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GCI (possibly a Big Fun) for Fun Spot, Florida

Ben

CF Legend
Just noticed this on TPR's Facebook page...

"It was announced this evening on a podcast that Fun Spot Action Park will be getting a Great Coasters International wooden roller coaster! We don't know too many details, but will post them as soon as we find out! LIKE this if you LIKE this!!! =)"

CBA to go find any more...

And then...

"Theme Park Review The "rumor" was that it is to be a "Big Fun" - LIKE the original post if want a "BIG FUN" at "Fun Spot!" (and share this update too!)"

Makes sense. Fun Spot. Big Fun. Not a coincidence? Call me a cynic, but, I'd say they designed it for Fun Spot and then just decided to release it to anyone.
 

nadroJ

CF Legend
Sounds like a reasonable explanation, I don't see why not.

Although..........it does mean actually, yno, going to Fun Spot </3
 

Darren B

Giga Poster
Well for us Brits its hardly "OMFG, fun spot is getting a 'big fun' GCI"....

However it will be good to see what kind of impact it brings to a small park. Maybe with a positive outcome, a few parks closer to home may explore the option.
 

Darren B

Giga Poster
Ben said:
Yeah, cause, no Brits ever go to Florida or anything. Such a dream away <//3

Ummmm, your 'one up' failed babes <//3, Wasn't really what i was saying was it?

I would certainly like to see this being built, but your not going to get the eccentric reaction out of this as you would in say, a smaller British park where we would appreciate it more.
 

Ben

CF Legend
No, that is what you were implying "babes".

Sadly for you, the World is larger than Britain. Some of us can appreciate things that are further than a stone's throw away.
 

Darren B

Giga Poster
That's not at all what i was implying, I can certainly appreciate this to the point where i will continue to follow it. It's a fantastic concept which drew my attention to it upon its annoucement at IAPAA.

My standing point is however the park it's going to (potentially) doesn't get me all up in excitement. I've been to Florida before and i will be sure to go again, so im sure i will ride it at some point in time, However Florida has an abundence of world class coasters, this would be one of many, thus taking away some of the excitement that you would get from building it at lets say DMP or LWV.
 

ECG

East Coast(er) General
Staff member
Administrator
All I've got to say is YAY!
The kid & I love Fun Spot & go there every year to ride the go-karts. This year they put in the old wild mouse from Cypress Gardens & now they're getting this. Fun Spot is HUGE!
 

Ben

CF Legend
RCDB has another new cred listed as arriving at the same time as this, March 2013. Don't know how accurate that is, but, take it as you will.

The Mouse isn't listed on there though.

I think it's really cool they're doing something like this, it makes me happy. Also, what UC said <3
 

nadroJ

CF Legend
Am I the only one who finds the place really ghetto? Only in the past few years, mind. We've always popped in for an evening after maybe a water park or something to do the go-karts etc, but last time we went there wasn't exactly a very good 'crowd' there. I know that after spending a day in a Disney park that any idea about what a good crowd actually is can be skewed, but last time I went to fun spot it was full of drunken, loud, gross people. Not exactly the kind of place you'd take a family anyway.
 

Darren B

Giga Poster
UC said:
The only reason you don't view Fun Spot like that, though, is because they don't have enough rides to, in your mind, "compete" with the other parks you're referring to. This argument is, of course, irrelevant, because Fun Spot is neither designed to compete with those parks, nor attempting to do so.

So, your argument really doesn't make much sense. According to you, a park "surrounded by world class coasters" adding an attraction that will entertain plenty of people doesn't generate the excitement you feel it would by adding it in a place with less competition - but what you don't understand is this type of attraction is exactly the kind of thing people go to Funspot for, and thus, is right at home there.

In fact, given anywhere in the world a ride like this could have gone, Ben is exactly right - Florida is probably one of the best places for it, seeing as a large percentage of Florida park patrons are international - thus giving a far, far wider audience for such a ride than, say, a park in Britain.

Going by this logic, it's actually more reasonable to say that the location of this ride would generate more excitement on the whole, seeing as how it's in a far more accessible location to the world than, "let's say DMP or LWV."

So, yes, this really is as Ben puts it - it is exactly why it's important to understand there is a world outside of the UK.

