Bad Credit? No Credit? No Bowling

On a day where the economy has probably made a difference in who Americans vote for to be the next  President, the credit crunch seems to finally be touching the Walt Disney World Resort. The Orlando Sentinel is reporting the following:

Plans to bring thousands of bowlers to Disney’s Wide World of Sports in 2011 have landed in the gutter — at least for the time being. Blame the economy. The private — and still unnamed — company that would build the 100-lane bowling stadium in Osceola County is having trouble getting financing because of the credit market. The first tournament in the new bowling complex is not scheduled until 2013, Disney World spokeswoman Jacquee Polak said.

Back in June, officials lauded the deal. Planned for 100 lanes, stadium-style seating and a restaurant, the facility was to be complete in about 18 months. Under terms of the deal, the United States Bowling Congress was supposed to bring 13 events to Central Florida beginning in 2011. Each tournament is played over four to six months. The event, though delayed, is still expected to be a boon to Osceola hotels and tourist-related businesses.

Yes, the construction of the long awaited bowling center has been temporarily halted because Disney teamed up with  a company who can’t acquire the funds needed to make this project happen at the soon-to-be named ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Don’t worry, Disney is not backing down on any “in-house” projects yet, there are still plenty of fresh ideas inside Walt Disney Imagineering that should be coming to WDW over the next 3 years (with one already starting to take shape on Pixar Place at Disney’s Hollywood Studios as we speak). Be sure to stay tuned to WDW News Today as more information on this story becomes available.

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