It’s a big sports week at Walt Disney World, the ESPN Wide World of Sports is playing host to the NFL’s biggest and most talented super stars in the 2018 NFL Pro Bowl week events and interactive fan experiences. This is the second year the NFL has held its Pro Bowl in Orlando’s Camping World Stadium and the partnership with Walt Disney World’s unofficial ‘fifth gate.’ There’s a lot going on this week, so we’ve included a guide to as much as we can below. Be sure to read all three pages for all the events.
Additional Pro Bowl Week activities will include the NFL Flag Championships and Play Football High School Day; Pro Bowl Skills Showdown; free access to AFC and NFC Team Practices; NFL Pro Bowl Experience, a free, football-themed fan festival; and NFL PLAY 60 events. In addition to youth and high school football competitions the event will invite nonprofit organizations and military personnel to positively impact thousands of local residents, children, and their families.
Thank You, Coach
As part of the “Thank You, Coach” initiative, Pro Bowl players will invite a high school coach, who most impacted their life and NFL career, and a guest to celebrate Pro Bowl Week in Orlando. With the Pro Bowl Giveback Program, players will compete for more than bragging rights – each member of the winning team may apply for a $10,000 NFL Foundation grant to be donated to the high school or youth football program of their choice, help leave a lasting legacy on the community, and increase opportunities for the next generation of football players.
The week-long celebration will culminate with the Pro Bowl game, featuring 88 of the NFL’s best players, on Sunday, Jan. 28 at Camping World Stadium that will air on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ABC at a new start time of 3:00 PM ET.
On Friday, Jan. 26, high school coaches will enjoy a special welcome reception, and on Saturday, Jan. 27 at ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World, coaches and Pro Bowlers will lead the “Thank You, Coach!” clinic and High School Skills Challenge. On Sunday, Jan. 29, the coaches will attend the Coaches Tailgate at Pro Bowl at Camping World Stadium before kickoff and will be recognized on-field alongside their Pro Bowl player.
2018 NFL Pro Bowl Experience
The NFL Pro Bowl Experience will be open to fans Wednesday, January 24 – Thursday, January 25 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM ET and Friday, January 26 – Saturday, January 27 from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM ET at ESPN Wide World of Sports.
The free-admission, family-friendly football fan festival will bring fans closer to the NFL through interactive games and sponsor activations. New activities to this year’s Pro Bowl Experience include some of the same challenges that AFC & NFC Pro Bowlers will compete in during the Skills Showdown, such as: Kick-Tac-Toe, in which three footballs must be kicked in a row on a giant tic-tac-toe board, and the Best Hands competition to catch as many different passes as possible.
Leading up to Pro Bowl Week, the NFL will launch its official companion app: Pro Bowl – Fan Mobile Pass. It guides visitors through Pro Bowl Week and provides exclusive chances to win prizes, including tickets to the game, autographed footballs, and more. The app will also feature game day content, including real time updates of which players are on the field. Fans are encouraged to register in advance.
An assortment of free fan activities at the 2018 NFL Pro Bowl Experience are detailed below. No tickets are required.
· 40-Yard Dash: Race down the field against your opponents and virtual NFL players on a giant 40-yard long LED wall.
· Airbrush Tattoos: Show your team spirit through NFL and Pro Bowl themed airbrush tattoos and face painting.
· Best Hands: Catch as many different passes as possible like an NFL all-star.
· Family Football Zone – An interactive area for kids and families to play together. Play catch in the field or take part in a range of football and tailgate-themed games.
· Kick-Tac-Toe: Kick 3 in a row on a giant tic-tac-toe board. The Kick-Tac-Toe challenge will also occur doing the Pro Bowl Skills Showdown, where AFC & NFC Pro Bowlers will attempt to do the same.
· Long Snap Accuracy Challenge Presented by Verizon– Test your aim by long snapping footballs through a variety of obstacles.
· NFL Pro Bowl Trophy – Take a photo with the official NFL Pro Bowl Trophy.
· NFL Shop at Pro Bowl – Shop for your favorite NFL and Pro Bowl gear at the NFL Shop trailer located inside NFL Pro Bowl Experience.
· Obstacle Course: Navigate through obstacle courses and train like an NFL player.
· Panini – The exclusive trading card and sticker partner of the NFL, Panini is the Official Sponsor of the NFL Pro Bowl. Stop by the Panini booth for a chance to win exclusive NFL Pro Bowl trading cards.
· Pepsi Zero Sugar: PepsiCo will be sampling its zero calorie soda in the fan plaza outside of Camping World Stadium on game day.
· Precision Passing presented by EA SPORTS Madden NFL 18: Pass to as many targets as possible while on the clock.
· Run-A-Route – Test your wide receiver skills and run a see-and-react route to catch a pass down field.
· Vertical Jump: Jump as high as you can and hit the corresponding flag to discover your vertical reach just like at the NFL Scouting Combine.
· Virtual Reality Experience: Get inside the NFL with virtual reality technology and experience what it is like to be on-the-field on an actual NFL game.