The NBA Experience at Disney Springs will not reopen and is now permanently closed. Disney has said the decision won’t impact their relationship with the NBA and they’ll announce what’s planned for the location in the future.
Disney says this will not impact their other partnerships with the NBA or their business relationship with the Orlando Magic.
Disney will share an update about the future of the NBA Experience location at a later date.
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) August 16, 2021
The NBA Experience opened in Summer 2019 and gave guests a chance to live out their basketball dreams. Guests could participate in 13 activities, including dribbling, shooting and dunking.
Unfortunately, the NBA Experience was almost immediately a miss among Disney visitors. Attendance was considered “shockingly low” and cast members started receiving free admission to visit. NBA Experience cast members were spotted around Disney Springs trying to drum up interest. The location never reopened after Disney Springs closed due to the pandemic. Even the fully-stocked gift shop remained closed.
NBA Experience replaced the beloved, yet dated, Disney Quest. The concept always felt like a gamble due to its niche target (basketball fans), price ($39 for ages 10+) and generally weak concept. Do Walt Disney World guests really want to pay $39 per person to dribble a basketball? Apparently not.
We hope Disney’s next plan for the location appeals to more guests.
