Out and About: The Orlando Eye Offers Exhilarating View of Central Florida

- Michelle Snow

One of the hottest attractions to hit Orlando is The Orlando Eye, and on April 29, I got an media preview of what it’s like to ride inside the observation wheel. Good news is the Orlando Eye opens today, May 4, so you can now ride for yourself!

The Orlando Eye - leaving and returning.

Once you arrive at the entrance to the Orlando Eye, you reach a scanner station with machines to read your tickets. Just past that is a trio of photo stations, where the staff will take your photo against a green screen. These photos, of course, will be available for you to purchase at the end of the ride.

The Orlando Eye - ticket scanner and photo area.
The Orlando Eye – ticket scanner and photo area.

From there, the attraction gathers guests to view a short 4D overview of the Orlando Eye, which was fun except for the misting. I’m short so it always hits me in the face.

When the film is done, the doors open and it’s time to ride!

The Orlando Eye - beginning the journey.
The Orlando Eye – beginning the journey.

Riders are completely enclosed inside a capsule that holds about 10 to 15 people max. Most passengers will board while the wheel is moving, but the wheel spins at 1mph, so it’s not hard. If you’ve ever boarded rides like Haunted Mansion at Disney, you can handle this.

Inside is wall to wall tinted windows. There are two stations of screens that will offer information on what you are viewing, but they weren’t installed for us to try. In the center is a pole, with seating around it. The capsules are also air-conditioned, though it wasn’t running during our preview.

The Orlando Eye - looking up.
The Orlando Eye – looking up as you rise.

The ride moves very smoothly and I barely felt the motion as we circled around. The Orlando Eye has over 2 miles of steel rod connections throughout the structure, and this helps to stabilize the movement.

The views…the views were incredible.

The Orlando Eye - the view to the south.
The Orlando Eye – the view to the south.

We were viewing on a slightly hazy morning, but on a clear day, I’m told it’s possible to see the Kennedy Space Center. Our view was impressive anyways. I spotted Universal to the north, the Orange County Convention Center to the south. I could also make out Walt Disney World in the distance to the southeast.

And kudos to the marketing genius at Cafe Tu Tu Tango, just down the road on I-Drive, who opted to paint the restaurant’s name on the roof of their building. I spotted it as soon as the wheel hit the top.

The Orlando Eye - the view from the top of the Eye's courtyard.
The Orlando Eye – the view at the top of  I-Drive 360’s courtyard below.

The Orlando Eye at it’s tallest point is 400 ft off the ground. Looking down is not advised if you have vertigo, but we decided to take a photo. This is the same view Nik Wallenda had during his walk on the wheel last week.

We only had four people in our capsule, so it was easy to move from side to side, getting a 360 degree view of Orlando. It was interesting to see how the city is laid out from that high vantage point.

We were a little sad when our capsule pulled into the station for us to unload. As we entered the building, we were shown the photos taken at the beginning, then we emptied into the gift shop.

The Orlando Eye - some of the gift shop offerings.
The Orlando Eye – some of the gift shop offerings.

There was a good range of souveniers from travel mugs to keychains to shirts. My favorite was a blue bear with an Orlando Eye t-shirt. The staff said it didn’t have a name, but it smelled like blueberries. Really. I had a total Strawberry Shortcake flashback.

So what will this 20-minute ride cost? If you purchase in advance online, as low as $18. If you want to wait to buy when you get there, rides start at $25. I’d say this attraction is worth it, especially if you ride on a really clear day. I imagine sunset rides would make for some nice photos, too.

Save even more with ticket packages that include other attractions like SEA LIFE Aquarium Orlando, Madame Tussauds Orlando, and LEGOLAND Florida.

The Orlando Eye is located at 8401 International Dr, in the I-Drive 360 complex. Hours are 10am to 10pm Monday through Friday, and 10am to midnight on Saturday and Sunday.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit officialorlandoeye.com.

About Michelle Snow

Michelle is the owner and editor of CitySurfing Orlando. She also owns Zengrrl.com, is a freelance writer specializing in travel and entertainment, has authored/co-authored four guidebooks on Orlando and Florida, and was head editor/writer at TheDisneyBlog.com for 10 years. She's lived in Orlando near Walt Disney World since 1995, and still finds there's so much fun to be had in Central Florida.
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