Starliner will not be a part of Legoland Florida

Posted | Contributed by Jeff

Cypress Gardens and its owner Kent Buescher purchased the Starliner roller coaster in 2006 after its former home at Miracle Strip Amusement Park was closed in September 2004. Cypress Garden is now being replaced with Legoland and recently unveiled plans for the theme park do not include the Starliner. The park is looking for a home for the ride.

Read more from The News Herald.

Acoustic Viscosity's avatar

Boo. What a wasted opportunity to bring in an additional market. I'd go to Legoland to ride the Starliner. I won't go without it.


AV Matt
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Jason Hammond's avatar

Well, that market didn't do Cypress Gardens enough good to stay in business. I doubt Legoland is worried about that market very much.


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Pagoda Gift Shop's avatar

What? This makes no sense. The previous owner buys, relocates, and repairs the coaster and now they don't want it? They're treating it like it's an Arrow looper and not a John Allen woodie.

Jason Hammond's avatar

Coasters and other rides are more of a side note to Legoland.


884 Coasters, 34 States, 7 Countries
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Soggy's avatar

If you look at how well Legoland CA is doing... the purchase, relocation and repair of this coaster is chicken feed. It's something they had in their back pocket for a while and decided it wasn't necessary to carry it around anymore. Why open a brand new park with a "rickety old coaster?"


Pass da' sizzrup, bro!

Jason Hammond's avatar

This isn't really news anyway. They pretty much said they didn't want it from the beginning.


884 Coasters, 34 States, 7 Countries
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Mamoosh's avatar

Pagoda Gift Shop said:
What? This makes no sense.

Actually it makes perfect sense. Legoland's key demographic is too short and too young for Starliner. I hate to see the ride be demolished (which is isn't) or sit in a field and rot (which it may if a buyer isn't found). But this ride absolutely does not fit Legoland.

It's been almost a decade since I was in Orlando. Any chance Funspot in Kissimmee has room for the ride? I can also see this being a good fit for Del Grosso's...especially since their Arrow looper was trashed during removal and isn't happening.

Jason Hammond's avatar

The reason DelGrossos's hasn't erected the looper is because they have no place to put it. They wouldn't have any place to put Starliner either. I doubt Funspot USA has any room either. Though, I don't really know what property they own.


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Tekwardo's avatar

Why would they have purchased it if they didn't have room for it?


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Mamoosh's avatar

The reason Del Grosso's hasn't put up the Arrow looper isn't because of lack of room, its because it was trashed during removal.

Jason Hammond's avatar

Well, that's not what they've been telling people.


884 Coasters, 34 States, 7 Countries
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rollergator's avatar

Fun Spot Kissimmee already got the spinning coaster from Lego....er, Cypress. What their land situation looks like is anyone's guess - there's a lot of open ground in "the back area" if they were to start piling rides on their current parking lot....but I don't know who owns said "undeveloped land".

I really fear for the future of Starliner.....and kinda wish Bay Beach had picked up the Allen instead of the Miller (can NOT believe I'm saying that, but the Miller is already sadly "gone-gone", whereas the Allen design was JUST fixed - and jazzed up).

Jason Hammond's avatar

Considering how little wood is used in a relocation (regardless of age) I'm not sure it really matters what the condition is. I'm sure it makes a difference. I'm just not sure it's significant.


884 Coasters, 34 States, 7 Countries
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Pagoda Gift Shop's avatar

I guess those are all logical reasons for it to be relocated. Just seems strange on first glance that anyone running a park would say 'no' to a newly renovated coaster. I must be thinking like an enthusiast.

Still, that might be the quickest close-renovate-open-close cycle for a coaster. Well, until Texas Giant opens again anyway. ;)

john peck's avatar

Then there is the question, "why bother spending $4 Million to relocate something when you have something totally new built for nearly the same price?" One word: nostalgia... that's what saved Starliner to begin with.. will it happen again?

Nostalgia isn't what it used to be. I can remember when nostalgia really mattered.

Sigh. Good times. ;)


My author website: mgrantroberts.com

With a Cypress gardens area I was hoping they would keep Star liner.

Now they said they are looking for a new home for the coaster. they might keep it in teh extended family moving it to one of the Busch Gardens or Seaworld parks.

Actually, Jason, the reason so little lumber is moved and re-used is that by the time the coasters close they're usually in pretty poor shape. I imagine that at this point, most of the Starliner's superstructure could be re-used; it would mostly need to be re-tracked.

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I dunno. Starliner's adopted environment is central Florida -- hot, wet, and bug ridden.


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