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ICON Park

Legoland gets Both sealife and the water park...... also the water park will be park of legoland much like splash island was park of cypress gardens..

Alright, then we shall agree to disagree until we get an official news report.

I don't think the Merlin representatives that I spoke to were lying though. :lol:
 
I'm going to have to disagree with you guys. I can totally understand why Universal is doing this. You have to consider that most tourists who come to Orlando are not familiar with specific attraction names, and are not as able to differentiate between similarly-named areas. I-Walk and CityWalk could cause a lot of confusion for the everyday tourist. Frankly, a name change would benefit both Universal and the new I-Walk area, as the confusion could cost both of them customers.
 
I'm going to have to disagree with you guys. I can totally understand why Universal is doing this. You have to consider that most tourists who come to Orlando are not familiar with specific attraction names, and are not as able to differentiate between similarly-named areas. I-Walk and CityWalk could cause a lot of confusion for the everyday tourist. Frankly, a name change would benefit both Universal and the new I-Walk area, as the confusion could cost both of them customers.

I agree! I can see why Universal is doing this.
 
I'm going to have to disagree with you guys. I can totally understand why Universal is doing this. You have to consider that most tourists who come to Orlando are not familiar with specific attraction names, and are not as able to differentiate between similarly-named areas. I-Walk and CityWalk could cause a lot of confusion for the everyday tourist. Frankly, a name change would benefit both Universal and the new I-Walk area, as the confusion could cost both of them customers.

This is true, but at the same time, most tourists probably wouldn't know what you were talking about if you said "CityWalk" anyway.
 
I never understand why tourists especially british visitors who pay a lot of more from £800-£5000's if not more on a dream holiday and yet can't be bothered to do a bit of research on the place. It is beyond me but I guess that's how some people are.
 
Today we are going to learn if the county will give Merlin/Blackstone a permit for the project. Below is a video including some mockups and soundbites of the guy responsible
  • The Madam Tussauds part I might get.
  • The Ferris wheel, well, you are kind of missing a view
  • Sealife, hmmm there is this small park around the corner called Seaworld
Of course such a development would be an interesting (very expensive) marketing tool on the I-drive property to promote their new Legoland investment.


Here's the video:
http://www.wftv.com/news/28815389/detail.html?taf=orlc

A developer wants to replace an abandoned plaza on International Drive with a Ferris wheel, nearly 45 stories high. The new attraction will look like London Eye in the United Kingdom, which is the largest Ferris wheel in the world. The developer and owner of the land said the Ferris wheel being built on I-drive will top that. For the first time, developer Chuck Whittal showed WFTV the renderings of the $100 million project.If the county approves the plan, it will be built on the site of the old Mercado shopping center on International Drive.

"It's going to be the game changer on I-Drive," said Whittal.

The models of the project show a Madame Tussaud's wax museum and an aquarium surrounded by shops and restaurants. In the middle of it all is a 450-foot Ferris wheel designed just like the London Eye, but bigger. The developer said visitors will get a 30-minute ride and an aerial view of all of Orlando.

The Ferris wheel doesn't look that large in the model, but when it's finished, it will be taller than the Peabody Hotel on International Drive and the tallest Ferris wheel in the world.

But, WFTV asked Whittal how he plans to compete with the countless attractions already on I-drive. "We don't. We're going to out compete. We think what we're doing is unlike anything that's been done on I-Drive," he said. Whittal said he expects 3 million to 4 million visitors a year. WFTV found tourists from the U.K. who are willing to make another trip back to see what the Orlando eye has to offer."That's actually a pretty good idea because you don't have that here at the moment. I've used the (London) Eye a few times, and it's quite fun. The only thing you would be missing, of course, is the view of London," said British tourist Robin Walman.

Whittal said the project would bring nearly 1,500 jobs.

The County Planning Department is expected to approve the plans on Wednesday. The only concern officials had is parking, they said. The developer said a free garage will be built.
 
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Idk why they say this is the tallest wheel in the world, i thought the tallest wheel was in singapore at 541 feet. This wheel is smaller than that!
 
Yeah, the Singapore Flyer is currently the World's largest observation wheel at 165 meters (541 feet). So unless I am missing something, the Orlando Eye will be smaller than that.
 
Wow a large view of Orlando, seeing all those hotels and restaurants a view of I4 Looking at that large Cow field Behind the Marcado. Look I can see KIssimmee and Old Town..Sorry not my idea of a great ride But to each there own.
 
This sounds like a smaller version of Xanadu - a giant mall/entertainment center coming to the meadowlands. It's been under construction for a couple of years (under consideration and planning for a while before that) and has changed hands several times. It's slated to open in a couple more years - maybe 2016. It was originally supposed to open right about now. I don't want to be a raincloud here, and i hope Im wrong, but i have a feeling this will be postponed at least once more. But you do have some big companies behind this so i wouldn't be too worried.
 
Orlando Theme Park News highlights the new "I-Drive Live" project.


The I-Drive LIVE project, previously called I-Walk Orlando, was first announced in March of 2011. It will include a Madame Tussaud's wax museum, a Sea Life Aquarium, the incredible Orlando Eye (that will be even bigger that the London Eye), as well as shops, restaurants, hotels, and many other undisclosed additions.

Today we'll take a quick glimpse at some artworks and images (all subject to the copyright of I-Drive LIVE) that will show us how the area may look like when the whole complex will open to the public in 2013:


idrivelivepp20110519.jpg



First of all, here is a map that gives a general idea of the location of I-Drive LIVE. It will be located in the land previously occupied by the Mercado, which was a small shopping area that didn't seem to work very well:

idrivelivepp4.png



The two following renderings shows the visual impact that the entertainment district will provide:

idrivelivepp5.jpg


idrivelivepp3.jpg



This following map gives us the exact location of some of the future attractions:

idrivelivepp61.jpg



And now, here's how the guest areas will look like (remember that these artworks are subject to change):

idrivelivepp2.jpg


idrivelivepp7.jpg



The area will look beautiful with all the plants and palms that will be planted all around the walkways:

idrivelivepp8.jpg


idrivelivepp9.jpg



In addition to that, here's an overview of the three Merlin attractions coming to the entertainment district:

idrivelivepp10.png


idrivelivepp11.png



Sounds like a really interesting project, doesn't it?

Unfortunately, as of today, work has not started in the future site of this mega entertainment complex. This doesn't mean that nothing has been done in the meantime. On the contrary, the company that owns the entire piece of land, where all these attraction will be built, has bought an additional amount of land nearby, according to the Orlando Sentinel. This mean that they will have a total of 70 acres available to build!

This is surely going to be a great addition to International Drive. What's the attractions you are looking forward to see the most?
 
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