ESPN Zone

January 2001 – June 2018

LOCATION

Downtown Disney – Take the monorail from Tomorrowland and you’d find yourself only feet away from the ESPN Zone. If you were walking from the park gates, you’d see it on the main walkway; the ESPN Zone was one of the last buildings on your right.

EXPERIENCE

Sports fans visiting the Disneyland Resort immediately fell in love with the ESPN Zone. This sports hub was massive, and virtually every wall (including those in the bathrooms!) was covered in TVs broadcasting live games and coverage. Guests had different options for their dining experience; they could lounge in huge leather recliners right in front of the big screens, sit at a raised dining table with a private TV, hang out by the bar, or shoot pool in the game room with some snacks and drinks. Whether you were stopping by for appetizers during a game or sitting down for a family meal, the ESPN Zone offered an exciting dining experience.

CLOSURE

For years, rumors about a fourth hotel at the Disneyland Resort swirled. Disney finally confirmed the hotel’s location, between the Disneyland Hotel and Downtown Disney. To make room for the new hotel, Downtown Disney would sadly lose some of its western restaurants, including the ESPN Zone. The restaurant closed in June 2018, to make room for the new hotel and its remodeled monorail station.

TRIVIA

My original rating: I always have fun when I stop by the ESPN Zone. The food is just ok, but no matter what team you want to see, you’ll be able to find them and watch the game. If you tell the front desk what game you are interested in, they’ll do their best to accommodate you. The ESPN Zone is fun even if you’re not a huge sports fan, because the place has tons of energy and lots of comfort food. If you’re looking for a place to eat outside of the parks, try the ESPN Zone (and don’t forget to have a cookie sundae!). (★★★☆☆)

The largest screen in the ESPN Zone measured at a whopping 16 feet. If that wasn’t enough, the big screen was surrounded by twelve 36” monitors!

On the first floor of the Zone, you could purchase ESPN memorabilia in the restaurant’s official gift shop.