You want more ways to spend your hard-earned $$ on I-Drive? Merlin Entertainment just gave you three with the May 4 opening of I-Drive 360 and the Orlando Eye, that spanking-new 400-foot-tall observation wheel. The debut ceremony on April 29 was attended by Gov. Rick Scott and Orange County Mayor Theresa Jacobs, as well as a media mob including NBC’s Today Show, and featured a stunt by Nik Wallenda, the third-generation tightrope walker best known for traversing high wires over Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon. Despite a few storm clouds passing through, the weather held up, and Wallenda walked the length of two of the capsules on the outside rim of the Eye while it rotated. (Ahem: WHILE IT ROTATED.) Then, to celebrate his feat, he rode down standing on top of one of the capsules, texting, taking selfies and posting to Twitter. A mere $25 will get you a single-rotation ride on the Orlando Eye, which takes about 20 minutes. Double that and you’ll get admission to the new Sea Life Aquarium and the newest iteration of Madame Tussaud’s wax museum, too. —HVK
04/29/2015
Photos by Holly V. Kapherr
It started out sunny … damn, that wheel is really tall. Credit: Holly V. KapherrOrange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs welcomes the daredevil to I-Drive Credit: Holly V. KapherrClouds rolled in, but didn’t deter Nik Wallenda from his stunt Credit: Holly V. KapherrA closer look … Credit: Holly V. KapherrCloser … Credit: Holly V. KapherrThere he is! Credit: Holly V. KapherrThis guy has balls, er, nerves of steel. Credit: Holly V. KapherrCredit: Holly V. KapherrWallenda rides one of the capsules down to earth Credit: Holly V. KapherrWallenda waves Credit: Holly V. KapherrIt was pretty hard to actually see him all the way up there — luckily, there were big screens Credit: Holly V. KapherrWallenda takes a selfie Credit: Holly V. KapherrWallenda chats about his feat(s) at the podium Credit: Holly V. KapherrThe crowd looks on Credit: Holly V. KapherrThe view from above Credit: Holly V. KapherrThings look nice from up here Credit: Holly V. KapherrYour chariot awaits Credit: Holly V. KapherrThe Orlando Eye lobby Credit: Holly V. KapherrEntrance to Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum Credit: Holly V. Kapherr
