The Orlando Eye at the new $200M I-Drive 360 complex installed its final passenger capsule last Thursday, hitting another milestone before its opening in late February. The attraction has a total of 30 rider capsules that will hold 15 riders each, meaning the ride will have a maximum capacity of 450 people.
The Orlando Eye is the first of the three attractions, all owned by Merilin Entertainments Group Plc. and slated to open at I-Drive this spring. The two others are a Madame Tussauds wax museum and the Sea Life Orlando Aquarium. After the final capsule was attached to the observation wheel and a symbolic golden bolt was tightened at the base of the structure by Orlando Eye General Manager Robin Goodchild, the wheel began spinning at full speed for the first time during a brief test run.
According to a press release, the capsules weigh 6,600-pound each and feature bench seating, air-conditioning, lightning and audio effects, as well as interactive tablets offering the riders information on the 360-degree wonderful views of Central Florida including theme parks, attractions, Orlando downtown skyline and on clear day Kennedy Space Center and the east coast. The construction is 400 feet tall; the wheel will continuously load and unload riders as it rotates and the observation experience will last 20 minutes.
Orlando’s tallest attraction will definitely become the newest icon in the attractions skyline and is expected to create an estimated 2,000 new construction and permanent jobs in Central Florida and bring more visitors to Orlando.