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| Freedom Flyer coaster and the new Skycoaster as seen from Grand National Drive. Also note the new entrance building on the left. |
By Ken StoreyTwitter | Blog
If you’ve driven along I-4 in the tourist district lately, you probably noticed a new addition to the skyline. A 250ft tall Skycoaster was erected on February 23, 2013 at Fun Spot America.
The structure, the second tallest on I-Drive and 10th tallest in all of Orlando, was formerly at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas. It is the second tallest Skycoaster in the world and the first being at Fun Spot USA in Kissimmee.
This newly erected one is a bit different than the Kissimmee Skycoaster, using a metal frame structure instead of beams. The new one will feature bright green lighting at night and, due to its height, will feature FAA required aircraft lighting.
“You will be able to see this ride from I-4, the malls, and for miles around,” Said John Arie, Jr, Fun Spot’s General Manager. “This will be a huge thing for I-Drive.”
This is just the most recent addition to the park which is in the midst of a $20million expansion. This expansion includes two roller coasters, Tilt-A-Whirl, Rip Curl (a new themed Himalaya ride) and Enterprise that was formerly known as Wheelie at Six Flags over Georgia.
The next big part of the expansion will be the GCI wood/steel hybrid coaster White Lightning which is expected to begin a rapid installation process by mid-March 2013.
Installation of the Chance/Vekoma suspended family coaster Freedom Flyer is also almost finished. According to Screamscape "White Lighning will be 2000 feet long, stand 75 feet tall, hit a max speed of 48mph and provide approximately 18 “Air time moments” along the course."
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| Phase 1 of the Fun Spot America expansion |
Altogether both phases will be spread out over the 18 new acres that Fun Spot has purchased within the last year. With all this new growth, the City of Orlando has also honored Fun Spot by renaming Touchstone Drive to Fun Spot Way, giving the attraction easier to find access from I-Drive.
Also along north I-Drive, the city will begin accepting bids for a new $7.7 million improvement project on March 6, 2013. The project will include improved lighting, new traffic signals, bike lanes, 10 ft wide sidewalks, and dedicated bus lanes. It's expected to break ground in June and take around 18 months to finish.
A new extreme sports complex is also proposed for the area. The proposed complex will include dry slope skiing and tubing, ice skating, a surf pool, white water rafting course, a zip line course, and a ATV trail. Two hotels are also proposed for the new sports complex.
