Fantasy of Flight cutting back on operating hours and staff

POLK CITY, FL — Effective May 6, Fantasy of Flight is introducing new operating hours. The attraction will open Thursday through Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. All previously scheduled group reservations or events will take place as planned.

 

Fantasy of Flight creator and founder Kermit Weeks also announced plans to make the most of the new schedule to refine the popular attraction elements and develop new experiences that speak to the attraction’s mission: to “Light that Spark Within.”™

 

The Aviation Attraction opened in 1995 as a way to display and share Weeks’s growing vintage airplane collection to the public. It has now become the world’s largest private collection, rivaling many national museums, and is also home to the World’s Greatest Aircraft Collection – a not-for-profit organization dedicated to “rebuilding and reliving the passion of the past.”

 

Weeks said, “Over the years I’ve realized there are a number of people fascinated with aircraft but there are even more fascinated by flight. Flight is a powerful metaphor, which more than anything symbolizes pushing our boundaries, reaching beyond ourselves, and freedom.”

 

To take advantage of this opportunity, Weeks decided to close on days that had not been traditionally as busy and use the time to focus on development. “We see the new operating schedule as a win-win for both the public and us,”Weeks said. “By reducing our days open, we will be able to deliver more focus to our daily customers and use the closed days to focus on developing an even better product that will touch even more people.”

 

Part of the change in operating hours has necessitated a reduction in workforce. “After weighing options for several months, some difficult decisions have been made,” Weeks said. “But from change comes opportunity!”

 

Fantasy of Flight is the world’s only Aviation Attraction and was voted Orlando’s “Best Kept Secret” four years in a row. The new schedule will continue to deliver Fantasy of Flight’s popular attractions, including the Wing WalkAir Ropes Course, the Art Deco-themed Compass Rose restaurant, Fantasy of Flight Gift Shop, Scheduled Tours, the Golden Hill Storage Facility, Biplane Rides, and Flight of the Day.

 

“My commitment to moving the mission forward is stronger than ever,” Weeks said. “More than just an aviation museum, we are truly an Attraction on a Higher Plane. I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, but even more excited about what I know we can create in the future!”

 

General admission to Fantasy of Flight is $29.95 for adults and $15.95 for children, ages 6–12, plus tax. Annual passes are available. Hours are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. Admission to Wing WalkAir Ropes Course is $12.00 per person plus applicable sales tax, Wing WalkAir Zipline is $15.00 per person plus tax, and Wing WalkAir Annual Passes are available for $64.95 per person plus tax. Biplane rides, through Waldo Wright’s Flying Service, and hot air balloon experiences are available for an additional fee.

 

Fantasy of Flight is located at 1400 Broadway Boulevard, SE in Polk City, Florida, just off of I-4 (Exit 44) between Tampa and Orlando. For more information, visit www.fantasyofflight.com or call 863-984-3500.