It’s been a busy morning for The Orlando Eye. The all new entertainment district on International Drive in Orlando has released a ton of new information about the project, including concept art, a rough opening date and an all new name. The area will feature restaurants, shops and a slew of new attractions, the pinnacle of which will be the 400 foot Orlando Eye. Guests will have to wait until 2015 to try everything out, but today we get a preview of I-Drive 360!
Photo courtesy of https://www.facebook.com/OfficialOrlandoEye
It’s been a number of different names, but the official name is now I-Drive 360. It will feature several all new restaurant concepts, as well as the signature 400 foot tall observation wheel, The Orlando Eye. It will also feature other Merlin owned properties, including Sea Life Orlando, and Madame Tussauds Wax Museum-a first in Florida.
Today huge details were revealed on Twitter @TheOrlandoEye about the project, as well as some concept art, as well as on Twitter @SeaLifeOrlando and Twitter @TussaudsOrlando. We recommend following along with them for details, but we’re going to wrap everything up here.
The Orlando Eye
This is going to be the centerpiece of I-Drive 360, with 30 air conditioned gondolas that will carry passengers 400 feet in the air.
The all new attraction has been under construction for the better part of a year, and there is still tons more work to do on it. The wheel itself is expected to be completed by November, with riders being able to board in Spring of 2015. The all new wheel is going to be the tallest on the East Coast, and will give guests views all the way to Kennedy Space Center on clear days. Before boarding the wheel, guests will view a 4D film that will include fireworks, scents and wind.
Madame Tussaud’s Orlando
The world famous Madame Tussaud’s is a Merlin staple. The wax museum is famous for bringing celebrities within reach by using highly detailed wax sculptures.
The official Madame Tussaud’s Orlando Twitter account revealed huge details, including that there will be several themed areas including A-list Party, Sport and Music History. The museum famously recreates celebrities in some of their most celebrated settings. It takes a team of 20 artists about 3-4 months to sculpt each figure. Madame Tussaud’s Orlando will be the first location of the brand in Florida.
Sea Life Orlando
The all new aquarium will feature over 5,000 different sea creatures, including sharks, sea turtles and jellyfish. The new aquarium will also feature interactive touch pools and play areas for the kids.
The entire attraction will span 25,000 square feet and feature different types of habitats for many different species of sea life. The touch pools will be just one of the features at Sea Life Orlando.
The highlight of the attraction will be the 360 degree ocean tunnel that will put guests right into the middle of the ocean experience. The attraction will also help children and families learn about what they can do to help protect the oceans and all the life in it. Conservation through interaction is the key message that Sea Life wants guests to take away from the experience.
I-Drive 360 is steadily under construction, and will feature many new restaurants as well as the attractions listed above. There’s also talks of many other Merlin owned attractions that could come to the venue eventually as well. The entire area will be open in Spring of 2015.
Video-Check out the huge announcement at I-Drive 360 and get a construction tour of the new attractions!
Stay tuned as we bring you more from The Orlando Eye, I-Drive Live and more! Be sure to follow along with us on Twitter @BehindThrills for the latest updates!
For more information about the attractions listed, visit their official Facebook Pages!
The Orlando Eye page can be found by clicking here!
