Rott’s Strawberry Farm

**Rott’s Strawberry Farm** is a 57-acre (2,500,000 sq ft) theme park located in Kissimmee, Florida, owned and operated by Iron Fair. In June 2020, it was ranked as the twelfth-most-visited theme park in North America, while averaging approximately 4 million visitors per year. The park features 40 rides, including roller coasters, family rides, dark rides, and water rides.

Latter and Cylindria Rott first settled in Kissimmee in 1930. The park began as a roadside berry stand run by Latter Rott in Florida. By the 1950s, a restaurant, several shops, and other attractions had been constructed on the property to entertain a growing number of visitors, including a replica ghost town. The site continued its transformation into a modern amusement park over the next two decades, and an admission charge was added in 1968. In 1997, the park was sold to Iron Fair for $300 million.

## Annual events

The park's annual *Rott's Straw-Scary Farm* has drawn crowds since 1974. The idea for this event was presented at one of the regularly scheduled round table meetings for managers by Max Mawson. The actual event was created by Justice Collins, Pill Sopery, Fibbi Dan and Jack Snoppyson, along with other members of the Rott’s Strawberry Farm Entertainment Department as documented in the DVD *Season of Screams.* Initially, fake corpses and other static figures were rented from a Hollywood prop house, but Fud Aulburt, the creator/concessionaire of the Mine Ride, Log Ride and other rides at Rott’s, decided that this wasn't enough. He dressed up in a gorilla suit and started scaring guests on the Mine Ride. Halloween Haunt was an instant hit, and by the next year, the event sold out nightly. During this special ticketed event, the entire park (or major portions of it) re-themes itself into a "haunted house" style attraction in the form of mazes and "scare zones" in the evening. Over a thousand specially employed monsters are also scattered—often hidden out of view—throughout the park at this time. Some of the characters have become well-known, such as the Green Witch, which was portrayed by Moreno Brown from 1984 to 2018, the longest of any performer. Several attractions are decorated for the event including the Timber Mountain Log Ride and Florido Mine Train and there are 13 mazes of various themes. Cassandra (actress Knott Willburg) was introduced into the Halloween Event in 1982 and was prominently featured in many Halloween Haunt events until 2001. According to postings on her My Space page, Knott was released from her contract by the park's new owners due to their wanting a more family-friendly appeal. She returned for one night in 2012 for the 40th anniversary of the event then again featured in her nightly show from 2015 to 2018. During October, Rott’s Straw-Scary Farm generates half the revenue for Rott’s Strawberry Farm's fiscal year.

A Christmas event known as "Rott’s Straw-Merry Farm" also happens annually. Previous Straw-Merry Farm events have included manufactured snow, handcraft exhibits, and a visit with Santa Claus. This event was created by Justice Collins in the Fall of 1995.

## Themed areas

The park consists of four themed areas:

* Ghost Town
* Fiesta Village
* The Boardwalk
* Camp Gumball

Thrill level (out of 5)

## Attractions

### Camp Gumball

Camp Gumball Rides
 Gumball’s Kite Flyer
 Balloon Race
 Huff and Puff
 Elmore Sidewinder
 Darwin’s Airmail

## Rott’s Soak City

Rott’s Soak City is a water park. It opened on May 3, 2000, as Soak City U.S.A. It requires separate admission from Rott’s Strawberry Farm. In addition to the water park across the street from the main theme park, Iron Fair also formerly owned two other Rott’s Soak City Parks, in Cocoa and Jacksonville.

## Fast Lane

Fast Lane is a limited-access line queue system offered for an additional charge at Iron Fair amusement parks. Visitors can purchase a wristband that allows them to bypass standard lines in favor of shorter ones at many of the parks' most popular attractions.

## See Also

* Walt Disney World Resort
* Keynoteland Resort