robbalvey Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 LOL! I'll always welcome yet another Buffalo Wild Wings and Carrabba's to Orlando! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 Since when is Red Robin a 'gourmet burger eatery'!!?!? Seriously!?!? That is a decent line up of restaurants though to enjoy when you're done being bored on the wheel! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernierocker Posted October 24, 2012 Share Posted October 24, 2012 LOL! I'll always welcome yet another Buffalo Wild Wings and Carrabba's to Orlando! And these are in the same complex, so you could do BWW for lunch, ride the giant wheel for four hours, and then have Carrabba's for dinner! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meteornotes Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 gourmet burger eatery Red Robin This is the funniest thing I've read in quite some time! dt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 How far away from the existing Carabbas and BWW is this place? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted October 25, 2012 Share Posted October 25, 2012 It's about a mile in BOTH directions to the nearest BWW and about 3 and 5 miles in BOTH directions to the nearest Carrabba's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David H Posted October 27, 2012 Share Posted October 27, 2012 Gourmet burgers means more than $8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedimaster1227 Posted November 8, 2012 Author Share Posted November 8, 2012 Unicorp National Developments, which recently received the green light to move forward with the construction of I-Drive Live and the I-Shops has released its slideshow presentation given to legislators before their approval in order to convince them of the benefits that are associated with this huge project. Included in the presentation was some new concept art and details for the area that give us a better look at the project as we will see it next year when it nears completion. http://www.slideshare.net/godog7/i-drive-live-unicorp-circle-entertainment-merlin-entertainments-orlando-florida Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Wow, it actually looks really nice. Reminds me of the newer less cheesy stuff on the Canada side of Niagara Falls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeemerBoy Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Wow, it actually looks really nice. Reminds me of the newer less cheesy stuff on the Canada side of Niagara Falls. Yep, everything but that American flag on the wheel. That's a bit cheesy....to me anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SharkTums Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 ^Maybe they're just trying to win over the southern US people to get the permits and then they'll put a big British Merlin flag instead! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cfc Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 ^Maybe they should try the Confederate flag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skycoastin Steve Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Given the amount of people that live in Orlando (and Florida in general) that aren't from the South, I'd say a Confederate Flag wouldn't work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopper39 Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 I hardley consider Orlando (or central Florida) "The South", while their per capita number of waffle houses is acceptable there needs to be more K-Marts, gun shops, and churches to really count . Looks like a great addition to I-Drive, I've always loved that part of Orlando and with the expansion to Fun Spot and this it should be even better! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ernierocker Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 I love the little scale graphic showing the pros and cons. I just don't get the big ferris wheels but the rest of the project does look cool! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltopper39 Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 I love the little scale graphic showing the pros and cons. I just don't get the big ferris wheels but the rest of the project does look cool! Yeah I don't really "get" the giant Ferris wheels either, but maybe it's really easy to sell up charge tickets to it in combination with Madame Tussauds and the Sea Life Aquarium ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedimaster1227 Posted March 9, 2013 Author Share Posted March 9, 2013 http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2013/01/could-a-planet-hollywood-be-slated-for.html Here’s something you may already know: The $200 million I-Drive Live project on International Drive can fit up to 2,000 new hotel rooms. Well, what if that turned out to be a Planet Hollywood hotel? That may be the case after I overheard Unicorp National Developments Inc. Principal Chuck Whittall chatting with some attendees at a Jan. 17 International Drive Resort Area Chamber of Commerce luncheon. During the actual presentation, Whittall said he couldn’t announce who his interested hotel partner was due to negotiations still being under way. However, if this is true, it could be something huge for I-Drive to have another luxury hotel on the tourist strip. Check back as this is a developing story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedimaster1227 Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share Posted December 19, 2013 http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2013/12/unicorp-renames-200m-i-drive-live.html?page=all Unicorp National Developments Inc. is rebranding its massive shopping/dining/entertainment complex on International Drive to better reflect its towering anchor — the 425-foot observation wheel. The $200 million I-Drive Live project has been renamed The Orlando Eye, to better focus on the main attraction at the center, Unicorp President Chuck Whittall told me. “Walt Disney World is Walt Disney World, Universal is Universal,” Whittall said. “We think calling the