Attraction Review~ Sports Arena Arcade

Hello everyone! I hope you're all having an awesome weekend, especially those of you who are at Walt Disney World for the Be Our Guest Podcast Cruise! I hope everyone has a magical time!

Today's Attraction Review is a little different from the usual. As I'm sure you're aware, it's DisneyQuest's turn to have an attraction featured in this article, and the attraction I have chosen from there isn't really your regular attraction, with it being neither a ride nor a show. It is, however, identified as an attraction on the awesome DisneyQuest guide map, so hitherto qualifies to be reviewed here.

Anyone who's ever visited DisneyQuest will know that one its main draws is it's ubiquitous selection of arcade games which feature alongside some of the major attractions in this "Indoor Interactive Theme Park", such as the Virtual Jungle Cruise and CyberSpace Mountain. Of course, this being Disney, these arcade areas are themed beautifully, fitting perfectly into the rest of DisneyQuest, and the environment the Imagineers have created here is much, much better than a regular arcade.

My favourite of these arcade areas in DisneyQuest, which each feature games which are similarly themed and are themselves classified as attractions, is the Sports Arena Arcade, which is on the fourth floor of DQ. As the name would suggest, this area of DisneyQuest features games themed to sports, with some being more interactive than others. A vast variety of sports are represented, including baseball, fishing and basketball, amongst many others, and the majority are included in admission to DisneyQuest. The only things not included in admission to DQ are prize play games and photo booths.

As DisneyQuest isn't amazingly popular, queues and crowds aren't going to be horrific apart from in peak season and when the weather's bad, so you can pretty much go anytime. Generally, the middle of the day and early afternoon are quietest in Downtown Disney and DisneyQuest, so that's the best time to visit. As for the Sports Arena Arcade specifically, I would recommend experiencing it after DisneyQuest's major attractions.

Here's how I would rate the Sports Arena Arcade in the following areas, and why...

Thrill~ 6/10
None of these games are particularly thrilling, but there is of course the feeling of thrill associated with playing video games and striving to win or get a high score!

Scariness~ 1/10
Again, these are sports games, so aren't at all scary!

Theming~ 7/10
For what it is, DisneyQuest's theme is great, and this area is no exception. Whilst I'd like to see more complete theming across DQ, it really isn't that bad. Seeing as this area is full of sports games, it would be nice to see the theme reflect this more, with more things such as sporting memorabilia added to the existing theming. Nevertheless, I do think that the Imagineers got the theme and atmosphere in this arcade pretty much spot on!

Educational~ 7/10
Whilst it's certainly not the most educational of DisneyQuest's numerous offerings, Sports Arena Arcade does have some cool educational aspects. As well as the obvious teaching of the rules and techniques of certain sports, which is awesome, these games do feature some references to maths, which is obviously a fundamental part of sports!

Fun~ 10/10
It really is true that sometimes the simpler things in life are some of the best. I've always said that this 'rule' applies for Walt Disney World, and I can't think of many better examples than DisneyQuest attractions, with Sports Arena Arcade being one of the best! I personally, as many people do, really enjoy sports, and for that reason Sports Arena Arcade is one of my favourite areas at DisneyQuest. I always really enjoy the interactivity of the games here, especially the ones such as the basketball game, where you actually throw real basketballs into a real basketball hoop. It's also a great opportunity to get to do some sports, even if the majority are virtual, as there aren't many other opportunities to play sport on Disney Trips. You might even discover a new sport that you enjoy playing as a video game and then decide to try out for real!
Naturally any combination of sports, video games and Disney is going to be incredibly spectacularly fun!!!

Interactivity~ 10/10
The best thing about DisneyQuest has to be its abundant interactivity, and that's especially true at the Sports Arena Arcade. The fact that YOU are in control of the game is more than enough to justify this perfect score!

Repeatability~ 9/10
It's a given that the high score for interactivity is gonna reflect in the score for repeatability; the two are so closely linked. A lot of these games take time to master, and you'll want to play them again and again because they're so fun! Add to this the prospect of improving high scores and honing your skills and you have an attraction that has enormous potential to be repeatably experienced again and again!

And finally, my overall rating of Sports Arena Arcade~ 8/10
I really do like this area. Sure, it's no Soarin', Expedition Everest, or even CyberSpace Mountain, but what it is is fun, and there's no questioning that! Whilst it's never a priority for touring (DisneyQuest itself isn't always) I do try to spend time here if I can. I would really recommend trying this wonderful collection of Sports Games out if you haven't already- I'm sure you'll really enjoy the experience!

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed reading my views on this commonly overlooked DisneyQuest attraction! Please also check out the awesome We're Going To Walt Disney World Podcast! Have a magical day!