Fun Spot Orlando Opens Sky Hawk, a First-of-its-Kind Swing Ride to Mark First New Attraction in 5 Years
Many tourists spend a week or more in Central Florida without ever exploring the International Drive area. Besides its seemingly endless line of restaurants, hotels, and shops (along with cursory attractions like Ripley’s Believe It or Not, miniature golf courses, and escape rooms), the corridor is bustling with new attractions that have been built in recent years.
The I-Drive skyline, once dominated by the SkyCoaster, is now dotted with neon attractions like The Wheel at ICON Park (formerly the Orlando Eye) and the Starflyer swing ride.
After an expansion in 2013 and more rides that joined the mix in 2016, Fun Spot is adding its first new attraction in five years, and they promise unique thrills courtesy of the Sky Hawk.
The Origin of Fun (Spot)
Fun Spot can be considered one of the first International Drive attractions. It first opened in 1979 as Fun N Wheels near the Wet ‘n Wild water park. The park was sold in 1988, but in 1997, Fun Spot Action Park opened near the Fun N Wheels location and featured several go-kart tracks and a giant arcade.
After opening a sister location near Kissimmee in 2004, Fun Spot in Orlando purchased a neighboring 10 acres of land that tripled the park’s size. By 2013, several new rides (some of which were brand new and others that were purchased from other theme parks across the country) opened on the property, giving the park carnival rides, games, and even roller coasters to complement the existing go-kart tracks and arcade. Fun Spot proved to be popular among both tourists and locals.
Among the highlights are White Lightning, the only wooden roller coaster in Orlando, and Gator Spot, an attraction that has given guests the chance to hold and feed live alligators since opening in 2015 (an event held in collaboration with nearby Gatorland).
This led to the expansion of many other thrill-type offerings on the I-Drive corridor, including the ICON Park complex with the Wheel attraction, aquarium, and Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum.
Unique Take on a Giant Swing Ride
The Starflyer took swing rides to new heights—literally—with riders careening up and down a tower at speeds of up to 45 miles per hour. Fun Spot announced the Sky Hawk, which opened in June 2021 to mark the park’s 23rd birthday celebration to provide a new twist on that standalone attraction.
What makes the Sky Hawk unique is that you can choose two ways to ride. One is the traditional way, sitting next to another passenger like you’re sitting on a swing set. But if you want to crank up the thrill-factor, you can elect to ride horizontally (aka prone—on your stomach) as you get a true bird’s eye view of not only the park, but also all of International Drive, the attractions area, and even the nearby downtown Orlando skyline.
Sky Hawk’s prone seating option is a first in the history of swing rides! In addition to the amazing views it provides, the attraction itself is a dazzling sight, especially at night, as the 90-foot tower is decked out with programmable LED lights.
The Low Down on the High-Flying Ride
This isn’t your typical kid’s swing ride that you’ll find at your local carnival. The height requirement is 48 inches. It’s $10 to ride as standalone admission, but you can ride as many times as you want as part of a single-day pass, which is $48.95. Additionally, 2021 season passes are available online for $99.95, a $50 savings over the price at the gate.
The Sky Hawk was designed and constructed by a 50-member team from A.R.M., Inc. out of Wintersville, Ohio—a ride manufacturer that’s been delivering ride systems around the world since 1998.
Fun Spot now contains 31 total rides, ranging from thrilling coasters to family favorites like bumper boats and bumper cars. There are also carnival favorites like the Scrambler and Tilt-a-Whirl, along with several rides designed to be a blast for adults and kiddos alike. Oh, and don’t forget about the 10,000-square-foot arcade! It’s a great place to continue the fun while you cool off from the summer heat or take shelter from one of Central Florida’s afternoon thunderstorms.
And if you’re a night owl, Fun Spot is definitely the place for you. While most of the area’s parks and attractions close around 9 or 10 p.m., Fun Spot is open until midnight on most nights. Fun Spot also touts short wait times, free parking, and free general admission.
If you’re interested in getting a sneak peek at the Sky Hawk in action, check out this YouTube link that will show you the entire ride from the perspective of someone on the ground. Now let’s get out there and get radical dudes!
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