Best Place to watch NFL in the Disney Area

[Dom and Sarah]

Hi All,

We are deep in our planning stage for our hopeful Christmas Vacation (hopefully not a Lampoons one), and it’s quite exciting to think we’ll be out in the States for the latter end of the NFL season. I’m a massive NFL fan (go Steelers), and would love to catch a live game, or just got to a good sports bar. So, on that note, I have a couple of questions for you all...

1) How likely is it you can get tickets for a Tampa Bay Bucs game (pending crowds actually being allowed in the stadium and them playing at home). Is it crazy expensive, and is it worth it

2) Can any of you recommend a good Sports bar for a family night out to catch a Sunday game. We would possibly do a Thursday or Monday game as well. I thought ESPN bar, but apparently it sucks and is difficult to get a reservation. Rix at Disney Springs is meant to be good, but has anyone been anywhere else. We are staying at The Abbey at Westhaven, so anywhere near Disney or Universal would be good

Thanks all...

[DonkeyCentreArf]

Not been to Tampa for a while but have got tickets for the Buccs fairly easily through Ticketmaster. Alternatively, it is easy to get tickets to see the Jags up in Jacksonville but it is a longer drive from Orlando. If you wanted to avoid the drive, there used to be a company who ran coaches up to Jax for the games a few years ago but not sure if that still runs.

For the Jags, you can get nosebleed seats quite cheaply, and even lower down are not as pricey as at some stadiums. If you do go to Jax, maybe book a night in St Augustine to save the driving as it is a great place to visit.

I've watched games in the Orlando Ale House before up by Universal which had a good atmosphere (so good I missed meeting the rest of the family for dinner!). Buffalo Wild Wings is meant to be good but gets packed out early. Quite a few restaurants will also have games on TV so it depends if you just want to watch a game or if you want to watch a specific game.

[LozSteelers]

I'm not sure if they still offer it, but I've been to Bucs games using their ticket and travel offer a couple of times.

It cost me $85 including return bus travel from I-drive and that was for an upper bowl ticket. Excellent value!

As for where to watch a game, I'd recommend NBC Grill in CityWalk Universal, I've watched Steelers games there a few times, it's always been a good atmosphere, there's a group of local Steelers fans I spoke to who meet there for every game.

[Guest]

We go to Buccs games. Thoroughly enjoy them. We plan around it a bit to minimise travelling. Have a few days beach / Busch gardens and Buccs.

Normally travel down day one beach or dolphin spotting and Buccs. I pre-book parking at an easy in and out spot using parkwhiz. (Depends where you are travelling to/from for ease).

Day two beach area all day fancy sunset.
Day three travel back via BG as often has a later opening.

Day or so off when get back to Orlando. Can add more beach days in too. But this normally does us.

Also slot in some little league baseball games and Orlando soccer games and poss a spot of basketball 🙂

Ticketmaster tickets work well - need to have a ticketmaster.com account imho.

[2point]

We went to a Bucs game - well worth the experience.

If you want something different around Disney area then check out Wreckers Sports Bar in the Gaylord Palms. 37ft screen and loads of HD screens around the bar.

[DanLees]

You might struggle to get tickets for the Bucs next season what with them being defending superbowl champs...
Might be easier to get tickets for Jacksonville, there are organised trips from Orlando apparently.