ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex

The venue opened on March 28, 1997 with an exhibition baseball game between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds.[4] On April 21–27, the main tennis courts hosted the U.S. Men's Clay Court Tennis Championships. A grand opening was held May 15, 1997. The initial build out consisted of nine venues with a 10th, the Olympic velodrome, expected in the third quarter 1997.[4] Initial tenants were Braves & its rookie team, the Harlem Globetrotters, NFL Experience, the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships, Amateur Athletic Union,[5] Official All Star Café and Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society.[3]^:2 Disney bid for the Florida state high school football finals for 1997 but lost to Gainesville. In June 1999, the complex made a deal with the Florida High School Activities Association to host the state prep volleyball championships at the Disney Fieldhouse for three years.[6] USA Trampoline and Tumbling Championships was held at the complex the weekend of June 7, 1997.[7]

A former baseball umpire and an architect alleged that they approached the Walt Disney Company in 1987 with plans for a sports complex, and that Wide World of Sports, which opened 10 years later, was heavily based on their designs. Disney claimed that, while the designs had some similarities, the complex was also similar to numerous other sporting facilities, and the concept of a sports park was too generic for any one group to claim ownership. The two men, represented in part by noted attorney Johnnie Cochran, sued Disney in Orange County civil court. In August 2000, a jury returned a verdict for the plaintiffs with damages in the amount of $240 million, a fraction of the $1.5 billion sought.[8] Disney appealed the judgment, and settled out of court in September 2002 for undisclosed terms.[9]

With Planet Hollywood just out of bankruptcy, Disney offered to purchase its All Star Café located here in February 2000.[10]

In August 2004, 20 acres of additional fields, four baseball diamonds with other multi-use fields, were added under the name of Hess Sports Fields.[11] Plans for a 100 lane bowling stadium with restaurant was announced for the complex by Disney officials in May 2008. This stadium would be built and operated by a third party and was supposed to completed in 18 months. About 13 United States Bowling Congress tournaments were expected for facility.[12]

During an ESPN the Weekend kick off event on February 25, 2010,[13] the complex was officially rebranded as the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. It received a massive upgrade, having installed HD video scoreboards at several venues, a new complex-wide audio system and a broadcast production facility. New venues and activities at the complex included the PlayStation Pavilion and Custom Tee Center by Champion.[14]

Prior to the rebranding in 2007, Disney announced a 450-acre Flamingo Crossings hotel-and-retail development. It would be located near the area for complex visitors and budget minded Disney World visitors. Shelved due to economic downturn, the project was revived with the 2013 sale of the property to first phase developer JL Properties Inc. of Alaska. An October 16, 2014 groundbreaking took place for the first phase, consisting of two Marriott International brand hotels which opened in January 2016.[15][16]

In 2008 and 2009, the Disney Channel Games were held at the complex.[17] May 9–11, 2014, a WNBA pre-season tournament consisting of four teams was held alongside an AAU girls basketball tournament at the complex, with the Minnesota Lynx winning the tournament over the Chicago Sky 76–69.[18] While the Citrus Bowl was under repairs, the Orlando City Soccer Club played its 2014 home games at the complex.[19]

In early January 2018, The Arena opened at the complex as its third indoor multi-purpose sports and entertainment arena.[20] Also that month, United States Specialty Sports Association left for the Space Coast Complex in Viera, Florida ending its use of ESPN's complex.[21]

Since 2017, the Complex is host of the NFL Pro Bowl activities prior to the game.[22] Besides having open practices for fans, ESPN broadcasts the Pro Bowl Skills Showdown, a series of head to head competitions between the players.[23] According to event organizers, over the last four years, the Pro Bowl and festivities surrounding it have generated an estimated $100 million economic impact for Central Florida.[22]

In 2020, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there were news reports that both the MLS and NBA were in talks with Disney to host the teams to have their respective seasons in the complex. It was even reported the ESPN complex is in the process of renovating the facilities to be able to host the teams.[24][25] The complex will host the return of the 2020 Major League Soccer season with the MLS is Back Tournament, which will host three regular season matches for each of the 26 teams as well as a World Cup-style tournament to determine a berth into the 2021 CONCACAF Champions League, as well as the end of the 2019-20 NBA season and the entirety of the Playoffs.

