Fun Spot America Kissimmee

Fun Spot America Kissimmee is a family-owned amusement park located in Kissimmee, Florida, in the heart of Central Florida's tourist corridor just minutes from Walt Disney World. It is one of the parks operated under the Fun Spot America Theme Parks banner, a family business founded and run by John Arie, Sr., who has been active in the entertainment park industry since 1969. The Kissimmee site traces its lineage to the second Fun N Wheels action park that Arie opened in Kissimmee in 1988, and the Fun Spot brand was later moved to Orlando in 1997 before expanding across Central Florida. The park is built around a mix of thrill rides, family attractions and its signature multi-level go-kart tracks. Its ride lineup includes the Liberty Swing, a 90-foot swing ride; White Lightning, described by the park as Orlando's only wooden roller coaster, reaching speeds of up to 48 mph; Freedom Flyer, a family-friendly steel suspended inverted coaster; Mine Blower, a coaster with an 80-foot drop into an inversion; the towering Up And Overboard ride; a Splash Pad with more than 30 interactive water features; and Skycoasters that the park says are the two tallest in the world at 300 ft and 250 ft. The park also promotes its world-famous U.S.-patented multi-level go-kart tracks. Fun Spot America positions itself around the promise of "Safe-Clean-Fun" and the goal of giving guests their "#BestDayEver," with a stated culture built on the Golden Rule of treating others as you want to be treated. Beyond individual visitors, the Kissimmee and Orlando parks host corporate events, team-building activities and group outings, with customizable indoor and outdoor event spaces, catering and A/V options, accommodating groups from about 15 guests to more than 6,000. The Kissimmee park is part of a small regional group rather than a large national chain. The Fun Spot America brand also operates a park in Orlando on International Drive, and the company's history includes earlier Fun Spot locations in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Virginia Beach. As a family-owned and operated business, Fun Spot America emphasizes local ownership, seasonal and full-time employment, and a guest-service culture, and it markets itself to both local residents and the large international visitor base that travels to Central Florida, including Brazilian and Argentine families.

The history of Fun Spot America Kissimmee is closely tied to the career of founder John Arie, Sr., who has been part of the entertainment park industry since 1969. From 1969 through 1978, Arie operated and ran several small go-kart tracks. In 1979 he opened Fun N Wheels on International Drive in Orlando, Florida, then and still the heart of the city's tourist corridor. Fun N Wheels in Orlando was the first themed action park with multiple tracks, family rides and an open-air arcade, and it featured the world's second slick track and Central Florida's first figure-8 bridge tracks. The concept was well received by locals and tourists alike. In 1988, Arie opened his second Fun N Wheels in Kissimmee, Florida, just minutes from Walt Disney World. Both locations became staples in their communities and proved very successful. Arie sold the Fun N Wheels properties in 1988 and continued to manage the parks until 1991. In 1990 he opened the first Fun Spot in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and shortly afterward opened a Virginia Beach location. In 1994 he created what the company describes as the world's first sprint track, delivering side-by-side racing excitement in a concession kart environment, and he also developed aviation-inspired guardrails intended to be the safest, most efficient and most visually pleasing guardrail system in the industry. In 1997, Arie moved the Fun Spot brand to Orlando and began construction of the Orlando park at the north end of International Drive, close to his original Fun N Wheels site. The Fun Spot America Theme Parks group grew from these roots into a family-owned business with a long history in the industry, operating parks in the Orlando and Kissimmee area of Central Florida. The Kissimmee park, referenced in public data as an amusement park in Kissimmee, Florida, carries forward the Kissimmee location's lineage from the 1988 Fun N Wheels opening and the broader Fun Spot brand. Today the Kissimmee park operates as part of Fun Spot America Theme Parks, offering a mix of roller coasters, family rides, go-kart tracks, an arcade, a splash pad and Skycoaster attractions. The company continues to be family-owned and operated, emphasizing guest service, the Golden Rule and the goal of providing guests with their "#BestDayEver." It markets to local residents and to the large international tourist base visiting Central Florida, including Brazilian and Argentine families, and it hosts corporate and group events in addition to individual visitors.

• 1997

  Arie moves the Fun Spot brand to Orlando and begins construction of the Orlando park at the north end of International Drive.

• 1994

  Arie creates the world's first sprint track and develops aviation-inspired guardrails.

• 1990

  Arie opens the first Fun Spot in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, followed shortly by a Virginia Beach location.

• 1988

  Arie opens his second Fun N Wheels in Kissimmee, Florida, minutes from Walt Disney World; he sells the Fun N Wheels properties but continues to manage the parks until 1991.

• 1979

  Arie opens Fun N Wheels on International Drive in Orlando, Florida, the first themed action park with multiple tracks, family rides and an open-air arcade.

• 1969

  John Arie, Sr. begins working in the entertainment park industry, operating small go-kart tracks through 1978.

Family-owned, value-oriented Central Florida amusement park offering thrill rides, go-karts and family fun under the promise of "Safe-Clean-Fun" and the "#BestDayEver" guest experience.

• White Lightning

  Wooden roller coaster described by the park as Orlando's only wooden coaster, reaching speeds up to 48 mph.

• Mine Blower

  Coaster with an 80-foot drop straight into an inversion, packed with twists and turns.

• Freedom Flyer

  Family-friendly steel suspended inverted coaster.

• Liberty Swing

  90-foot-tall swing ride with traditional side-by-side seating or horizontal prone seating.

• Up And Overboard

  Massive 60-foot towering ride.

• Splash Pad

  State-of-the-art splash pad with slip-resistant soft flooring and over 30 interactive water toys and spraying elements.

• Skycoaster

  The park says it is home to the two tallest Skycoasters in the world at 300 ft and 250 ft.

• Go Karts

  World-famous U.S.-patented multi-level go-kart tracks.

1. 1Fun Spot America | Orlando Theme Parks | Family Attractionsfun-spot.com
2. 2About Fun Spot | Central Florida Theme Parksfun-spot.com
3. 3Fun Spot Careers | Fun Spot Jobs | Work At Theme Parkfun-spot.com
4. 4Fun Spot America Events | Team Building | Corporate Eventsfun-spot.com
5. 5Fun Sport America-Kissimmeewikidata.org