Mine Blower Wooden Coaster Opens At Fun Spot America
Today, Mine Blower opened at Fun Spot America in Kissimmee, Florida. The Gravity Group built wooden roller coaster has been highly anticipated for its 360-degree barrel-roll maneuver over the rides station.
Don’t let looks deceive you… The new coaster may look small and compact at first, but this little guy packs a powerful punch! The new coaster is compacted into a small space, but offers 2,256 feet of track. With a lift hill height of 82 feet, a first drop of 80.5 feet, and a top speed of 48.5 MPH, this thing is a true hair raiser!
“The most intense wooden roller coaster I’ve ever been on” said Jeanne Pickel after her second ride on Mine Blower. Even TV show celebs such as Kyle Vest from “Skin Wars” body painting show said “It’s pretty intense, especially the barrel roll!”.
Though riders are taken upside down in the barrel-roll and reach bank angles up to 115 degrees, they aren’t restrained with an over-the-shoulder harness. Instead, a curved lap bar designed by the Gravity Group helps create a better ride experience using inertia for the over-banked turns and 11 different air time hills. “It gives you the freedom to move your head and arms. It’s really cool,” said John Arie Jr., chief operating officer of Fun Spot.
The smoothness and airtime moments on Mine Blower definitely top the list of the highlights for the new woodie. And, of course we can’t forget about the high-banking moments … aka what designers refer to as a “heart over head” moments! Mine Blower moves you up, down, around, and upside down!
Check out the video below for a look at Mine Blower’s Grand Opening Runs!
Fun Spot officials have said that the ride represents a $6 million investment for the park, the highest the company has ever invested in a single ride. Mine Blower was built on the east side of the park, which was once home to two flat-land Go-Kart tracks. The new coaster is Fun Spot Kissimmee’s second roller coaster, following Rockstar – a spinning wild mouse ride.
“There are no other parks around Orlando that have a wooden coaster, and it gives us the upper hand,” CEO John Arie Jr said with a smile. “As we continue to build and grow, there’s probably going to be more in our future as well. We could have an announcement soon. Maybe even within the next month… You never know.”
Visitors will pay $9 to ride the new coaster, or it can be bundled with other rides for an all-day pass. Season passes are on sale with a HUGE price break for a limited time. For season pass pricing and more information, visit the official Fun Spot website by clicking here.
Mine blower offers some great photo vantage points, check out these photos from today’s Grand Opening event!
And of course Fun Spot didn’t forget about awesome coaster swag!
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