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A Comprehensive Guide to 2009 Orlando Spectator Sports
Central Florida sports fans – visitors and residents alike – will have plenty to cheer about with such popular spectator sports as the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA), Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League (AFL) and the University of Central Florida (UCF) Golden Knights football team. Orlando is also bustling with baseball action during Spring Training as the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros come to town this spring.
The Orlando Magic play all their home games at the 17,500-seat Amway Arena (formerly known as the TD Waterhouse Centre) in downtown Orlando. Founded in 1989, the Orlando Magic advanced to the NBA Finals during both the 1994-95 and 2008-09 seasons. Many basketball superstars have played for the Orlando Magic over the years such as Shaquille O’Neal, Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway and Tracy McGrady. The current Orlando Magic roster includes superstars Dwight Howard and Vince Carter. Stan Van Gundy is the head coach of the Orlando Magic, which compete in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. Construction has already begun on a new, 20,000-seat Orlando Magic Arena.
Founded in 1991, the Orlando Predators, who captured the Arena Bowl Championship in 1998 and 2000, compete in the 19-team AFL. The Predators have made the playoffs 17 years in a row and compete in the Southern Division of the National Conference against the likes of the Austin Wranglers, Dallas Desperados, Georgia Force, Las Vegas Gladiators, New Orleans Voodoo and Tampa Bay Storm. The 16-game regular season includes eight home games at the Amway Arena (a.k.a. “The Jungle”) and runs from early February to late May. NOTE: Although the AFL cancelled the 2009 partly because of the economic downtown, the league plans to resume operations in 2010.
The UCF Golden Knights football team competes in Conference USA against such teams as East Carolina University, Marshall University, Rice University, Southern Methodist University, Tulane University, University of Alabama Birmingham, University of Houston, University of Memphis, University of Southern Mississippi, University of Texas-El Paso and University of Tulsa. George O’Leary is the head coach of the Golden Knights, which finished with a record of 4-8 during the 2006 season. The Golden Knights play their home games at the 45,000-seat Bright House Networks Stadium.
Central Florida is also the site of Major League Baseball (MLB) Spring Training when the Atlanta Braves and Houston Astros arrive each February. The Braves play 16 home games at a 7,500-seat, state-of-the-art ballpark within Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex, while the Houston Astros compete at the recently renovated Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee.
Other spectator sports scheduled to take place in the Orlando area over the next year include the Capital One Florida Citrus Bowl, which pits the second-ranked college football teams of the Southeastern and Big Ten conferences at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium on New Year’s Day; the Silver Spurs Rodeo, the largest rodeo East of the Mississippi, which takes place at the Silver Spurs Rodeo in Kissimmee in February; and the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club in March and Walt Disney World Resort Classic in November, two immensely popular golf tournaments that draw some of the world’s top professional golfers on the PGA tour.
Orlando visitors should plan ahead and pre-order tickets for spectator sports they wish to attend during their stay. Tickets to sporting events, as well as theme park tickets, can often be added to discount vacation packages, allowing families to enjoy significant savings on their Orlando vacations.
| Magic Your Way Base Tickets |
Ages 10+ |
Ages 3-9 |
(tax included) |
| 1 Day Magic Your Way Base Ticket* |
$79.88 |
$67.10 |
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| 2 Day Magic Your Way Base Ticket* |
$158.69 |
$133.13 |
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| 3 Day Magic Your Way Base Ticket* |
$225.78 |
$190.64 |
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| 4 Day Magic Your Way Base Ticket* |
$233.24 |
$195.96 |
|
| 5 Day Magic Your Way Base Ticket* |
$236.43 |
$199.16 |
|
| 6 Day Magic Your Way Base Ticket* |
$239.63 |
$202.35 |
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| 7 Day Magic Your Way Base Ticket* |
$242.82 |
$205.55 |
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| 10 Day Magic Your Way Base Ticket* |
$252.41 |
$215.13 |
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| *Walt Disney World tickets are ONLY available with a hotel room booking. |
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