Why There's an Abandoned Attraction in the Middle of Disney Springs

Did you ever visit the NBA Experience in Disney Springs?

If you didn’t get the chance or don’t even know what we’re talking about, you may have been confused when you walked around Disney Springs and stumbled upon a seemingly abandoned building right in the heart of it all. Well, let’s talk about it!

What was the NBA Experience, you ask? Well, let me break it down for you. It opened back in 2019, taking the place of DisneyQuest on the West Side of Disney Springs.

It was a place where you could dunk like LeBron, shoot hoops like Steph, and maybe even outplay MJ (in your dreams, right?). That was the idea behind the NBA Experience.

But here’s the kicker — despite its flashy concept and prime location smack dab in the middle of Disney Springs, it just couldn’t quite cut it. The attraction struggled to gain lasting traction with visitors, and then it was permanently closed in 2021. But that’s not the end of the story!

A new permit was recently filed with the city of Lake Buena Vista for construction at the former home of the NBA Experience. Ever since it closed a few years ago, the space has been unused (well, publicly at least).

The permit filed is for “general construction/demo” so it’s likely time to start removing some of the old pieces from the NBA Experience. Does this mean Disney has plans to do something new with the building?

It should come as no surprise to you that Disney might want to make use of this empty space. We’ll be on the lookout for any updates about what comes next!