Sports at Walt Disney World

For the sports lover, Walt Disney World offers a wide variety of sports for all ages. Every sport from waterskiing to golf can be enjoyed here, since Walt Disney World has 25 tennis courts, six beautiful golf courses, plus four entrancing mini-golf courses, many lakes for boating, waterskiing, parasailing, fishing, and swimming, nine health clubs, many courts for basketball and volleyball, numerous trails for walking, jogging, in-line skating, biking, and horseback riding, and many, many more. There is also Disney's Wide World of Sports complex. It is a large beautiful facility that houses courts and fields for over 30 different sports. Throughout the year Disney's Wide World of sports is the host to many different sporting events. Plus, it is also the new Atlanta Braves Spring training grounds. For the ultimate in thrills, there is the Richard Petty Driving Experience, which gives guests a chance to get behind the wheel of a real Indy race car!

What sport would you like to learn more about?

  • Tennis
  • Golf
  • Mini-Golf
  • Boating
  • Fishing
  • Swimming
  • Health Clubs
  • Basketball and Volleyball
  • Walking, Jogging, and Inline Skating
  • Biking
  • Horseback Riding
  • Disney's Wide World of Sports
  • Richard Petty Driving Experience - Coming Soon!

    Tennis

    There are 6 tennis courts located at the Contemporary resort, two at the Grand Floridian resort, four at the Villas at the Disney Institute, two at Fort Wilderness, two for the Yacht and Beach Club resorts, two for the Boardwalk, three at the Old Key West resort, and four for the Swan and Dolphin resorts. All the courts are open to WDW resort guests and all the courts are free except for the courts at the Contemporary resort, the Grand Floridian resort, and the Swan and Dolphin resorts which cost a nominal fee per hour. There are also tennis lessons available at the Contemporary resort and at the Grand Floridian resort.

    Golf

    There are six beautiful golf courses around the Walt Disney World resort. There are the Palm, Magnolia, Oak Trail, Osprey Ridge, Eagle Pines, and Lake Buena Vista golf courses. The Oak Trail course is a nine-hole course that is more suited to beginners. The Osprey Ridge and Eagle Pines golf courses are good intermediate courses, and if you want alot of scenery, go to the Osprey Ridge course because it goes through some of the more remote areas of Walt Disney World. The Palm, Magnolia, and Lake Buena Vista courses are the more challenging courses at Walt Disney World and are home to some tournaments throughout the year. Lessons are available at the Palm and Magnolia courses. Golfers should take note that green fees are slightly cheaper to guests staying at a Walt Disney World resort than to guests just coming for the day.

    Mini-Golf

    Walt Disney World is home to two miniature golf complexes, each one containing two fanciful and innovative 18-hole courses. The first one is Fantasia Gardens located across from the Swan & Dolphin Resorts. The newest one, Disney's Winter Summerland, is located at the entrance to Blizzard Beach.

    Boating

    There is a large number of boating activities to partake in on the water bodys of Walt Disney World. The boats that can be rented are sailboats, pontoon boats, canopy boats, pedal boats, canoes, and three types of speedboats, including Water Mouse boats, Searaiders, and Spincraft. The canopy boats and pontoon boats are good for large groups of people because they can accommodate 6-10 adults. These boats can be rented from marinas at the Contemporary resort, the Wilderness lodge, Fort Wilderness, the Polynesian resort, the Grand Floridian resort, the Caribbean Beach resort, the Yacht and Beach Club resorts, the Boardwalk, the Swan and Dolphin resorts, the Dixie Landings resort, the Port Orleans resort, the Old Key West resort, the Coronado Springs resort, and the Disney Village Marketplace. There is waterskiing and wakeboarding available at the Contemporary resort, Fort Wilderness, the Wilderness Lodge, the Polynesian resort, and the Grand Floridian. The price for this includes a boat, driver, and equipment. There is parasailing available at the Contemporary. Reservations are required for waterskiing, wakeboarding, and parasailing.