A 7,500 seat baseball stadium built in 1997 also has 2,000 more lawn seating. One of the original components of Wide World of Sports, it was formerly known as Cracker Jack Stadium and The Ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports. It was the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves from 1997 to 2019, and the recurring home for the Gulf Coast Braves. The Braves initially announced that 2017 would be their final year in the complex, but their departure would be delayed to 2019.[26] In 2020, the Atlanta Braves officially moved their spring training site to CoolToday Park located in North Port, FL after 21 years in the ESPN complex.[27] The stadium has hosted two regular season Major League Baseball series in 2007 and 2008 featuring the Tampa Bay Rays as the home team.[28] It is sponsored by Hanes with their Champion brand.

A 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena, formerly the Milk House[29] and Disney Fieldhouse,[6] sponsored by HP Inc.. It hosts the AdvoCare Invitational college basketball tournament annually. The HP Field House has 50,000 square feet (4,600 m²)[29] with stadium style seating with the highest row 35 feet (11 m) off the floor. It also features a smaller gymnasium behind the main arena with retractable seating. It was formerly sponsored by the California Milk Processor Board, progenitors of the famous Got Milk? campaign. Beginning in 2018, the arena hosts the Jr. NBA Global Championship, a tournament that features both boys' and girls' teams divided into national and international regions (and is thus similar in setup to the Little League World Series).

First announced in March 2007, the complex's 10th anniversary year, the J Center (formerly Jostens Center) is a 70,000-square-foot (6,500 m²) arena (36% smaller than the HP Field House without the stadium seating) that opened in the fall of 2008. The center features six college-size basketball courts, twelve volleyball courts,[30] or two roller hockey rinks. Its seating capacity is 1,200.

Marathon Sports Fields, presented by Marathon Petroleum, consists of twelve fields, the Baseball Quadraplex, Softball Quadraplex and four multiple purpose fields.

One of the fields has 500 permanent seats, and another has 1,000 permanent seats, expandable to up to 3,000 with additional grandstands. Field 17, the field with the larger grandstands, hosts the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic, an annual eight-team preseason soccer tournament featuring Major League Soccer teams.

The complex hosted the USL Pro Orlando City Soccer Club during the 2014 season. The team had additional seating added for a total of 5,200 seats.[19]

Consisting of four professional baseball fields and one practice infield, the quadrapelex also includes batting tunnels, pitching mounds, hitting tunnels, masters pitching machines, and ten bullpens. All fields are equipped for night play.

The first venue to be completed at the facility, it consists of six fields used for softball and youth baseball. Organized with four fields in circle and two adjacent.

A 1,000 to 8,500 seat tennis complex with 10-clay courts with center court stadium and was one of the original nine venues.[29]

Consists of multi-purpose fields, the Track and Field Complex, and a 0.7-mile (1.1 km) wooded trail.

A 500-seat competition facility for track and field events, designed to International Association of Athletics Federations specifications. This venue was one of the original nine venues.[29]

• nine lane track
• three shot put rings
• two discus/hammer rings
• a javelin runway
• two high jump areas
• two horizontal jump runways
• two pole vault runways

The Arena opened in early January 2018 as the third indoor multi-purpose sports and entertainment arena at the complex. While multipurpose, the venue was designed for cheer and dance events. Its first event was the UCA and UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship, January 12 to the 14, 2018.[20]

• seats: 8,000[20]
• flexible configuration:
  • six plus regulation-sized basketball courts
  • six plus regulation-sized volleyball courts[20]