Tuesday, May 5th: part 2
We had eagerly noted the progress on the construction of the massive Orlando Eye on our last trip to Orlando in August 2014. At that time, their opening was estimated for a very vague “Spring 2015” so we weren’t sure if it would be operational for our next vacation in May or not.
When tickets went on presale in March or April, we decided that we wanted the Eye, Sea Life Aquarium and Madame Tussauds to be attractions for the whole family to experience on our next family trip at Christmas time. So, we purchased the 3-attraction combo tickets for a very affordable $35 per person for Christmas week, and those experiences were set to be deferred until the holiday season. With our spring trip falling at the very beginning of May (the 1st to the 8th), we didn’t figure our timing would be such that the Eye would be open during that time anyway.
And then, the Travel Gods smiled upon us, and the Grand Opening of the Orlando Eye was announced for Monday, May 4th. It was like destiny…..to pass by the opportunity to be among the “first to fly” would seem wrong on so many levels. So it was, with great excitement, that we purchased tickets to just the Orlando Eye only (Sea Life and Tussaud’s would still be deferred until our Christmas vacation, much as it pained me to do so!) for Tuesday, May 5th, 2015.
We have rode a very similar attraction in Niagara Falls, Ontario (the Niagara Skywheel) on more than one occasion, however the height of the Skywheel at 175 feet tall is less than half the size of the 400 foot Orlando Eye. We would be interested to see how the two rides compare.
Entry to the Orlando Eye is pre-determined for a specific time (which you select) when tickets are purchased online in advance of your visit. We chose 12 noon, smack dab in the middle of our day, on a date that we planned for “downtime” from the parks. We arrived around 11 am, allowing plenty of time to find parking…..we were unfamiliar with the layout of this new area and wanted to be sure we had enough time to secure a spot and get into the Eye complex before our ride time. It turned out that parking was super easy and surprisingly ample, with the large garage offering a plethora of free (woohoo!) spaces within a stone’s throw of the entrance. Merlin has done an excellent job of catering to guests in this regard.
Since parking was so effortless, we were just about an hour ahead of the time indicated on our tickets, however I asked one of the staff if it was possible to ride earlier. She said it was no problem, that they were not too busy, and allowed us to proceed into the pre-ride area.
After bag check, the first stop was with the Eye photographers, who took a few minutes with each incoming guest to take “magic shots” with a green screen. There were several photo stations set up, so the waits were kept very minimal as the photographers were able to handle multiple families simultaneously.
After photos were taken, we were given 3D glasses and ushered into a room for a short 4-D presentation during which you stand in rows on a graduated platform.
The video, about a little girl who dreams of someday working for NASA, takes you “flying” over most of the major central Florida attractions including the Universal parks, the SeaWorld parks, the beach, the Kennedy Space Center, an orange grove, Legoland, and more. Interestingly enough, there wasn’t a single mention of a Disney in the entire video production.....there wasn't a mouse (nor any iconic Disney landmark...not even the castle) in sight. The film ends with the little girl’s family fulfilling the dream of a vacation in Orlando, complete with a ride on the Orlando Eye.
At the conclusion of the video, we proceeded to the outdoor loading area for the Eye. Staff separated guests into groups of around 12 or slightly less in preparation for loading. The larger family unit who watched the 4D film with our twosome were split into two “pods”, leaving just Steve and I remaining. The staff member apologetically advised us that the rules dictate that a minimum of 3 people must be in each pod for standard tickets, so we would have to wait a few moments until a few more guests arrived out of the next showing of the 4D video.
It was interesting to note that the wheel is constantly moving, even during the loading process. We chatted with the staff members there, and they explained that the only time the Eye is stopped for loading is in the event that there is an individual who requires assistance in boarding or has a disability which presents a safety concern. So, as the wheel moves slowly down to the platform, you hop into one of the moving pods under the direction and supervision of a staff member. Surprisingly, this works rather well and before we knew it, we (and 5 other adults, visitors from the UK) were in our pod and on our way skyward.
