| Champion Stadium does not represent what a spring training atmosphere should feel like. Located in the ESPN Wide World of Sport's complex (which is part of Disney World), there is just too much going on besides baseball, which does not make for a relaxing or laid back environment. Fans can park for free in a large grassy lot, but the walk to the park is a but far. Also beware, egress after the game can be brutally slow. Despite the surroundings, I did like the actual park quite a bit. It is much more intimate than I expected, especially since it has two decks. Seating is made up of mostly green fold downs, but there are also some bleacher seats down the right field line and a large grassy berm which wraps from the third base bag to left center field. Most of the seats provide good sightlines as the pitch of the seating bowl is steeper than in some parks. One problem with the seating, however, is the lack of shade. Only the last few rows of the lower deck are shaded (due to the upper deck overhang) and while the upper deck does have a tressled roof, this really does not provide full shade. Champion Stadium does provide separate concourses for each deck, though the lower one is substantially more spacious. The lower concourse is also two sided, meaning that some of the concession stands are in view of the field. All concession stands have the same appearance, so you'll have to examine the menus to see what each offers. While walking the lower concourse, you probably will feel more like you're in a mall than a ballpark as everything is a bit too shiny. But I guess that's to be expected when you're in Disney World. Also to be expected is higher prices. And that's pretty much true as well. Tickets and concessions are both higher than other spring training parks. Food options include buffalo chicken sandwiches, pulled pork, sausage & peppers, and bacon double cheeseburgers. Unfortunately, none of these items (or hot dogs) can be bought separately - they all must be bought as part of a "basket", which includes fries. This just seems like a way to gouge fans. The quality of the concessions is average at best. Because this is Disney, I guess the Braves feel the need to go overboard with between inning silliness. While I don't mind a little of this, the onfield DJ, who seemed to be screaming the whole time, just made it even more annoying. Apparently she thought the fans were there to see her and not the game. One other small complaint about Champion Stadium - the area behind the right field fence is poorly used. There are small tents parking tents used for Braves coaches and players that litter this area and give it an unsightly feel. Couldn't they have found a better use for this space ? Overall, I do like the structure of Champion Stadium, but the atmosphere is just too "Disney-fied" for my liking. Unless you are a Braves fan or just want to get to every spring training park, I really can't recommend it. It now appears that 2019 will be the last year for the Braves here as they are planning to move to a new spring training facility in North Port. It is unlikely that another team would move here.
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