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The (Un)official Atlanta Braves Spring Training guide

By Kyle Walter

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL - MARCH 18: An overhead view of Champion Stadium just before the start of the Grapefruit League Spring Training Game between the Atlanta Braves and the Baltimore Orioles at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on March 18, 2012 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL - MARCH 18: An overhead view of Champion Stadium just before the start of the Grapefruit League Spring Training Game between the Atlanta Braves and the Baltimore Orioles at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on March 18, 2012 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images) /
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Ah… Spring baseball in Florida.  Definitely something to look forward to right now.  Here’s how to do it right.

College football is over. The NFL is about to be over.  For many baseball fans, the season can’t come soon enough. Well, I have some good news. Spring training games are set to begin in… a month.  While Atlanta Braves fans suffer through the wait, i figured I’d write a bit of a guide for spring training.

My dad and I have been going to spring training at the Braves facility in Orlando for a couple of years now, and I’d like to help those visiting for the first time to be able to make the most of their experience.

This is the last year the facility will be used, so especially if you’re going to be in the greater Orlando area, you really ought to take advantage while you still can.

Tickets

The Braves are selling tickets from their official website, Braves.com. Unfortunately, it appears that these tickets are beginning to sell out. If you want to get tickets for spring training, I would suggest getting them soon, especially if you plan on taking your trip in February.

If your game(s) are sold out via the Braves, your options would be using a ticket reseller. Of course the Braves would be the preferred option for buying tickets, but there are a few sites I would recommend if you have to buy them elsewhere.  StubHub and Vivid Seats have been the most trustworthy websites I have used, but they still charge high fees and are a last resort for me.

Accommodations

Also important is your choice of hotel. There are plenty of cheap hotels in Orlando that are reasonable enough, but make sure you read reviews. Our first time there we had a pretty bad experience with the hotel.

If you are not familiar with Orlando, then you need a quick Orienteering lesson:

  • the airport is located SE of the main part of the city.
  • Champion Field is on the Disney World property, SW of the city.
  • Kissimmee is actually closer to Disney World than most of Orlando and can be a good choice for hotels, though tons of options are in the immediate Disney area
  • Getting from the airport to Disney can be done either by going the ‘front way’ (528 Beachline Expressway – used to be called the ‘Beeline’) or the back way:  east to State Road 417: the ‘Greeneway’.

Remember, not every hotel has breakfast included. Cracker Barrel was pretty much our breakfast of choice for the 3 days we were in Orlando for the first time.

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