On Monday the Walt Disney World Resort announced that after just two short years of operation the NBA Experience will be permanently closing its doors. The NBA Experience opened in August of 2019 and was a replacement for the popular DisneyQuest Interactive Arcade. The NBA Experience featured multiple interactive activities themed around the National Basketball Association.
The decision to close the NBA Experience was apparently a mutual decision between Disney and the National Basketball Association and says that this does not impact the relationship between the two companies.
The decision to close the facility, which was a mutual decision made with the NBA, was communicated to Disney Springs employees via email earlier today.
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) August 16, 2021
The building originally opened in June of 1998 as DisneyQuest, an Interactive Arcade which featured not only tons of classic arcade games from Pac-Man to Space Invaders to Street Fighter II, but also various Interactive Activities such as a Magic Carpet Ride, Mighty Duck’s Virtual Pinball, a Virtual Jungle Cruise and a virtual reality comic book superhero themed ride called Ride the Comix.
The first DisneyQuest did very well in Florida and almost immediately plans were made to make is an International Chain. A location was opened in Chicago with plans for locations in Philadelphia and Baltimore but due to lowering attendance at their Chicago Location which closed on September 4th, 2001.
The original DisneyQuest remained operational until June of 2017 when plans were made to retime the building entirely around the National Basketball Association in a Brand Deal. The NBA Experience was seen as a poor substitute to the old DisneyQuest location, so much so that when the announcement was made that the NBA Experience was permanently shutting down #DisneyQuest began trending.
— Chris 🌲 (@RedwoodCreate) August 16, 2021
What do you think of the decision? What will Disney put in its place with a big empty building just sitting in Disney Springs? Should DisneyQuest return?
Source: WFLA
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