LPWire: Walt Disney World to Host Weekend Celebration of ESPN
First-Of-Its-Kind Weekend Includes Live, On-Site ESPN Shows, Interaction with Commentators and Athletes, Sports-Themed Activities For Guests
To celebrate ESPN's 25th anniversary, ESPN and Walt Disney World Resort will offer fans the opportunity to see and hear ESPN personalities and the greatest athletes of the past 25 years through "ESPN The Weekend," a special celebration at Disney-MGM Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., July 31 and Aug. 1, 2004.
"ESPN and Disney will combine their collective resources to create a one-of-a-kind experience for sports fans and park guests," said George Bodenheimer, president, ESPN, Inc. and ABC Sports. "The Disney-MGM Studios provides a fantastic setting for a 25th anniversary celebration with fans."
"ESPN The Weekend" will include on-site ESPN telecasts including SportsCenter, Baseball Tonight, College GameDay and ESPNEWS; star motorcades and conversations with network personalities and athletes; sports shows in the ESPN Theater featuring ESPN commentators and athletes; a visit from ESPN The Truck; a special sports edition of the game show attraction "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire-Play It!"; an interactive sports area allowing guests to relive the past 25 years of sports; X Games activities; a SportsCenter and play-by-play "role play" area; and an exclusive video of blunders and thrills.
The event will culminate with a final tribute to the past 25 years orchestrated to a Disney pyrotechnics show exploding over the park's 12-story Mickey's Sorcerer's Hat icon.
LIVE ON-SITE ESPN TELECASTS
ESPN will present at least two live telecasts a day (spaced through morning, afternoon and evening) from a set in front of the Sorcerer's Hat at Disney-MGM Studios. On-site programs include a special season-preview edition of College GameDay with host Chris Fowler and analysts Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit. In addition, ESPN will offer live, on-site telecasts of Baseball Tonight with host Karl Ravech and analysts Harold Reynolds and John Kruk as well as SportsCenter and ESPNEWS segments. Park guests can watch the programs live as well as via two large video screens.
STAR MOTORCADES AND CONVERSATIONS
Periodically throughout the day, ESPN personalities and sports stars from the past 25 years will motorcade down the park's Hollywood Boulevard to the stage at the base of Mickey's Sorcerer's Hat for a star conversation about their career and Q&A session with park guests.
ESPN THEATER
The theater will bring fans and guests further inside the network's programming through several ESPN shows a day and will be highlighted by Q&A sessions for guests with ESPN personalities and athletes. Examples of ESPN programming will include SportsCenter, Cold Pizza, Baseball Tonight and more.
ESPN THE TRUCK
"ESPN The Truck" will be open for fans to sample the latest in sports television technology. Kiosks in the 53-foot trailer include: a replica SportsCenter desk, allowing fans to play sports anchor and take home their very own "Keep It Reel" audition DVD; ESPN The Magazine photo shoot area where fans pose on the cover and take home their picture; ESPN Evolution where guests can join the "fan mosaic" celebrating ESPN's 25th anniversary; ESPN Video Games station; ESPN On-Air where guests can select from a menu of ESPN video sources; and much more.
SPECIAL SPORTS EDITION OF "WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE-PLAY IT!"
Guests will get a chance to jump in the famed "Hot Seat" and partner with an ESPN personality or sports star to test their sports knowledge in a special sports edition of the popular game show attraction "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire-Play It!" The attraction is based on the television game show and allows theme park guests to play along from their studio audience seats.
INTERACTIVE SPORTS AREA (SOUNDSTAGE ONE)
Guests will experience some of the greatest sports moments of the past 25 years and have an opportunity to play games in a "hands on" exhibit at Soundstage One in the theme park's backlot area.
SPORTSCENTER & PLAY-BY-PLAY ROLE PLAY
Guests can sit down at a replica of the SportsCenter desk and read the teleprompter as the highlights roll on the big game. In addition, guests will be able to test their play-by-play skills by calling some of the biggest moments in sports history.
HIGHLIGHTS THEATER
Guests will be able to see presentations of ESPN's This is SportsCenter commercials and the greatest blunders and most incredible plays of the past 25 years.
FINALE TRIBUTE TO 25 YEARS
Guests are invited to gather in front of the set in front of Mickey's Sorcerer's Hat as the last event ends on the ESPN stage. An ESPN personality will kick off a final video and audio tribute to 25 great years in sports. As the end approaches, the video speeds up into a collage of images and colors as the music roars and the sky explodes in a cacophony of fireworks.
OVERALL PARK DÉCOR AND THEME
ESPN and Disney's weekend celebration will include sports-themed décor throughout Disney MGM-Studios, including:
--Posted May 7, 2004
Source: ESPN