Fun Spot America Theme Parks is a group of
amusement park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
s. Since 1979, the group has owned and operated a number of small amusement parks over the years and currently has three locations in
Orlando, Florida
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures rel ...
,
Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 79,226. It is a Principal City of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area, wh ...
, and
Fayetteville, Georgia
Fayetteville is a city in and the county seat of Fayette County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 18,957, up from 15,945 at the 2010 census. Fayetteville is located south of downtown Atlanta.
In 2015 ...
.
Fun Spot America – Orlando
Fun Spot America – Orlando is an
amusement park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
in
Orlando, Florida
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures rel ...
, near
Universal Orlando
Universal Orlando Resort, commonly known as Universal Orlando or simply Universal, formerly Universal Studios Escape, is an American theme park and entertainment resort complex based in Orlando, Florida. The resort is operated by Universal Par ...
and
I-Drive
i-drive was a file hosting service that operated from 1998 to 2002.
The name derived from the words "Internet drive".
History
Based in San Francisco, the company was founded in 1998 with seed investors and launched its first product, an onlin ...
. It has 4 different go-kart tracks and three roller coasters: An
E&F Miler Industries family roller coaster named The Sea Serpent, a
GCI wooden roller coaster named
White Lightning, and a
Vekoma
Vekoma Rides Manufacturing is a Dutch amusement ride manufacturer. Vekoma is syllabic abbreviation of Veld Koning Machinefabriek (Veld Koning Machine Factory) which was established in 1926 by Hendrik op het Veld.
History
The company originally m ...
Suspended Family Coaster
A Suspended Family Coaster is a steel inverted roller coaster built by Vekoma designed for families with no inversions. Just like all inverted roller coasters the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. ...
named
Freedom Flyer.
History
Fun Spot America Theme Parks began in 1979 under the name Fun N Wheels near the
I-Drive
i-drive was a file hosting service that operated from 1998 to 2002.
The name derived from the words "Internet drive".
History
Based in San Francisco, the company was founded in 1998 with seed investors and launched its first product, an onlin ...
tourist corridor in
Orlando, Florida
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures rel ...
. This 3-acre park near
Wet 'n Wild Orlando
Wet 'n Wild Orlando was the flagship water park of Wet 'n Wild owned by NBC Universal, located on International Drive in Orlando, Florida. It was founded in 1977 by SeaWorld creator George Millay. It closed on December 31, 2016.
It was the ...
, with no frontage on the main roads, had an
arcade
Arcade most often refers to:
* Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine
** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware
** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board
* Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games
* ...
, three
go-kart
A go-kart, also written as go-cart (often referred to as simply a kart), is a type of sports car, close wheeled car, open-wheel car or quadracycle. Go-karts come in all shapes and forms, from non-motorised models to high-performance racing ...
tracks, a
miniature golf
Miniature golf, also known as minigolf, mini-putt, crazy golf, or putt-putt, is an offshoot of the sport of golf focusing solely on the putting aspect of its parent game. The aim of the game is to score the lowest number of points. It is played ...
course,
bumper cars,
bumper boats
Bumper boats are an amusement park ride that uses inner tube shaped watercraft that can be steered by the rider. Some are driven by electric motors, some by gasoline engines, and some require the rider to propel the craft by pedaling. Most are ...
, Raging Riptide (a 40 foot high water slide), and a 55-foot
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel (also called a Giant Wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondolas, capsule ...
. This park became the world's first themed action park, premiering new types of rides such as the riptide slide manufactured by
New Wave Rides.
Fun Spot moved back to Orlando in 1997 and opened as Fun Spot Action Park (later named Fun Spot America – Orlando) near the original ''Fun N Wheels'' location on
I-Drive
i-drive was a file hosting service that operated from 1998 to 2002.
The name derived from the words "Internet drive".
History
Based in San Francisco, the company was founded in 1998 with seed investors and launched its first product, an onlin ...
. The $4 million, park opened on December 24 featuring their signature, patented design of multi-level go-kart tracks, featuring three levels. The park also included a
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel (also called a Giant Wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondolas, capsule ...
and a two-story
video arcade
An amusement arcade (often referred to as a video arcade, amusements or simply arcade) is a venue where people play arcade games, including arcade video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers (such as ...
among other attractions.
In 2010, Fun Spot purchased an additional 10 acres of vacant land next to their Orlando location. 2011 was spent researching nearly 30 parks and 50 roller coasters across the country planning a major expansion of the park. Late in 2011, they met with three professional roller coaster salesmen. Ground was broken in 2012 for the expansion that tripled the size of Fun Spot Action Park, turning it into Fun Spot America - Orlando. $25 million was spent on two new
roller coasters
A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are o ...
, the world's second tallest
Skycoaster (second only to their Kissimmee location), and numerous other attractions. The two coasters are the
wooden
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...
out and back roller coaster
White Lightning and the
Suspended Family Coaster
A Suspended Family Coaster is a steel inverted roller coaster built by Vekoma designed for families with no inversions. Just like all inverted roller coasters the train runs under the track with the seats directly attached to the wheel carriage. ...
Freedom Flyer. The skycoaster came from
MGM Grand Adventures in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
, where it had been disassembled in storage for 8 years. It is now the centerpiece of the park. Additional improvements include three new thrill rides, a new multi-level go-kart track, a new food court, a new ticket booth, additional parking, and rest rooms. A grand re-opening was held on June 8, 2013, celebrating the tripling of size of the park, as well as its 15th anniversary.
