Mine Blower

Last updated

Mine Blower
Mine Blower at Fun Spot Kissimmee.jpg
Mine Blower
Fun Spot America (Kissimmee)
Location Fun Spot America (Kissimmee)
Coordinates 28°19′49″N81°30′53″W / 28.3303512°N 81.5146559°W / 28.3303512; -81.5146559
StatusOperating
Opening dateJune 23, 2017
Cost$6,000,000
ReplacedGo-Karts [1]
General statistics
Type Wood
Manufacturer The Gravity Group
Lift/launch systemChain lift hill
Height83 ft (25 m)
Drop80.5 ft (24.5 m)
Length2,290 ft (700 m)
Speed48.5 mph (78.1 km/h)
Inversions 1
Max vertical angle65°
Height restriction48 in (122 cm)
Trains2 trains with 6 cars. Riders are arranged 2 across in a single row for a total of 12 riders per train.
Mine Blower at RCDB

Mine Blower is a hybrid wooden roller coaster located at Fun Spot America Kissimmee, in Kissimmee, Florida. Manufactured by The Gravity Group, the compact roller coaster is one of only three wooden roller coasters in Florida, the others being White Lightning at Fun Spot America Orlando and Coastersaurus at Legoland Florida. Features of the ride include a zero-gravity roll above the station area, as well as a 115° overbanked turn.

Contents

History

In December 2016, it was speculated that Fun Spot America Kissimmee was going to build a new roller coaster for $6 million. [2] The name for the attraction was announced on February 5, 2017, during the 2017 Super Bowl. [3] [4] In May 2017, parts of the roller coaster were revealed during construction, including the 115° overbanked turn. [5] On June 15, 2017, it was announced that Mine Blower would be opening later in the month. [6] [7] Mine Blower opened to the public eight days later, on June 23. [8] [9]

Ride experience

The ride starts with a mild 180° turn to the left, taking it straight into the lift hill. It takes approximately 23 seconds to ascend before the ride hits another 180° turnaround to the left, and plunges just over 80 feet before going into the only inversion, a zero-gravity roll. Then, it goes into the first high speed turnaround of many to the left, leading straight up an airtime hill that's followed by a "double down", then passing another bunny hill, and into a right hand turnaround. Two more small hills follow, and then goes towards the 115° over-banked turn to the right. A few more curvy airtime hills sprint the train towards a low lying, left hand turnaround, up another two hills, and into the brake run. [10] [11] [12]

Mine Blower is one of 8 wooden roller coasters with at least one inversion as of its construction. [13]

Characteristics

Support structure

Mine Blower is a Gravity Group wooden roller coaster that is built with a steel support structure. [11]

Trains

Mine Blower utilizes two custom themed "Timberliner" trains that seat 12 passengers each. [11] [14] [15] The train front consists of a firework and dynamite figurehead. [14]

Statistics

Mine Blower is 2,290 feet (700 m) long, 83 feet (25 m) tall, and reaches a top speed of 48.5 mph (78 km/h). [11] This is currently the longest, tallest, and fastest of the three operating wooden coasters in Florida.[ citation needed ]

Reception

Golden Ticket Awards: Best New Ride for 2017
Ranking
3 [16]
Golden Ticket Awards: Top wood Roller Coasters
Year2018
Ranking48 [17]

Note: Mine Blower has not charted in the Golden Ticket Awards since 2018.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wooden roller coaster</span> Type of roller coaster

A wooden roller coaster is a type of roller coaster classified by its wooden track, which consists of running rails made of flat steel strips mounted on laminated wood. The support structure is also typically made of wood, but may also be made of steel lattice or truss, which has no bearing on a wooden coaster's classification. The type of wood often selected in the construction of wooden coasters worldwide is southern yellow pine, which grows abundantly in the southern United States, due to its density and adherence to different forms of pressure treatment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kumba (roller coaster)</span> Ride at Busch Gardens Tampa

Kumba is a steel roller coaster located at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride opened in 1993. It stands 143 feet (44 m) tall and has a top speed of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). Kumba features a total of seven inversions across the 3-minute ride.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skycoaster</span> Amusement park ride

Skycoaster is the name of a free-fall and flight-simulating amusement park attraction produced and managed by Skycoaster Company, LLC.. On the Skycoaster, riders in groups of 1 to 3 are harnessed in specialized Flight Suits, and are winched to the top of a launch tower; the riders then pull a ripcord to engage their “flight”, upon which they swing several times from a cable tether, back and forth, until finally brought to a rest. The attraction is often compared to a combination of skydiving, bungee jumping, and hang gliding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Incredible Hulk Coaster</span> Roller coaster at Islands of Adventure

The Incredible Hulk Coaster is a launched roller coaster located at Universal Islands of Adventure theme park within the Universal Orlando Resort. Designed by Werner Stengel and manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), the roller coaster is themed after the Hulk comic book superhero and opened to the public on May 28, 1999. It is the first B&M coaster themed to a Marvel Comics superhero character and the first to feature a launch design, which was primarily implemented by Universal Creative and MTS Systems Corporation.

