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Tag: Icon Park

  • Blue Man Group breaks ground on new theater at Icon Park

    Blue Man Group breaks ground on new theater at Icon Park

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    Photo via Blue Man Group/Facebook

    The Blue Man Group is gearing up for its official return to Orlando, starting with the groundbreaking of a new I-Drive theater.

    The global performance art company received Thursday a celebratory welcome at Icon Park, the planned site of the new Blue Man Theater. The venue will feature a brand-new 500-seat auditorium under the 20-acre entertainment destination’s Orlando Eye.

    The ceremony kicks off development for the venue, which is set to be built and open for business in the heart of Orlando’s tourist center by the end of the year, according to the company.

    Local officials including Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, Visit Orlando CEO Casandra Matej and Icon Park CEO Chris Jaskiewicz were present to welcome the hairless cobalt percussionists back to Central Florida.

    The Blue Man Group initially announced its much-anticipated homecoming in June. This follows the end of its 14-year performance residency at University CityWalk in 2021.

    The Blue Man Group is an American performance art ensemble that formed in 1987, known for its unique stage productions that incorporate different kinds of music and art — and all hues of blue. Visit the group’s website to learn more about its return, venue construction or upcoming shows.

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  • Blue Man Group announce their return to an Orlando attraction — but not where you think

    Blue Man Group announce their return to an Orlando attraction — but not where you think

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    Photo courtesy Blue Man Group/Facebook

    The Blue Man Group has a new home in Orlando at Icon Park

    Blue-hued juggernauts the Blue Man Group have announced their long-awaited return to an Orlando attraction, but maybe not the one you’re thinking of.

    On Thursday, the fan-favorite performance artists confirmed their return to the Orlando tourist sector, but now they will be calling Icon Park home for a performance residency, rather than their old stomping grounds at Universal CityWalk. The cobalt fellows held court at Universal for a long run that ended in 2021.

    “There is no greater world stage than Orlando for exciting family fun, making it a natural choice as a home base for Blue Man Group,” said Jack Kenn, managing director of Blue Man Group, in a press statement. “Our fans are eager for the Blue Men to be part of their Orlando vacations, and our creative team is thrilled to create a new type of experience that is even more immersive and personalized to Orlando.”

    The Blue Man Group will be getting blue at a brand-new 500-seat theater, to be built and open for business by the end of the year.


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    Matthew Moyer

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  • Icon Park welcomes three new dining concepts to its food hall

    Icon Park welcomes three new dining concepts to its food hall

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    Photo via Icon Park/Facebook

    Icon Park has stuffed its food hall with three new “fast comfort” dining concepts.

    The Wheelhouse Food Hall, located at the base of the Orlando eye, will now house outposts of EVOO, a Mediterranean kitchen; The Bone, a Korean fried chicken concept; and The Winnie Tea Bar, a boba tea and mochi donut spot.

    Central Florida-based concept EVOO offers Lebanese fast-casual dining with traditional cooking methods and flavors. Menu highlights include falafel, grilled meats, hummus, baba ghanoush and plenty of vegetarian dishes.

    The Bone specializes in Korean fried chicken, plus ramen, spicy rice cakes, soy garlic chicken wings and more. The Winnie Tea Bar offers a modern twist on traditional boba tea flavors.

    The hall is set to shift its focus from traditional “grab & go” dining to authentic international eats. The new concepts are open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

    Other stops at The Wheelhouse include Juan Valdez Colombian Café and The Wheelhouse Bar. 

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  • Icon Park files proposals for new entertainment venue, hotels and shops

    Icon Park files proposals for new entertainment venue, hotels and shops

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    Photo via Icon Park/Facebook

    An entertainment venue, two hotels and several retail locations comprise the new additions proposed for Icon Park, according to Orange County court filings and a report from GrowthSpotter.

    At the center of the proposal, the 409-seat entertainment venue is anticipated to be a one-story building at the base of the Orlando Eye, previously known as The Wheel at Icon Park prior to the attraction’s acquisition by Merlin Entertainments this week.

    The new retail locations would be built on two lots on the northwestern corner of I-Drive and Via Mercado with an additional 5,827-square-foot retail development to also go up on the northern edge of the park’s property.

    One of these additions is proposed for the lot that currently holds the Orlando SlingShot, suggesting the ride could be removed from the park. The Orlando SlingShot was a neighboring ride to the Orlando FreeFall, the ride from which Orlando teen Tyre Sampson fell to his death in March, 2022.

    Further into the future, two new hotels, collectively holding 550 rooms, are proposed to be built on the eastern side of the property in a pair of parking lots off Universal Boulevard. These hotels would join the various accomodation options already available in the area, such as the Element Orlando Universal Boulevard and the Castle Hotel.

    “The hotels are part of a future phase and aren’t part of the latest development application submitted to the County. The main component of that application is an entertainment venue,” GrowthSpotter reports. 

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    Sarah Harwell

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  • Icon Park’s Wheel renamed Orlando Eye in Merlin Entertainments purchase

    Icon Park’s Wheel renamed Orlando Eye in Merlin Entertainments purchase

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    Photo via Icon Park/Facebook

     Formerly known as The Wheel, Icon Park’s 400-foot tall observation Ferris wheel gets both a (not-so-) new owner and a (not-so-) new name this week.

    The I-Drive attraction was purchased Monday by Merlin Entertainments, an entertainment company with tourist attractions in countries across the world, and given back its original name, The Orlando Eye.

    Merlin previously owned and operated the attraction when it first opened, from 2015 to 2018. The latest name comes in a long line of identity changes for the ride. From the Coca-Cola Orlando Eye to The Wheel, this is the attraction’s fifth rename in less than a decade.

    Merlin owns several other attractions in Orlando including Legoland Florida Park and Resort, Sea Life Orlando Aquarium and Madame Tussauds Orlando. (Those last two are sited in Icon Park, as is the observation wheel.)

    “The Orlando Eye by Merlin Entertainments will become an unmissable stop on visitors’ itineraries, delivering an elevated experience with unobstructed 360-degree views of the Icon Park area and beyond,” Merlin Entertainments CEO Scott O’Neil said in a release.

    Chris Jaskiewicz, president and CEO of Icon Park, is also working toward growth in the park, which he believes aligns with Merlin Entertainments’ plans.

    “We successfully built and developed it into a famous Orlando landmark, and now welcome the Orlando Eye by Merlin Entertainments as one of our outstanding Icon Park tenants,” Jaskiewicz said.

    The Orlando Eye by Merlin Entertainment is located at 8375 International Drive, and tickets can be purchased at theorlandoeye.com.

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    Sarah Harwell

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