The Orlando attraction known for go karts and no admission fee is ready to expand three-times its current size. Fun Spot Action Park is on its way to becoming Fun Spot America.

"This is going to be a really good design, we're excited about what we're offering,” says John Arie, Jr., Fun Spot’s Chief Operating Officer.

The new offerings include the addition of theming for new rides. America’s love of the automobile, the romantic age of aviation, traveling cross country by railroad and space travel themes will be introduced over the next year at the Fun Spot Action Park located on the north side of International Drive.

By Labor Day, Fun Spot expects to break ground on two major roller coasters, a host of new rides and a new entrance building.

Orlando’s first wooden roller coaster
The crown jewel of the expansion at Fun Spot America will be "White Lightning," Orlando's first wooden roller coaster.

"We, this small little park in this BIG amusement industry in Central Florida, we are the first ones,” Arie says with a proud grin.

White Lightning in part gets its name partially from Central Florida's designation as the 'Lightning capital of the world.' And like severe weather, Arie says the idea of building the new ride is frightening.

"The White Lightning was the biggest, but the scariest contract that we've ever signed in our life,” he said while standing on top of a go kart track, gazing into the grassy field where White Lightning will rise.

“It's the biggest ride that we've ever bought and the most expensive,” he adds.

The cost for White Lightning has not been made public, yet Fun Spot USA Marketing Director Mark Brisson confirms the expansion’s $20 million price tag.

Designed by Great Coasters International, Inc. of Sunbury, Pennsylvania, White Lightening will feature a 75-foot tall lift hill with a 58-degree drop, followed by banked hills built for speed.

"You U-turn,” Arie says of the coaster halfway point. “You're going to be 40 feet tall, you're going to turn 90 degrees and come back down to zero and then come all the back around.”

The world-class coaster will feature wooden tracks with metal supports.

“This is going to be one of the most unique wooden roller coasters in the world,” Arie claims.

While construction has yet to start in Orlando, the trains for the ride are currently being built in Pennsylvania. An artist’s rendering posted in the Fun Spot America offices depicts each train sporting a red and yellow color scheme, with the lead car resembling the front of a freight train.

Great Coasters International built Busch Gardens Tampa’s Gwazi dueling wooden roller coaster in 1999. The Busch Gardens installation first opened with trains built by Philadelphia Toboggan Company. In 2011, Gwazi's original trains were replaced with cars giving a smoother ride from Great Coasters International.

The Millennium Flyer brand of rolling stock will be used on White Lightning as well.

New Suspended Coaster
White Lightning joins a second, suspended roller coaster planned for Fun Spot America from Dutch manufacturer, Vekoma.

"We're working on a rocket or space themed for it, especially because we're here in Florida, the space capital,” says Mark Brisson, director of marketing with the Fun Spot.

The suspended coaster will appear to families and will feature similarities with “Flying School,” the suspended coaster at Legoland Florida, first operating under the name “Swamp Thing” when the Winter Haven park was Cypress Gardens. The Fun Spot ride will be painted yellow and blue.

New Rides
Many of the new rides will feature the Fun Spot’s familiar color pallet of red, blue and yellow. Dashes of color will highlight a new entry plaza on the expanded property.

"One thing that Fun Spot has done well, is that we have taken the primary colors of red, blue and yellow and we've put them in everything and made them look different,” Brisson says.

A new parking lot will lead to an art deco entrance hall will greet guests. The building will set the tone for the attractions in the expanded property.

A classic swinging pirate ship ride is planned for space near the entrance of the expanded park (see an example here).

“It's an election year, so at one point we thought of taking a pirate ship and making one side the Right side red, the Left side blue and call it 'Bipartisan-SHIP.' That would certainly go with American politics,” Brisson says with a laugh.

"Swing to the right. Swing to the left. And see if you can find center ground in order to get off the ride,” he jokes.

Other additions at the International Drive park will be a children’s roller coaster and traditional spinning rides found at classic American amusement parks.

Already on site, a 250-foot tall SkyCoaster swing ride, formerly used in Las Vegas. The cable swing ride will stand over a new water lagoon and provide thrills similar to jumping out of an airplane. The world’s tallest SkyCoaster at 300 feet tall is currently open at the Fun Spot USA park on route 192 in Kissimmee.

Go kart changes
The existing Commander go kart track will receive a makeover. In order to connect the current property to the new expansion, part of the course will be reworked and expanded.

“Green track currently is our beginner track. We've decided, 'Alright, let's take it to the next level,’” Arie says. “We're going to make an awesome, awesome road course type track, similar to our one in Kissimmee, but it's going to be more fun, more hills, more thrills, more turns.”

The longer green Commander track will allow for a greater number of cars to speed around at the same time, increasing rider capacity and reducing wait times.

Water park on hold
One attraction the original plans show for the addition will not be constructed. Orlando's 5th waterpark at Fun Spot America is on hold.

"Our initial goals were to do both for that initial $20 million expansion,” Brisson confirms. “Sometimes your eyes are bigger than your stomach type of situation. In order to do this right, we need to make sure the dry portion was done and done well, first. Once we have that, we can add the water park, we can add a larger birthday room."

The waterpark is part of a phase two expansion slated for two or three years away. Brisson also shared with News 13 that Fun Spot America has looked at building a dinner theater complex on side.”

"This is a dream come true for us,” Arie says of the expansion.

“This is something my dad has always dreamed of, something I use to dream when I was a kid, being able to take over and run my father's business. This is a dream come true, that we're able to introduce it to Orlando, and this market here. It's the best market in the world,” he concludes.