Kraken (roller coaster) Steel roller coaster at SeaWorld Orlando

Kraken is a steel roller coaster located at SeaWorld Orlando in Florida, United States. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the ride opened as the second longest floorless coaster in the world on June 1, 2000, with a track length measuring 4,177 feet (1,273 m). It features a total of seven inversions and reaches a maximum speed of 65 mph (105 km/h). The coaster was named after a fictional sea monster of the same name. In late 2016, Kraken underwent a refurbishment and reopened as Kraken Unleashed in June 2017. A virtual reality experience was added to the ride, but due to technical difficulties and extensive wait times, the feature was permanently removed the following year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iron Gwazi</span> Hybrid roller coaster in Tampa, Florida

Iron Gwazi is a steel-track hybrid roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, a theme park in Tampa, Florida, United States. Development of the original Gwazi began in July 1998, when Busch Gardens announced that it would build a wooden roller coaster on land formerly occupied by the Anheuser-Busch brewery. Great Coasters International (GCI) built Gwazi, a wooden dueling roller coaster with two separate tracks. The ride was named after a fabled creature with a tiger's head and a lion's body. Trains riding on both tracks, respectively named Lion and Tiger, reached a height of 105.4 feet (32.1 m) and a maximum speed of 51 mph (82 km/h).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit</span> Steel roller coaster

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is a steel roller coaster at Universal Studios Florida in Orlando, Florida. With a height of 167 feet (51 m), a length of 3,800 feet (1,200 m), and a top speed of 65 miles per hour (105 km/h), it is the largest X-Coaster ever built by German manufacturer Maurer Söhne. Announced on March 19, 2008, the coaster officially debuted on August 19, 2009, despite original plans to open several months earlier in the spring. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit features on-ride music LED lighting, and on-ride photos and videos captured from cameras mounted in each passenger row.

<i>Manta</i> (SeaWorld Orlando) Flying roller coaster

Manta is a steel flying roller coaster at SeaWorld Orlando. The attraction allows guests to encounter numerous species of ray before boarding a manta ray-shaped train that takes them on a 3,359-foot-long (1,024 m) roller coaster ride above the park, reaching top speeds of 56 miles per hour (90 km/h). Designed by Swiss firm Bolliger & Mabillard, Manta restrains riders in the prone position and features four inversions. The well-received attraction officially opened to the public on May 22, 2009. Their slogan is "Dive deep, fly high...".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legoland Florida</span> Lego themed resort in Winter Haven, Florida

Legoland Florida Resort is a vacation destination in Winter Haven, Florida. The resort features the Legoland Florida theme park itself, the Legoland Water Park, three on-site accommodations and a separately-ticketed on-site park based on the British children's animated series Peppa Pig that opened on February 24, 2022.

This is a list of events and openings related to amusement parks that occurred in 2013. These various lists are not exhaustive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Lightning (roller coaster)</span> Wooden roller coaster in Orlando, Florida

White Lightning is a wooden roller coaster located at Fun Spot America amusement park in Orlando, Florida. Manufactured by Great Coasters International (GCI), White Lightning opened to the public on June 8, 2013, as the first wooden coaster to be built in Orlando. Unlike traditional wood designs, the support structure is made of steel to reduce maintenance costs, and it was the first time GCI incorporated the design into one of their coasters. White Lightning has also been well-received, consistently ranking in the top 50 among wooden roller coasters in the annual Golden Ticket Awards from Amusement Today.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fun Spot America Theme Parks</span> Amusement park in Orlando, Florida

Fun Spot America Theme Parks is a group of amusement parks. Since 1979, the group has owned and operated a number of small amusement parks over the years and currently has three locations in Orlando, Florida, Kissimmee, Florida, and Fayetteville, Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freedom Flyer</span>

Freedom Flyer is a Vekoma Suspended Family Coaster at the Fun Spot America Amusement Park in Orlando, Florida. It has yellow track and blue supports. Opened in May 2013, it is 1,295 feet (395 m) long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mako (roller coaster)</span> Steel roller coaster at SeaWorld Orlando

Mako is a steel roller coaster located at SeaWorld Orlando in Orlando, Florida, United States. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard, the hypercoaster model opened to the public on June 10, 2016. Mako is named after the mako shark and is located in the Sea of Mystery section of the park. It reaches a height of 200 feet (61 m), a maximum speed of 73 mph (117 km/h), and features a track length of 4,760 feet (1,450 m).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cobra's Curse</span> Steel roller coaster in Tampa, US

Cobra's Curse is a steel spinning roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida, United States. The roller coaster, opened in 2016, was manufactured by Mack Rides, features an elevator-style lift, and was the first new ride to open at the park since Falcon's Fury opened in 2014. Cobra's Curse presents a fictional story about the ancient Egyptian ruler the Snake King Venymyss and his curse upon his lost kingdom. The roller coaster has a track length of 2,100 feet (640 m), reaches a height of 70 feet (21 m), and has a maximum speed of 40 mph (64 km/h).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Infinity Falls</span> River raft ride at SeaWorld Orlando

