Joyner Family Reunion

[disneyfreak71]

Can anyone tell me haow the Joyner Family Reunion will affect the crowd levels in the park. We will be there the same days and just wanted to know. Does anyone have the schedule of the events for the weekend?

Thanks

 

[Mouse-n-Mini]

what is the Joyner family reunion

 

[loriandmatt]

ok the info i have:

the Tom Joyner Famliy Reunion is a gathering hosted by a very popular syndicated radio host. not sure of the numbers of attendees it attracts. pretty signfigant from what i gather. here is a website with some info.

http://www.blackamericaweb.com/family06/

the official dates of the event will be Aug 31 thru Sept 5. the package of the family reunion has attendees staying at Coronado Springs or the Yacht Club.

i called both disney and the number on the Tom Joyner Reunion website asking for info about what/where the events for this reunion will be held. not much info was available. What i was able to gather was that most of the organized events for this gathereing are going to be held at the resorts. I do believe that MGM may host one of the concerts one evening though and may be closing early. there are no official events related to this gathering at Epcot, AK or MK - however there is lots of free time in the schedule of this reunion and it is a pretty good bet that the folks attending this reunion will be hitting one park or another - but not as an organized "everybody rally over at Big Thunder next" kind of thing.

ok - editing to add some more info i was able to find out about events for this reunion:

Friday Night Concert Party with Kids Night Out Programming
2 Continental Breakfasts
Saturday Backyard BBQ Dinner Party
Saturday Night exclusive concert party at Disney MGM Studios
Sunday Gospel Worship Service and Concert
Sunday Family Game Night Event

no idea where these events will occur (other than that one at MGM) but again, what i was able to pull out of a CM was that most of these happenings will take place at the resorts. (i think i recall her saying something about the gospel thing on Sunday being at the House of Blues...but i could be wrong on that one.)


- lori

 

[bettyann29]

we were there last year when this was going on and didnt find out about it till we got there.. Not sure about all the other things they have scheduled but on that Saturday they shut MGM down early for the ones attending this.. I dont remember what time but I want to say around 6 pm or so.. we headed over to another park when they closed down

 

[bz8bls]

We are DVC members and AP holders (don't need the accommodations at YC or CS... the TJ Family hosting hotels)who are attending a portion of the Tom Joyner Family Reunion (bought our tickets through Disney for the Saturday night event at MGM). From the latest information I received today, MGM will be closed to the public from 9:30 pm - 2 a.m.

We attended this event back in 2003 (the first TJ family reunion at WDW) and nothing seemed to have been overly crowded.

I believe most of the events are taking place at the hosting hotel (CS) with a Friday night event with the entertainer Aretha Franklin and the comedian Sinbad.


Also, I think that if you booked the package through CS convention center, you get two-day passes that are not hoppers, therefore, I don't think you will have to worry about the parks being crowded.

Hope that helps

 

[eliza61]

We were there in 2004 during the same weekend, the only issue was they closed MGM alot earlier (I think it was around 3:00 pm) so every one went to the MK afterward. It was packed!!. We're there again the same time and we've planned an early evening at DTD and our resort pool after MGM closes.

 

[Letsbgoofy]

Saturday of Labor Day weekend was crazy at MGM last year. The other parks were fine. Sunday we went to the AK and there were normal crowds. This year we are staying at CSR and checking out 8/30 to avoid the reunion crowds.

 

[cmm]

We are leaving CS on 9/1. Do you think it will be too crowded over there on Friday and Friday night? I wish Disney would mention these kinds of things when you book. I did a google search for conventions at WDW for the nights we are staying, and nothing came up! I will have MGM out of the way by then (I am worrying about the Wiggles concerts I hear they are having there).

 

[kmermaid]

cmm: We are there at the same time! We arrive on 8/26 and leaving 9/1. I too worked mgm around the Wiggles! Hopefully most will only stay for the concert, but I have a Fantasmic Dinner Package just in case for the time there.

As for CSR, hopefully they will put the Joyner people in the Casitas since I have requested Cabanas. I'm asking at checkin.

 

[Letsbgoofy]

We ate at CSR on Labor Day weekend Sunday last year and saw no signs of the convention. We were the only people in The Maya Grill for a while, and The Pepper Market didn't look very busy either. I don't think it will be a problem for those of you staying at CSR at that time.

I wish I had known about the reunion before we went to MGM on Saturday - I would have switched my days around and gone before then.