Here's what the NBA's stay at Disney World is going to look like
The NBA is going to Disney World, and we now know where the league will be staying as it plays out the rest of its season in Orlando, Florida.
NBA teams will be divided by current seed and placed in one of three hotels at Disney World, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Here’s how the hotels and teams were reportedly matched.
Gran Destino
Occupants: Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, Miami Heat
Top teams will go to the Gran Destino, which Disney’s site calls a celebration of “the unique blend of Spanish, Mexican and Southwest American cultures.” The tower at the Coronado Springs resort was opened last July, and room rates start at $263 per night.
Curiously, that makes it the cheapest hotel here, but it sure looks like it will do the job.
This is the hotel the LA Clippers would be staying in at Disney World - The Gran Destino. pic.twitter.com/CTsQ4y81OC
— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) June 16, 2020
Yahoo Sports’ Keith Smith reports that the Coronado Springs resort will be considered one of the main hub areas for the NBA in Orlando, explaining why the best teams are being placed there. If a team from the other hotels makes it into the playoffs, they could reportedly be asked to move to the Gran Destino.
Grand Floridian
Occupants: Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks, Brooklyn Nets, Memphis Grizzlies, Orlando Magic
The Grand Floridian is where Disney says “Victorian elegance meets modern sophistication.” Regarded as a flagship resort for Disney, room rates typically start at $710 and reach well into the quadruple digits for suites and rooms with views.
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
New Home of the Brooklyn Nets pic.twitter.com/srgq5xVi3w— Billy Reinhardt (@BillyReinhardt) June 16, 2020
Yacht Club
Occupants: Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans, San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns, Washington Wizards
Last up is the Yacht Club, where players can “delight in the formal grace of a grand New England-style yacht club at this lakeside hotel.” Room rates start at $487. There’s a significant drawback here, however, as the resort shares many amenities with the Beach Club, one of the many properties Disney plans to reopen on June 22. That could make maintaining the bubble a little more tricky than you want.
Washington Wizards ficará reservado no Yacht Club Pool, com Kings, Suns, Spurs, Pelicans e Blazers. https://t.co/oJtgKJa4Tq pic.twitter.com/dAniWT1kZY
— TheWizardsBR🇧🇷 (@brasil_wizards) June 16, 2020
Here’s a map showing the locations of each major area.
For those who like maps, here is a map of the NBA's proposed Disney set-up via the handbook sent to players today: pic.twitter.com/HTIYQOt5uK
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) June 16, 2020
NBA players will get plenty of entertainment
So that’s where NBA players will be staying while at Disney World, but what they’ll be doing when not playing games has also been reported.
Per Charania, pretty much every hotel amenity will be at their disposal, plus movie nights, outdoor entertainment and the ability to attend other games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Per the Los Angeles Times’ Dan Woike, players could also get special access to Disney Parks, plus golf, bowling and fishing.
In NBA's ORL campus:
- Hotel amenities: players-only lounge (NBA 2K, TVs, gaming), pool/trails, barbers, manicurists, pedicurists
- 24-hour VIP concierge
- Daily entertainment: Movie screenings, DJ sets, video games, ping pong, pool, lawn games
- Players can attend other games— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 16, 2020
Food will be handled by Disney culinary teams, per Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes.
Yahoo Sources: Each team will have access to designated Disney culinary team who will help create individualized team menus, support team dietary needs, and ensure health and safety guidelines are followed. Players will receive 3 meals per day and 4 meals per day on game days.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) June 16, 2020
As far as playing out a season in total isolation, it sure seems like the NBA could have done worse.
Each team will reportedly have a 35-person traveling party of players, coaches, trainers and other miscellaneous staff, and players who leave the campus without permission will face a 10-14 day quarantine and pay cut.
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