**Update**--Atlanta Braves Spring Training at Walt Disney World Extended

2/4/18

The Atlanta Braves has announced an extension to their Spring Training contract with Walt Disney World through April 2019:

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Originally Posted by John Schuerholz, Atlanta Braves Vice Chairman Emeritus

We are thankful for our good friends at Walt Disney World Resort and are excited for this extension. We also appreciate the foresight and thoughtfulness of our partners in North Port, Sarasota County and West Villages in recognizing such an extension will be of benefit as we continue to make progress on our new facility. When complete, our new, state-of-the-art facility will secure our long-term goal of creating a perfectly positioned and operational Spring Training facility for the next 30 years.

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9/24/17

Local media are reporting that the Atlanta Braves will be allowing their current Spring Training contract with the Walt Disney World resort to expire after 2018:

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Originally Posted by Orlando Sentinel

...The Braves have found a new home on Florida’s west coast in North Port, where commissioners on Tuesday approved a $100 million development deal for a new complex.

... the Braves will turn off the porch light after they come here one last time in spring 2018 and become the last big-league team to have a spring fling in Central Florida.

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Yea, the writing was on the wall for this move for a while now. It's a shame, as the Braves have been holding spring training at Disney for 20+ years now. But MLB teams have been in demand for spring training games and the business they bring an area in March each year - so some communities have put together offers of fancy new complexes and perks for the teams to change spring training homes. It'll be a bit of a blow to WWoS, as those 15-17 home games would usually bring in pretty nice crowds.

Aw man! I like having Spring Training in my backyard =/

Given how the Braves abandoned a good stadium at Turner Field as they coerced Cobb County to build them something shiny and new, I am not surprised. Major League Sports are all about milking the taxpayer to support their product and it's all up for bid. I guess that Disney didn't offer them enough incentives to stay.

Sad to see Braves leaving WWS. Was always a fun extra for our March vac.

So here is where Disney drops the "ball" IMO....why not reach out to all the major league teams and have 1 spring training game for many teams instead of just the braves. They may find that this gets more people interested...not just the fans of the Braves or the few teams they play in their spring trying league. i.e. this weekend is Phillies Weekend....next weekend is Yankees Weekend...etc....

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Originally Posted by bdm@pga

So here is where Disney drops the "ball" IMO....why not reach out to all the major league teams and have 1 spring training game for many teams instead of just the braves. They may find that this gets more people interested...not just the fans of the Braves or the few teams they play in their spring trying league. i.e. this weekend is Phillies Weekend....next weekend is Yankees Weekend...etc....

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I'm not sure, but I believe that probably would not be possible. I think these teams have contractual obligations to their home "spring training" communities, and are committed to playing home games at their home stadiums in the spring. It's why a community is willing to spend $100 million to get the Braves there next spring. It would be like the Superdome in New Orleans reaching out to the Major League teams during the season and offering them a home for a certain weekend of games. MLB isn't going to allow that.

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Originally Posted by bdm@pga

So here is where Disney drops the "ball" IMO....why not reach out to all the major league teams and have 1 spring training game for many teams instead of just the braves. They may find that this gets more people interested...not just the fans of the Braves or the few teams they play in their spring trying league. i.e. this weekend is Phillies Weekend....next weekend is Yankees Weekend...etc....

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The teams, and especially the players, hate... I mean really hate to travel during spring training. So much so that there is a rule that a certain number of roster players must travel to each away game. I don't think you could get both teams to agree to an extra travel day.

**Update**

Hooray! Great news