Skyscraper (roller coaster)

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Skyscraper
Skyplex 2015.jpg
Concept art of the Skyplex complex featuring Skyscraper
Skyplex
Location Skyplex
Coordinates 28°27′01″N81°28′14″W / 28.45017°N 81.47066°W / 28.45017; -81.47066
General statistics
Type Steel
Manufacturer Intamin
Designer US Thrill Rides
Model Polercoaster
Track layoutCustom
Speed65 mph (105 km/h)
Inversions 7
Max vertical angle123°
Capacity1000 riders per hour
TrainsSeveral trains with a single car. Riders are arranged 4 across in 2 rows for a total of 8 riders per train.

Skyscraper was a roller coaster concept originally planned for a future Skyplex entertainment complex located in Orlando, Florida. Development began in 2012 by American manufacturer US Thrill Rides and Swiss manufacturer Intamin, with both companies designing the attraction as the first Polercoaster model utilizing an observation tower for its main support structure. Skyscraper would have been the tallest roller coaster in the world at over 500 feet (150 m), and it would have featured both the steepest drop and highest inversion in the world.

Contents

Developers anticipated completion by 2016, but a number of delays resulted in the date being pushed back several times. By 2019, the status of the project fell into uncertainty with the removal of the project's website and lack of updates from developers. In 2022, the companies funding the project filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

History

In 2012, Wallack Holdings, owners of Mango's Tropical Café in Orlando, selected the Polercoaster design concept pitched by US Thrill Rides to become their flagship attraction at the future-planned Skyplex indoor entertainment complex. After several successful negotiations for land, the development of both the roller coaster and Skyplex began. [1] In May 2014, investment for the project was sought, and a website was formed to assist with the endeavor. Documents uncovered by an Orlando news agency revealed that the roller coaster would be located in Central Florida along International Drive at the intersection with Sand Lake Road. [2] [3] [4]

The skyscraper was officially announced on June 5, 2014. Construction on the main complex was expected to begin in 2015, with the ride opening in 2016. [5] [6] However, design changes and a lengthy process for obtaining the necessary permits caused several delays in breaking ground, and the timeline was updated to reflect construction on the complex beginning in mid-2017. [7] [8] The addition of virtual reality headsets to Skyscraper was announced in late 2016, and the expected opening date was updated to 2019. [9] By April 2017, portions of the roller coaster's track had been completed by Intamin and were placed in storage, but construction of the complex was still on hold pending permit approval. [10]

In January 2019, Skyplex's budget was scaled back from $500 million to $251 million, with plans to retain Skyscraper's original coaster design but include less retail development around the base of the structure. [11] The complex's projected opening date was pushed back further to 2020, with rides opening sometime later. [11] By June 2019, the website promoting the project was taken down, [12] and reports surfaced in 2020 that Universal used a variety of legal tactics to derail the project. [13] [14] The last update from the developers on Facebook was in December 2017, and their Twitter feed went dormant two years earlier. [14]

In January 2019, it was announced that the Skyplex project as a whole had been scaled back, but that the size of the tower and 2020 opening date would remain unchanged. [15] In 2021, Joshua Wallack revealed that Wallack Holdings had signed a licensing deal with Lionsgate Entertainment to open Skyplex as a Lionsgate Entertainment World resort, centered around the Skyscraper roller coaster, but the project lost its financing in early 2020 as theme parks in Florida were being forced to closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [16] In late 2021, Wallack Holdings still held the licensing deal and Joshua Wallack said that while he still wanted to build a roller coaster on the property, practical considerations had him considering other uses for the site such as a resort hotel to support the nearby upcoming Universal Epic Universe theme park. [16] On December 21, 2022, US Thrill Rides and Polercoaster LLC, the companies behind the project, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. [17]

Characteristics

US Thrill Ride designed the steel track of Skyscraper to be approximately 5,200 feet (1,600 m) long, featuring seven inversions that include zero-g rolls and raven turns. [5] [6] [18] [19] Skyscraper would have operated with several small trains, each one with two rows that seat four riders each for a total of eight riders per train. Its theoretical capacity was 1000 riders per hour, and each seat would feature a lap restraint as opposed to over-the-shoulder harnesses to avoid obstructing the view. [5] [6] [18] Skyscraper would be 35 meters (114 feet) taller than the current world record holder, Kingda Ka, which opened at Six Flags Great Adventure in 2005.

