ESPN Club

[disny_luvr]

We get into MCO at 4:00 and are hoping to be at our hotel, BCV, by 6:00. After checking in we are thinking of heading over to the ESPN Club for dinner. Is this a good choice or would you recommend something else in the area? We thought if we ate here, we could spend some time exploring the Boardwalk area before heading back to our hotel for a late night swim and to unpack. Do we need to make reservations to eat here?

TIA!

 

[Missyrose]

We get into MCO at 4:00 and are hoping to be at our hotel, BCV, by 6:00. After checking in we are thinking of heading over to the ESPN Club for dinner. Is this a good choice or would you recommend something else in the area? We thought if we ate here, we could spend some time exploring the Boardwalk area before heading back to our hotel for a late night swim and to unpack. Do we need to make reservations to eat here?

TIA!

The food is okay, think upscale sports fare: nachos, chicken wings, burgers. They also have pretty good salads and sandwiches. The restaurant is first-come, first-served... no reservations. Just make sure your arrival day isn't on an NFL Sunday and doesn't coincide with a major sports event because it gets PACKED in there when there are popular games to watch.

 

[Ro Z]

We like ESPN and like PP said as long as there is not a big game on you can usually get in with no wait. The kids will like going to the bathroom and being able to watch TV! Remember that the main pool closes at 8pm (I think) at the BC so make sure the kids get their swim in before that. Another choice could be Capt grille at the YC or Big River. But if you can get in I think the kids will enjoy the ESPN with all the TV's. Have a great trip!

 

[ncc1701]

Good choice for arrival day. We usually arrive around lunch time and head over to ESPN after checking in.As a PP said it's decent bar food and no ADRs .

 

[coltsfanatic]

I really love ESPN Club. The food quality is definitely above standard bar food. Nicely decorated and relaxing, too. Not to mention a great stroll after dinner around the BoardWalk area.

 

[madalex]

Food at ESPN is terrible. I almost always stay at a resort in the Epcot resort area, so I had many occasions to try out ESPN over the years. Each visit was worse than the one before. As a result, several years ago, I swore never to go back there again.

There are so many great choices in the Epcot resort area (just among the non-signature restaurants, there is Big River, Kouzzina, Cape May, Captain's Grille, etc.). I'd recommend all of them over ESPN.

 

[OKW Lover]

This may be a good choice for you. Or it may be a terrible choice.

Can you tell us why you picked it in the first place? Are you sports fans? Like bar/pub type food? Don't mind very loud surroundings? Will you be there at a time when there will be a major game on? All of this will contribute to either a wonderful or horrible experience.

 

[WheelCEO]

I've never had a bad meal there, then again I set my expectations accordingly.

 

[disny_luvr]

This may be a good choice for you. Or it may be a terrible choice.

Can you tell us why you picked it in the first place? Are you sports fans? Like bar/pub type food? Don't mind very loud surroundings? Will you be there at a time when there will be a major game on? All of this will contribute to either a wonderful or horrible experience.

I picked the ESPN Club because I didn't know what other restaurants were in the area. (I know of Cape May but we are going to eat breakfast there later in our trip). Since we are staying at BCV I thought it would cut down on travel time to other parts of Disney property. We are sports fan (DH loves any sport) so if a game is on that would be fine by him (and me too). We don't mind loud places (have eaten at Hard Rock, Planet Hollywood, places like that...). Our expectations aren't high; we'll eat about anything. Now my kids on the other hand are quite picky, but I think they'll be able to find something there to eat.

 

[OKW Lover]

Thanks for the extra info. I'd offer a couple of other suggestions in your case, all of which are still close to BCV. Don't forget a great feature here on the DIS is the dining reviews and restaurant menus

Over at the Dolphin, the Fountain restaurant offers good menu choices for adults and children, but a much quieter atmosphere. If you're DVC members you get a 20% discount there. Also at the Dolphin is "Fresh".

I'd also consider the Captains Grill at the Yacht Club. Haven't eaten there recently but their menu looks good.

We aren't fans of the Big River Grill & Brew Works after several bad experiences. Bad in terms of both food and service. After that we decided there were too many other good choices around to settle for less.

 

[nkereina]

What day are you arriving? If there's football or any kind of big sporting event on, it will be crowded. Any other time, it's a good stop. We enjoy it there.

 

[disny_luvr]

What day are you arriving? If there's football or any kind of big sporting event on, it will be crowded. Any other time, it's a good stop. We enjoy it there.

We arrive on Thursday, June 14. My DH said there will most definitely be baseball on, maybe an NBA or NHL playoff game. He loves sports and would love for there to be a "big" game on but if it is that "big" of a game we'd probably skip it because of the crowds.

 

[nkereina]

We arrive on Thursday, June 14. My DH said there will most definitely be baseball on, maybe an NBA or NHL playoff game. He loves sports and would love for there to be a "big" game on but if it is that "big" of a game we'd probably skip it because of the crowds.

I doubt it would be really busy then. Only thing that could draw crowds would be NHL playoffs or finals, and I guess it will depend on who's in it! Definitely worth checking out though, since you don't need reservations.