Tank America Opens in Orlando With 17-Ton Tank Driving Experience

Visitors get behind the controls of a 17-ton FV433 Abbot tank at Tank America in Orlando, Fla., on Nov. 3, 2022. Courtesy of Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel/TNS

ORLANDO, Fla.—Tucked in the woods of urban Orlando, just off Forsyth Road near Colonial Drive, there’s trouble afoot with enemy troops lurking and the scene of a plane crash in the trees.

At least, this is the narrative tourists will experience while driving a 17-ton tank—what some might consider a bucket-list item—at Tank America, which recently relocated from Melbourne to Orlando. The experience opened near the coast in 2017 and moved this year to be closer to what co-owner John Kinney called “the largest tourism destination in the country.”

A plane crash scene is something visitors see on their tank tour at Tank America in Orlando, Fla. on Nov. 3, 2022. Courtesy of Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel/TNS

“The majority of our customers have always been tourists coming from Orlando. A lot of people Uber nowadays and it makes things a bit difficult to take a trip over to Melbourne,” he said. “We’re less than 30 minutes from I-Drive, Universal, and all the other attractions. That was the main goal, to be in the heart of everything in the tourist world over here.”

Packages vary from the basic (starting at $299), which includes a safety briefing and two laps around a half-mile trail, to the “Ultimate Combat Experience,” which gives visitors the mud hole add-on, a chance to drive a tank from inside “locked up,” and the opportunity to crush a car. As the holidays approach, it’s helpful to know that Tank America also sells gift cards and provides group deals.

The mud hole add-on is part of the "Ultimate Combat Experience." Courtesy of Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel/TNS

Tank America has experienced some organic interest generated by billboards and Google searches, but the attraction expects a surge in customers once they implement a new marketing push. Amid the company’s relocation, more than 3,000 people signed up for a “wait list” to be informed about reopening details.

“A lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into getting the move over here, but I couldn’t be happier with the way the trails and everything came together,” Kinney said.

Co-owners Kinney and Troy Lotane are also implementing a referral program for Uber and Lyft workers, allowing drivers to receive a small commission when sending customers to the theme park.

Tank America is eager to welcome guests to its new location and put smiles on customers’ faces.

Visitors get to experience two laps around the half-mile trail from the back of a tank. Courtesy of Patrick Connolly/Orlando Sentinel/TNS

“Tanks are so much fun. I don’t care whether you’re 16 or 96. When you drive that tank, you get a smile on your face,” Lotane said, with Kinney adding: “It’s ear-to-ear smiles almost every time when people get off a tank.”

If You Go

Tank America is open from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday through Monday, at 6605 Muskogee St. in Orlando.

Packages start at $299.

Guests must be at least 16 years old to drive and 55 inches or taller to ride as a passenger.

For more information, call 407-213-8265 or visit TankAmerica.com

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