Credit: Disney/NBAAs the time draws nearer for the NBA to finish its 2019-20 season at the Walt Disney World Resort, more news is coming to light regarding the details of the players’ stay on-property.
Where will the NBA players be housed?
The 22 NBA teams playing at Disney World will reportedly be housed in three different resort hotels.
According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the teams will be staying at the Gran Destino Tower at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, and Disney’s Yacht Club Resort.
The teams will reportedly be split up as such:
- Gran Destino: Bucks, Lakers, Raptors, Clippers, Celtics, Nuggets, Jazz, Heat
- Grand Floridian: Thunder, 76ers, Rockets, Pacers, Mavericks, Nets, Grizzlies, Magic
- Yacht Club: Blazers, Kings, Pelicans, Spurs, Suns, Wizard
Sources: NBA teams Disney hotels based on seeding:
-Grand Destino: Bucks, Lakers, Raptors, Clippers, Celtics, Nuggets, Jazz, Heat
-Grand Floridian: Thunder, 76ers, Rockets, Pacers, Mavericks, Nets, Grizzlies, Magic
-Yacht Club: Blazers, Kings, Pelicans, Spurs, Suns, Wizards— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 16, 2020
Insider Keith Smith illuminated further explaining that the Gran Destino Tower is going to be the “Main” hotel with Coronado Springs’ convention center posing as one of the main hubs. Smith reports that availability at both the Grand Floridian and Yacht Club resorts are not guaranteed if any of the teams staying there make it to the playoffs.
Per Walt Disney World Sources: If a team staying at Grand Floridian or Yacht Club stays in the playoffs longer than expected, they may be asked to move. "We'll cross that bridge when/if we come to it." Part of Disney's play is to get rooms back into inventory for paying guests.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 16, 2020
NBA Players will Reportedly have In-Room Dining Options
According to Shams Charania’s article in The Athletic,
- Any meal eaten with a player on another team must be eaten outside.
- Players are not permitted to enter each other’s hotel rooms due to infection concerns.
- Disney chefs will prepare daily meals and there will also be a room service option. Subject to a few exceptions, food deliveries from outside of the NBA Campus are not permitted.
- At his own expense, a player is permitted to hire a personal chef located outside of the NBA Campus to prepare and send food into the NBA Campus on a daily basis.
NBA Players May Reportedly Book 17 Rooms for Guests
It appears that the players will have the opportunity to make room for their family members.
The Athletic reports the following:
- Each team that advances past the first round of the playoffs will be permitted to reserve up to 17 (if the team brings 17 players and down to 15 if it brings only 15 players) guest rooms for guests of players on the NBA Campus.
- Players are responsible for the cost of each hotel room used for a player guest; the costs of meals and testing for player guests will not be charged to players.
- All player guests must undergo three days of self-quarantine and testing either in a house or hotel in the team’s home market or in Orlando outside of the NBA Campus.
- Assuming that the player guest does not return a positive PCR test, then the player guest may then come to the NBA Campus, but must remain in quarantine for four days after arrival while having COVID-19 testing each of those days.
- Agents are not eligible, unless he or she is a family member of a player.
- Player guests who leave the NBA Campus will not be permitted to return.
Entertainment
Outside entertainment also might be a possibility for NBA players and their families as well as access to Disney movies not yet made public.
Per Walt Disney World Sources: Disney will make movies available for players and their families (once they join). This is likely to include movies that have not been released to the general public, including Marvel's Black Widow.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 16, 2020
What is “the NBA Campus”?
The NBA Campus will reportedly include the three hotels housing the players and staff, the Wide World of Sports complex, and separate practice courts. It will also include other auxiliary sites established like one of the golf courses or a medical facility.
As far as courts go, Smith explains the setup will reportedly be as follows:
Per Walt Disney World Sources: Any mixing/mingling of NBA teams within each resort or across resorts will be at the discretion of the NBA. Disney will not enforce that.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 17, 2020
The campus bubble does not include any theme parks at this time. However, time in the theme parks might be a possibility.
According to Smith’s sources, “There is a potential that special access to the theme parks and attractions could be arranged, but will be at the sole discretion of the NBA. It’s likely to happen after families arrive and will be held after hours, following day guests departures.”
Per Walt Disney World Sources: There is a potential that special access to the theme parks and attractions could be arrange, but will be at the sole discretion of the NBA. It's likely to happen after families arrive and will be held after hours, following day guests departures.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) June 17, 2020
Related: No, NBA Players Will Most Likely NOT Have Free Reign Across Disney World
The NBA players are reportedly expected to arrive at Disney World starting July 7 and the season is expected to conclude by October 13, but it is unclear when and for how long the players and their guests may occupy those rooms in those three Walt Disney World Resort Hotels.
What do you think about the NBA coming to Disney World? Let us know in the comments!