When I was visiting Walt Disney World in February, I had the pleasure of speaking with the owners of the recently opened Splitsville Luxury Lanes at Downtown Disney.
At first glance, many will think it’s “just a bowling alley”, but the truth is it is so much more. The pictures and my descriptions really don’t even do it justice, you will have to go check it out for yourself. It truly has a “wow” factor that can’t be explained. However, I will do my best to convince you that this is a must do on your next visit to Disney World.
I started my morning at Splitsville with a tour of building. WOW is honestly the first word that pops into my head. There is so much to look at, you could come back 100 times and still notice new details on every visit. I had the privilege of interviewing Guy, one of the owners. Guy explained Splitsville to me as a mix of hip and retro with a fun sensory overload.
Owners Guy and Mark were college roommates. When they came up with the idea of Splitsville, they wanted the customers to walk in and be wowed. To love the entertainment, atmosphere and the food…then say “oh, and by the way, we went bowling, too.” The claim to fame here is actually the food, and it did not disappoint (try the nachos, you will be blown away!) The menu is huge and you will find something for even the pickiest of eaters, like me.
A lot of the portions of the food are made to be sharable. Unlike traditional locations for bowling, you can actually eat at your lane while you bowl. You will find fare such as nachos and hamburgers, as well as fancy dishes like mouth watering steak and even sushi! The food here is very fresh (hand tossed fresh pizza dough for example). There are two kitchens, several bars, and plenty of places to dine. They also have an amazing drink menu, with my favorite being the birthday cake martini complete with sprinkles dotting the rim of the glass.
Hands down, my favorite places to enjoy a meal are the outside tables. I have eaten both out on the downstairs patio where you can sometimes be entertained by a live band, or upstairs on the covered balcony, complete with it’s own bar and breathtaking views of Downtown Disney.
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My husband Bobby and I enjoyed dinner on the upstairs balcony in April
I had never been to a two story bowling alley, so riding up the escalator was very cool. During the day families of all sizes come to enjoy themselves, and at night the upstairs lanes become more fun for the “big kids” like me.
There are pool tables, the second kitchen, as well as more places to dine upstairs.
There is a podium to walk up to if you would like to bowl, and one if you are there to only eat. If you choose to dine in, there are several different options for seating. (Inside, outside, balcony, etc.) It was a gorgeous day, so we chose to eat and have our interview outside on the downstairs patio.
It was great to just sit and people watch while enjoying our food, and the company. I really enjoyed hearing about the story behind Splitsville and their vision for the future.
Guy spoke with enthusiasm about reinventing bowling for America. They are about good food as well as good entertainment, and wanted a hip carnival atmosphere for customers.
He also talked a lot about teamwork, and the employees seemed to be a tight knit bunch. Everyone was so friendly and went out of their way to greet us and make sure we had everything we needed. You can tell they all take pride in their workplace.
Guy also mentioned the possibility of more Splitsvilles popping up around the country. There are already locations in Texas and Virginia, as well as two other Florida locations. I know they would love to expand to Disneyland in California as well.
When I went back to Disney with my parents in May, I took them to Splitsville for lunch and some bowling. We had a great time and can’t wait to go back next time we are in town. It was truly one of the highlights of my trip.
I had a great time learning more about this great place and hope to be back for a visit soon!
Splitsville Luxury Lanes is located in Downtown Disney’s West Side area. You can learn more about pricing and hours on their website. You can also follow them on Twitter.
QOTD: Have you been to Splitsville? What looks the most awesome to you about this place? Do you like to bowl?
I love Splitsville! Cannot wait to go back next month and eat those nachos. YUM.
I KNOW!
I had a chance to visit Splitsville in Dec 2012 and it was alot of fun. The service was wonderful and the food was great. We had a great time.
are you taking the boys here in July?
I have never been there, but I would love to check it out! The bowling balls are so cute, and that birthday cake martini sounds delicious 🙂
oh it’s heaven!
I had a chance to tour it before it opened last December, and it looked amazing! I’m looking forward to getting back there and trying it for myself.
Sounds like a fun place for a break from the parks…or a fun hang out if you are just in the area. Really unique!
yes, it’s super unique!
I can’t wait to visit Splitsville! Looks awesome! I’m always up for good food and some bowling! 🙂
We went to Splitsville in April. We didn’t bowl but we had dinner. It was great food and fun to watch people bowl.
I agree!
Very cool! Will definitely keep this in mind when we head to Disney in July! 🙂
Looks like FUN!
it’s so so SO fun!
Great rainy day activity!
Love Splitsville! I love how you can bowl and eat. Plus I like how you can just have dinner. And the food is great, especially the sushi! Coming from NYC, I am very picky with sushi, and they do an awesome job!
I haven’t bowled in so many years! Splitsville looks like tons of fun. It’s a long way from California though, so I’ll have to wait until they come to Disneyland.
That has got to be the nicest bowling alley I’ve ever seen! Digging the idea of good food at the lanes– it would be nice to go bowling and not have to eat crap 🙂
yes! The food is amazing
Looks like fun! I hope they find a way to come to DTD here at DL!
me too!
I love to bowl but I’ve never been any good. The one in Texas is a couple towns over from me.
you should go to it!
I haven’t been to one, but I like how inside near the bar it looks like a sports bar. The cake batter drink sounds delicious! I like that they have outdoor seating on a covered balcony too. Looks beautiful!
it is delicious!
I love this! I showed it to my son and we can’t wait to do this on our next trip!
He would love it!
Awesome. Wifey and I used to go bowling all the time. For a minute, we were getting pretty good at it. We used to make a double date out of it with some friends. Good fun.
that sounds fun!
This looks awesome! I can’t wait to check this place out on my next visit!