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Credit: LionBearTX, FlickrThe newest member of the Walt Disney World Resort family is finally here.
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Earlier today, new filings with the State of Florida revealed what Disney potentially planned to bring to the former site of its massive, multi-million-dollar NBA Experience in Orlando. According to the newly filed Notice of Fictitious in the Orlando Sentinel, immersive video gaming company Level99 was named the newest brand to join Disney Springs.
This has since been confirmed, with Level99 announcing its new joint venture with Disney following rumors.
“We are defining the category and setting the standard for out-of-home, interactive entertainment,” said Level99 CEO and Founder Matthew DuPlessie.
“After spending two decades in the location-based entertainment industry, it became clear there was consumer demand for a concept like this – a real unmet need. Our vision is to make ‘challenge rooms’ a mainstream concept, and the opportunity to open at a marquee location like Disney Springs is the next step in our plans to expand the LEVEL99 brand nationally.”
Level99 describes itself as a “first-of-its-kind destination for adults,” according to the company’s official website, offering patrons “interactive social gaming with over 50 physical and mental challenges set in artistic environments.”
When Level99 actually makes its way into Disney Springs, it will be a full-circle moment for Disney. While the new location seems like the perfect replacement for Disney’s now-defunct NBA Experience, it also sounds eerily similar to what DisneyQuest offered.
DisneyQuest first opened in 1998, offering visitors a multi-level, sensory experience filled to the brim with arcade classics and state-of-the-art (at the time) attractions. DisneyQuest was essentially an immersive arcade featuring its own snack shop and entertainment experiences.
DisneyQuest closed in 2017 to make way for the ill-fated NBA Experience, which itself closed just a few years later.
Disney opened the NBA Experience in 2019. The basketball-themed activity center served as the replacement for DisneyQuest, providing sports fans with a massive, multi-level complex filled to the brim with memorabilia, hands-on attractions, and tons of games.
A typical Level99 experience includes around 2-3 hours of play, followed by drinks and food at its eatery and bar. Level99 features a wide assortment of activities and games, ranging from challenge rooms to arena duals.
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The NBA Experience was located on Disney Springs’ West Side, where other recognizable brand names and storefronts are found, like the M&M store, House of Blues, and Splitsville Luxury Lanes. However, the price and value of the experience were put into question, and it became obvious that the NBA Experience was not as popular as Disney may had hoped.
As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent lockdown in 2020, the NBA Experience, along with dozens of other rides and attractions at the Walt Disney World Resort, closed “temporarily.” However, when the time came to reopen, Disney kept the NBA Experience locked down, eventually permanently closing the location in 2021.
Worse was the sheer cost of the NBA Experience. While exact details haven’t been shared, it’s estimated Disney spent several tens of millions on the basketball-themed attraction space.
Combine this price stage with the cost of entry ($34 for adults, $29 for children), and it’s not all that hard to see why the NBA Experience ultimately failed to live up to its original plans of becoming Disney Springs’ newest premier destination.
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