Orlando, Atlantic City, Vegas, etc. Skyscrapers | ThrillCorp
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Re: I-Drive Orlando | Skyscraper| US Thrill Rides
Looks like the coaster won't open before 2018, but I guess that's what's to be expected for a project like this and at least it seems to actually be happening.
Looks like the coaster won't open before 2018, but I guess that's what's to be expected for a project like this and at least it seems to actually be happening.
Source: http://www.wesh.com/orlandomyway/or...-skyplex-and-the-21st-century-idrive/33706586Building a better I-4? If you’re from the Central Florida area, you have heard that term a time or two. But a group of visionaries, including the father-and-son firm Wallack Holdings LLC, plans to build a better I-Drive by bringing their South Beach nightclub Mango's Tropical Cafe to Orlando and by building Skyplex, which will feature the tallest roller coaster in the world.
The massive project has been subject to some skepticism. Some have wondered if this attraction could be pulled off, especially by 2017, as predicted.
A representative of Wallack Holdings LLC, Joshua Wallack, met with me and addressed the skeptics.
"I think 2017 is a little aggressive," he said. "I’d like to say we’d be substantially complete with the Polercoaster tower and many of the buildings on the site by 2017 and then we’d be onto the interiors. By spring of 2018, it’ll be rock ‘n' rolling."
Although some have wondered if Skyplex would even actually break ground, Wallack assured me that it would.
"Money talks," he said. “We spent more than $50 million to buy all the land. So obviously we are serious. Believe me, it's happening. We already own the whole site. We basically paid cash for the site. So we are very real."
He also addressed the length of time it took to purchase the entire site and businesses that weren't even for sale. This process alone took about a year and a half. The project is currently going through a rezoning process to turn the purchased sites into one giant site.
So which businesses were purchased by Wallack Holdings?
1. World Bowling Center and Dowdy Bowling Alley - Purchased in 2014 from Ron Dowdy and his family. The Dowdy property adds another 4 acres to the attraction, which is around 14 acres total.
2. Dowdy Ice Rink
3. Former Fun and Wheels property
4. Burger King
5. 7Eleven
6. Perkins Restaurant - Wallack Holdings LLC was required to purchase an additional seven Perkins Restaurants for $29 million from General Electric in order to gain ownership of the one on I-Drive.
Here's what Wallack Holdings LLC will bring:
Mango's Tropical Cafe - Replacing the old TGI Fridays, the Orlando location will be three times the size of the original South Beach location, which is 19,000 square feet.
Walk-through of Mango's Tropical Cafe:
- Entrance to feature a sidewalk cafe and band shell, offering a reggae/ beach party day club atmosphere before dinner and a show. This takes place each day from noon-5/6 p.m.
- Two seatings for dinner and a show, beginning at 6 p.m. Included is a four-course dinner in front of the main bar stage with Mango's dancers.
- At the conclusion of the shows, lights come down, music goes up and venue turns into a nightclub
- Eight bars, 7,000 lineal feet
- Kitchen with 6,000 square feet of space and a full menu described as gourmet bar food and bistro
- Two main floors; views from veranda include Orlando Eye, Skyplex and new parking garage (replaced Walgreens)
Four major attractions announced (so far) within the Skyplex, A 570-foot, $460 million facility, to contain the world's tallest roller coaster. The attraction will be located across the intersection from Mango's Cafe, which will be contiguous once the pedestrian bridge is built. (Sandlake and I-Drive intersection)
1. Polercoaster - From U.S. Thrill Rides, the coaster will be the world's largest, standing at 570 feet. It will be called the Skyscraper. The coaster will have a 55-story glass elevator that will take guests to an observation deck that houses a restaurant.
2. Skyfall - Ride will drop riders from 450 feet in the air, which is more than twice as tall as Universal Orlando's Dr. Doom's Fear Fall and the Tower of Terror at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
3. Skyfly- 600-foot zip line that shoots riders backward and upward toward Sky Plaza
4. (Newly announced) SkySurf - Featuring professional-level waves and two pools atop hotel parking garage.
Plans also include a 350-room hotel, which will feature meeting spaces, fitness and pool areas and a parking garage.
A big concern has been whether International Drive can handle traffic brought by the new attractions. To alleviate these parking concerns, Orange County commissioners unanimously approved rezoning for a 600-space parking garage in the lot of an old Walgreens at Sand Lake Road and International Drive. The lot will service the SkyPlex and Mango's Tropical Cafe.
Another concern has been pedestrian safety. Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs proposed $300 million for new projects, $15 million of which would be used for that issue. Plans for the pedestrian bridge on Sand Lake Road and I-Drive are underway and will put users right in the front of the Skyplex in what will be called the Pedestrian Plaza. The bridge will also extend over the soon-to-be-built world's largest McDonald's, which will replace the current McDonald's at the intersection.
