Downtown Disney - Where to watch NFL football?

[cmhayes]

We are arriving at Disneyworld 11-6 in the evening. Our first day we are going to take it easy, not hit a park yet, but DH wants to go watch our Minnesota Vikings play (since we had to sell our tickets for that days game because of this trip!)

I was thinking Downtown Disney would be a great location to hang out that day as DH can watch some football, I can take DD's (ages 7 and 5) around, go to the big toy store, check out BBB, etc..)

Is there any restuarants people can reccomend he can watch a game (it doesnt have to be a "sports bar" have a drink, maybe we can meet him for lunch? I know ESPN zone is at Disney's Boardwalk, but Downtown disney would keep my kids entertained longer

Any recommendations?


52 more days!!!

 

[skunk]

I have never watched any NFL games at DTD, but looking at schedule, I expect the Bucs will be on FOX and Dolphins on CBS, at same time. Perhaps you could all have lunch at ESPN Club around 11:30(need to get there early to get a seat/table for the 1 PM games). After lunch you take the girls to DTD, and DH can join you there after the game.

I watched Packers/Vikings game at ESPN last November. Lots of Vikings fans were there. Have fun and GO COLTS!!

 

[kmk1180]

I would say go to the Boardwalk and watch it from ESPN Club
They definately will have it and you don't need to go into a park.

Or try one of the bars/lounges at a resort.
like ALK has one just above Boma, they have a tv and i've seen NFL games from there.
and other resorts have them too.

 

[scot@dvcstore]

I would say head towards the Boardwalk area and ESPN but get there early.

 

[Ash&Wes07]

I don't think you'll have much luck at DTD.

ESPN is a great place to watch a game, but like the others said, you have to get there super early to get a seat. We lined up outside at 1 for a 4pm game. But, they had a large screen TV outside with a game on and a little bar set up so we could watch the 1pm game and have a few drinks. It was nice.

 

[Missytara]

RFC plays all the college games on Saturday and a lot of the regular games during the week. It is always on my list of must-dos as soon as I get there.

It is nice because you get to meet a lot of interesting people, because the bar is a huge turnover for guests waiting on a table - very few stay at the bar for long.

It does get a bit uncomfortable after a while though, the bars seats don't have backs!

 

[VAN]

We've watched games at the lounge at Coronado Springs before ... why not just split up? You take the kids to DTD for shopping and your DH head to a resort lounge.

 

[Missytara]

We've watched games at the lounge at Coronado Springs before ... why not just split up? You take the kids to DTD for shopping and your DH head to a resort lounge.

Or POR; they show the games each night. Take the water taxi down and back.

 

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I would recommend sitting at the bar in the Rainforest Cafe.

 

[ncc1701]

Since the Florida NFL teams are on at that time the best bet is the ESPN Club to see the games. Your DH would need a place with the NFL ticket to check out the game. The over the air stations will most likley be showing the Bucs& Dolphin games.
If you are driving to DTD you could drop him of at a place in the nearby shopping centers. I know there was a Hooters and Buffalo Wild Wings near DTD and they would out have of state NFL games on the TVs

 

[matterickson23]

As a journalist who has written a weekly NFL column for a newspaper for the last eight seasons, I'm well-versed in needing to find a place to watch the games on Sunday during fall and early winter trips.

ESPN Club at Boardwalk is where you need to be if you're trying to do it on property. No question about it. But be prepared for a long stay.

The line starts forming outside the restaurant around 10 a.m. most Sundays, and I believe it opens at 11. The games start at 1 – that means you have two full hours of watching pre-game shows and sitting before your game even starts.

The last time I was there, we were in early enough that we were able to get a booth. Each of the booths has a small TV in it, and they will tune that TV to the game you want to watch. So my wife and I were able to watch Bears-Steelers on our personal TV in the booth. They only have sound for one game, though –*and as luck would have it for us, they had sound in the whole bar and restaurant for that game. Otherwise, you'll have to watch your game with no sound – but at least you're watching it!

The one thing that I always feel bad for is the wait staff. Their tip expectations hit rock bottom because they get a lot of people who are there for five hours, and they're not able to turn their tables over. So my wife and I ordered an appetizer early to nibble on, then ordered our food closer to kickoff, then ordered a dessert as the game wore on. And we generously OVER-TIPPED our server. The way I look at it, that's part of the cost of admission. A lot of places that have NFL Sunday Ticket charge a cover just to get in the door, and a food and drink minimum. So I would just encourage anyone who goes there for the games and stays a long time, just make sure to take care of your wait-person as a courtesy.

That is pretty much your only way to get ARI-MIN on that Sunday as a guarantee. Otherwise, at the resort bars, you're going to get ATL-TB on Fox and MIA-BAL on CBS at the same time as your Vikings game. (You dodge a bullet with the Jaguars being off that week!)

But for the fan experience, it's fantastic. Tons of NFL fans from all over the country, many of them wearing their teams' jerseys. And you can have a lot of fun watching the games and cheering, the food's decent pub-and-grub and there's the store and arcade attached if you need help passing the time!