Fun Spot, in collaboration with
Gatorland, opened Gator Spot at the Orlando park on May 11, 2015. The $1 million attraction allows Gatorland to extend their brand to the
I-Drive
i-drive was a file hosting service that operated from 1998 to 2002.
The name derived from the words "Internet drive".
History
Based in San Francisco, the company was founded in 1998 with seed investors and launched its first product, an onlin ...
tourist area, with visitors able to hold, take photos with, and feed
alligators
An alligator is a large reptile in the Crocodilia order in the genus ''Alligator'' of the family Alligatoridae. The two extant species are the American alligator (''A. mississippiensis'') and the Chinese alligator (''A. sinensis''). Additiona ...
. The star of the attraction is a
leucistic
Leucism () is a wide variety of conditions that result in the partial loss of pigmentation in an animal—causing white, pale, or patchy coloration of the skin, hair, feathers, scales, or cuticles, but not the eyes. It is occasionally spelled ' ...
alligator named Bouya, a white gator with blue eyes.
Attractions
Fun Spot America – Kissimmee
Fun Spot America – Kissimmee is located in
Kissimmee, Florida
Kissimmee ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 79,226. It is a Principal City of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area, wh ...
, adjacent to the
Old Town
In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...
entertainment and shopping complex. The park is designed as a circular walkway around the lagoon featuring the world's tallest
skycoaster, the entrance of which is on the west side of the lagoon. The south end of loop features the signature multi-level go-kart tracks, the east side the flat slick tracks. In the north east side of the loop is the Arcade and Kiddie Area and the Rockstar Coaster is at the north end of the loop.
History
In 1988 a second Fun N Wheels location was opened in Kissimmee next to the regional mall. Both locations were sold in 1988 to
Pleasurama USA, who also owned
Hard Rock Café at the time, with the expectation of expanding the concept to malls region wide. This however did not occur.
In 2004, Fun Spot purchased the site of the world's tallest
Skycoaster located in Kissimmee, adjacent to the
Old Town
In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...
entertainment and shopping complex. The site was purchased from Bill Kitchen, the inventor of the Skycoaster and owner of
Skyventure. The site also included a recently opened G-Force dragster ride. Fun Spot developed the 9 acres around the skycoaster into another amusement park call Fun Spot USA in 2007 (now Fun Spot America - Kissimmee). They added 2 multi-level go-kart tracks, family/thrill rides and an arcade. Summer of 2011 saw the arrival of Fun Spot's first major
roller coaster
A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are ...
, the Power Trip Coaster at the Kissimmee park (now Rockstar Coaster). The
Wild Mouse roller coaster
A wild mouse is a type of roller coaster consisting of single or spinning cars traversing a tight-winding track with an emphasis on sharp, unbanked turns. The upper portion of the track usually features multiple 180-degree turns, known as flat ...
, manufactured by
Zamperla
Antonio Zamperla S.p.A. is an Italian design and manufacturing company founded in 1966. It is best known for creating family rides, thrill rides and roller coasters worldwide. The company also makes smaller coin-operated rides commonly found in ...
, was relocated from
Cypress Gardens
Cypress Gardens was a botanical garden and theme park near Winter Haven, Florida that operated from 1936 to 2009. As of 2011, the botanical garden portion had been preserved inside the newly formed Legoland Florida.
History
Billed as Florid ...
, where it was known as Galaxy Spin, when Cypress Gardens closed and became
Legoland Florida.
Attractions
Fun Spot America – Atlanta
Fun Spot America – Atlanta is located on
Highway 85 in
Fayetteville, Georgia
Fayetteville is a city in and the county seat of Fayette County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 18,957, up from 15,945 at the 2010 census. Fayetteville is located south of downtown Atlanta.
In 2015 ...
.
History
In 2017, Fun Spot America purchased an existing Fun Junction USA park outside of
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
in
Fayetteville, Georgia
Fayetteville is a city in and the county seat of Fayette County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 18,957, up from 15,945 at the 2010 census. Fayetteville is located south of downtown Atlanta.
In 2015 ...
.
In early 2021, FunSpot teased photos for an upcoming
roller coaster
A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are ...
coming to the chain's FunSpot
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
location. The project was formally unveiled on November 16, 2021, at the annual
IAAPA Orlando Expo. Named
ArieForce One, FunSpot partnered with
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...
based manufacturer
Rocky Mountain Construction
Rocky Mountain Construction, often abbreviated as RMC, is a manufacturing and construction company based in Hayden, Idaho, United States. The company is best known for its I-Box track and Topper Track for wooden roller coasters.
History
In 200 ...
to construct a ground-up I-Box layout for the park.
ArieForce One is set to open in 2023.
Attractions
Former parks
*
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the east coast of the United States in Horry County, South Carolina. It is located in the center of a long and continuous stretch of beach known as "The Grand Strand" in the northeastern part of the state. Its ...
(opened in 1990, closed in 1998)
*
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...
(opened in 1992, closed in 1998)
Awards
Fun Spot was awarded the 2012 Brass Ring for "Top Family Entertainment Center (FEC) - North America" by the
International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions
The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) represents over 6,000 amusement-industry members in more than 100 countries worldwide and operates several global attractions-industry trade shows. Its annual IAAPA Expo in ...
(IAAPA).
References
External links
*
*Orlando -
*Kissimmee -
{{Theme Parks of Florida
Amusement parks in Orlando, Florida
Tourist attractions in Greater Orlando
Tourist attractions in Orange County, Florida
1979 establishments in Florida