Holiday Destinations

"World's tallest" roller coaster coming to Orlando in 2016

"World's tallest" roller coaster coming to Orlando in 2016
The Skyscraper roller coaster is due to open for business in 2016 (Image: Skyplex)
The Skyscraper roller coaster is due to open for business in 2016 (Image: Skyplex)
View 9 Images
The Skyscraper roller coaster is due to open for business in 2016 (Image: Skyplex)
1/9
The Skyscraper roller coaster is due to open for business in 2016 (Image: Skyplex)
Skyscraper will be located in Orlando, Florida (Image: Skyplex)
2/9
Skyscraper will be located in Orlando, Florida (Image: Skyplex)
Skyscraper is joined to a larger entertainment complex named Skyplex (Image: Skyplex)
3/9
Skyscraper is joined to a larger entertainment complex named Skyplex (Image: Skyplex)
Skyplex will feature a total floorspace of roughly 46,000 sq m (495,000 sq ft), on a 4.85-hectare (12-acre) plot (Image: Skyplex)
4/9
Skyplex will feature a total floorspace of roughly 46,000 sq m (495,000 sq ft), on a 4.85-hectare (12-acre) plot (Image: Skyplex)
The Skyscraper is based on the "Polercoaster" model of rollercoasters, and will be the first such unit built (Image: Skyplex)
5/9
The Skyscraper is based on the "Polercoaster" model of rollercoasters, and will be the first such unit built (Image: Skyplex)
The Skyscraper roller coaster is due to open for business in 2016 (Image: Skyplex)
6/9
The Skyscraper roller coaster is due to open for business in 2016 (Image: Skyplex)
It rises 163 m (570 ft) into the sky, and snakes around a tower, like a Helter Skelter fairground ride on steroids (Image: Skyplex)
7/9
It rises 163 m (570 ft) into the sky, and snakes around a tower, like a Helter Skelter fairground ride on steroids (Image: Skyplex)
Those who prefer their terror at a slower pace can also take a 55-story glass elevator ride to the top of Skyplex's observation deck (Image: Skyplex)
8/9
Those who prefer their terror at a slower pace can also take a 55-story glass elevator ride to the top of Skyplex's observation deck (Image: Skyplex)
The track is 1,584 m (5,200 ft) in length and takes three minutes to complete while traveling at 65 mph (104 km/h) (Image: Skyplex)
9/9
The track is 1,584 m (5,200 ft) in length and takes three minutes to complete while traveling at 65 mph (104 km/h) (Image: Skyplex)
View gallery - 9 images

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.

The Skyscraper is based on the "Polercoaster" model of rollercoasters, and will be the first such unit built (Image: Skyplex)
The Skyscraper is based on the "Polercoaster" model of rollercoasters, and will be the first such unit built (Image: Skyplex)

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

View gallery - 9 images
1 comment
1 comment
The Skud
Why was there not the technology to build these things when I had plenty of youth but no fear? Nowadays it is more the other way round!