I must say it exceeded my expectations a little bit. The athletes were more personable than I anticipated. Sure, you expect the ESPN personalities to do OK -- they talk for a living, after all. But the jocks that I saw interviewed or participating in game shows were pretty entertaining.

The second great thing about the Weekend is the ESPN Sports Zone, an area dedicated to hands-on participation by the theme park guests. Once you sign a waiver, several sporting options become available, including pitching in a baseball station (speed is posted), driving a golf ball (virtual distance calculated), basketball courts, batting cages and more. Some of the venues are scaled down to be more kid-sized, such as a basketball backboard with the rim set at 7 feet (rather than 10) and mini-tennis courts. You can definitely work up a sweat. (This is all set up in an area beyond the gate near Rock 'n' Roller Coaster).

More notes after the jump.

+ Fans come dressed in team gear. Football jersey are dominant. I saw an entire extended family of 10 all decked out in Pittsburgh Steelers wear, but almost every NFL team was represented on someone (Didn't notice any Chiefs, Titans or Falcons, for instance). Next year I'm going to bring a list of the teams and check off whenever I spot one -- It's a theme park version of license-plate bingo!

+ It appears to be a very father-and-son driven event. That combo was much more evident than on other days at the park.

+ Both of the "shows" I witnessed were entertaining. In "Dream Job," a 14-year-old contestant named Jake impressed the room and the judges with his announcing skills. In "Stump the Schwab," there were some tough trivia questions, and I think Ben Watson was truly delighted to defeat Howie Schwab.

+ I don't get the draw of the live broadcasts from the Studios, but folks gather round just to act crazy in the background. With the big screen hovering above the stage, it's merely watching TV only in the outdoors. Oh, wait, maybe I do get it.

+ In one key way, it was quite similar to Super Soap Weekend: devoted, somewhat scarily so, fans. Less shrieking at ESPN The Weekend, but more grunting and high-fiving. There's less programming, so you can get shut out of some of the shows. Arrive early if it really matters to you.

+ Warning: Although there's a slew of athletes attached to the event, they're not all there every day. A list is posted at www.espntheweekend.com.

+ Although the ESPN types are all part of the Disney family, you could tell by the occasional slip-up that they aren't the regular theme park crew. One radio guy in the shadow of the Tower of Terror referred to it as the "House of Terror." And there were frequent references to it being the happiest place on Earth, which of course is really Disneyland (WDW is "most magical," remember?).

Actually, I heard one announcer say "here at Disneyland, er, Disney World. Whatever."

For the most part, the interviews on stage were interesting. I enjoyed hearing Orlando's Darryl Dawkins call himself "probably the most blessed man in the world." Then we learned that Scottie Pippen has lived in Fort Lauderdale for six years. And John Stockton told a couple of stories about the Dream Team, but mainly he enjoyed the team bus, getting to know one another and trash talking.

And Martina Navratilova plays ice hockey. Who knew?

ESPN The Weekend runs through this Saturday and Sunday.