*Disney is covering my families hotel stay and park tickets during the ESPN Wide World of Sports Media Event as well as complimentary airfare for me. All opinions are 100% honest and my own.
In just a little over 24 hours my kids and I will be heading to Disney World but this time we get to experience a whole new side of this magical place. For the next four days I will be learning anything and everything I can about the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The complex hosts more than 350 events and 350,000 athletes from more than 70 countries each year and is the leading multi-sport venue for amateur and professional sports in the nation, accommodating 70 different sports.
FUN FACTS About The Wide World of Sports Complex
•Home to AAU National Championships, Pop Warner Super Bowl and National Cheer & Dance Championship, Atlanta Braves Spring Training, as well as Disney-created events, open registration tournaments and training camps.
•The complex has multiple indoor and outdoor competition venues, including Champion Stadium, HP Field House, Jostens Center, Hess Sports Fields, New Balance track & field facility, a newly resurfaced tennis complex and a baseball/softball sportsplex.
•The ESPN brand becomes tangible through a Production Center that provides competition footage to various ESPN media platforms such as ESPN, ESPN.com and ESPN3.com. Also the ESPN Innovation Lab, ESPN’s development hub for 3D telecast technology, where new ground-breaking on-air products are developed and tested utilizing the athletes and events taking place at the complex.
•The complex features a 20-zone audio system, 56 high-definition cameras (42 robotic, 10 handheld and four studio) and 40 high-definition video screens, including 3 jumbo screens, that can capture any competition at the complex and display live action, game highlights, player interviews and ESPN programming.
•A full-service sports-theme eatery called ESPN Wide World of Sports Grill and the PlayStation Pavilion which features 17 PlayStation 3 systems and a collection of just-released sports-themed games and other titles.
•The Welcome Center is an information hub for traveling teams and their families looking for sports event information as well as theme park information, dining reservation and team service. They offer on-site planning services based on the teams’ competition schedule.
The complex is 255 acres and is a place where youth athletes get to experience the “I’m Going to Disney World” moment.
Follow the complex on Twitter at @DisneySports and like them on ESPN Wide World of Sports Facebook and YouTube. Be sure to follow along this upcoming week using the Hashtag #DisneySportsFestival