Disney Unveils Level99

**By Simon & Susan Veness

So now we know. After months of behind-the-scenes construction, the new venue at Disney Springs is ready to be unveiled this summer, and it will be a much-enlarged version of the Level99 indoor gaming challenge that is already in three other locations in the US.

(And no, this isn’t what Level 42 did next, for those sharp-witted readers!).

Previously the site of the ill-fated and short-lived NBA Experience in the West Side of Disney Springs (which lasted less than a year before falling victim to the pandemic), the replacement venue offers “a world of challenges” in a novel format that borrows from the realms of escape games, video gaming, playgrounds, mental challenges and even art exhibits, plus, if we’re honest, a hint of the old It’s A Knockout TV show. Yes, really.

The Disney Springs version will also boast a massive two-storey bar and curated food offerings, to provide plenty of eye appeal. All three of the existing current venues, in each of Providence (Rhode Island), Tysons (Virginia) and Natick (Massachusetts) are in major shopping malls and, while Disney Springs is a bit mall-ish, it still represents something of a departure for the Level99 owners.

While we still don’t have an actual opening date beyond simply “summer 2026,” the fact Disney has just put out a casting call for employees – aiming to employ 150 full-time staff – suggests it will be ready to go in June or July at the latest, so we shouldn’t have to wait much longer to get our first look at this new attraction.

What happened to the NBA Experience?

For those who weren’t paying full attention during its brief opening at Disney Springs, the NBA Experience opened in August 2019 in a blaze of publicity, notably from the NBA (National Basketball Association) itself. It replaced the much-lamented DisneyQuest indoor games centre and offered a chance for guests to try their hand at the sport through a series of 13 interactive skills challenges, as well as providing an extensive merchandise store and a mini Hall of Fame, with replica trophies that made for great photo ops.

Like the whole of Walt Disney World, it was forced to shut down in March 2020 and was the one element that didn’t re-open when Disney Springs came back to life in June that year. That meant its operational period was barely seven months for the huge investment by both Disney and the NBA. In truth, its appeal was pretty narrow and it wasn’t a huge surprise it never made a reappearance.

It wasn’t until August 2021, though, that Disney made the official announcement of its full-time demise, and the site then fell dormant for nearly four years before its replacement was revealed, with the NBA building being completely rebuilt internally to make way for the newcomer, which was founded in 2021 in Natick, close to Boston.

Welcome, Level99!

The formula seemed to work for Level99 in the Natick Mall, and the company promptly added two more before revealing their Disney Springs project last year. The full transformation will have taken about 18 months once it opens and we now have our first rendering of the two-storey bar, as well as photos of some of the skills challenges from the other locations, and it looks far more enticing than the poor old NBA Experience ever did, especially if you are an Escape Room fan. Additional details about the Level99 venue at Disney Springs include:

• Upon opening, this will be the largest Level99 venue, featuring 63 total mini-games and challenges (other locations currently have approximately 50).

• Central to the Disney Springs location is a striking two-storey bar encircled by glowing rings of neon light visible throughout the venue.

• Level99 will bring its signature craft food and beverage programme featuring a selection of award-winning Detroit-style pizza, wagyu burgers, craveable snacks, hand-crafted cocktails and rotating beers on tap. Ingredients will be made from scratch daily.

• Known for its larger-than-life and visually stunning artwork, Level99 at Disney Springs will feature the company’s biggest art installations to date with more than 40 original pieces of art.

Led by entertainment innovator Matt DuPlessie and backed by Act III Holdings, Level99 is referred to as “an unmatched destination for real-world, challenge-based social entertainment.” Beyond the games themselves, it features best-in-class design, award-winning culinary offerings and hand-crafted beverages that should be worth the visit on their own.

How do you play?

This is a good question. Judging purely by the ticketing structure of the other Level99 venues, there will be a charge by the hour to play as many of the games as you want. It will be set up for teams of two to six, with multiple rooms offering a variety of mini games that are both physical and mental, including some that require a fair degree of athleticism. Rooms are roughly themed in groups such as Jungle, Apocalypse and Submarine, and the physical challenges may involve running, climbing or balancing, while the puzzles require a bit of brain-power, needing to identify sequences and solve cryptic clues.

You are given a wristband, called a Veloband, that is used for all the games, and you tap it on the sensor to open each room (if it is not already being used). You can visit each room as often as you want, up to the time limit of your booking and you earn stars at each challenge, hence it becomes a real competition between two teams. There are also coins and other rewards on offer that lead to small prizes, from stickers to T-shirts. But there should be no cost just to enter the building and check out the eye-catching bar with its various food and beverage options. All in all, it looks like a LOT of fun and should suit families with children 10 and up, as well as teens and adults.

And that It’s A Knockout feel? That comes from the fun-looking Axe Run game, which is just a few wacky costumes short of being one of the kind of crazy games contestants had to brave in the old BBC TV show!

*Simon and Susan Veness are Orlando-based travel experts and guidebook authors writing exclusively for Debbie’s Villas. *