When you take a family vacation to Walt Disney World, you will find a wide range of fun activities to choose from. The most common ones that come to mind are of course the theme parks, but there is so much more to Walt Disney World than the Magic Kingdom. One of my favorite sometimes overlooked places on property is the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. As a runner, I used to only think of the sports complex as “the place we go for the race expos”, and never really paid much mind to other things that may be going on there. Fortunately, my eyes have been recently opened, and come to find out a lot of amazing events happen every week at the complex.
Not only is the sports complex a beautiful 255 acre facility with amazing technology and top notch amenities, but it is a great place for the whole family to visit and enjoy. It boasts over 350 professional and amateur events a year! In the spring you can go watch an Atlanta Braves spring training game, or you can see the Pro soccer classic. In the fall don’t miss the slow-pitch world series or the Disney Junior Soccer classic. There is something for every sports fan, and many for kids to participate in with their teams, and not just the typical sporting events you think of like baseball and soccer. Think bigger: cheerleading, volleyball, wrestling, and even lacrosse. These special events happen all throughout the year, so be sure to check out the schedule on the ESPN Wide World of Sports website.
Not to mention, your kids can participate in events, camps, and spring training at the sports complex. Disney is the perfect location to “get your feet wet” in the world of traveling sports teams and tournaments. A lot of young athletes of all ages and their families would love to get started with traveling to out of state tournaments, but aren’t sure where to start. It can be an intimidating thought, but Disney makes the process so easy for you (more on that in another post). Not only is it a safe and friendly environment for your child, but it’s also fun for the whole family. Siblings, parents, and grandparents alike can all have a blast by making this sporting trip into a vacation suited for the whole family. Disney helps with the planning, and has activities to keep you entertained for your entire stay. What better place to teach your kids about the value of teamwork, and a friendly competitive spirit than Walt Disney World?
The weather in central Florida makes for an ideal place for a team to branch out and have some fun together, especially if you live in a northern state. Escape the snowy winter and freezing temperatures of winter by traveling to Disney for a tournament or spring training camp. All of the fields and facilities are made of the finest quality materials, so your child can feel like a real pro playing on the best surfaces available.
Want to visit the sports complex on your next trip to check it out? There is so much to do, that the complex appeals to athletes and spectators of all ages. You can even grab a bite to eat at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Grill, check out the gift shop, or go play in the PlayStation pavilion. Help me spread the word about all of the options available for you and your family, and let me know if you have any questions.
Be sure to check out the ESPN Wide World of Sports’ official YouTube channel to see highlights from events throughout the year. Will your child be on the next highlight reel? You can make it happen! Visit ESPN Wide World of Sports for more info.
QOTD: Did you know all of these events existed? For those with kids, would you want your child to play in a tournament or attend a sports camp at Disney?
*Photos courtesy of Disney Sports News
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So cool! I can’t wait for Wyatt to grow up so he can hopefully take advantage of the youth sports at Disney!
I had practice and a game at WWoS my freshman year of college. I thought it was really cool after all the Disney vacations my family took, and I got the chance to use the fields with my team. We also were able to watch a Braves spring training game.
We have friends that got to go to a football tournament there last year (he’s the coach). He had nothing but WONDERFUL things to say about Disney and how everything was handled! I can’t wait until my girls are a little older and who knows, maybe we’ll be going to something there!! Great blog! I had no idea what else they offered!!
I am gonna check this out in July I think my sons will love it.
I always thought it was so cool you could play lacrosse at disney!
There are ssooo many events there!
This is awesome! We visited WWoS back when it first opened years ago. My brother and dad participated in the “NFL Experience” but I think that’s gone now…. It’s really neat that Disney has stuff like this going on year round! It really is a beautiful complex!
Some friends of mine just took time out of their WDW vacation to go to a Braves spring training game. They absolutely loved it! I will have to check it out!
I didn’t know all these existed. Thanks for the great blog. Makes me want to go to WWS Right now!
Wow! I had no idea they had so much stuff going on there! I always thought of it as the expo place too. And I didn’t realize how big it actually was until we ran in it in January for the Disney Marathon. It’s really a beautiful sports complex! I would LOVE for my kids to play sports there one day!!!
It is huge! I didn’t realize the size until then either!
I knew about the ESPN Sports Complex, but never knew much about what was there. Thanks for the great blog Heather!
I didn’t realized how big that place was until the marathon ran through there this year.
TOTALLY oblivious to this awesome place. I must ask, can 22 year olds play too? 😉 My boyfriend and I are headed down in May and this sounds like we’d both instantly love it!
lol! You can play in the playstation pavilion and watch anything going on!
I have never been. I would love to catch a Braves game there sometime!
Great blog, Heather! My son is starting to play soccer now. It would be so cool to see him play there some day! I’ll have to check this out on our next visit!
This sounds so great. WWoS is one of the few places in Disney that I haven’t been.
be sure to check it out next time!
This makes me want to check it out next time I am there. it’s always been a bit of a mystery to me. Thanks ! 🙂
I am a mom of all boys and this is something we always enjoy when at Disney World! Our favorite thing is Spring Training!! Thanks for taking time to post about Wide world of Sports it is sometimes overlooked.
You know, I have yet to check this place out, but now I see that it has so much more to offer than I thought! Sounds great for the whole family.
Great blog, Heather! I have always heard about it, but have never been. I had no idea there was so much going on. Will certainly have to check this out!
Great info Heather! It’s a beautiful facility but I never really knew what all went on there outside of spring training games.
Thanks for the post! I’m excited to check out, and see what they have for Julia!
The playstation pavilion looks pretty cool!
We are huge Atlanta Braves fans, so took our kids a couple of years ago to one of the Spring Training games at the WWoS. It was great! We got to enjoy a game in the beautiful, spring FL weather. Our kids really enjoyed seeing their favorite characters (Mickey & Goofy) join in the game!
Awesome I would love to go to one!
I knew some of what went on at the Wide World of Sports, but didn’t realize how much it was utilized. Did you know the Milk House has been used to hold high school graduations?! I had mine there in 2002. WWoS will always hold a special place in my heart for many reasons.
that’s so cool I didn’t know that!
As the coach of a high school softball team who attended Disney’s Fastpitch Spring Training Week, I can’t speak highly enough of the facilities, programming, and careful attention to every possible need present at the Wide World of Sports Complex. Although it took a year’s worth of fundraising to make it happen, my athletes truly experienced a week to remember. Everything from lodging, transportation, park tickets, and game and practice scheduling was taken care of by the WWOS staff, which led to a flawless week. The staff also arranged for a community service opportunity for my team at a daycare in inner-city Orlando that was one of the most memorable experiences of the trip. I can’t say enough about the facility, and look forward to our return!
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing. I am so glad you had such an amazing experience with Disney sports!