller venues were better, very enjoyable and filled with worship and praise. We will stick to the smaller venues next year. Rebecca St James and Todd Agnew were fabulous!
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