    Fishing

    There are fishing excursions that depart from Fort Wilderness, the Disney Village Marketplace, the Yacht Club & Beach club resorts and the Dixie Landings resort a few times daily. Each excursion can accommodate up to five people. The price includes a guide, gear, tackle, and refreshments. The most common catch is largemouth bass weighing two to eight pounds. Reservations must be made for the excursions. If you would like to fish on your own, you are permitted to do that off the docks of the Disney Village Marketplace, in the canals of the Disney Village resort area and Fort Wilderness, at the stocked fishing hole at the Dixie Landings resort, at the Boardwalk, and at The Villas at the Disney Institute.

    Swimming

    Besides the three main water parks, there is a countless number of beaches and pools at Walt Disney World. There are beautiful white sand beaches at the Contemporary resort, the Grand Floridian resort, Fort Wilderness, the Yacht and Beach Club resorts, the Swan and Dolphin resorts, and the Caribbean Beach resort, but unfortunately you can't swim off the beaches at the Caribbean Beach resort because of the large amount of boat traffic in the lake. The Grand Floridian resort, the Wilderness Lodge, and the Port Orleans resort each have one pool. The Contemporary resort, the Polynesian resort, Fort Wilderness, and the All-Star resorts have two pools each. The Boardwalk, and the Swan and Dolphin resorts have three pools. The Old Key West and Coronado Springs resort have four pools. The Dixie Landings resort and the Villas at the Disney Institute each have six pools, and the Caribbean Beach resort has seven pools. The Yacht and Beach Club resorts share their own small water park featuring the largest sand-bottom pool in the world. Unfortunately, the pools and beaches at the Disney resorts are only for guests staying at that resort.

    Health Clubs

    There are nine different health clubs located within Disney resorts. They are the Contemporary Fitness Center at the Contemporary resort, the Body By Jake health club at the Dolphin resort, a small health club at the Swan resort, the R.E.S.T. at the Old Key West resort, the Grand Floridian Spa and Health Club at the Grand Floridian resort, the Ship Shape health club at the Yacht and Beach Club resorts, and the large health and fitness center at the Villas at the Disney Institute, Muscles & Bustles at the Boardwalk, and La Vida health club at the Coronado Springs resort. The activities at these health clubs include fitness equipment, saunas, massages, whirlpools, steamrooms, personal trainers, and aerobics. The health clubs at the Swan resort, the Old Key West resort, and the Villas at the Disney Institute are free while the others cost a fee. Only five of the nine health clubs are open to all Walt Disney resort guests and they are the ones at the Contemporary resort, the Dolphin resort, the Boardwalk resort, The Villas at the Disney Institutue, and the Grand Floridian resort..

    Basketball and Volleyball

    There are Basketball nets located at Fort Wilderness, the Contemporary resort and the Old Key West resort. There are Volleyball courts located at the Grand Floridian resort, the Contemporary resort, the Yacht and Beach Club resorts, the Wilderness Lodge, the Coronado Springs resort, Fort Wilderness, the Swan and Dolphin resorts, the Villas at the Disney Institute, River Country, and Typhoon Lagoon. Except for the courts at the water parks, all courts are for Walt Disney resort guests.

    Walking, Jogging, and Inline Skating

    Even though you can walk, jog, and inline skate almost anywhere around Walt Disney World, the 1.4 mile walkway around the Caribbean Beach resort, the path between Fort Wilderness and the Wilderness Lodge, the paths through Dixie Landings, the paths and walkways around the Yacht Club & Beach Club, Coronado Springs, Dolphin, Swan, and Boardwalk resorts and walkways at the Old Key West resort are especially great for walking and jogging, and the paths at the Old Key West resort, Fort Wilderness, and the Villas at the Disney Institute are great for inline skating.

    Biking

    Different types of bikes are available for riding the lightly trafficked roads of your resort. Bikes can be rented at Fort Wilderness, the Old Key West resort, the Wilderness Lodge, the Boardwalk resort, the Caribbean Beach resort, the Port Orleans resort, the Dixie Landings resort, the Coronado Springs resort, and the Villas at the Disney Institute.

    Horseback Riding

    Trail rides go into the woods of Fort Wilderness four to six times daily. You can't go off on your own and the horses won't gallop. This is so the trips are suitable even for beginners. Reservations are suggested.

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