project The Orlando Eye is going to be more impactful. "We think it’s better for Yard House to be able to say ‘We’re Yard House at The Orlando Eye’ and for Madame Tussauds to say ‘We’re Madame Tussauds at The Orlando Eye.’” The Orlando Eye and its sister project, the $100 million I-Shops redevelopment/expansion of the Wyndham Orlando Resort next door, are slated to create a total of 1,000 temporary construction jobs. They’re also bringing plenty of new shops, eateries and entertainment destinations to Central Florida’s busy convention area. Whittall said the $75 million observation wheel is being built to Merlin Entertainments Ltd.'s strict requirements — ones that were critical to get the branding for the attraction. Changing the development's name will better brand the project as a whole. Other project attractions are a 25,000 Madame Tussauds wax museum, a 25,000-square-foot SeaLife Aquarium, Titanic The Experience and The Bodies Exhibit. See a full list of tenants signed thusfar. Whittall also said he’s in talks with a “very large, well-known name” for a fifth attraction at the center, one that would be a first in the world. He declined to name the attraction, but said the deal could be finalized by January. Additionally, one of the newest concepts planned for The Orlando Eye, Bar Jour, is a new wine concept being created by Unicorp, Whittall said. http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/latin/2013/12/see-what-attractions-eateries-shops.html?page=all Unicorp National Developments Inc. is bringing some new names to its $300 million worth of projects on Orlando’s International Drive tourist corridor. The two projects — the $100 million I-Shops redevelopment/expansion of the Wyndham Orlando Resort and the $200 million I-Drive Live shopping/dining/entertainment complex — are keeping 1,000 construction workers busy on the sites. They’re also bringing plenty of new shops, eateries and entertainment destinations to Central Florida's busy convention area. The latest is that Unicorp has signed two new attractions to I-Drive Live: Titanic The Experience and The Bodies Exhibit. Here’s a quick look at what else been finalized for the two projects: I-Drive Live — which is anchored by the 425-foot Orlando Eye observation wheel plus Merlin Entertainments Ltd.’s 25,000-square-foot Madame Tussauds wax museum and the 25,000-square-foot Sea Life Aquarium — has the wheel frame of The Orlando Eye under construction. Unicorp landed some new tenants, including Bar Jour, Pretzelmaker, Cafe de Paris, Tin Roof live music bar and Cowgirls. Other previously announced tenants include Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Outback Steakhouse, Buffalo Wild Wings, Yard House, Seafood Republic, Dicks Last Resort, Ben & Jerry’s and Sugar Factory. I-Shops started construction last month on an 18,000-square-foot, tourist-centered Walgreens without a pharmacy. An existing Walgreens across the street reportedly will move to this space when it’s completed. Other signed tenants include Cooper Hawk Winery & Restaurant, Wawa, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewery, a gift shop, Cold Stone Creamery/Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Resort Partners, O’Neill’s surf shop, Starbucks, LongHorn Steakhouse, Chuy’s Tex-Mex and a UPS store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrlittle Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 Seems like a lot of money to spend but I hope they can make it work. Also I thought it was funny that they added UPS store at the end of the list of restaurants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Sabo Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 great news to hear all of those construction projects and best part for the area?-more jobs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djcoastermark Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 All those additions sound "nice", but to be honest, quite boring. I am not a fan of all those chain restaurants. I mean, If I am travelling from far away, why would I want to go to a place that I can find at any mall/strip center in anywhere USA? Why not put in a wallymart too while they are at it ? It all sounds very generic to me. Give me local and/or unique anyday over a chain place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeoplemoverMatt Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 Seems like a lot of money to spend but I hope they can make it work. Also I thought it was funny that they added UPS store at the end of the list of restaurants. Well with all the leftovers you'll have from going to all those restaurants, having a UPS Store nearby makes it easy to ship them home quick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gisco Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 All those additions sound "nice", but to be honest, quite boring. I am not a fan of all those chain restaurants. I mean, If I am travelling from far away, why would I want to go to a place that I can find at any mall/strip center in anywhere USA? Why not put in a wallymart too while they are at it ? It all sounds very generic to me. Give me local and/or unique anyday over a chain place. I'm with you on that. When I travel I try to avoid the chain restaurants because I can go there anytime. I like the more local ones. But when you are marketing a project the big names draw attention. Maybe after this thing gets started local places will start popping up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jew Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 People are creatures of habit. 9/10 times they'll gravitate towards the places they are familiar with instead of taking the risk of trying a new place while on vacation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPDave Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 Interesting to see them branding to the "eye". It's worked well in London so hopefully it goes well over there too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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