ICON Park

ICON Park is an entertainment complex in Orlando, Florida. It features amusement park rides, most notably the recently opened and temporarily closed Orlando FreeFall, the tallest drop tower in the world, The Wheel, a Madame Tussauds museum location, a Sea Life aquarium, and shopping and dining locations.

ICON Park
Previously known as I-Drive 360 (2015-2018)
LocationOrlando, FL, United States
StatusOperating
OpenedMay 4, 2015
OwnerUnicorp National Developments, Inc.
General managerChris Jaskiewicz
Attractions
Total5[1]
Websitewww.iconparkorlando.com

Attractions

Rides
  • Orlando FreeFall is a drop tower ride operated by ICON Park's tenant The SlingShot Group which launches riders up to 430 feet.[2] This is the tallest free-standing drop tower ride in the world.
  • Orlando Slingshot is a reverse bungee ride also operated by The SlingShot Group which drops riders from more than 400 feet.[2]
  • Pearl Express Train
  • StarFlyer is a swing ride standing 450 feet tall, making it the world's tallest standalone swing ride.[3]
  • The Wheel at ICON Park Orlando is a Ferris wheel standing 400 feet high.[4]

In March of 2022, both rides operated by The SlingShot Group were temporarily closed at the request of park officials pending the results of an investigation into the falling death of Tyre Sampson on the Orlando FreeFall.[5] The rides have not yet reopened.

Other activities

The park features the aforementioned Madame Tussauds museum and aquarium, as well as an arcade, a “7D” theater and a museum of illusions.

Shopping

The park features some chain stores like Walgreens and a Build-A-Bear Workshop, several shopping kiosks, as well as an original shop featuring park merchandise.

Restaurants

The park features several notable restaurant chains such as Buffalo Wild Wings, Outback Steakhouse and Shake Shack. [6]

Incidents
See also: Incidents at independent amusement parks

Orlando StarFlyer
  • On September 14, 2020, a 21-year-old maintenance worker named Jacob Kaminsky fell to his death while conducting a daily safety check before the park opened, falling about 50 to 60 feet onto the platform below. He was taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center where he died from his injuries.[7][8]

Orlando FreeFall
  • On March 24, 2022, Tyre Sampson, a 14-year-old visiting Orlando from the St. Louis area, fell to his death from the ride Orlando FreeFall. According to preliminary findings from a forensic engineering team hired by the state of Florida, the safety sensor for the seat occupied by Sampson, as well as one other seat, were "manually adjusted" by operators to allow for larger riders to occupy these two seats. The adjustments allowed nearly double the normal operating range of the harness restraint. The adjusted position of the sensor allowed the safety sensor light to activate, satisfying the electronic safety mechanisms for the ride, even when the harness was unsafe for the occupant. Investigations into why and by whom the adjustments were made are still ongoing. Sampson's family is pursuing legal action and calling for the ride to be permanently shut down.[9][10][11][12]

References
  1. "Park Map & Directory". Icon Park. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  2. "ICON Park demands operator shut down second ride". www.mynews13.com. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  3. "About Us". StarFlyer. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  4. "The Wheel at ICON Park". ICON Park®. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  5. "Slingshot ride suspended at ICON Park amid FreeFall investigation". www.mynews13.com. Retrieved 2022-04-06.
  6. “ICON Park Fact Sheet” April 2019. Retrieved from https://iconparkorlando.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/ICON-Park-Fact-Sheet.pdf.
  7. "Worker falls to his death from StarFlyer attraction in Orlando".
  8. "Report details fatal fall of StarFlyer employee who loved working on rides".
  9. "A 14-year-old fell to his death from the new drop tower ride at Florida's ICON Park, authorities say".
  10. Bristow, Holly (2022-03-29). "Orlando FreeFall death: Ride safety experts say teen's harness was not properly secured". FOX 35 Orlando. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  11. Anderson, Kelsi (March 29, 2022). "Records show new details in death of teen who fell from Orlando ride". ksdk.com. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  12. Jakiel, Olivia (April 18, 2022). "Safety Sensor on Teen's Harness Was Manually Adjusted on Ride Before Fatal Fall: Officials". People. Retrieved April 19, 2022.
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