The Wheel at ICON Park Orlando
The Wheel at ICON Park Orlando is a 400 ft (122 m) tall giant observation wheel in Orlando, Florida, United States. Opening under the name Orlando Eye, it carried its first passenger on April 29, 2015.[4] On July 28, 2016, it was re-branded to be known as the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye.[5][6] On March 11, 2018, another name change took place, making it the ICON Orlando.[7] On April 4, 2019, the name was changed once again, to The Wheel at ICON Park Orlando. This included a re-branding of the property to become ICON Park.
The Wheel at ICON Park Orlando | |
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The Orlando Eye in December 25, 2016 | |
General information | |
Type | Ferris wheel |
Location | 8401 International Drive, Orlando, Florida, US |
Construction started | 2012 |
Completed | 2015 |
Opened | • 1st passenger: April 29, 2015 • Official: May 4, 2015 |
Owner | • Structure: Circle Entertainment[1][2] • 'ICON' brand: IDL Wheel Wheel Tenant LLC (tenant & operator)[3] |
Height | 400 ft (122 m) |
Dimensions | |
Diameter | 390 feet (119 m) |
Website | |
https://iconparkorlando.com/ |
Design and construction
It's described as an observation wheel, because "this is a stabilized-driven (capsule) that gives you a really smooth experience on the way around, so it doesn't feel like when you're at 400-feet, that you're swinging around in mid-air."[8] According to its official website, The Wheel at ICON Park Orlando is the first wheel ever to use such a system in combination with a suspended 'ski lift capsule design'.[9]
The wheel was reported to be in the early stages of planning in March 2011,[10] with completion due in the summer of 2014 and was approved by county commissioners in September 2012.[10]
In January 2013, it was reported that the expected opening date had been pushed back to "by Thanksgiving November 2014".[11] Erection of the main support structure began in December 2013.[12] In April 2014 it was reported that completion had been further delayed until Spring 2015.[8]
Installation of the 30 air-conditioned passenger capsules, each of which can carry up to 15 people, began in mid-January 2015, and the last capsule was installed on February 5, 2015.[13]
In mid-February, it was announced that the soft opening was scheduled for May 1, followed by a grand opening ceremony on May 4.[14]
Malfunctions
On July 3, 2015, at around 4:00 pm, a few months after operations began, the Eye experienced a technical fault with the system that monitors the wheel position, causing the system to automatically shut down, stranding about 66 riders for approximately three hours.[15]
Rebranding
On July 28, 2016, the Orlando Eye followed its London counterpart in becoming sponsored by Coca-Cola and was renamed the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye. The deal included the renaming of the Eye and four new "Surprise and Delight" capsules, which are branded capsules with a cooler of soda and selfie sticks.[5][6]
On March 11, 2018, it was rebranded again as ICON Orlando.[7]
On April 4, 2019, it was rebranded once again to The Wheel at ICON Park Orlando.
References
- Merlin Entertainments confirms talks with Circle Entertainment
- Wood, Debra (March 17, 2011). "Merlin Eyes Orlando for Ferris Wheel Project". ENR Southeast. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
- Merlin Entertainments PLC – Announcement of Intention to Float Archived September 25, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
- Jensen, Christina (April 30, 2015). "13-year-old leukemia patient becomes Orlando Eye's first official rider". News 13. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
- "Orlando Eye is renamed the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye". July 28, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
- Dineen, Caitlin. "Orlando Eye officially flies Coca-Cola banner". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
- Santana, Marco. "Coca-Cola Orlando Eye changes name to ICON Orlando™". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
- Fais, Scott (April 16, 2014). "I-Drive 360: Construction continues on the Orlando Eye". Bay News 9.
- Alava, Andrea (January 20, 2015). "Passenger Capsules Begin Installation". Orlando Eye.
- Cruz, Georgina (January 19, 2015). "Orlando Eye observation wheel set to open in spring". Orlando Sentinel.
- "Construction to soon begin on Orlando Eye". Click Orlando. January 24, 2013.
- "I-Drive Live: The Orlando Eye Goes Vertical!". Orlando Parks News. December 11, 2013.
- Bevil, Dewayne. "Orlando Eye: All 30 capsules now in place". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved February 5, 2015.
- Dineen, Caitlin (February 17, 2015). "Orlando Eye grand opening set for May 4; Harris to Tussauds". Orlando Sentinel.
- "Orlando Eye back open after malfunction left riders stuck". WFTV. July 4, 2015.