At a glance
Level99 is a new social gaming venue on the West Side of Disney Springs, in the former NBA Experience and DisneyQuest building. Over 50 life-sized challenge games across two floors. Timed play windows: 1.5 hours from $29.99 weekday / $35.99 Sunday / $39.99 Saturday; 2.5 hours from $39.99 / $45.99 / $49.99. Recommended age 11 and up. Free to enter if you just want to eat, drink, or look around.
The setup
On July 21st, I booked a reservation for the brand-new Level99. After some research, I learned this was a great spot for adults and groups of all sizes: a giant playground with over 50 life-sized mini-games and challenges. There are three ways to play:
- Challenge Rooms: Enter a room and beat a physical, mental, or skill challenge. Goal is to earn three stars.
- Duels: Found on both floors, these are head-to-head player games. Winner gets bragging rights.
- Art Hunt: Scattered around the building. Find local art pieces and hunt for hidden figures to earn stars.
Seems simple, right? Not exactly.
What happened
Because Level99 sits in Disney Springs, I expected families and children. I got exactly that. Although I booked ahead, I noticed plenty of reservation slots open throughout the night. A reservation appeared a necessity the location fills up fast, and being brand new in the middle of summer, I figured it could hit capacity and start a waitlist. So I planned accordingly: 8pm on a Tuesday evening.
What could possibly go wrong? Many things, I tell you.
From the moment we arrived there was a line out the door. Some groups had a reservation; many did not. The first thing that threw me off: whether a group had a reservation or not, they were all getting banded and let in. That led me to believe maybe it wasn't packed inside, that they were taking walk-ins comfortably with a streamlined greeting process.
I was very wrong. We got our bands and walked straight into the madness: children screaming, adults running, lines everywhere.
Drinks first, games second
We were confused but kept a good mindset. We arrived a little early, so we headed to the bar to try some drinks: the Melon Mojito and the Mango Habanero Margarita. Both were very refreshing. The margarita was tangy and spicy, which was a pleasant surprise.
Once we settled in, we headed to the games. We started upstairs, as we'd been told it was less busy up there. The advice: look in every corner (challenge rooms can be tucked anywhere), then work your way downstairs, since that tends to be the busiest area. We tried, but with our 1.5-hour clock already running, it got difficult very quickly. Every room had a wait, ranging from one to three groups of people. Keep in mind each room averages around 3 minutes, so your time burns down fairly fast.
The good stuff
We played several games and learned you can pause your time for up to 30 minutes—handy for a restroom break or if you get hungry. The rooms were genuinely fun but also more challenging than you'd expect, especially with no hints. We did use the hint feature on a couple of games for clarity on the rules, since some games are very sensitive to how you interact with them.
We didn't even make it to half the rooms, but we genuinely enjoyed the ones we completed, and even circled back to retry a few that caught our interest.
Where it fell short
The concept is great. There's room for improvement, though, because this location will always skew busy depending on the season.
- Set a capacity limit. Waiting for every room means you experience less, and it gets frustrating when you're trying to make the most of a timed ticket.
- Manage the age mix during peak hours. The venue markets itself to ages 11 and up, but on a busy summer evening the energy skews much younger and louder. A dedicated family-friendly hour or day would help the all-ages crowd get prime time and the teen-and-adult crowd get a calmer window.
Tips if you go
- Book ahead, but know a reservation doesn't mean a quiet night. Walk-ins are banded in alongside you.
- Go off-peak. Early morning or the lunch hour are your best bets for lighter crowds.
- Spring for the 2.5-hour ticket if you actually want to explore. 1.5 hours disappears fast when every room has a wait.
- Use the hints. Some games are sensitive and unclear; a Level 3 hint saves you from burning your clock on confusion.
- Grab a drink at the bar even if you skip the food.
All in all, we still had a good time. I just wish we'd had more time to explore the space.
The scorecard
Level99 Quick Scorecard
The verdict
Worth It If… you go off-peak and book the longer ticket. Level99 is a genuinely fun concept, but summer crowds at peak hours kill the experience. Plan smart and you'll have a blast. Otherwise, you'll spend more time waiting than playing.
A solid venue with real potential—just don't expect to see everything in a 1.5-hour slot on a busy evening.
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