The new attraction will be all contiguous, meaning all internal attractions are connected. The ultimate goal, according to Wallack, is to create a walkable, pedestrian-friendly format on International Drive where people can park once in the new parking garages and then walk, just as it is done in urban cities.
“We are creating a brand outside of the theme parks," Wallack said. "This is not some second-tier hotel support structure for the convention center and everyone’s dumping ground for cheaper rooms. This is going to become competitive and is going to push out and not just take in and we are going to have our own brand out here that’s not Disney, Universal or SeaWorld. It’s more of a theme park and that’s what we’re going for here – that’s the 21st century I-Drive."
A word from head architect Alan C. Helman, FAIA chariman emeritus founding partner – HHCP:
"I’ve been here since pre-Disney. I’ve been working for Harris Rosen, who’s a legend in Central Florida and the International Drive area. And now we have the opportunity to work with Josh and his partners in one of the most incredible Central Florida projects, maybe world-wide-type projects ever. And we’re very excited about it. This is no small job. But when you start thinking about the amount of entertainment value we’re going to be having on this small piece of land, which is only about 14 acres, it’s absolutely amazing. In fact, if you think about all the things that are going to be in SkyPlex – you need 30 or 40 acres to do all of that stuff. So what Josh and his partners are doing is creating something that I’m calling, 'A vertical theme park resort project.' Because it’s layered. We have everything that a theme park could have, a resort could have, it’s going to be a fun place for Central Florida – it’s going to be very unique throughout the world and we are very fortunate we do work all over the world and so this vertical theme park, vertical themed attraction, vertical resort, is going to have all the things that no place on earth has."
Intricks
Strata Poster
I-Drive Orlando | Skyscraper| US Thrill Rides
So this is being done by Intamin now, well the track at least.
Clicky-Poo
So if this goes over well, could we finally see a resurgence of Intamin in the states?
Edit: Read through a few posts, I guess this more or less confirmed it being from Intamin as I was unaware of speculation from Feb lol
So this is being done by Intamin now, well the track at least.
Clicky-Poo
So if this goes over well, could we finally see a resurgence of Intamin in the states?
Edit: Read through a few posts, I guess this more or less confirmed it being from Intamin as I was unaware of speculation from Feb lol
Re: I-Drive Orlando | Skyscraper| US Thrill Rides
I would question if this requires a whole new layout design to accommodate for Intamin.
At present, the only 4-wide train Intamin has built is Skyrush. Outside of that, there are no other offerings.
So without knowing any further detail on the project, I would hypothesis:
- Intamin creates a new, 4-wide train.
- Intamin uses a small train design, such as a 3 car OTSR train or Aqua Trax train. Maybe even using the Wing Coaster (Skyrush) train design?
The point of using a short train is allowance for tighter turns and inversions. Given that the original concept used a 2-car train, I would think Intamin tries to go with as short (and high capacity) train as possible. Still, it wouldn't surprise me more alteration would be required. Of course, since a single piece has yet to be laid for the tower, this would be simple enough to change plans before hand.
I would question if this requires a whole new layout design to accommodate for Intamin.
At present, the only 4-wide train Intamin has built is Skyrush. Outside of that, there are no other offerings.
So without knowing any further detail on the project, I would hypothesis:
- Intamin creates a new, 4-wide train.
- Intamin uses a small train design, such as a 3 car OTSR train or Aqua Trax train. Maybe even using the Wing Coaster (Skyrush) train design?
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT3SI2h1atI[/youtube] [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YihRji60em8[/youtube]
The point of using a short train is allowance for tighter turns and inversions. Given that the original concept used a 2-car train, I would think Intamin tries to go with as short (and high capacity) train as possible. Still, it wouldn't surprise me more alteration would be required. Of course, since a single piece has yet to be laid for the tower, this would be simple enough to change plans before hand.
Re: I-Drive Orlando | Skyscraper| US Thrill Rides
I am with you Lofty - I really didn't know what to expect from S&S with the utter scale of this project, but Intamin does have a proven track record.
Questions still remain on S&S's drop from the project. I would initially imagine it turned into a bidding war, with S&S not being able to rationalize lower costs; those more pessimistic could also vouch that S&S was not able to work well with US Thrill Rides.
At any rate, it will be interesting to follow this forward.
I am with you Lofty - I really didn't know what to expect from S&S with the utter scale of this project, but Intamin does have a proven track record.
Questions still remain on S&S's drop from the project. I would initially imagine it turned into a bidding war, with S&S not being able to rationalize lower costs; those more pessimistic could also vouch that S&S was not able to work well with US Thrill Rides.
At any rate, it will be interesting to follow this forward.
