The Magic is Everywhere

Official Review by Jim Dietrich, Stadium Journey Regional Correspondent

Orlando's official motto is "The City Beautiful," so with that type of billing emblazoned on City Hall, there's a certain expectation level that you would assume needs to be achieved. From the meticulously maintained Walt Disney World complex, which is actually in nearby Lake Buena Vista, to International Drive, almost everything seems to fit that billing, no matter how artificial. It's as though nothing less than perfection is allowed within metro Orlando, and for a city trying to bill itself as the family-friendly version of Las Vegas, I wouldn't expect any less.

Located about 8 blocks north of the new home, the old Amway Arena was the home of the Orlando Magic for the first 20 years of the franchise's existence and saw the near-coronation of the expansion team twice: 1995 and 2009, both years having made the NBA Finals. Great players have made their way through those doors - Shaq, Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, and Patrick Ewing, amongst numerous others - so, the closing of the Amway Arena was bittersweet for Magic fans. Does the successor building, having just opened on October 1, 2010, with all its flash and glamour, live up to being the worthy successor to "The O-Rena"?

Food & Beverage    4

Come hungry. Pretty much any cuisine you fancy - from traditional chicken fingers and hot dogs to Latin- and Asian-inspired dishes - are found everywhere. They even have creations like Chicken-Fried Chicken Sandwiches, Veggie Burgers, and a "Foot Long Sloppy Joe" readily available. Prices are slightly higher on certain things than the old Arena (my friend told me everything is about $2 more for meals here), but I found the $6.25 bottomless drink a great value, considering Tropicana Field in St. Pete charges $8 for that same product.

Atmosphere    5

Once you are done wandering the city streets and make your way down Church Street to the main entrance of the Center, you are greeted by numerous LEDs lighting the night sky under the I-4 overpasses. After you emerge from underneath the overpasses, in front of you is the spire rising off the northeast corner of the Center, beneath which the team store is located. The main entrance, located on Church Street on the north end of the building, is a massive glass wall with a clear shot of the atrium inside.

Once through security, you are greeted by 21st Century technology and design everywhere; blue and white LED orbs hang from the ceiling, LCD TVs for everything - even the menu boards at the food stations - and the finest materials available. Even the scoreboard is 100% LCD, allowing for a near-infinite amount of viewing possibilities. All these energy-efficient features, as well as lower water usage and plenty of recycling bins, have made it the first LEED-certified building in the NBA, a fact of which they're not afraid to make you aware.

Neighborhood    5

This was my first time actually spending time in Downtown Orlando. Having Downtown St. Petersburg and Channelside and Ybor City in Tampa all within 30 minutes of me, I've never been exposed to Church Street. I had definitely heard of it, but I just assumed it was like the rest of Orlando: manufactured and so over-the-top happy, it was to the point of being fake.

I couldn't have been more wrong.

Church Street, where the main entrance to the Center is located, is a half-mile long stretch of some of the hottest bars, restaurants, and clubs in metro Orlando. The street is closed to traffic on game days so the pedestrians can have free reign to wander the numerous establishments.

If you make your way off Church Street and go into Downtown, you will also find numerous boutique hotels, restaurants, and bars. Though it is located on the west side of Interstate 4, the rest of Downtown being located to the east, they have done a fantastic job integrating the two as seamlessly as can be done with an elevated 8-lane freeway splitting the city.

I recommend parking off-site and walking to the Center: it's cheaper and allows for ample opportunity to experience all this city has to offer. There's another, less-pleasant reason, to park off-site, which I'll discuss in a moment.

Fans    5

My experience with Florida sports fans in general has been that they're mostly a jaded, laissez-faire bunch. They'll watch if they're winning, but they can't be bothered if a championship is out of the question. So, I was immensely surprised that there were, on a Thursday night in the beginning of the season, a nearly-packed house and an announced-sellout crowd. In a city like Orlando, with Universal and I-Drive just down the street, to have people's attention long enough to obtain this type of crowd is amazing.

A pessimist would say the only reason for a sellout is due to the "newness factor", a point in the first two or three years where every game's a sellout only because people want to see the new building. However, if that's the case, the people of Orlando sure did their homework before coming out. They never had to be told to cheer, were quick to criticize the referees, and made their supreme dissatisfaction with long-departed Grant Hill (who was paid over $10 million a year, but spent most of his Magic tenure on the bench with injuries) known in long strings of "Booooo!" with every point he made.

As I wandered the concourses, the vast majority were super-friendly and quick to strike up a quick conversation about the game, the Center, and Orlando as a whole. Overall, they were the most unique Florida sports fans I've ever had the pleasure of meeting; I wish the rest of the sports teams' fans in the Sunshine State would learn from them.

Access    4

This is the Center's low-point and the score I gave is deceiving. With no commuter rail yet, traffic is as disastrous as one can imagine. The only freeway in the area, I-4, is a perpetual parking lot on normal days. Tolled expressways abound, but even they can be congested in Downtown. Getting in, believe it or not, wasn't as hard as getting out of the city, as they had to shut down key roads to get back onto I-4. This is the other reason I would suggest parking off-site; it gives traffic a little bit of chance to clear and puts you closer to a good escape route. Unfortunately, the night I went, the only way to get back on I-4 without sitting a long line of traffic was to get onto the tolled SR 408 (East-West Expressway), do a U-turn, and come back to I-4. It may have cost $1, but at least I didn't sit in traffic.

What helps make up for the score is the access in and around the Center itself; parking is plentiful throughout Downtown and all relatively cheap. In fact, some spots I saw were as low as $4. Once inside, restrooms are everywhere and super clean, and the concourses are very bright, well-signed, and easily navigable; the upper concourse is slightly too narrow when people are queued at a kiosk, but still much better than some arenas.

Return on Investment    5

I do not like basketball; I personally find its high scores and lack of contact boring. That said, I will go back again and again. The team is as good as they have ever been and appear they will be great for years to come. Going here for any event is not a waste of money by any stretch of the imagination. This building, as beautifully as it integrates itself into the Orlando skyline, is a destination in and of itself. In this city of attractions, this one already stands out as one of the best.

Extras    5

Anyone who has already been to the Center is probably screaming at their monitor right now for not mentioning the main attraction, the coup de grace, of this entire venue - it's called the OZONE. Built on the south end of the facility on the upper level, it's a massive party area, complete with twin 20-foot tall LED-laced pillars that can project images of just about anything from flames to fireworks.

There are three main parts to the OZONE: the kids' play area, complete with enough tunnels and climbing nets to make Chuck E Cheese jealous, a massive souvenir shop that has almost everything a fan would need or want, and the adult playground: the O3. This full-service, top-shelf bar is as classy as any club you'll find in Downtown Disney and Universal's CityWalk with a flawless view of the hardwood floor below.

Other extras include two separate full-service bars on the lower level, two terrace clubs with fantastic views of the city, and secluded private party decks overlooking the action.

Something for the hardcore fans is called the "Magic Fan Experience", which walks through the entire history of the franchise, from an idea in 1986 to today, complete with memorabilia and interactive displays. On the opposite side of the Center from this mecca to any Magic fan is the "Orlando, the City Beautiful" area, with art and prose depicting, in brief, the history and legacy of the city.

Final Thoughts

It's incredible to think how much a city that is known for its theme parks and other attractions is proving to the world that it can build great civic projects as well. It has set a new gold-standard in arena building that won't easily be matched in the near-future.

They could have set this in Ocala National Forest and I'd still want to go back; having such a high-class neighborhood surrounding it makes near-perfection that much better. I already long to go back for more "" even if it means dealing with Orlando traffic.