Day 2 of the IAAPA Trade Show and convention was another well-attended event with people from all over the world attending the festivities at the Orange County Convention Center.  There were lots of new rides and attractions revealed, a  purchase of a long time player in the amusement industry and plenty of learning, trading stories and talk about the future.

Attendees from all parts of the industry could be found around the trade show floor and many manufacturers and suppliers reported still strong demand for new equipment and expansion.

Fun Spot America

In park news, Fun Spot America Theme Parks will be adding five new rides across their three parks, just in time for the Holidays.

The three Fun Spot parks, located in Orlando, Kissimmee, and Atlanta, will be getting five new attractions which will bring a mix of fresh thrills and family-friendly experiences for guests of all ages.

“We're always looking for ways to keep our parks fresh and exciting for our guests,” said John Arie, Jr., CEO of Fun Spot America. “Adding these rides is a great way for us to continue to offer new, unique and memorable experiences. This is a HUGE investment for Fun Spot America and we're excited to add something special to each of our parks. Guests will soon experience two new rides in Orlando, two in Kissimmee and one at our park in Atlanta.”

The rides, manufactured by SBF-Visa Group, have been relocated to Fun Spot from The Funplex in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The new experiences include:

• The silly and colorful Tea Cups at Fun Spot Orlando, replacing the park's existing version while still offering the classic family ride experience.
  
  
• The MACH FUN tower ride which takes guests for a side-by-side flight through the air. Guests will climb and dive all while controlling the height and roll of their plane as they flip 360 degrees. Reaching an altitude of 50 feet, the MACH FUN is the tallest interactive 360° Flying Jet Ride in North America.
  
  
• Adding to the fun at Fun Spot Kissimmee, the Swing Around will be located in the Kids Spot section of the park. Developed especially for Fun Spot's youngest guests, Swing Around is a classic swing attraction.
  
  
• Kissimmee guests will set sail on the massive 60-foot-tall Up and Overboard, an SBF-Visa Group Inverted Pendulum ride. Featuring twin gondolas, guests will experience the feeling of complete weightlessness as they swing through the air. Evening rides will be memorable, too, as the Up and Overboard brightens the sky with its vivid colors and dancing lights.  
  
  
• At Fun Spot America Atlanta, the thrilling golf-themed Hook & Slice will spin guests clockwise and then surprise them with a counterclockwise revolution. The experience will wow guests as they wind, whirl, and catch air on this family-friendly thrill ride.

 
“The introduction of these new rides is just the latest example of Fun Spot's ongoing commitment to bring added value and excitement to guests of all ages at all of our parks,” Arie continued. “Each ride has been chosen to complement the character of the park it is headed to, and will bring fresh energy to the overall guest experience. While we are adding to the fun, we are not increasing our season pass prices or our single Day Pass cost. A visit to one of our parks means a day of safe, clean fun along with great value and experiences.”

Fun Spot's season passholders will be among the first to learn when the rides will open. Additional information about the rides, hours of operation and more will be shared on Fun Spot America's social media channels and websites.

Starting as a small five-acre park with go-karts, rides and an arcade, Fun Spot America Theme Parks debuted on December 24, 1997, in Orlando, Florida. Twenty-six years later, Fun Spot America now features more than 100 acres of attractions across three diverse and unique locations. The flagship Orlando location includes the city's first wooden roller coaster in its 31-ride collection. With 29 rides, the Kissimmee Park boasts the world's tallest Sky Coaster ride and Mine Blower, Florida's only inverted wooden roller coaster. Located just south of the city and featuring 27 rides, the Atlanta location added ArieForce One, the company's fastest roller coaster, in March 2023, to its ride collection which includes the four-story Sampson go-kart track, and the new Screamin' Eagles attraction.

 

Extreme Legacy

During a press conference at the IAAPA trade show, executives announced the launch and creation of Extreme Legacy, a full-service engineering design and manufacturing firm that services the amusement, attractions and leisure industries. Jaimie Enterkin was announced as chief executive officer.

Extreme Legacy purchased Extreme Engineering's 30 year portfolio of attractions. The purchase consists of the rights to Extreme Engineering's intellectual property and expertise in engineering design and fabrication. The company's name, Extreme Legacy, was chosen as a nod to Extreme Engineering's 30-year legacy of creating  award-winning attractions and providing breakthrough solutions around the globe.  The company is known for family coasters, zip lines and climbing walls, among other attractions.

“Extreme Engineering has exhibited at IAAPA Expo for 25 years,” said Phil Wilson, chief development officer and president, strategic partnerships, Extreme Legacy. “We could not think of a better time or place to announce the launch of Extreme Legacy than right here. Today we acknowledge the history that brought us here while moving forward and inventing for the future.”

Chief Executive Officer Jaimie Enterkin said, “Extreme Legacy is an inventive engineering design and manufacturing firm. We approach each project by partnering with our clients to anticipate their needs and then develop new products and solutions to meet them.”

Enterkin further said, “I'm proud of the work this team has done to get us here today. Extreme Legacy is a majority woman-owned company and as its CEO, I'm excited to be here at IAAPA Expo, immersed in the diversity of talent and experience that defines this industry.”

Extreme Legacy is based in Orlando, Florida and has manufacturing facilities in Texas. In 2025, the company has plans to expand its manufacturing capabilities in Central Florida.

Stay tuned for more news and information on Day 3 of the IAAPA trade show from Orlando.