Soccer on TV at Disney restaurants

[NurseJamie]

Hi all -
Since the World Cup has been on, my DBF has been on a huge soccer (football for you non-US'ers) kick. So we're trying to plan ADRs for a trip in February, and he is wondering if the Rose and Crown at Epcot or Raglan Road at Downtown Disney have TVs showing the English football games (He's decided to be a Liverpool fan if you're wondering). I mentioned the ESPN club would definitely have TVs, but he pointed out they probably won't be showing soccer...

Anyone know anything about this? Thanks in advance!!

 

[disnut8]

I know Rose & Crown doesn't have TVs. Haven't been to Raglan Road so no idea there.

ESPN will be your best bet. In February, there aren't that many major US sports events going on. Basketball and hockey. Our football and baseball are over for the season. The only other sporting thing that would be an event would be the Daytona 500 race.

ESPN is very good about getting something on the nearest TV if you request it. We were in there one day when the College World Series was on and a woman wanted to watch that. They switched to it when she asked. There's a ton of TV options in there.

 

[gatour]

Disnut8,

This is nice change of pace, maybe my letter a few years ago did some good, and ironically this is soccer related.

Remember when the US woman (Mia Hamm etc) were playing in the World Cup, the one where one of the team-mates ripped off her shirt upon them winning?

We showed up at the ESPN club to watch the championship game. A baseball game were on all of the televisions. I figured they would switch over at least some of the televisions to the match shortly before it was to start. (if I remember correctly, the match was being shown on ABC).

As the start time got closer, I asked the server when would they switch some of the TV's to the match, he stated that it is "policy" that once a sport's event starts on a particular television they don't switch to another sports event.

Mind you there were only one or two tables watching the baseball game on a particular televisions. And by this time most of the customers in the place were there to attempt to watch the soccer match. I asked to see the General Manager, or the highest ranking manager on duty. The GM showed up and reiterrate the policy and was adamant about it. Unbelievable.

I got the GM's name, and once I got home, did some research and found the name for the "area" manager for the Boardwalk Disney run restaurants. I wrote a letter to him, and did get a phone call from Disney. The caller said that I wasn't the only complaint and appropriate action has been taken to address this "policy".

 

[disnut8]

Definitely a change from your experience, gatour. The woman who was watching the College World Series had that TV flipped over to something else a couple of times while she was sitting there. She just told our server to switch it back and she did. Quite honestly, there are so many TVs there, including the huge one up front, they should be able to find one TV to broadcast something.

 

[dbm20th]

During some weekdays, normally Tuesday and Wednesday, the Champions League airs on ESPN's stations. They are at 2:30pm and I can only imagine the ESPN club would air them.

Other than that, I don't know if Raglan Road televises league matches on the weekend, but I am certainly interested in the answer. The problem is most European matches take place on Saturdays and Sundays in the morning here, as they are afternoon games in Europe

 

[JP-STL]

Hopefully this will bump this thread up to the main page...

Does anyone know where my sons and I can watch some televised soccer matches in the WDW area? The US is in the Gold Cup, and there are some Euro 2008 matches we'd love to watch.

Unfortunately, the TV coverage is not on ESPN, but rather on their rival, FOX Soccer Channel and Fox Sports World. Any ideas? We're staying at the Coronado Springs Resort next week and we won't have a car, so going off of WDW property would be difficult.

I fear that since the games are being broadcast by a rival of Disney-owned ESPN, there is no chance of any WDW venue showing these matches.

Any ideas?

 

[gatour]

The only first hand knowledge I have is that I am pretty sure you will be out of luck for on-property for the reason you gave. On-property you will get Disney owned channels, channels that Disney have a partial ownership interest in, or do not compete with any of the above channels. So while they will show CNN or FOX News since they don't have an ownership interest in a 24 hour news service, I imagine they won't show Fox sports on property because they own ESPN.

I would think you could find a pub off property that would be showing the matches but don't know where to direct you.

 

[rsbuxt]

Hi.

If you can find a UK pub in the area on a Saturday morning they tend to show the bigger Premiership games. I know there is one about 3 miles west of Disney on 192 (near Linfields Estate) and there is a large UK pub on International Drive (the Cricketers?)

Hope this helps

Rich ...Liverpool fan

 

[NurseJamie]

Wow never thought that I would see this thread resurrected. OP here - missed the game that my DBF wanted to see (Liverpool fan as well), but we did find that ESPN Zone on the Boardwalk had soccer on one night when we randomly ended up there for dinner. They have probably 7 big TVs in the central area - all we had to do was ask the waiter to put the soccer game on. Heck, they had the dog show on for some people - I think if the game is on TV they should be able to find it for you. Good luck!