Margaritaville in Biloxi is jumpstarting your ticket to paradise by adding three gigantic new additions for casual family fun.
Paradise Pier Fun Park, a southeast Biloxi amusement area, is on its way with three new attractions, which will include an observation wheel, an aerobar, and a roller coaster on the waterfront of Margaritaville.
Among the rides coming at the new amusement park is the Biloxi Tide Turner, a 20-story high Ferris wheel that will be the centerpiece of Paradise Pier and provide views out to the Gulf of Mexico and the barrier islands. It’s much bigger than an old-fashion Ferris wheel and includes 20 enclosed gondolas, allowing Margaritaville to offer heated or cooled compartments as the weather dictates.
The Aerobar, built by the European company Aeorophil, will also provide a view of the Gulf and its islands and probably appeal to Parrotheads who follow Jimmy Buffett.
Riders will sit facing each other in a circle with a bartender in the middle. The ride will slowly rotate as it climbs up to 115 feet in the air. The ride takes two minutes to go up and down with five minutes sitting at the top.
One of the greatest functions of the park is that the large rides can be taken down and moved to a nearby storage facility should a hurricane be futurecast for the Coastal areas.
The park will also have swings and other rides, food, games, and a whole lot more. It will be directly adjacent to the 55,000-square-foot Escape family entertainment center and arcade, and the indoor amusement park with a 48-foot raging Volcano Rock Wall and the Hawaiian Volcano Goddess Pele who will knock you to the ground if you step wrong and awake her and her minions.
Margaritaville does not have a confirmed opening date for Paradise Pier Fun Park, but plans include late summer. Ride parts are still arriving from Europe and assembly is underway. Travelers on U.S. 90 can see the construction.
When it does open, it will be the largest family attraction on the Gulf Coast. Many family-friendly attractions were destroyed when Hurricane Katrina made landfall in 2005 and never returned to the Coast.
A rooftop waterpark at Margaritaville is already open for visitors with a 450-foot lazy river, slides that twist and turn, gigantic flip-flops you can hop across, and a swim-up bar.
Margaritaville announced last month it will also expand the White House Hotel on White Avenue in Biloxi to include 50 additional suites and an event center.
*Photo courtesy of Margaritaville.
