Photos by Chris Green, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.71
State Farm Field House at Wide World of Sports Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Year Opened: 2006
A Celebration of Women’s College Basketball
College basketball in-season tournaments are always a great ticket, featuring numerous teams from across the country in one place at one time. The ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando is home to three such tournaments in late fall – the newest of these is the WBCA State Farm Showcase, a three-day event featuring 8 women’s college basketball teams from across the country. This event features plenty of action for an affordable price in a stellar location. Held inside State Farm Field House, this is a popular stop just before the Thanksgiving holiday for fans of participating teams.
Food & Beverage 2
There are usually a lot of options at Wide World of Sports, but the WBCA Showcase is limited to just two concession stands. Inside State Farm Field House itself, the concessions include burgers ($9.50), house salads ($10.50), hot dogs ($9.50), Mickey Ice Cream Bars ($6.50), and pretzels ($8.50). Drinks include beer and alcohol at a stand just across the hall from the food stand, as well as bottled water ($4) and fountain sodas ($6).
Atmosphere 3
State Farm Field House at Wide World of Sports features a lot of exposed metal beams in the architecture, and its curved roof amplifies the noise inside. The overall aesthetic of nearby facilities, including Champion Stadium, are carried over here as well.
The arena has one concourse level, meaning you can walk up or down to your seats easily. ESPN logos are all over the facility, and past champion banners are hung above the VIP seating area. During the WBCA Showcase, seating is only open on one sideline and one baseline of the arena, limiting the fan noise due to the decreased number of fans in attendance.
Neighborhood 5
The sports complex is located just off Osceola Parkway, literally across the street from the new entrance to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Because of this you’re not far from pretty much everything you need on your trip. For obvious reasons, the best place to stay would be at any of the Disney Resorts – guests of the resorts get free bus transport to and from the arena. The closest hotels, Disney’s Pop Century and Disney’s Art of Animation, are two of the park’s lowest priced resorts.
For food, anywhere on Disney Property is a go-to; Kona Café at the Disney Polynesian Resort is a popular stop for sushi or a south seas flavor for dinner, while California Grill at the top of Contemporary Resort is also a popular go-to for a more upscale experience. In addition, popular tourist stops include EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and the Animal Kingdom theme parks. Also, Disney Springs, which is accessible via bus and car, is home to countless restaurants, bars, and shopping opportunities for the whole family.
Fans 3
The games are split into two games per day. Tickets are sold by day, which means if you go to catch both games, you may notice one game is more or less popular than the other, depending on the fans who traveled for each team. While this can lead to some generally sparse attendance at times, the atmosphere is no-less electric. The noise is also amplified inside, so each layup and three-pointer seem to garner loud cheers regardless of the attendance in the building, and since everyone has made the trip to Disney, you generally have a lot of families who are attending the games, making for a more family friendly atmosphere than some team’s home games might have.
Access 4
Getting to the Wide World of Sports is pretty easy, but traffic for certain games can be a pain. Parking is free in all parking lots for this tournament, including right up close to the main entrance. Now that the roadways have been re-routed in the area, access to State Farm Field House is simple; there is signage all over Disney’s property leading you to Wide World of Sports, and getting off the main road is easy thanks to the new flyover.
Return on Investment 5
Tickets are very affordable, ranging from just $30 for the upper sidelines and lower baseline, up to $50 for the lower sideline. All seating is first-come, first-served general admission within each seating area. A two-day ticket is available for $70. With the addition of free parking, and respectable concession prices, this tournament is incredibly affordable compared taking in multiple games separately.
Extras 4
The facility features a popular picture spot at the main entrance next to the Wide World of Sports globe. There also are numerous sports facilities all throughout the area, including various other events that may be going on inside, from cheerleading competitions to youth soccer tournaments. TV screens throughout the Wide World of Sports are also constantly playing various ESPN channels, fully immersing you in sports.
Fans can also purchase shirts and other merchandise for the tournament at the event store behind the baseline seating in the main concourse, and finally, the Wade Trophy, presented annually to the best player in college women's basketball, is on display in the main concourse, giving fans a chance to see it up close and take pictures with it.
Final Thoughts
The WBCA Showcase is a new and exciting addition to the college basketball invitational landscape. It also is a great addition to the ESPN Wide World of Sports facility’s calendar.
Being located in such a family friendly location, this is an ideal tournament to visit in November, especially for those fans looking to escape the colder weather up north.
Comentários