Fun Spot America is adding the first barrel roll wood coaster in the Southeast United States to its Kissimmee location next summer.
The $6 million attraction is the second wood coaster for Fun Spot, which also has one at their Orlando location on International Drive. The new 2,256-foot-long coaster will have an 82-foot drop with 11 airtime events and a top speed of 48 mph. A 360-degree barrel roll makes it unique.
Fun Spot opened Orlando’s first wood coaster, White Lightning, in 2013. The 70-foot coaster also has a top speed of 48 mph.
Wood coasters arrived in the 1920s with iconic favorites like the Cyclone at Coney Island. They were found in nearly every amusement park until steel roller coasters with cheaper maintenance costs became the norm. Yet, the coasters have seen a nostalgic revival in the last decade. SeaWorld announced last month that they are opening a wooden coaster called InvadR at Busch Gardens Williamsburg next spring.
Fun Spot’s new coaster has yet to be named. It is being designed by the Gravity Group in Cincinnati, Ohio and will replace two flat-track Go-Kart courses, Road Course and Slick Track.