_koppen
Hyper Poster
Re: I-Drive Orlando | Skyscraper| US Thrill Rides
From what I've read S&S haven't been involved in this ride at all.
The tower was licensed from US Thrill Rides by S&S when S&S revealed the concept at IAAPA a few years ago, but for this project it have been US Thrill Rides, Ride Centerline and Intamin all from the start. The El Loco like layout is because of Alan Schilke.
Hyde said:
From what I've read S&S haven't been involved in this ride at all.
The tower was licensed from US Thrill Rides by S&S when S&S revealed the concept at IAAPA a few years ago, but for this project it have been US Thrill Rides, Ride Centerline and Intamin all from the start. The El Loco like layout is because of Alan Schilke.
GuyWithAStick
Captain Basic
Re: I-Drive Orlando | Skyscraper| US Thrill Rides
My prediction on this project's future: Either Intamin will drop out over a funding dispute, or the car will have a major flaw, making it unusable. The project will then lose funding again, delaying it thru 2020. They'll then come back with an even crazier idea, asking a new manufacturer to help them. The cycle will then repeat until they just give up, or realize that a giant hole is not the best thing to leave.
Sent from my VS840 4G using Tapatalk
My prediction on this project's future: Either Intamin will drop out over a funding dispute, or the car will have a major flaw, making it unusable. The project will then lose funding again, delaying it thru 2020. They'll then come back with an even crazier idea, asking a new manufacturer to help them. The cycle will then repeat until they just give up, or realize that a giant hole is not the best thing to leave.
Sent from my VS840 4G using Tapatalk
Jarrett
Most Obnoxious Member 2016
Re: I-Drive Orlando | Skyscraper| US Thrill Rides
^^Imagine the world's tallest coaster being a Volare with the layout wrapping around a massive corkscrew lift. And hanging there 500 feet in the air in those shoddy trains. Good God that'd be **** awful!
Really glad to hear Intamin's keeping the height record, though. As for the trains, I'd imagine 2 Skyrush cars or Fahrenheit/Maverick trains. As awesome and fab as El Loco was, I'd rather ride an Intamin of any kind.
^^Imagine the world's tallest coaster being a Volare with the layout wrapping around a massive corkscrew lift. And hanging there 500 feet in the air in those shoddy trains. Good God that'd be **** awful!
Really glad to hear Intamin's keeping the height record, though. As for the trains, I'd imagine 2 Skyrush cars or Fahrenheit/Maverick trains. As awesome and fab as El Loco was, I'd rather ride an Intamin of any kind.
Re: I-Drive Orlando | Skyscraper| US Thrill Rides
Skyplex tweeted the latest rendering - tough to discern any design changes with Intamin picking up track manufacturing.
[tweet]https://twitter.com/SKYPLEXOrlando/status/638360553971425280[/tweet]
Skyplex tweeted the latest rendering - tough to discern any design changes with Intamin picking up track manufacturing.
[tweet]https://twitter.com/SKYPLEXOrlando/status/638360553971425280[/tweet]
Re: I-Drive Orlando | Skyscraper| US Thrill Rides
Things are not looking good for Skyplex.
The Orange County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-3 Thursday against a rezoning for the Skyplex project last Thursday, which would be required for the project to move forward at the proposed site. It turns out Universal Orlando has lobbied hard against the project; while they say it is not out of interest of being anti-competitive.... yeah sure. The surrounding community has also been outspoken with opposition, with help from UO. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business ... story.html
There was voiced concern of FAA check-off of the large structure, but the FAA has said the tower would be fine, so long as it follows appropriate guidelines for light indicators, etc.
Ultimately, the final up/down zoning vote goes to the county commissioners.
For those so inclined, someone has created a petition to support the Skyplex project: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/let- ... rlando-let
Putting on my public administration hat, without the support of the county commissioners, this project is done as far as it's current location. Before a single shovel of construction and development can occur, you need the permits and compliance to do so.
Things are not looking good for Skyplex.
The Orange County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 4-3 Thursday against a rezoning for the Skyplex project last Thursday, which would be required for the project to move forward at the proposed site. It turns out Universal Orlando has lobbied hard against the project; while they say it is not out of interest of being anti-competitive.... yeah sure. The surrounding community has also been outspoken with opposition, with help from UO. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business ... story.html
There was voiced concern of FAA check-off of the large structure, but the FAA has said the tower would be fine, so long as it follows appropriate guidelines for light indicators, etc.
Ultimately, the final up/down zoning vote goes to the county commissioners.
For those so inclined, someone has created a petition to support the Skyplex project: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/let- ... rlando-let
Putting on my public administration hat, without the support of the county commissioners, this project is done as far as it's current location. Before a single shovel of construction and development can occur, you need the permits and compliance to do so.