Icon Park’s Landmark Observation Wheel Reclaims Its Original Name: The Orlando Eye, Courtesy of Merlin Entertainments!

If you’ve had a tough time remembering what to call the ‘observation wheel’ at Icon Park in Orlando, you’re in luck… the Orlando Eye is the correct name again after Merlin Entertainments purchased the prominent observation wheel at Icon Park in Orlando. Merlin also owns Legoland Florida, the London Eye, Peppa Pig Theme Park, and at Icon Park, Madame Tussauds, and Sea Life.

Merlin Entertainments, is reporting record revenues for the 2023 financial year (ended 30 December 2023), driven by strong performance in key markets, international tourism, and continued consumer demand for quality experiences. The company welcomed 62 million visitors to its 141 attractions across 23 countries, with record guest satisfaction rates, and achieved revenue of £2.1 billion, (about$2.625 billion)  a respective 13% and 8% increase over 2022.

“Our solid financial performance is a testament to the passion of our 30,000 talented teammates around the world and the authentic, inspiring culture in which we work; the strength of the brands we are entrusted to bring to life, most notably the LEGO® brand; the global breadth and depth of our attractions; the end-to-end creative force of our Merlin Magic Makers; and our deep commitment to creating lifelong memories for guests of all ages and abilities, while driving positive impact in the communities in which we live, work, and play. We intend to continue our growth momentum by driving an increasingly premium position at LEGOLAND® Resorts, making calculated investments in resorts with outsized potential, and growing our Gateway Attractions division, strengthening our presence through ‘mega-clusters’ in the world’s most important tourist cities that show long-term visitation growth,” Scott O’neil, Chief Executive Officer, Merlin Entertainments shared in a news release.

When it first opened its doors on May 4, 2015, the wheel was known as The Orlando Eye, a nod to its sister attraction, The London Eye, which is also operated by Merlin. Merlin managed, but did not own The Wheel at the time. At that time, Icon Park was known as I-Drive 360. In 2016, the attraction was rechristened as the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye. By 2018, it underwent another change, adopting the name Icon Orlando. A year later, adding to the branding confusion, the wheel was renamed The Wheel at Icon Park a year later. So, for many of us, the renaming of  the observation wheel at Icon Park in Orlando will be a bit of a branding reunion!

Welcome back Orlando Eye!