Located in the heart of I-Drive, ICON Park is a dining, shopping, and entertainment center consisting of Sea Life Aquarium, Madame Tussauds, The Wheel at ICON Park aka the Orlando Eye, the Orlando StarFlyer, and much more. Given its location and the fact it has two of Orlando’s tallest structures located within it, it’s definitely something you’ll notice, but you might not know what it is.

It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to say ICON Park comes very close to the definition of a tourist trap. There isn’t anything branded to one of the city’s theme parks and none of the experiences are really that particularly unique, but that doesn’t mean ICON Park isn’t worth a visit. There are plenty of things to do that can make for a really fun night out with friends or family – plus with its indoor experiences, ICON Park is a great place to hide out during rainy afternoons.

The Wheel at ICON Park (aka The Orlando Eye)

Just like its cousin in London (and other parts of the world) The Wheel at ICON Park is a great way to see the city from a bird’s eye view. It is basically a giant, slow-moving Ferris wheel that takes you 400 feet in the air for some spectacular views of the city.

The Wheel at ICON Park is a cool experience to have…if you can take it. It really goes without saying, but,  anyone who is afraid of heights should not experience this ride. Your observation pod is completely see-through save for the floor. Inside each pod is a section in the middle to sit down, some handholds, and interactive screens which tell you exactly what you’re looking at.

A good thing to keep in mind with The Wheel at ICON Park is that there is still a line even after you buy your tickets. If you’re looking to be in your pod at a certain time of day or night, make sure you get there a good 60-90 minutes before that time.

Madame Tussauds

Ever wanted to see how you stack up to some of your favorite celebrities and sports heroes? Madame Tussauds wax museum allows you to do just that. You’ll be able to get up close and personal with some scary-good lifelike representations of celebrities, musicians, athletes, and more. Catch a pass from Dan Marino, sit on the couch next to Oprah, fist bump Kung Fu Panda’s Po, and even see historical figures like Einstein, Steve Jobs, and Walt Disney himself.

You’ll get the most out of Madame Tussauds if you have a creative mind. Sure, you can walk up to the Ryan Reynolds wax figure and smile…but where’s the fun in that? Instead of smiling, try acting like his bodyguard, or learning in and pretending to kiss his gorgeous face.

The last time we went to the museum, they had a new and interactive exhibit focused on the Justice League. We saw wax creations of the superheroes in a really authentic-looking street setting. Exhibits like this will change from time to time, so make sure to see what’s going on when you want to come visit.

Sea Life

This is our favorite part of the ICON Park experience because we love animals and aquariums. We are also very impressed with just how much Sea Life has been able to cram in a relatively small space. There are plenty of different tanks to look at with a large variety of fish and animals.

One of our favorite parts of Sea Life is the convex/concave bubbles that get you even closer to the fish. Most of the bubbles require you to crawl underneath the tank, so it might not be the easiest thing to experience for adults, but if you can fit in the bubbles you can get some really cool views of the fish.

Another small thing to shout out at Sea Life is the friendly and knowledgeable staff. We’ve always had great experiences interacting whenever we’ve had questions or just learning cool things about the animals.

Orlando StarFlyer

The newest attraction at ICON Park is also the tallest and, let’s face it, the scariest! The Orlando StarFlyer is a 360-degree swing that takes you a whopping 450 feet in the air (yes, that’s 50 feet TALLER than The Wheel at ICON Park) and swings you at 45 miles per hour.

This ride looks especially cool at night because the Orlando StarFlyer is outfitted with hundreds of lights.

Unfortunately, that’s all we can say about this ride because there is no way either of us will go on it. Tyler had a hard enough time on ICON Park (but he got through it) and Jessica is staying far, far away from something like that.

Dining

ICON Park features a variety of dining options as well ranging from upscale dining to fast food. You can enjoy Spanish fare at Tapa Toro, desserts at Sugar Factory and iCafe de Paris, or more casual dining at Outback, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Shake Shack.

Drinking

Other than ordering drinks with your dinner, or getting a beer at Buffalo Wild Wings during the game, ICON Park features two locations for drinking. Sugar Factory features some of the sweetest, sugar-filled drinks you will ever find and Tin Roof features live music along with a solid beer menu and cocktails.

The Verdict?

ICON Park may seem too touristy for a local and too cheesy for a tourist, but you’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t at least visit the complex and see what it’s about. Besides, parking is free and available at the adjacent parking garage.

Orlando is a city built on entertainment and even if it seems cliche on the surface, Icon Park has a lot of entertainment stuck together in one location.