Guests longing for the golden days of classic, midcentury Florida attractions can embrace vintage charm and modern technology aboard The Wheel at Icon Park. Named The Great Florida Road Trip, the Orlando attraction debuted a new experience honoring the landmarks that laid the foundation for Florida’s robust attractions industry. The interactive game is playable at night and is included with The Wheel VIP ticket and the Play Pass package.
Prior to boarding their capsule, visitors are introduced to the Flamingo Family, a clan of cartoon birds that have recruited you to snap photos during their Florida road trip. Riders are then given a faux vintage camera with a score screen and infrared sensor that can reach game markers up to 1,000 feet away. Using the special cameras, riders aim at targets on the rooftop below that are designed to look like Florida oranges and vintage postcards of destinations across the state.
As riders scramble to “capture” as many photos as possible, the 400-foot-high observation wheel reveals new vantage points and targets as players make their way back to the boarding platform. Winners of The Great Florida Road Trip are rewarded for their efforts with a $5 arcade card prize, encouraging those who reign supreme—and their party—to spend time in Icon Park’s on-site arcade.
How did Icon Park intertwine The Great Florida Road Trip’s innovative technologies and vintage charm? The theming, style, and product development were assisted by Orlando-based IDEAS, a brand and experience design company; Knoxville-based Creative Amusements; and Indiana-based Steradian Technologies. The groups worked to appeal to all age groups by striking a balance between fast-paced interactivity and midcentury nostalgia.
“Weaving together new technology with nostalgia, this experience was designed for people of all ages to enjoy," shares Icon Park President and CEO Chris Jaskiewicz. “Parents and grandparents will love the vintage appeal, and kids can put their gaming skills to the test.”
The immersion continues after the gaming experience ends. To help spread the word of The Great Florida Road Trip, players are given a retro-style postcard they are encouraged to send as a souvenir. The postcards can be dropped into a pink vintage mailbox, with Icon Park paying the postage to mail each card to a recipient.
The simple marketing effort targets family and friends of visitors, delivering a memento that drives future attendance by encouraging them to experience the fun for themselves.
