Player 1 Bar and Arcade

On my 28th birthday my wife and I checked out a Bar & arcade called Player 1. Right outside the gates of Disney World nestled in a nondescript strip mall, Player 1 is a haven for retro-gamers with a taste for unique craft beers. Stepping past the front desk, you walk back in time into a world of blue neon paradise. Amazing cabinets from my childhood tucked away in every corner including X-men, TMNT: Turtles in Time, Frogger, Star-Wars, The Simpsons, Centipede, Pac-Man, Galaga, and Marvel Vs Capcom

All of the Machines are set on free-to-play and while some of the machines were in need of some maintenance (dead zones in joysticks, sticking buttons, CRT burn-in) for a $5.00 cover the value is second to none if you’re nostalgic for the golden age of the Arcade. And rest assure, for all the rough edges, these are the real mccoy, not sloppily done emulation driven hackjobs.

The bar set up is pretty phenomenal. A great lineup of Microbrews including everything from Arrogant Bastard to Nitro Vanilla Porter, clean glasses, nice and friendly bartenders, decent prices (5-8 bucks) combined with a laidback nerd-noir decoire. Plus they serve theater style popcorn and Gourmet root beer on tap for those of us who need to space out their good times. All they really are lacking is Pizza for that perfect nostalgia 3-play. A Chucky-Cheese for adults? C’mon, what’s not to love about that!

Most importantly, the Bar itself is very comfortable. True to its arcade routes, the place is dim but not dank. The bathrooms are clean, the crowd is nerdy but not neckbeardy, cool but not conceited. It’s very laid back environment without feeling clunky. Everything is geared toward enjoying a good beer with a good game, including nice deep cup holders on the side of every cabinet for your pint or bottle and cushy couches in the game lounge.

In short, if you’re in central Florida and are a nostalgia junky like myself, then you owe it to yourself to check out Player 1. Doubly so if you have a strong love for Craft Beer. It’s a fun, unique little piece of Arcade paradise in the Attractions district of Orlando. I’d even go so far as to say it’s the perfect diversion from the line waiting joy of Universal and Disney.