Records

The cancelled Skyscraper would have broken several world records upon completion. With a structure exceeding 500 feet (150 m) in height, it was set to pass Kingda Ka's 456-foot (139 m) height record to become the world's tallest roller coaster. [3] [5] [18] Skyscraper was also designed to feature an inversion near the highest point of the ride, [19] which in 2016 would have easily broken the 170-foot-tall (52 m) inversion record held by Cedar Point's GateKeeper at the time. [6] [20] Skyscraper's first drop of 123 degrees would have set the record for steepness, and it would have become the first coaster to feature two beyond-vertical drops. [19]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roller coaster</span> Rail-based amusement park ride

A roller coaster is a type of amusement ride employing a form of elevated railroad track that carries passengers on a train through tight turns, steep slopes, and other elements designed to produce a thrilling experience. Trains consist of open cars connected in a single line, and the rides are often found in theme parks around the world. Roller coasters first appeared in the 17th century, and LaMarcus Adna Thompson obtained one of the first known patents for a roller coaster design in 1885, based on the Switchback Railway which opened a year earlier at Coney Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steel roller coaster</span> Roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Top Thrill 2</span> Launched roller coaster at Cedar Point

Top Thrill 2, formerly known as Top Thrill Dragster, is an upcoming launched roller coaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio, United States. Originally manufactured by Intamin and designed by Werner Stengel, Top Thrill Dragster opened in 2003 as the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world, as well as the first strata coaster. It debuted with a height of 420 feet (130 m), a maximum speed of 120 mph (190 km/h), and a total track length of 2,800 feet (850 m). Its speed and height records were surpassed in 2005 by Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingda Ka</span> Roller coaster in Jackson, New Jersey

Kingda Ka is a hydraulically-launched steel roller coaster located at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, New Jersey, United States. Manufactured by Intamin and designed by Werner Stengel, Kingda Ka opened as the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world on May 21, 2005, surpassing Top Thrill Dragster. It is the second strata coaster ever built, exceeding 400 feet (120 m) in height. Both share similar designs, although Kingda Ka's layout adds an airtime hill on the return portion of the track.

<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">Montu (roller coaster)</span> Inverted roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa

Montu is an inverted roller coaster at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay in Tampa, Florida. Designed by Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard, it is the park's second roller coaster designed by that company following the success of Kumba, which opened 3 years prior. When the ride opened on May 16, 1996, it was the world's tallest and fastest inverted roller coaster, a title it has since conceded to Alpengeist at sister park Busch Gardens Williamsburg. The ride stands 150 feet (46 m) tall and reaches speeds of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h).

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">Accelerator Coaster</span> Roller coaster model by Intamin

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

Polercoaster was a type of amusement ride offered by US Thrill Rides and Intamin. An installation consists of a large tower structure which features glass elevators to an observation deck, as well as a steel roller coaster wrapping around the tower. The model was first introduced in 2012, and in 2013, four were proposed for construction. However, US Thrill Rides cancelled all future Polercoaster locations, after the company went bankrupt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannibal (roller coaster)</span> Roller coaster in Utah

Cannibal is a steel roller coaster located at Lagoon amusement park in Farmington, Utah. It opened with the tallest beyond-vertical drop in the world on July 2, 2015, and its drop angle of 116 degrees was the steepest in the United States for a brief time. A large portion of the $22-million ride was built and designed in-house, a rare move for an amusement park. Since its debut, Cannibal has also consistently ranked in the top 50 among steel roller coasters worldwide in the annual Golden Ticket Awards publication 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.

Skyplex was a planned entertainment complex, It was to be located on a 14-acre (5.7 ha) lot at the northeast corner of Sand Lake Road and International Drive in Orlando, Florida. Plans for the complex were to include a 570-foot (170 m) tower which would’ve featured the world's tallest roller coaster, Skyscraper, and the world's largest Perkins Restaurant and Bakery. In January 2019 the project was expected to cost US$250,000,000 and include space for a future hotel. The complex was originally planned to open first in 2016. But pushed back to 2017, then 2018. The project was once again delayed to 2019, until the final delay to 2020. In 2020, Lionsgate was originally set to build the complex called Lionsgate World Resort Orlando, which was set to be constructed in early 2021 and was set to open in 2024. However, on December 21, 2022, US Thrill Rides and Polercoaster, LLC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. On January 30, 2023, WPC confirmed that the project would not be moving forward, resulting in the complex being cancelled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">US Thrill Rides</span> Defunct american entertainment design and consulting company

US Thrill Rides was an entertainment design and consulting company in Orlando, Florida. It was best known for creating thrill rides in several US locations.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steel Curtain (roller coaster)</span> Roller coaster at Kennywood

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Kitchen (inventor)</span> American inventor and business executive (born 1948)

William Joel Kitchen is an American inventor and business executive. Kitchen is the Founder and CEO of U.S. ThrillRides, Inc. and Thrillcorp, Inc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">VelociCoaster</span> Roller coaster at Islands of Adventure

VelociCoaster is a launched roller coaster at Universal Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Florida. Manufactured by Intamin, the ride opened to the public on June 10, 2021. It is themed to the Velociraptor dinosaurs depicted in the Jurassic World film franchise and is located in the Islands of Adventure's Jurassic Park area, occupying the site of the former Triceratops Encounter attraction. VelociCoaster features two high-speed launches powered by linear synchronous motors, a signature 155-foot-tall (47 m) top hat, four inversions, and a maximum speed of 70 mph (110 km/h).

References

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