Icon Park Explained

Icon Park
Previous Names:I-Drive 360 (2015–2018)
Location:Orlando
Location2:FL
Location3:United States
Coordinates:28.4432°N -81.4693°W
Owner:IDL Center (FL) LLC
Rides:9[1]
Status:Operating

Icon Park, originally named I-Drive 360 until 2018, is an entertainment complex in Orlando, Florida, that has been operating since 2015. The complex is on 20acres and has about 9 feature attractions, including a 400feet observation wheel, a slingshot ride, a Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, and a Sea Life aquarium (not to be confused with SeaWorld Orlando). The park also has various restaurants, shops, bars, and kiosk vendors.

Icon Park is not owned and operated as a single enterprise like an ordinary enclosed amusement park; instead, the park is on a 40acres site together with nearby hotels and restaurants, and the attractions at the site are owned separately and operated by various different companies who lease space and operate as tenants.[2] No tickets are needed for members of the public to enter the park itself or to visit the restaurants and shops on the site; rather, tickets for the individual attractions are sold separately or in bundled packages.

Attractions

Rides and activities

In addition to rides, the park features a museum, aquarium, arcade, a "7D" theater and a museum of illusions.

The Orlando Starflyer, a 450feet swing ride, is located near Icon Park on the same road and is operated by same Slingshot Group of companies that operates the Orlando Slingshot attraction, but it is not listed as an Icon Park feature attraction and has a separate website and a separate destination address.[6]

Shopping

The park features more than 40 specialty retail kiosks around the Icon Park, as well as an original shop featuring park merchandise.

Restaurants

The park features various restaurants including

Former attractions

Operations

Icon Park began operating in 2015. Tickets for the individual attractions can be purchased separately or in discounted combinations.[15]

In 2023, Icon Park began offering a "Play Pass" package that included admission to seven main attractions, an add-on game experience for the Wheel ride, credits for two game areas, and discounts for shopping, restaurants and bars.[16] However, as of March 2024, the Play Pass package was not offered on the park website.

Incidents

See also: Incidents at independent amusement parks.

On March 24, 2022, 14-year-old Tyre Sampson of St. Louis, Missouri, fell to his death from the Orlando Free Fall ride.[17] Owned and operated by The Slingshot Group, the attraction opened as the tallest free-standing drop tower, and operated for less than 3 months prior to the accident.[18] The ride was immediately closed.[19] Through an investigation and report provided by Quest Engineering and Failure Analysis, Inc., it was discovered that the restraint proximity sensors of the seat Sampson was in had been manually adjusted after they had been initially secured in place by the ride manufacturer. The manual adjustments had been made to accommodate larger riders.[20] Sampson exceeded the weight limit for the ride that was prescribed by its manufacturer.[21] The ride would not operate if the sensors detected that any of the restraints were not sufficiently closed, and the manual adjustment allowed the restraint to be open almost twice as wide as normal without triggering a shutdown. The expanded restraint for Sampson's seat left a large enough opening for him to slide out of the seat.[22] [23] On October 6, 2022, Icon Park confirmed the permanent closure and future removal of the ride.[24] [25] [26] [20] Demolition began on March 7, 2023, and was completed on March 21.[27]

In the wake of the accident, a new law was passed in Florida to improve rider safety.[20]

On July 3, 2015, at around 4:00 p.m., a few months after operations began, the Orlando Eye Ferris Wheel experienced a technical fault with the system that monitors the wheel position, causing the system to automatically shut down and stranding about 66 riders for approximately three hours.[28]

On December 31, 2022, the Wheel malfunctioned again and suffered from a power failure around 6:20 p.m. Orange County fire crews had to rescue more than 60 people from the ride. Despite reports of sparks, flames and some smoke, no injuries were reported.[29] The ride remained closed until February 10, 2023.[30] [31]

On September 14, 2020, a worker died after falling from the Orlando StarFlyer while climbing to conduct safety checks.[32]

