Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge – Jambo House could soon say “Jambo!” to the athletes of the NBA as they prepare to resume their season.
According to DVCNews.com, all rooms at Jambo House are unavailable on Disney Vacation Club’s reservation site through the end of the year, while all other DVC resorts have availability beginning June 22nd. They also noted that legally, Jambo House and Kidani Village are part of the same condominium association, therefore, Disney is not completely blocking access as long as DVC members would only have to relocate to Kidani Village to stay at the lodge.
The league is reportedly planning to resume its season in Orlando, likely at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, with a formal vote to approve the plan by team owners scheduled for Thursday. Walt Disney World’s resort hotels would act as dormitories for players, keeping them isolated from the public in an effort to contain any threat of COVID-19 infection.
It’s been reported that the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World was the clear frontrunner to house the NBA for the remainder of its 2019-2020 season, and the NBA has just released a very interesting statement on Twitter. Executive Vice President of Communications Mike Bass confirmed that the NBA and the Walt Disney Company are “engaged in exploratory conservation”.
Read the full text below from the official NBA Twitter account:
With Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ declaration that live professional sports are essential services, as well as former Cast Member turned Sports Commentator Keith Smith’s piece in Yahoo Sports calling the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex an “ideal spot” to salvage the 2019-2020 NBA season, the Twittersphere has been speculating about upcoming announcements for weeks now.
In his article, Smith explained that he favored the complex because it has the capacity to house all of the players, coaches, trainers, officials, broadcasters, and other essential personnel in one location, limiting their exposure to the outside world, and therefore, the coronavirus. Smith also outlined possible options for accommodations including Disney’s Art of Animation and Pop Century Resorts, as well as Disney’s Riviera Resort if more higher-end housing was needed.
The Visa Center within the complex can accommodate as many as six full-sized basketball courts, or be configured stadium-style with one primary court, and it broadcast-ready, making it a great option for practice as well as games.
Aside from the practical logistics that the complex can provide, the Walt Disney Company and the NBA already have demonstrated an effective way of working together with the opening of the NBA Experience at Disney Springs last summer.
Throughout the pandemic, sports have ceased to exist, and many leagues are trying to find ways to finish off the season. The NBA has been considering Walt Disney World as their designated location to finish out the 2019-2020 season.
Back in April, Cast Member-turned-Sports Commentator Keith Smith proposed the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in Walt Disney World as an ideal “bubble-like” location. Logistical components of setting up the NBA at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex would include the ability to create a contained “bubble” of playing venues and lodging within private Disney property, not to mention the already-existing positive relationship between the NBA and Disney.
Walt Disney World has been reportedly re-working some of their hotel spaces to best accommodate the NBA to finish their season, according to sources by Keith Smith. (It’s unknown what exact resorts are involved in this re-working.)The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex has also undergone some changes in anticipation of hosting the NBA, and possibly even the MLB.
However, this is not a completed deal, according to an NBA source. Smith has been posting facts about the Walt Disney World property this afternoon, such as the size and logistics that would go into this transition if it becomes a finalized decision.
Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium has also tweeted this afternoon regarding the future home for the NBA season. He too was another commentator on this matter back in April.
Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger has been in talks with the NBA, giving advice on how the company has dealt with its theme parks, theaters, and ESPN since the COVID-19 outbreak. Although nothing is confirmed yet, the possibility of this becoming a reality is quickly drawing near.
A brand new attraction is open at Disney Springs. The NBA Experience held its Grand Opening on August 12. There were plenty of NBA and WNBA superstars on hand to celebrate the day, including Grant Hill and Kareen Abdul-Jabbar. Also in attendance were CEO of The Walt Disney Company, Bob Iger, and Adam Silver, who is the current NBA Commissioner. Mickey and Minnie were there as well to get the party started.
The NBA Experience is broken up into different activities. Some of these are physical, to make you feel like you are a star player. Others do not require you to try to make a basket. There are activities for all skill levels and all ages.
Dunk – Allows you to dunk like a pro. If you don’t think that you can reach the basket, that isn’t a problem. The basket is adjustable, so you can set it to your perfect height. You’ll be able to make the shot every time without breaking a sweat. If you want the challenge, move the basket higher.
Shoot – Requires a little bit of skill, but anyone can have fun with it. You’ll play on a court that feels real, and shoot against the clock. There is a virtual crowd there to cheer you on. It tests players to see how many shots they can make from different areas of the court in just 15 seconds.
Dribble – Teaches you a skill. You will warm up, and then learn the basics of dribbling. It has guests work with an interactive coach to show the drills and skills they need to become the next great point guard
Slingshot – Puts a ball into a slingshot, and then release it and hope that it goes into the basket.
Arcade – Has a couple of different activities. You can race the clock and try to score as many points as possible. You can play Pop-A-Shot, which is perfect for guests of all ages. You can also try your hand at some NBA related video games.
Combine – Measures visitors’ wingspan, reach and vertical leap. Once the results are in, the interactive screen will show how guests compare to today’s most popular NBA stars like Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and more. If you get discouraged after your combine results, have no fear: There are plenty of interactive basketball activities to help guests sharpen their skills on the court.
Trivia – An NBA and WNBA trivia game. You’ll play against the others in the room. The questions are random, so you can’t learn the answers and then go back and beat everyone else in the room.
Champions – A great way to learn more about the NBA and the WNBA. There are screens where you can look up past championships, learn stats from the games, watch videos, and more.
Replay – Let’s you become the ref! You will watch a clip from a game and then decide whether or not the ref made the right call.
Theaters – Allows you to watch two different ten minute films. You will be able to be part of a player’s world, or experience pro basketball through the eyes of a fan.
There are also activities that are designed to make you feel like an NBA or WNBA player.
Draft – Allows you to be the number one draft pick! You will learn which team has drafted you, and then there’s a picture opportunity with Adam Silver (he’s wax). You’ll then see your picture, “wearing” the team’s hat, in the My Disney Experience App.
Players – Takes you inside a locker room. You will then see what one looks like. During the season, you will also be able to see real time stats of current games.
Trophy Moments – Offers great picture opportunities. You can feel like an MVP when you have your picture taken with both the NBA MVP Trophy and the NBA Championship Trophy.
The NBA Experience is also filled with other things that you will want to check out. You can measure your hand against the size of a basketball great’s hand. You can literally measure up against a couple of players.
The NBA Store is located right next to the NBA Experience. You’ll find plenty of team related items, as well as Disney’s take on things. One thing to keep in mind, you will not find food or beverages for sale inside the NBA Experience. You can leave and purchase something to eat elsewhere, and then return.
Tickets for The NBA Experience cost $29 for those three through nine, and $34 for ten and older, plus tax. All activities are included with your ticket. If you’re looking for a break from the theme parks or something to do on a rainy day, this could be the answer. Remember, you don’t have to be a basketball expert in order to have a great time.