Inside the pods, there is a center bench for anyone who wishes (or needs to) sit during the ride. For everyone else, there’s a bar running along the inside glass walls of the pod to hold on while you stand at the glass and watch yourself rising higher and higher in the air. On the Niagara Skywheel (where you sit on benches on either side of the much smaller pods for the duration of the ride, with your back facing the glass and your front facing the people across from you), that initial “lift” gives me a very woozy kind of feeling, and awakens every bit of my fear of heights (I am not ashamed to admit that I suffer from a severe case of acrophobia…..but I was determined not to let that steal away the opportunity to experience this new attraction). On the Eye, however, even standing against the glass holding onto that metal bar with dear life, I felt none of that initial wooziness and had no awakening of my fears whatsoever. This was smooth and wonderful, and the views as we rose were simply spectacular!
As we completed the full rotation, which took between 20 minutes and half an hour, we were able to see for miles despite the partly cloudy conditions. We could see the Orange County Convention Center:
….the SeaWorld parks:
….the Epcot ball off in the distance……
…..the Universal parks and Fun Spot……..
....Downtown Orlando….
…and even just some wonderful panoramas of the countryside.
I glanced over at Steve on more than one occasion, as he HATES the Niagara Skywheel and had agreed to the Eye only because he’s the best darn husband in the world, and he was raptly soaking in the sights from the sky. I inquired,
are you okay? to which he happily reported that he was feeling no discomfort whatsoever, and that he was really, really enjoying this attraction. The movement was very smooth, very slow and
very steady. Despite the breezy day, there was
zero movement of that pod.
One of my favourite photos: the view from the highest point:
All throughout the flight, there was an audio recording of what sights you could see from the various vantage points on the tour, and which direction to look to find them. There was also an interactive tablet in the pod but honestly, I was too busy taking in the sights to see what features the tablet offered.
I was sad to see us approaching the ground, knowing we’d be exiting just a short time soon. I totally would have loved to have gone for a second rotation (and am so happy we get a chance to ride this again in December with the kiddos!). As with the loading, the disembarking is also done as the wheel continues its non-stop rotation.
Once off the Eye, riders exit through a gift shop of assorted Eye merchandise. As you enter the gift shop, photo salespeople are there to try and sell you a package of the pictures taken on the green screen before your ride. The packages are $35 each, include the digital copies of the photos, and the prints come in a little souvenir booklet that has some fun facts about the Orlando Eye and some other related trivia. We took a pass on the pictures, as sadly, Steve had worn a green t-shirt that day, and he ended up being just a head and arms in the photos (his body “disappeared”, and they didn’t have the technology, apparently, to colour him back in).
Standard tickets purchased same day at the Eye complex will run you $25 per adult. Our advance purchase reduced the price to $18 pp. Combo tickets are your best deal, at $35 per person (at the door prices for both Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum and Sea Life Aquarium are both $25 each, if I remember correctly, so the three attraction combo ticket is a substantial savings over day-of pricing). There is also a combo ticket that includes Legoland with the three other attractions, and Merlin will even transport you, free of charge, from the complimentary parking lot at the IDrive 360 complex to Legoland.
The Eye also has special occasion packages that feature various add-ons such as glasses of champagne.
Both Steve and I agreed: we really, really enjoyed this new I-Drive attraction (more, even, than we had expected or hoped to). We thought the advance purchase price was very fair, and the combo ticket price an excellent deal (assuming Sea Life and Tussaud’s don’t disappoint….from the exterior of both, they too look very well done).
Following our spin on the Eye, we had one more attraction to experience before leaving IDrive 360. Make no bones about it, we were intrigued by Orlando’s newest museum.
Coming up…..Skeletons: Animals Unveiled!
....in hindsight, I wish I had given one a try!! Next time 
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. Sorry to hear your Red Robin experience was less than ideal, too.
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Thanks, me too!!!
I really don't even know how I get myself into airplanes. I just block it out I think.
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. A few people stopped to suggest that he start winning prizes for people who bombed out on their own attempts....until the TM running the game informed them that he could only win twice per day.
