I lived so close to Disneyland in Anaheim California that we would see and hear the fireworks every night. We spent a number of years watching the technology evolve as new shows came on board. Disney became known as one of the top innovators in technology, and this was never more obvious than our move to Florida where DisneyWorld became the artist’s pallet for the latest in high tech. When Disney built their now famous ‘Boardwalk’ – we didn’t know what we were in for. Their thirteen thousand square foot facility for sports had an added benefit with real time scoreboards.
The first time I ever saw the famous Disney ‘Boardwalk’ it wasn’t totally completed. Even then, you could walk along and see the restaurants, stores and condo-style living areas. For sports enthusiasts, they have added the ESPN Club, consisting of three areas: “Sports Central, The Sidelines, and The Yard”. The enclave includes an interactive media center, television and radio broadcasts. “Sports Central” which goes over-the-top for all of the fans. There are around ninety television monitors so that no matter where you go, you will be kept up-to-the-minute on the action. (Even, in the bathrooms). Real time feeds and live presentations cover every sports topic including billiards and golf. Fans can participate in meeting and interviews with well-known sports figures in a radio booth or even at the sports desk itself. The huge high tech scoreboard maintains an up to the minute list of the major game of the day. The entire area has a design around the basketball game look, including the real hardwood floors.
“The Sidelines” is an area for those that want to keep up with the scores. There are over forty monitors that are synced with around twenty five satellites. These are linked to four online ground stations for fans to use for everything from score look ups to the latest ESPN news. Disney even thought about the ‘gamers’ in this place because the monitors can be switched over to video games via Sony Playstation application.
“The Yard” is looks and feels like a city playground. It has brick walls and a chain link fence and is filled with interactive high tech games in an arcade fashion. Another smart move on the part of Disney, as not every member of the family might be ‘into’ the sports-thing. This offers everyone some options and keeps a family together with some appeal for all. Of course, true to Disney concepts, there are real ESPN merchandise vendors waiting to sell the ESPN Club items to the fans.
The entire experience has been smartly designed by Disney to represent the Jersey Shore ‘Boardwalk’ in the 1900’s, but the technology is totally today. Disney has a fairly sophisticated control room that monitors, displays and switches the feeds with a click of a mouse. Disney has always been an innovator, with teams of people devoted to analyzing and then offering what the general public hungers for. The ESPN Club is another example of the ever evolving technology of Disney – giving the fans and attendees what they want – in a larger-than-life concept.