ICON Park / International Drive

ICON Park

The 122-metre “Orlando Wheel” Ferris wheel on International Drive, along with an aquarium, a wax museum and dozens of restaurants, makes it a nighttime destination beyond the theme parks.

ICON Park is located in the middle of International Drive in Orlando. It is an open-air entertainment and dining area with free admission. Its centerpiece is “The Wheel” (originally the Orlando Eye), a 122-metre Ferris wheel completed in 2015. Its 30 air-conditioned cabins take about 20 minutes per rotation, offering views of Disney, Universal and the distant city center, and it is most beautiful at dusk. Adult tickets cost about $30–35, with discounts for online booking, and you can add a champagne cabin. The park also has the SEA LIFE aquarium, with a tunnel-style undersea corridor that suits children; Madame Tussauds wax museum; Museum of Illusions; and paid attractions including the Orlando SlingShot and FreeFall, Florida’s tallest free-fall ride. There are more than 40 restaurants and bars, including Yard House, Tapa Toro, Shake Shack and Ben & Jerry’s. Live music is common in the evenings, and it is very crowded on weekends. International Drive is 18 km long and serves as the hotel and tourist commercial corridor. The Orlando International Premium Outlets are in the north, and SeaWorld and the Orange County Convention Center are in the south. Other attractions along the road include Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum and WonderWorks, the upside-down house. The free I-Ride Trolley runs back and forth along the avenue (single ride $2, day pass $5). Suggested plan: on a theme-park day, dine at ICON Park and ride the wheel after 19:00, or come for a drink after the parks close. Note: The wheel pauses during thunderstorms, and traffic on International Drive is heavy at night, so cross using footbridges or crosswalks.

ICON Park / International Drive

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Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby