ESPN Wide World of Sports, located at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida is the premier site for amateur sports in the nation. The complex hosts more than 100 entertainment and sports events a year and has accommodated more than 70 different sports and athletes from around the world. Designed to provide youth athletes with an experience synonymous with the names Disney and ESPN, the 225-acre facility features multiple competition venues, including 16 baseball/softball fields, plus the 9,500-seat Champion Stadium, 18 multi-purpose outdoor fields for soccer, football and lacrosse, two field houses for basketball, volleyball and other indoor sports, a third field house specifically designed with cheer and dance in mind, the Track & Field facility and cross country course and a tennis court complex with 10 courts. ESPN Wide World of Sports also provides coaches and teams with a variety of unique sports solutions, such as special travel packages, fresh ready-made meal options, photography services, customized event merchandise, and post-game celebrations in the Disney Parks. For more information, visit www.disneysportsnews.com for news releases, photos and videos. Follow us on Twitter at @ESPNWWOS and at Facebook at ESPNWWOS.
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Breakdown
Architecture (Overall Facility)
Architect: David Schwarz (Washington, D.C.). Schwarz also designed The Ballpark at Arlington, home of Major League Baseball’s Texas Rangers.
Design: “Florida Picturesque” style embodies a Florida- or Mediterranean-flavor design with Spanish-style roofing, blue and green accent tiling, vibrant yellow colors and symmetrical tower-like structures.
Venues: Champion Stadium, HP Field House, Athletic Center, Marathon Sports Fields, Baseball Quadraplex, Softball Complex, Tennis Complex, Track & Field Complex, including cross country, covered training facility, Production Center and The Arena at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Other amenities: Expanded retail pop-ups, HP Creation Center, ESPN Wide World of Sports Grill and a parking lot with more than 5,000 spaces.
Champion Stadium
The centerpiece of the sports complex, Champion Stadium is a retro-style Major League Baseball ballpark that annually hosts MLB spring training (Atlanta Braves) and numerous amateur tournaments. With permanent seating and existing infrastructure, the facility can also host concerts, corporate hospitality functions, event opening ceremonies and other large gatherings.
Maximum capacity for 11,500 guests, including 9,500 permanent upper and lower deck seats (80 percent are located between first and third base), plus a grass berm in left field that offers seating for an additional 2,000+ guests.
Four luxury suites (all include indoor and outdoor seating areas), plus an additional suite that features a large conference room; two upper-level outdoor suites; and two mezzanine-level outdoor terraces.
Display booth equipped with state-of-the-art production equipment for managing in-stadium entertainment, including a 33′ 7″ wide by 21’7″ high jumbo screen which can display ESPN programming, customized videos, daily highlight reels and interviews from the sports complex
Production Center
The Production Center is a 2,500 square foot state-of-the-art facility with eight edit bays and uplinks to ESPN in Bristol, Conn., Los Angeles and New York.
It features 56 high-definition cameras (42 robotic, 10 handheld and four studio) and 40 high-definition video screens, including 3 jumbo screens that can capture and display footage, event highlights and interviews that will broadcast throughout the complex and on various Disney and ESPN platforms.
HP Field House
165,000-square-foot multi-sport indoor arena includes high arches and trusses and other architectural and design elements reminiscent of a classic 1950s style fieldhouse (capacity: 5,500). This multi-purpose facility can accommodate virtually any indoor sport that does not require ice, including basketball, wrestling, gymnastics, volleyball, martial arts, team handball, roller hockey, cheerleading and dance, trampoline and tumbling, indoor tennis, etc., in addition to concerts and conventions.
The fieldhouse has room for six full-size collegiate basketball courts (four on main level and two upstairs on auxiliary court).
The Arena at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
The Arena at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex opened in January 2018 and is the nation’s first venue specifically designed for cheerleading and dance team competitions. The venue includes a flexible design for one large competition space that can be set up for as many as four competition areas. There are also additional areas designated for warm up and practice, along with areas for judges and officials. With the ability to seat over 8,000 guests, plus performance and warm-up space, the new multi-use sports and entertainment venue has the ability to host six regulation basketball courts, six regulation volleyball courts or concert configurations.
The Athletic Center
A state-of-the-art multi-sport field house, Athletic Center includes space for six college-size basketball courts, or 12 regulation-size volleyball courts, or two roller hockey rinks, and four locker rooms, two conference rooms and two officials’ rooms.
Marathon Sports Fields
The Sports Fields venue is large enough to accommodate a variety of outdoor sports — soccer, football, lacrosse, baseball, field hockey, rugby, softball, cricket, etc. The seven grass playing surfaces and four fields may be used collectively for one large event or multiple events may take place simultaneously on various fields.
Permanent bleacher seating is available at each field and additional bleachers may be added for larger events (capacity: 10,000).
Baseball Quadraplex / Softball Complex
The Baseball Quadraplex includes four professional baseball fields and a half field (used for infield drills). The quad annually hosts MLB players during spring training and minor league players during Rookie League (Gulf Coast League) and Fall Instructional League seasons, as well as camps, clinics and tournaments for amateur and youth players.
The Softball Complex includes six fields that can accommodate fastpitch and slowpitch softball, as well as youth baseball (12 and younger).
Tennis Complex
Tennis complex includes 10 “HAR TRU” green clay courts, including a stadium court, and can accommodate events ranging from youth clinics to major professional tournaments. Formerly hosted U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships on ATP Tour (1997-2000).
Track & Field Complex
World-class 400-meter polyurethane Track & Field Complex meets IAAF world governing body standards and measurements, and is consistent with Olympic T&F venues throughout the world.
The Track & Field Complex features an adaptable Cross Country course.
ESPN Wide World of Sports Grill
An enlarged and enhanced sports-themed fast casual restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating located across from Champion Stadium. The restaurant contains a full bar and menu items include burgers, pizza, signature sandwiches and salads, along with a variety of desserts and beverages.
Includes high-definition TV screens, live radio remote capabilities and a SportsCenter desk.
Unique Extras
Retail facilities: Three sports-themed merchandise locations reside at the sports complex, while customized merchandise vehicles are located throughout the other venues during individual events.