Disney Files Permit For Demolition at the Former NBA Experience Building
Now that the dust has settled, it is safe to say that the NBA Experience will go down as one of the biggest failures in Disney World’s history.
For those who don’t remember, the NBA Experience originally opened on January 30, 2019, in the former location of DisneyQuest.
The experience was advertised as the ultimate mecca for NBA fans, a place where the magic of Disney met the celebrity and sport of the National Basketball Association.
Seven months after the NBA Experience opened, however, the attraction closed. While the building’s closure technically came because of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA Experience had been plagued by low attendance and poor reviews from fans.
The Building Has Remained Closed
When Disney World reopened on June 11, 2020, the NBA Experience did not.
Subsequently, on August 16, 2021, Disney announced that the attraction would remain permanently closed.
In total, the NBA Experience was open for just over 200 days.
Since its 2021 closure, the NBA Experience building has remained shuttered and largely unused.
In 2022, Disney teamed up with MetaQuest and used the building to promote Star War: Tales from Galaxy’s Edge.
While the former NBA Experience building remains shuttered, Disney may finally begin work on repurposing the space.
Disney Files Permit For Demolition
The company has filed a permit for the dormant building, calling for “General construction/Demo.”
While details on the project are scarce, work has been assigned to Adena, a contractor who has previously worked on Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Journey of Water, and TRON Lightcycle/Run.
As the interior of the building was customized for the NBA Experience, a lot of work would likely need to be done to get the building ready for a new tenant.
With CityWorks sharing the same building, an extensive demolition seems unlikely.
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