The Wheel at ICON Park
Please note: The Wheel is currently closed for scheduled maintenance, and no reopening date has been confirmed yet. Check the official opening hours page before building your visit around it. In the meantime, ICON Park's SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium and Madame Tussauds remain open right next door.
A 400-foot view of central Florida
There's a good chance your itinerary will take you toward International Drive at some point, and when it does, you'll be within walking distance of The Wheel at ICON Park. This landmark attraction is loved for its inspiring views and its prime location near more than 50 restaurants, shops, and additional attractions. Whether you drop by during daytime hours or after the sun goes down, ICON Park is one of the most appealing destinations in Orlando, and the sheer number of options for fun makes it worth returning to time and again.
The Wheel towers over the ground at around 400 feet, making it one of the tallest observation wheels in North America. It opened in 2015 (originally as the Orlando Eye) after three years of construction, and it continues to be a fan favorite for visitors from near and far. When the sun goes down, The Wheel lights up in style thanks to 64,000 LED lights that illuminate the sky in a colorful array.
Inside the capsule: what the ride is like
Guests step into their own air-conditioned capsule for a slow, scenic rotation that lasts around 20 minutes, so there's plenty of time to take photos and simply enjoy the view. The capsules stay climate-controlled no matter the season, which makes The Wheel a comfortable stop even during Orlando's hottest summer afternoons.
From the top, it's possible to spot some of the 100-plus lakes Orlando calls its own, along with landmarks like Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Studios, and on a clear day, even the Kennedy Space Center in the distance. It's a genuinely different way to see a city best known for being viewed from inside a theme park queue.
Tickets, hours and practical tips
Standard tickets for The Wheel have typically started at around $28 to $33 per person, with VIP upgrades and photo packages available for guests who want the full experience. An ICON Park Play Pass makes it easy to pair time on The Wheel with the park's other attractions in one visit, and combo tickets bundling The Wheel with SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium and Madame Tussauds (often marketed as "Orlando's Big 3") are usually the better value if you plan to visit more than one.
Because pricing, hours, and availability change (and The Wheel is currently closed for maintenance, as noted above), always confirm current details on the official ICON Park Eye website before you build a day around it. Sunset and the hour just after tend to be the most popular times to ride once it reopens, since you get both the daytime skyline and the nighttime LED show in a single rotation.
More to do at ICON Park
Even without The Wheel, ICON Park is worth a stop. The SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium puts you face to face with sharks, stingrays, and thousands of other sea creatures, and Madame Tussauds Orlando Wax Museum lets you pose alongside lifelike figures of celebrities and icons. There's also a 7D theater, the Pearl Express Train, and a carousel for younger visitors.
Hungry? Some of the food stops worth planning around include Café de Paris, The Wheelhouse Market, Uncle Julio's Mexican, and Tin Roof, a live music joint that's a good pick for an evening out. Between the dining, the shops, and the attractions, a visit to ICON Park can easily fill an entire day, wheel or no wheel.
Where to stay near ICON Park
ICON Park sits right on International Drive, a short drive from both Universal Orlando and Walt Disney World, which makes it an easy add-on to almost any Orlando itinerary. For a home base nearby, browse our vacation homes close to Universal, or explore our full range of villas in Orlando.