State Farm Field House at Wide World of Sports - Holiday FestiBall

Photos by Chris Green, Stadium Journey

Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.14

State Farm Field House at Wide World of Sports Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

Holiday Festiball website

State Farm Field House at Wide World of Sports website

Year Opened: 2006

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A Christmas Basketball Present

Though most fans see the holidays as a time for football, this year saw the start of a new basketball tradition in Orlando. The Holiday FestiBall was held at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex, featuring the hometown UCF Knights and cross-state rivals FAU. This regular season matchup drew fans to the somewhat neutral site just days before Christmas, providing a great opportunity for local fans, and a stellar chance for traveling fans on a holiday vacation to watch as well. Unfortunately, several aspects of the game were overlooked at this event, where others have succeeded at this same venue.

Food & Beverage   2

The biggest drawback to the Holiday FestiBall was the lack of food options. Only two concessions stations are open, one of them being the Wetzel’s Pretzels stand. The other was a simple snack station featuring candy ($5.49), cookies ($5.49), chips ($4.99), and pretzels ($8.49). Drinks included beer ($10.49-$11.49), bottled soda ($4.99), water ($4.99), Powerade ($5.99), and Body Armor ($5.99) – that is it; no other stands were open inside or outside of the venue.

Atmosphere   2

State Farm Field House at Wide World of Sports features a lot of exposed metal beams in the architecture, and its curved roof amplifies the noise and lighting inside. The overall aesthetic of nearby facilities, including Champion Stadium, are carried over here as well.

The arena has one concourse level, meaning you can walk up or down to your seats easily, thanks to the main walking path from the parking lot taking you up to the main concourse level. Unlike other basketball events at the arena, like the WBCA Showcase or the ESPN Events Invitational, logos are pretty much gone here. Instead, the only branding seen at the venue was on the jumbotron when it showed the event logo. If you didn’t see that, you would be forgiven for not realizing the game was anything more than just a game being held at Wide World of Sports. There was also zero merch available for the game, something even the WBCA Showcase has during their tournament.

Neighborhood   5

The sports complex is located just off Osceola Parkway, literally across the street from the new entrance to Disney’s Hollywood Studios – because of this you’re not far from pretty much everything you need on your trip. For obvious reasons the best place to stay would be at any of the Disney Resorts; guests of the resorts get free bus transportation to and from the arena. The closest hotels, Disney’s Pop Century and Disney’s Art of Animation, are two of the park’s lowest priced resorts.

For food, anywhere on Disney’s Property is a go-to – Kona Cafe at the Disney Polynesian Resort is a popular stop for sushi and a south seas flavor for dinner, while California Grill at the top of Contemporary Resort is also a popular go-to for a more upscale experience. In addition, popular tourist stops include EPCOT, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and the Animal Kingdom theme parks. Also, Disney Springs, which is accessible via bus and car, is home to countless restaurants, bars, and shopping opportunities for the whole family.

Fans   3

The fact that both teams this year were from Florida was a saving grace for this game. While games during tournaments can lead to some generally sparse attendance at times, the atmosphere is no-less electric. However, the UCF fans carried the atmosphere here at the Holiday FestiBall for sure.

The noise is also amplified inside, so each dunk and three-pointer seem to garner loud cheers regardless of the attendance in the building, and since everyone has made the trip to Disney, you generally have a lot of families who are attending the games, making for a more family-friendly atmosphere. That said, given the relatively low marketing given to this event, it’s understandable why the crowd attendance was so low.

Access   4

Getting to Wide World of Sports is pretty easy, but traffic for certain games can be a pain. Parking is free in all parking lots for this tournament, including right close to the main entrance. In addition, now that the roadways have been re-routed in the area, access to the facility is easy when getting onto the property – there is signage all over Disney’s property leading you to Wide World of Sports, and getting off the main road is easy thanks to the new flyover.

Return on Investment   3

Tickets to the Holiday FestiBall start at $36.50 for upper sideline and lower baseline seats, and rise to $45.50 for lower sideline seats. Courtside seats go for $345 and are for sale to the general public.

Parking was free to all fans in attendance. Considering the concessions (what little is here) are on par with most sport stadium prices, the cost is relatively fair for a college basketball game.

Extras   3

The facility features a popular picture spot at the main entrance next to the Wide World of Sports globe. There are also numerous sports facilities all throughout the area, including various other events that may be going on, from cheerleading competitions to youth soccer tournaments.

During the championship game Mickey Mouse makes an appearance in special basketball-themed attire. Additionally, during the game he makes a surprise appearance for autographs and photos with fans who want to participate during halftime.

Final Thoughts

The potential exists for a tremendous event here with the Holiday FestiBall. All the pieces are there; a great facility and location, a holiday tie-in, and local teams. However, with zero merch, little to no marketing, and the absolute bare minimum for fan concessions, it wouldn’t be surprising if this event was overlooked.