ESPN turns Disney California Adventure into an NFL Super Bowl post-party – Orange County Register

Disney California Adventure has been turned into an NFL post-football party as the Anaheim theme park serves as the host for ESPN’s Super Bowl live broadcast until Sunday’s big game when all eyes are on it. flocked to the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

Disneyland Resort is play a lead role in news, analysis, and commentary segments that aired on ESPN in the days leading up to Super Bowl LVI on Sunday, February 13.

ESPN is broadcasting Super Bowl previews “SportsCenter,” “NFL Live,” “Postseason NFL Countdown,” and “NFL Matchup” from DCA’s “World of Color” viewing area on Paradise Bay over Super Bowl Sunday when The Los Angeles Rams host the Cincinnati Bengals.

The ESPN location on the edge of Paradise Bay with the Incredicoaster and Pixar Pal-A-Round eccentric wheels in the background essentially makes DCA a five-day version of the sports network’s “College GameDay” show that will appear on Sundays. Saturdays in the fall at USC, UCLA, and other college football fields host the college football week of the week.

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For NFL fans, it’s a prime opportunity to spot about 20 ESPN analysts and commentators on the DCA stage and guest-star on live broadcasts as a crowd. cheering in the back.

On Thursday afternoon, ESPN’s “NFL Live” team took to the stage with former NFL wide record Keyshawn Johnson, former Cowboys defensive back Marcus Spears, former NFL linebacker Dan Orlovsky, and analyst Mina Kimes. ESPN and host Laura Rutledge.

Between broadcasts, ESPN’s online crew enjoyed Disneyland and DCA rides with Rutledge jumping on the Pirates of the Caribbean, Spears taking on the Radiator Springs Racers, and Orlovsky taking on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and the Incredicoaster.

On the Avengers campus, Spears posed for photos with Iron Man, Black Widow, and the female warriors Dora Milaje from “Black Panther”.

“We are having the time of our lives,” Rutledge said on stage.

Spears and Kimes ride together on the Web Slingers-like attraction – webs like Spider-Man by swinging his arms at Spider-Bots on the ride’s big screen. Best Kimes – despite her small frame compared to Spears’ defensive end-of-body build.

“You were defeated by someone with a weapon eating noodles,” Rutledge said, talking trash from the stage.

Still on ESPN’s talent show for the next few days: Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout and Rise of the Resistance.

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It’s hard to miss the 25-foot-tall ESPN stage on the edge of DCA’s Paradise Bay in the “World of Color” viewing area under a canopy of dozens of TV lights. Four black pop-up tents next to the stage have support for ESPN technology and a small green room for makeup and a wardrobe.

The ESPN talent – many of whom live near the broadcaster’s Bristol, Connecticut headquarters – have clearly enjoyed Southern California’s unusually warm February weather. The mid-’80s temperatures in DCA on Thursday were a far cry from the mid-40s in their hometown of Connecticut. The backstage air conditioner pumped cool air onto the blooming stars in the midday sun. The black coffee mugs with the gold Disneyland “D” logo on the ESPN table are usually filled with cold water, not Joe’s hot water.

ESPN stars sometimes have to contend with the reality of broadcasting from an active theme park. A Lunar New Year procession – complete with amplified soundtrack and pounding drums – travels along the DCA parade route with a puppet dragon live in view of the “NFL Live” troupe. Such is the life of ESPN stars on the road to the Super Bowl.

Whenever a broadcast needed a different look, the ESPN team walked 10 meters to the nearby 8-meter-wide big screen with Mermaid’s ride in the dark in the background.

The “World of Color” jets in Paradise Bay have never appeared during DCA’s Super Bowl shows – providing no hint of an impending spectacular return to the night.

Hometown Rams fans took to the field in blue and yellow T-shirts, jerseys, hats and even COVID-19 masks. The Bengals loyalists were nowhere to be seen – although a longtime fan appeared to have appeared on Wednesday for the first day of the broadcast. NFL fans of all stripes showed off their pride in the colors of the Raiders, 49ers, Broncos, Buccaneers, Saints and Titans.

ESPN’s outcry with the help of Disney characters has fans gathering pumped with enthusiasm for live camera-stable shots of crowds with Golden Zephyr and Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure in the background.

“We’ve got a lot more to come on ‘NFL Live’ from Disney California Adventure,” Rutledge said from the stage to cheers and shouts from the crowd.

Referee Goofy and proud gold medal player Pluto toss a dumb soccer ball back and forth to the cheers of the crowd. The first pass takes place comically over Pluto’s head – with Mickey’s trusty dog ​​searching for the invisible ball in the bushes. The next pass was on target and Pluto threw the pig skin feigned amusement to the cheers of the crowd.

Mickey Mouse appeared later in a red and black tracksuit with Minnie in a matching cheerleader outfit.

Donald and Daisy hit the field in sportswear on Wednesday and are scheduled to appear on ESPN periodically throughout the week.

Is QB Orlovsky worked on the wire to chat with NFL fans in Mickey Mouse T-shirts and deliver jokes to the crowd.

“How do you throw a party in space?” Orlovsky shouted to the fans. “Planetary friends.”

At the end of the “NFL Live” broadcast, the ESPN live team took a picture of Mickey’s ears with Disney’s most famous mouse pair.