References

  1. Web site: Park Map & Directory . Icon Park . March 27, 2022.
  2. Web site: ICON Park's Growth as Premier Entertainment Destination Augmented by Merlin's Expansion . March 25, 2024.
  3. Web site: The Wheel at ICON Park . April 6, 2022 . ICON Park . en-US.
  4. Web site: Gateway Attractions . March 25, 2024 . www.merlinentertainments.biz . en.
  5. Web site: Max Action Arena coming to ICON Park this fall . October 31, 2022 . ICON Park . en-US.
  6. Web site: Orlando Starflyer . March 25, 2024.
  7. Web site: GR Fish and Chips . Orlando Weekly . March 13, 2024.
  8. Web site: Juan Valdez Coffee Store opens at ICON Park . October 31, 2022 . ICON Park . en-US.
  9. Web site: 3 new food concepts arrive at ICON Park in Orlando . WFTV9 . 20 May 2024.
  10. Web site: Orlando’s ICON Park pauses controversial shooting game . Blooloop . February 29, 2024.
  11. News: ICON Park pauses new game on The Wheel in Orlando that allowed riders to shoot at targets. Mates. Thomas. July 15, 2022. ClickOrlando.com. WKMG-TV. July 17, 2022.
  12. Web site: Bullseye Blast Shooting Game on The Wheel at Icon Park . June 23, 2022. . Attractions Magazine . July 17, 2022.
  13. Web site: Florida amusement park pauses new sniper-like laser game . CBS News . February 29, 2024.
  14. https://www.clickorlando.com/theme-parks/2021/03/15/icon-park-levels-up-with-new-in-the-game-experience/#//
  15. Web site: Icon Park . March 25, 2024.
  16. Web site: Jon . Self . New Icon Park Play Pass challenges 'vacation inflation' . Attractions Magazine . April 5, 2023 . March 13, 2024.
  17. Web site: March 25, 2022 . Boy, 14, dies after falling from FreeFall ride at ICON Park in Orlando . January 2, 2023 . WFTV . en.
  18. Web site: Bristow . Holly . March 30, 2022 . The Slingshot Group: Company behind Orlando FreeFall owns other rides in and around Florida . January 2, 2023 . Fox 35 Orlando . en-US.
  19. Web site: Slingshot ride suspended at ICON Park amid FreeFall investigation . January 2, 2023 . www.mynews13.com . en.
  20. Web site: Meredith . Michelle . May 12, 2023 . Orlando SlingShot ride reopens at ICON Park . July 14, 2023. WESH . en.
  21. Web site: Teen who fell to his death at Florida amusement park exceeded ride's weight limit and died of blunt force trauma, autopsy says . Amir . Vera . Jamiel . Lynch . June 13, 2022 . March 25, 2024.
  22. Web site: Read the report: Engineer report on teen death at ICON Park . January 2, 2023 . Orlando Sentinel.
  23. Web site: Yancey-Bragg . N'dea . Florida park ride seat was adjusted before 14-year-old boy fell to his death, accident report says . January 2, 2023 . . en-US.
  24. Web site: March 25, 2023 . Orlando FreeFall At ICON Park Has Now Been Fully Dismantled . May 19, 2023 . Theme Park Tourist . en.
  25. Web site: Orlando FreeFall ride will be taken down after teen's death, operator says . October 6, 2022 . CNN . October 6, 2022 . en.
  26. Web site: Phillips . Garrett . October 6, 2022 . Orlando Free Fall to be torn down after death of Tyre Sampson 6 months ago . January 2, 2023 . WPEC . en.
  27. Web site: Parents of 14-Year-Old Boy Who Died in Amusement Park Fall Reach Settlement as Demolition of the Ride Begins . Yahoo News . 1 August 2024.
  28. Web site: Orlando Eye back open after malfunction left riders stuck . July 4, 2015 . WFTV .
  29. News: Meredith . Michelle . 'Nerve-wracking': Riders recount being stuck on The Wheel at ICON Park after power failure . January 10, 2023 . WESH 2 . January 1, 2023.
  30. News: The Wheel at ICON Park still closed after power failure: Here's what needs to happen before it opens . February 7, 2023 . Fox 35 Orlando . January 18, 2023.
  31. News: McDaniel . Dave . The Wheel at ICON Park reopens following inspection after New Year's Eve power failure . live . February 10, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230210212446/https://www.wesh.com/article/the-wheel-icon-park-open/42828675 . February 13, 2023 . WESH 2 News . February 10, 2023.
  32. Web site: Dahm . Daniel . 2020-09-14 . Worker falls to his death from StarFlyer attraction in Orlando . 2024-05-27 . WKMG . en.

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