According to the Orlando Sentinel, two towering, record-breaking attractions are set to open at Orlando’s ICON Park tomorrow, December 28th.
What’s Happening:
- Touted as the tallest attractions of their kind in the world, the Orlando FreeFall is a 430 ft tall drop tower attraction, while the Orlando SlingShot stands 300 ft, but “slingshots” riders about 450 ft into the air.
- The Orlando FreeFall will slowly lift 30 riders at a time to the top of the tower, and then will tilt towards the ground by 30 degrees, before dropping face first at 75 mph. This is similar to Falcon’s Fury, a drop tower at Busch Gardens Tampa.
- The Orlando SlingShot will launch thrill seekers out of an “exploding volcano” at speeds of up to 100 mph.
- Both attractions have been testing recently with riders on board, however tomorrow will be the first day they’re open to the public.
- Guests must be 44 inches to ride the Orlando SlingShot and 50 inches to ride the Orlando FreeFall.
- The new attractions join the Orlando StarFlyer, a swirling swing ride, and the landmark Orlando Wheel at the retail and entertainment complex on I-Drive. The two latest projects were announced in 2019.
- The company behind ICON Park also plans to open its Sunset Walk SlingShot in Kissimmee next month.
- A ticket for Orlando SlingShot is $30; it’s $12 for Orlando FreeFall. There are also combo tickets for both or with StarFlyer that range from $20 to $50.
What They’re Saying:
- “People see the ride in action, and they’re like, ‘Can we ride, can we ride?’” John Stine, director of sales and marketing, said Monday.
- For SlingShot, “the riders will walk up onto the gondola into the two seats that will lower down into the volcano. There’ll be rumbling, and there’ll be smoke, and then when the ride’s ready to launch, we’ll launch them out of the exploding volcano,” owner Ritchie Armstrong said earlier this year. “It’s creative, and it actually gives the people a little bit more of an experience.”