Disney’s Night of Joy Recap

Are you a fan of contemporary Christian music? Then save the date for Disney’s Night of Joy! Hosted annually at the Walt Disney World Resort, Night of Joy showcases some of Christian music’s best for two nights only. In its 34th year, Night of Joy kicked off at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex this past weekend featuring a wide array of music, ranging from Hard Rock to Gospel. Previously held at Magic Kingdom, the two-night event switched venues to The Complex in order to accommodate more special events and activities.

Top to Bottom: Newsboys, Switchfoot, Thousand Foot Krutch

Left to Right: MercyMe and Matthew West

This year boasted a star-studded lineup, including popular artists like Matthew West, MercyMe, Chris Tomlin, Newsboys, and Casting Crowns. Disney also included some crossover artists (artists that are played on both Christian and mainstream stations), like Thousand Foot Krutch, Switchfoot, and for KING & COUNTRY. Performances from these artists were featured at Champion Stadium, the HP Fieldhouse, and Jostens Center, with local artists performing at the ESPN Grill.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Disney event without a day at the theme parks. The all-inclusive and Saturday tickets include a one-day one park ticket to your choice of theme park. Guests were able to experience a full day of Disney, starting their day at a theme park before ending the night with a lineup of exciting concerts. To add a touch of the Disney parks to The Complex, Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, and Donald were on-site wearing their sporty outfits to pose for photos with concert-goers.

Photo Courtesy of Walt Disney World

Not only were guests treated to music, rides, and characters, they also had the opportunity to compete on-field at The Complex in sports like baseball, football, and soccer. At the Jostens Center, where FanFest was hosted, a sneak-peak at Disney’s latest live-action film, Queen of Katwe, was featured. Extra-large interactive chess boards coupled with behind-the-scenes information helped spark buzz around the film that hits theatres September 23rd.

To close out this year’s Night of Joy, the official dates for 2017 were released. Make sure you mark September 8th and 9th on your calendar because you definitely don’t want to miss this!

Are you excited for Night of Joy 2017? Let us know in the comments below or join the conversation on Facebook.