Thrillseekers will soon have a new venue to lose their lunch, courtesy of an upcoming roller coaster that's being promoted as the world's tallest. Dubbed Skyscraper, it will be part of a larger entertainment complex named Skyplex that's due for completion in 2016, in Orlando, Florida.
Both Skyscraper and Skyplex shall be situated on Orlando's International Drive. Skyplex features a total floorspace of around 46,000 sq m (495,000 sq ft), on a 4.85-hectare (12-acre) plot. The expansive interior contains restaurants, retail spaces, and a large tower with restaurant and observation point. The tower will be central Florida's tallest structure when complete, and is scaled by enduring a 55-story glass elevator ride.
Skyscraper is a new "Polercoaster" roller coaster, and will be the first of the Polercoaster units built. It rises 163 m (570 ft) into the sky, and snakes around Skyplex's large tower like a Helter Skelter fairground ride on steroids, before looping and spiraling around the Skyplex complex.
The track measures 1,584 m (5,200 ft) long, and takes three minutes to complete while traveling at speeds of up to 65 mph (104 km/h), so is still quite a way off the 124 mph (200 km/h) which Abu Dhabi's Ferrari World roller coaster can reach.
The expected cost of the entire project is estimated at US$200 million, and construction is set to begin in 2015, with doors opening the following year.
Source: Skyplex