ORLANDO, Fla. — ICON Park, the International Drive entertainment complex, has added a new game to its 400-foot-tall observation wheel.
The Great Florida Road Trip, which officially debuted Wednesday, is an interactive game that celebrates Florida’s history of roadside attractions.
“A big part of this Great Florida Road Trip game is to honor some of the early trailblazers that really built the industry,” said Chris Jaskiewicz, president and CEO of ICON Park.
Visitors get to take a 1950s/1960s-inspired “road trip” while aboard The Wheel, learning about different attractions and cities across the Sunshine State.
Using a device designed to look like a vintage camera, visitors “snap” pictures large game markers or postcards located on rooftops across the complex. Each postcard highlights a different Florida destination such as Daytona, St. Augustine and Miami. The camera, which uses an infrared beam, keeps track of a player’s score and lets them know when they’ve taken a good picture. The more pictures you take, the higher your score.
As The Wheel makes its rotation, a retro-inspired radio broadcast will play in the capsule, with a host sharing facts about different tourist destinations around the state.
Before visitors begin their road trip, they’re introduced to the Flamingo Family via a pre-show that plays on a vintage TV set. The queue also features a large mural of different Florida attractions, including Gatorland, Weeki Wachee and the Winter Park scenic boat tour.
The Great Florida Road Trip replaces Bullseye Blast, a shooting game that debuted last summer but wass pulled shortly after following online criticism. For the new game, ICON Park worked with Orlando-based brand and experience design company Ideas. Before landing on the road trip theme, other concepts were considered, including a bird spotting game, a game show, and a pirate treasure hunt, according to co-creative director and senior writer Jared Wells.
“But the one that always resonated in the earliest meetings was this idea of taking guests on a Florida road trip, because there’s not really an attraction that does that,” Wells said. “And ICON Park being what it is, a representation of a modern, family attraction, it seemed like a fitting place for this story.”
Once the road trip is over, the winner from each capsule will receive a $5 gift card for the In the Game Arcade inside the wheelhouse.
The experience also features a themed photo op that puts visitors on their own digital postcards.
The Great Florida Road Trip is included with The Wheel VIP Experience ticket, which costs $24.99 per person, as well as the ICON Park Play Pass, which costs $89.99 per person and includes multiple experiences across the complex. The game can also be added to a ticket to The Wheel for $2.50.
For more information, visit iconparkorlando.com.
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