Anyone Surprised That NBA Experience at Disney Springs Not Reopening?

 by Ray Keating

Commentary

DisneyBizJournal.com

August 16, 2021

 

My response to hearing the news today that the NBA Experience at Disney Springs will not be reopening was, quite frankly, a shrug of the shoulders, and a declaration that I wasn’t exactly surprised.

 

But then again, I’m not an NBA fan. Major League Baseball fan? Absolutely. Go Reds! The NFL? I shout “Skol!” as a Vikings fan. NHL? The Sharks are my team. But the NBA never really did it for me.

Apparently, though, the NBA Experience didn’t do it for NBA fans either. 

 

On the Disney NBA Experience website, the attraction was characterized: “Enter an immersive world where all of your basketball dreams are just a layup away. Inside this impressive venue inspired by modern-day NBA arenas, you can enjoy 13 unique experiences that merge the magic of Disney with the thrills of the NBA. Step through the Player Entry Tunnel—welcomed by the roar of an excited crowd—and embark on the full player journey, from training to competitions to championships and beyond.”

 

When it opened, MyNews13.com described the NBA Experience as follows: “On the ground level, visitors will find an exhibit featuring NBA and WNBA players, the Combine experience and the NBA Store. Upstairs there are even more activities, including a dunking experience, a slingshot experience and a basketball court where a game clock counts down your shots.”

 

Rather than being a slam dunk, the NBA Experience turned out to be an air ball.

 

Of course, the attraction opened at a bad time, in August 2019, with the pandemic just 8 months away. According to reports, Disney and the NBA agreed on the permanent closing.

 

But there’s obviously more at work here than just the pandemic. After all, this only opened two years ago, and if it had been working well beforehand and was expected to resume as a popular venue upon reopening, well, we wouldn’t be talking about the NBA Experience’s permanent closing right now.

 

The NBA Experience always struck me as an odd offering in Disney Springs – not quite fitting in. And there were questions about just how many big-time NBA fans this would attract on a regular basis. The answer is now clear: Not enough.

 

What will replace the NBA Experience? We don’t know yet. But let’s hope that it’s something with more widespread appeal. If we’re talking about another major league sports experience, then the only two leagues that could make a run at success in Disney Springs would be the National Football League and Major League Baseball, given their widespread popularity. The drop off in general interest from football and baseball to basketball, hockey or soccer, for example, is just too significant.

 

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Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the  Pastor Stephen Grant novels and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Keating has three new books out. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13ththriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story is the 14th book in the series. Again, get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed book at www.raykeatingonline.com. And order the 15th book in the series What’s Lost? A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story – grab it at Amazon.com or signed editions at www.raykeatingonline.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

 

You also can order his book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York  from Amazon or signed books  at RayKeatingOnline.com. His other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know. 

 

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