Infinity Falls is a river raft ride manufactured by Intamin located at SeaWorld Orlando in Orlando, Florida. The ride opened on October 4, 2018, holding the record for tallest drop on a river raft ride.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tigris (roller coaster)</span> Steel roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa

Tigris is a steel launched roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay theme park in Tampa, Florida, United States. Built on the former Tanganyika Tidal Wave water ride, Tigris officially opened on April 19, 2019 as the park's ninth roller coaster. Tigris is located within the Stanleyville section of the park. The roller coaster and surrounding area re-uses previous infrastructure and landscaping of the former attraction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dragon Challenge</span> Defunct inverted roller coaster

Dragon Challenge, formerly named Dueling Dragons (1999–2010), was a pair of intertwined inverted roller coasters in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter area of Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida, United States. Designed by Bolliger & Mabillard of Switzerland, the ride was a dueling roller coaster featuring two tracks – one side was called Chinese Fireball and the other Hungarian Horntail – that were themed as two chasing dragons. Its layout involved two trains sharing adjacent lift hills, with each traversing unique courses. Trains on the Chinese Fireball track reached a maximum speed of 60 mph (97 km/h), while trains on the Hungarian Horntail reached 55 mph (89 km/h). Both tracks featured five inversions and an identical ride duration of 2 minutes and 25 seconds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ArieForce One</span> Steel roller coaster at Fun Spot America Atlanta

ArieForce One is a steel roller coaster at Fun Spot America Atlanta in Fayetteville, Georgia. The project was first announced by representatives of the Fun Spot America chain in May 2021, and the coaster was formally unveiled at the IAAPA Orlando Expo on November 16, 2021. At an accumulated cost of $18 million, ArieForce One represents the single largest investment on any ride in Fun Spot America's history. ArieForce One officially opened to the public on March 31, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pipeline: The Surf Coaster</span> Roller coaster at SeaWorld Orlando

Pipeline: The Surf Coaster, or simply Pipeline, is a launched roller coaster located at SeaWorld Orlando in Orlando, Florida. Manufactured by Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M), the roller coaster opened on May 27, 2023. Pipeline is a Surf Coaster model from B&M and is themed to surfing, featuring surfboard-shaped vehicles.

References

  1. ↑ Storey, Ken (December 9, 2016). "Fun Spot plans to build massive $6 million wooden coaster for summer 2017". Orlando Weekly . Euclid Media Group . Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  2. ↑ Storey, Ken (December 9, 2016). "Fun Spot plans to build massive $6 million wooden coaster for summer 2017". Orlando Weekly . Euclid Media Group . Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  3. ↑ Wolf, Colin (February 6, 2017). "Everything we know about Fun Spot's new $6 million coaster Mine Blower". Orlando Weekly . Euclid Media Group . Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  4. ↑ Bevil, Dewayne (February 5, 2017). "Fun Spot's wooden coaster has a name: Mine Blower". Orlando Sentinel . Tronc . Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  5. ↑ Bevil, Dewayne (May 23, 2017). "Fun Spot takes another dramatic turn with Mine Blower roller coaster". Orlando Sentinel . Tronc . Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  6. ↑ Sanza, Christina (June 15, 2017). "Thrilling wooden coaster "Mine Blower" ride opening announced for Fun Spot America in Kissimmee". Inside the Magic. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  7. ↑ Bevil, Dewayne (June 15, 2017). "Fun Spot: Mine Blower coaster to open June 23". Orlando Sentinel . Tronc. Archived from the original on February 22, 2018. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  8. ↑ Tittle, Brittani (June 24, 2017). "'Mine Blower' wooden coaster now open at Fun Spot Kissimmee". Attractions Magazine. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  9. ↑ "New wooden roller coaster debuts at Fun Spot". WESH . June 23, 2017. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  10. ↑ Alvey, Robb (June 21, 2017). "Mine Blower Roller Coaster Front Seat POV Fun Spot America Orlando New 2017". Theme Park Review . Retrieved October 29, 2018– via YouTube.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Marden, Duane. "Mine Blower - Fun Spot America (Kissimmee, Florida, USA)". Roller Coaster DataBase. Archived from the original on September 13, 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  12. ↑ Bevil, Dewayne (June 23, 2017). "Mine Blower roller coaster explodes onto scene at Fun Spot". Orlando Sentinel . Tronc . Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  13. ↑ Marden, Duane. "Wood Record Holders – Most Inversions". Roller Coaster DataBase. Archived from the original on November 6, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  14. 1 2 Caran, Shelley (June 20, 2017). "Mine Blower wooden coaster set for Friday opening at Fun Spot". icFlorida. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  15. ↑ Bevil, Dewayne (May 4, 2017). "Keeping eye on new Fun Spot coaster". Orlando Sentinel . Tronc . Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Park and ride winners" (PDF). Amusement Today . September 2017. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  17. ↑ "2018 Top 50 Wooden Coasters". Golden Ticket Awards . Amusement Today. September 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.