The 2026 AAU Boys Basketball World Championships runs July 2-9 at ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World Resort, with about 43,650 attendees expected in Central Florida during the weeklong youth basketball event.
The tournament is in its 27th year at the Disney sports complex. Teams from 7U/1st Grade through 19U/12th Grade divisions are competing across the event window.
AAU Schedule at Disney
Older divisions, from 14U/8th Grade through 19U/12th Grade, play July 2-5. Younger divisions, from 7U/1st Grade through 13U/7th Grade, follow July 6-9.
The event falls across Independence Day weekend and the first full week of July, when Walt Disney World is already dealing with holiday travel and summer vacation demand.
What Guests Should Expect Nearby
ESPN Wide World of Sports sits outside the four Walt Disney World theme parks, so the championship is not a park-ticket event. The guest-facing effect is more likely around Victory Way, resort hotels, rideshare pickups, dining, and post-game family movement than inside a specific ride queue.
Families staying near the sports complex should allow extra time around game starts, registration windows, and evening dining. The event runs through Thursday, July 9.
Sources: WFTV, ESPN Wide World of Sports, and Greater Orlando Sports.
Image credit: ESPN Wide World of Sports. The story uses Disney's official ESPN Wide World of Sports entrance image from the event calendar.