This year’s stadium tour took us to Orlando to see Orlando City SC play the Houston Dynamo. We made a long vacation out of the stadium tour, starting in Tampa for the baseball game, then spending the week at the Orlando theme parks, and ending with the Orlando City game. For the first time, we had two toddlers with us, in addition to my parents who were the designated babysitters. It was quite a trip!
I’ll just start by saying that we spent the day at Magic Kingdom before going to the game, after an already busy week, so we were all pretty tired when we got to the game. We got there right at game time so we didn’t see the pregame activities and National Anthem, which often set the stage for the overall fan experience of the game. Also, we watched two of the worst teams in MLS this season, so the soccer itself wasn’t great. It was also mid-September, so the end of the season was rapidly approaching with no hope of recovering for the season. I may have said, “DO. SOMETHING.” more than once during the game. Overall, it was not an ideal soccer game experience.
We didn’t have a car so we took a Lyft to the game, and that turned out to be a good decision. Going into the stadium we saw a few people arrive by pedicab, and there were at least a dozen pedicabs waiting at the exit after the game to take people to their cars. It seems like there is plenty of public parking within walking distance, though none specifically for the stadium.
The stands at Orlando City Stadium are low to the field, and with third row seats, we had a great view of the action. We spoke to several people around us who were season ticket holders. They were knowledgeable about the team and soccer in general, and stayed engaged with the game well after I lost interest. (Sorry!) They didn’t sing along with the supporters section, but cheered as fans do.
We sat on the opposite end of the stadium as The Wall, the area of the stadium for the supporters sections. I’ve seen The Wall on television when it’s full, and it’s really impressive. The night of our game it was only three-quarters full. What I never picked up on tv, but could see in person, is that The Wall has no seats. The are a series of rails for safety and support, but no seats in the entire section. That’s one way to ensure fans are standing during the game!
Because we were sitting on the opposite end of the stadium, and the whole stadium didn’t join in with the cheers, I couldn’t really hear the chants or songs. I’m sure they were singing the whole time, I just couldn’t hear it.
We ate at the game, and I was impressed with the selection of food, but overall food itself was hit or miss. Hubby got tacos which he thought were really good, and a chorizo which was spicy and delicious. I got carnitas nachos which were just… blech. It was a huge portion which was promising, but there was no cheese on the tortilla chips! The toppings were applied as carnitas, then salsa, then queso so that they landed only on the surface chips. A few bites in and I was left with dry chips which is my pet peeve when it comes to nachos. My sister and BIL had empanadas which were really good, and I recommend getting those.
I haven’t mentioned this before, but I have one major gripe when it comes to stadium designs, particularly new stadiums: LACK OF CUP HOLDERS. Why would you build a stadium and not put cup holders at the seats? This is especially important when stadiums don’t let you keep the tops for plastic bottles, or as we become more environmentally conscious consumers and do away with lids and straws on cups. There is an 85% chance I am going to spill my drink if it’s at my feet. Or, as was the case in Orlando, there is a 50% chance I’m going to drop my food and, because I’m me, the dropped food will fall from my hand directly into cup full of Diet Coke that is at my feet. Yes, this happened. Nacho bits in Diet Coke. GAG.
Minnesota, Nashville, Cincinnati, Miami, take note: Cup holders!
After the game, players from both OCSC and the Dynamo came over to take pictures, shake hands, and sign autographs which is one of the things I love about MLS – access to the players. Because the stands are so close to the field, the stadium design facilitates these interactions. We took pictures with several players, including a shirtless Dom Dwyer, so bonus points to Orlando for that one!
Perhaps the single thing I loved most about this stadium (and this team) is something that was never mentioned during the game. As a memorial to those who were killed during the Pulse nightclub shooting, Orlando installed permanent rainbow seats in the stadium. So often, teams will offer a symbolic gesture through a special uniform, tshirt, tifo, or captain’s armband that is used once and forgotten. By making these seats permanent, Orlando has made a statement that they, and we, should never forget this horrible tragedy. It’s also a reminder of the power of sports, and the role that athletes and athletics can play in raising consciousness about social and political issues.
Orlando City Stadium is one of the newest in MLS, so I had high expectations, but overall I was slightly disappointed. I think it was a combination of our lack of proximity to The Wall, the relatively small crowd size, and the poor play of the game, and overall exhaustion that affected my overall impression of the stadium and the atmosphere of the game. Maybe it was the lack of cup holders. Still, Orlando City is a great place to actually watch the game with enthusiastic fans and I would love a do-over to experience Orlando City SC at its finest.
