ORLANDO, Fla. — Two world-record breaking attractions at ICON Park are almost too thrilling for a lot of folks. But wait until you hear about one guy's day job who makes sure you are both freaked out, but safe.
Towering over I-Drive, the Orlando Slingshot and Orlando Drop Tower at ICON Park are the tallest attractions of their kind on the planet, and Daniel Leavelle is a ride technician who helps keep the new attractions going.
The folks at the Slingshot Group — which created the attractions — say they noticed Leavelle three years ago when he published images he'd captured of the then-new, 450-foot-tall Star Flyer.
Now, when he does his morning checks and inspections, Leavelle harnesses up for his dream job, and ascends nearly 430 feet, straight up, to check the wheels, bolts, wiring connections, and anything else you can think of.
Losing his dad at an early age, Leavelle said the joy and fun of attractions like the Slingshot, Drop Town and Star Flyer helped him find solace. “Instead of turning to bad things in life, theme parks were, as you can say, my drug,” he said.
When he's not working high in the sky, Daniel also runs a website that provides reviews of Central Florida attractions, saying experiencing thrill rides is his way of decompressing when he's not on the job.