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Current logo Entrance to Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex | |
| Location | Walt Disney World Resort, Kissimmee, Florida |
|---|---|
| Operated by | The Walt Disney Company |
| Theme | Sports Complex |
| Walt Disney World |
|---|
| Theme parks |
| Water parks |
| Other attractions and areas |
| Resorts |
| Affiliated services |
| Transport |
Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex is a 220 acre (89 ha) athletic complex located in Kissimmee, Florida The complex includes 8 venues and hosts numerous amateur and professional sporting events throughout the year.
Venues
Champion Stadium
Main article: Champion StadiumA 9,500 seat baseball stadium built in 1997. One of the original components of Wide World of Sports, it was formerly known as Cracker Jack Stadium and The Ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports. It is the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves and the recurring home for the Gulf Coast Braves. The stadium has hosted two regular season Major League Baseball series in 2007 and 2008 featuring the Tampa Bay Rays as the home team.
Milk House
A 5,000 seat multi-purpose arena sponsored by the National Dairy Association.
Hess Sports Fields
Presented by Hess, these eight multi-purpose fields can host a number of different sports. Two fields are equipped for night play, and four are made to international soccer dimensions. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have conducted training camp at the facility since 2002.
Baseball Quadraplex
Consisting of four professional baseball fields and one practice infield, the quadrapelex also includes batting tunnels, pitching mounds, hitting tunnels, masters pitching machines, and ten bullpens. Two fields are equipped for night play.
Diamondplex
The first venue to be completed at the facility, it consists of six fields used for softball and youth baseball. Organized with four fields in circle and two adjacent.
Centre Court Stadium
A 1,000 to 8,500 seat, ten court tennis complex.
Cross Country Course
Consists of multi-purpose fields, the Track and Field Complex, and a 0.7 mile wooded trail.
Track and Field Complex
A 500 seat, competition facility for track and field events, designed to International Amateur Athletic Federation specifications.
- nine lane track
- three shot put rings
- two discus/hammer rings
- a javelin runway
- two high jump areas
- two horizontal jump runways
- two pole vault runways
Expansion
On March 28, 2007, the venue's anniversary, Disney announced plans to build a new arena to be called the Jostens Center. It will be a 75,000-square-foot arena (2½ times larger than the Milk House) that will open in the fall of 2008. It will feature six college-size basketball courts, twelve volleyball courts and two roller hockey rinks. Its seating capacity is yet to be determined. The Milk House will remain in operation after the Jostens Center's completion.
Disney announced plans to construct a 160,000 square foot 100-lane bowling stadium, which would be the largest in the country. It will offer stadium-style seating, a restaurant and would be completed in early 2010. The stadium would be used for events or open to guests. It would also be used as a venue to host the United States Bowling Congress tournaments, which would boost the economy by bringing guests and vistors to local hotels and restaurants.
Facility renaming
On May 13, 2008 The Walt Disney Company announced plans to rebrand Disney's Wide World of Sports using the ESPN brand. No date for the name change has been announced.
Controversy
A former baseball umpire and an architect alleged that they approached the Walt Disney Company in 1987 with plans for a sports complex, and that Wide World of Sports, which opened 10 years later, was heavily based on their designs. Disney claimed that, while the designs had some similarities, the complex was also similar to numerous other sporting facilities, and the concept of a sports park was too generic for any one group to claim ownership. The two men, represented in part by noted attorney Johnnie Cochran, sued Disney in Orange County civil court. In August 2000, a jury returned a verdict for the plaintiffs with damages in the amount of $240 million, a fraction of the $1.5 billion sought. Disney appealed the judgement, and settled out of court in September 2002 for undisclosed terms.
External links
References
- WDWHistory.com - Disney's Wide World of Sports
- Pino, Mark (2008-06-10). ""Disney plans 100-lane bowling stadium for Wide World of Sports"". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
- Disney Sports Complex to Become ESPN-Branded Immersive Sports Venue
- "Disney must pay $240 million in sports park lawsuit". www.cnn.com. 2000-08-11. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - "Disney Settles Suit Over Sports Complex". LA Times. 2002-09-26. Retrieved 2008-09-03.
