Attending a sporting event at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex is a lot of fun! Here is what to expect if you are attending the Presidential Gymnastics Meet at Disney World.
If you are driving general parking continues to be free at the complex. However, they now also offer two locations of paid parking. We do not find the parking lot too far and stick to the free parking. Follow the signs, and if you want to drop off athletes that is the first right. The free general parking is at the end of the road.
The Presidential Gymanstic meet is held in the new Arena building which opened in 2018. The building is HUGE. It is on the right side of the entrance and can not be missed. Athlete check-in located on the ground floor on the building to the right. The box office straight ahead and the entrance to the left. The entrance to the building is upstairs, but there are also elevators located on the ground floor.
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Athlete Check in to the Right -
Ticket Box Office -
Entrance to the Left -
Stairs to entrance of the Arena
In 2020, admission to the event was $32.50 for adults and $18.50 for children. Inside the building, the large arena is used for the girls’ gyms. Make sure you check the COLOR gym your child is competing in, as you need that information to then follow the signs. The boys are in a back building where you need to go down the stairs after the sign to the blue gym.
Leave yourself lots of time to walk from the parking lot to athlete check-in, buy a ticket and find your correct color gym. The Presidential Classic Meet information states to arrive 45 minutes early as they can start 30 minutes early. Aim to arrive at the complex 1 hour prior to your meet session. I would arrive earlier for the first session of the day as athlete check-in and the box office will be more crowded.
Inside the building, there are plenty of restrooms (although on the ground floor they are a little hard to find). There are several concessions stands both upstairs and also downstairs by the boys gym. These feature items such as pretzels and lemonade.
Don’t forget to take a picture at the ESPN Wide World of Sports ball, even though you do not pass it when entering anymore! If you have time walk into the other entrance of the complex. It is pretty amazing to see how big it is and how many fields and sports they can host there!
All the meet information with times, gym color, rotation sheets, etc can be found here.
Tips on Affordable Accommodations: There are new hotels coming in the Flamingo Crossing Area of Disney. We recommend those driving or renting a car look into these hotels if you are not looking for a full Disney Experience. Although keep in mind they are farther from Disney Springs and also Universal. Another affordable option are the hotels across from Disney Springs, but these are much older.
Overall we find this meet easy to navigate. Awards (held in a separate room) are organized and timely. We appreciate the free parking as the entrance fee is pretty high. We do recommend private transportation versus Disney busses for this event.
I hope this helps you enjoy your time at the Presidential Gymnastics Meet at Disney World!
