ICON Park plans huge expansion, including 409 seat entertainment venue, 2 hotels and several new retail locations

ICON Park on International Drive is already one of the most popular entertainment destinations in Orlando, and far from resting on their laurels, exciting expansion plans are in the works.

Only days after ICON Park made headlines with the sale of the Wheel at ICON Park to Merlin Entertainments, who have rebranded the 400-foot tall observation wheel back to its original name, "The Orlando Eye, " ICON Park are making the news again!

According to Orange County court filings and a report in GrowthSpotter. Plans have been submitted that will massively expand the footprint of the popular entertainment destination on International Drive, to include a 409 seat entertainment venue, and several new retail locations.

This is in addition to previously submitted plans for two hotels.

The main focus of the plans is to the rear of the property which runs parallel to Universal Blvd. This area includes an entrance to ICON Park, together with two surface parking lots, one for the general public, and another for employees.

Directly behind the current main building underneath The Orlando Eye is a landscaped area that is earmarked for a huge one-story building that will be home to a 409-seat entertainment venue.

The plans also call for two hotels, each with 550 rooms to be built on the surface parking lots, either side of The Orlando Eye, although it's believed that the hotels will be built in a future phase.

In addition, new retail locations are planned for two lots on the northwestern corner of I-Drive and Via Mercado with an additional 5,827-square-foot retail development on the northern edge of the park's property.

Interestingly this retail development places the building on the current location of the Orlando SlingShot, a ride that is owned by the same company as the now dismantled Orlando FreeFall at ICON Park, this was the ride which teenager Tyre Sampson fell to his death in March, 2022. These new plans would suggest that the Orlando SlingShot will be removed from the park.

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