Fun Spot was one of the last Central Florida attractions to close back in March of 2020. They re-opened a month before Disney in May 2020 after just a two month shut down. Fun Spot welcomed guests back with no masks required.
The Orlando Weekly reported that Fun Spot has multiple failed inspections by county officials. Bill Kitchen reached out to Fun Spot on May 20, 2020 after the park announced it would be reopening. He implored, “[An] expert in physics, aerodynamics or infectious disease would ask you to realize the danger in allowing the public to ride an attraction that would allow high speed airflow to travel between occupants, no matter whether the ride motion is circular or linear. Sterilizing the seats and hand-holds (or separating occupied seat rows) may be of no use whatsoever in protecting the public from infectious aerosols flowing into the face of the participants on the downwind side of an infected occupant.”
The funder John Arie, forwarded the message to his son adding, “I believe God has designed our bodies to heal and our immune systems to protect us as it has done for centuries. Our immune systems cannot develop and protect us if we are forced to ‘stay in place’ and quarantined.” He then asked his son to let him know “when you will be allowed to open.” Two days later, John Arie Jr., the current CEO of Fun Spot, reopened the parks. An associate of Kitchen’s visited the Orlando park and observed multiple people not adhering to safety protocols. Disney and Universal require mask-wearing and physical distancing but Fun Spot doesn’t have the same level of adherence. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings signed an executive order instituting fines for repeat violators.