Ripken Baseball and Walt Disney World Resort have agreed to host youth baseball experiences at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the summers of 2025 and 2026, involving four week-long tournaments each year.
The first tournament will be staged June 8–13, 2025. Week 2 will be held from June 15–20; Week 3 from June 22–27; and Week 4 from July 6–11. Specific dates for 2026 will be announced later. Each week-long experience includes a minimum of six games and a maximum of nine games, along with opening day ceremonies and skills competitions.
“A fundamental principle of Ripken Baseball is the emphasis on fun, making ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort the perfect venue for competition and a family sports travel experience,” said Cal Ripken, Jr. “We are excited to collaborate with the iconic and globally recognized Walt Disney World to deliver unforgettable experiences for teams and their families.”
The Ripken Experience at Walt Disney World Resort will be an opportunity for teams to compete in tournaments for ages 10U to 16U. The games will take place across six youth-sized baseball fields equipped with lights for night games and five professional-sized fields. The Stadium at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, a venue that has hosted Major League Baseball spring training games and regular-season games, will also see action.
This is the second major announcement coming out of the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex recently, as the venue also announced it will host a women’s college basketball showcase this November.