Disney has filed a permit for the long-closed NBA Experience at Disney Springs in Walt Disney World.
The permit carries the vague description of "General construction/Demo." It has been assigned to Adena, a contractor previously working on large projects at Walt Disney World, including the recent World Celebration gardens at EPCOT and TORN Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom. (Thanks danlb_2000 on the WDWMAGIC forums for spotting the permit)
It remains to be seen what work will be done, or if it is related to the arrival of a new tenant. Possible demolition work may include removing the large basketball wrap-around mural covering the building or changing the interior space that was heavily customized for the NBA Experience.
Disney has been actively looking for new tenants, and several options have been explored for the large building, but Disney has yet to announce a replacement.
Recently, the facility has been used as a temporary popup location for Meta Quest and later as office space for the Summer House on the Lake opening.
The NBA Experience closed along with the rest of Walt Disney World at the height of the pandemic and did not reopen; Disney announced in August 2021 that the NBA Experience would not reopen and is now permanently closed.
The NBA Experience opened on the West Side at Disney Springs in August 2019, replacing DisneyQuest, and struggled to gain a footing among guests. Operated by Disney, several attempts were made to boost attendance, including discounted tickets and bundling admission with other passes.
There were more than 13 interactive basketball activities available - including dunk, shott, dribble, slingshot, and arcades. Pricing was $34 at the time of closing.
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