Fun Spot Kissimmee’s Hurricane coaster open
New attraction has hairpin turns and tops out at 52 feet
A new roller coaster has blown into town. Hurricane is now operating at Fun Spot’s location in Kissimmee.
Technically, it’s located in the far end of neighboring Old Town, which is home to a handful of other Fun Spot rides that are included in a day-long ticket. It stands on the end of the street.
It’s not a giant coaster; its footprint is about the size of a cul-de-sac.
But the first drop on my first ride was a jaw-dropper. The view is way steeper looking from up top than it was on solid ground. It was a silent scream as I was the only rider and it felt kind of ridiculous to yelp all alone with just a single ride operator around. Still, I felt a little Richie Rich with my own private thrill ride. (To be fair, this was a weekday afternoon in mid-January, which is no one’s busy time in the tourism corridor.)
That drop was followed by hairpin turns, another drop and a series of humps and bumps — think Slinky Dog Dash at Disney’s
Hollywood Studios, but closer to the ground. As scares go, it’s not too harrowing after that initial shocking descent. I did have a moment of pause as the train, which seats six passengers, faces the brick street below.
Hurricane tops out at 52 feet. Its height requirement for riders is 42 inches.
It does not have that new coaster smell. The ride was moved from the Wild Adventures attraction in Valdosta, Ga., where it was known as Viking Voyage. Previous to that, it was called the Jack Rabbit and operated at Celebration City in Branson, Mo., according