The nonprofit organizers of the Citrus Bowl, Florida Citrus Sports, has announced a five-year partnership with local theme park chain Fun Spot America to make it the official theme park for its bowl games and Camping World Stadium.
The deal with Florida Citrus Sports, which is also in charge of the Camping World Bowl and Florida Classic, will make Fun Spot one of the four main stadium partners, along with AdventHealth, Massey Services and SunPass. The Gate D entrance at Camping World Stadium will have “Fun Spot imagery throughout,” along with signage for the park chain inside the seating area.
“At Florida Citrus Sports, we’ve always emphasized family values, and in Fun Spot America, we believe we’ve found the perfect partner,” Florida Citrus Sports CEO Steve Hogan said in a press release. “For more than 20 years, Fun Spot America has brought families closer together, and we look forward to working with this incredible organization to do the same at Camping World Stadium.”
Fun Spot America’s origins date back to 1979 with the small Fun N Wheels park located at International Drive and Sand Lake Road, which featured multiple go-kart tracks, bumper cars and an arcade. Orlando’s current Fun Spot park opened in 1997, with the company later expanding to Kissimmee in 2007 and Fayetteville, Georgia in 2017.
It had a pre-existing relationship with Florida Citrus Sports, such as hosting the Citrus Bowl’s annual Days for Kids event.
“My dad always taught me to treat others how you want to be treated, and that has been our guiding principle for over 20 years,” said John Arie Jr., CEO of Fun Spot America. “We knew that partnering with Florida Citrus Sports was the right decision for us after seeing how involved they are in the community, and I look forward to growing together and making a HUGE impact on the best city in America.”
The increased visibility at Camping World Stadium may help Fun Spot’s plans for expansion in Orlando. Following the development of 15 additional acres in 2013 — tripling the size of the park — the company announced long-term plans in 2017 to develop another 12 acres. In recent years, it’s added more thrill rides to its Central Florida parks like the Mine Blower roller coaster in Kissimmee and the 40-foot-tall Headrush 360 in Orlando.