Your statement in the whole is knowledgable and fairly put, but my argument isn't taken from what you have defended as such, Your stating that there is a world outside of britain, of course your correct 100%, I understand that as much as the next person. My simple statement, and thats all it was, is that in general sense there isn't going to be overwhelming cries of joy this side of the pond. Will there be interest that one of these are being built? yes of course there will be, and rightly so, but many Brits will think like me, 'i hope we see one of these closer to home now'

Your argument about it being a good fit in Florida though, I will challenge, Is it going to a small park, where the said coaster will vastly increase the quality of the park, Yes, no doubt about it. Will people (GP/enthusiasts/thrillseekers) be overly excited about this being in Florida, not really, regular visitors to Fun Spot yes, the rest, not so much. Like we've both agreed Florida has an abundence of world class coasters,
a compact GCI will fit nicely, but won't give out the wow factor like it would in other locations.
 

nadroJ

CF Legend
^The problem you bring up there, Darren, is that a TON of Brits holiday in Florida. I mean ridiculous amounts. Florida (Orlando in particular) is probably the most realistic place in the USA many Brits can see themselves going. It's stupidly accessible and popular to British families, and of course everybody isn't going to go, but a lot will. I mean, not just a few 'lucky' ones, but a lot. The Orlando holiday is kind of a given for most British families now, it's nothing out of the ordinary or 'impossible' anymore.

So I do understand where you're coming from, but I think you're failing to look at this from a broader perspective.
 

Darren B

Giga Poster
^ Your Bang on. The only real issue with that is Florida has become more of a 1 in 3 year kind of holiday at the moment, for me anyways, I can't speak for any other members, but with all the belt tightening etc. going on at the moment it's a struggle.

I must state that i am really pleased to see one of these going up (hopefully), And im certainly looking forward to riding it in the future. But i would love to see one of these go up where i would have regular access to it, that's all. They look fab <3
 

marc

CF Legend
It is expensive now that's for sure. 5 years ago a 14 day Disney pass was £120 it's now over £300!
 

rollermonkey

Strata Poster
East Coast(er) General said:
All I've got to say is YAY!
The kid & I love Fun Spot & go there every year to ride the go-karts. This year they put in the old wild mouse from Cypress Gardens & now they're getting this. Fun Spot is HUGE!

I thought these rides were going in to the Fun Spot next to Old Town.

Now, I'm not sure it isn't one of the Fun Spot locations up on I-Drive.
 

CMonster

Giga Poster
Screamscape said:
The head of marketing for Fun Spot Orlando came onto the latest episode of In The Loop and confirmed that they have purchased an L-shaped wooden coaster from the great team at GCI that will run along the road on their new section of property, and be highly visible from the local roads and freeways. The new coaster will open around February 2013, along with a small steel coaster (design and make not yet finalized) and will be one of about a dozen new rides, and four waterslides, transforming the park into it’s new name… Fun Spot America. One of the park’s existing go-kart tracks (a two level one) will be modified and expanded into a new five level track as part of this project as well. They are also looking into the possibility of adding a smaller (150ft or so) Skycoaster to the site as well.

So, probably not the Big Fun, as that's not L-shaped. Still, it sounds like this place will be amazing when its all finished!

Is this the Fun Spot with the layered Go-Karts on I-4 near the Wonderworks and Universal and such? It has the big bungee shot...

EDIT: No, that's something different.
 

Ollie

CF Legend
I've only been to the Fun Spot in Kissimmee (with the skycoaster) and it was quite fun. The go kart tracks are the most interesting I've seen and it has quite a few good rides.
The spinning wild mouse there was **** though. As soon as you hit the anti-locking brakes you just stayed facing that direction for the rest of the ride.

However Old Town (next to Fun Spot) was a bit run down and poorly lit at night which is a bit ghetto. Although I found Fun Spot fine and it was a nice addition to the end of one of the days.

The other Fun Spot park I think we drove past at one point on the way somewhere so I'm not too sure on how much space and stuff they have apart from the park map as the leaflets had maps of both parks.
 

ECG

East Coast(er) General
Staff member
Administrator
I was talking about both parks since the kid & I always visit both during our annual stay in Orlando. We go to the one in Kissimmee on our way back from Busch Gardens & the other one after our day at SeaWorld. We buy the two day wrist bands which allow us to ride the go-karts & flat rides (or coasters, as will be the case) as much as we want & the go-kart tracks are among the best to be found anywhere (certainly in Orlando). The ones at Magical Midway (which is the place CMonster/Corey mentioned) are wood, whereas the Fun Spot ones have concrete tracks.
Like Ollie said, the wild mouse at the one in Kissimmee is just good for the cred & I imagine that the new steel one at the one off International Drive will be the same, but I'm hoping that the GCI will be worth re-riding a few times.
So for most of you visiting Orlando, the parks are only good for a quick stop to get the credz (buy the individual tickets), but if you're into go-karts then it's worth spending more time at each park (the tracks have different layouts at each park) & purchasing the all-day wristbands. You can purchase two wrist bands at a discounted price at whichever park you visit first & use the other one at the other park on a different day. However you can't use the wristband that you purchase at one park at the other park on the same day.
 
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