Coming Attractions: Orlando 2015

PHOTO: The Orlando Eye will stand 400 feet high.

When travelers ask what else they should do in Orlando beyond the big three theme parks, your answer can include more diversions than ever. Entertainment options continue to grow in this mega tourism hub, enabling you to plan vacations that include something for everyone — including the repeat visitor looking for novelty.

Many of the new attractions are along International Drive, the major tourism corridor in Orlando that provides easy access to Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, the Orange County Convention Center and more — with an inexpensive trolley line along its route.

This spring, I-Drive 360, an entertainment and dining complex, will open on International Drive near Sand Lake Road and will be home to three attractions from U.K.-based Merlin Entertainments, all opening this spring.

Merlin — which runs 100 attractions in 22 countries, including LEGOLAND Florida — will be transforming the city’s skyline with the Orlando Eye. At 400 feet, it will be the tallest observation wheel on the U.S. East Coast. The Orlando Eye will feature fully enclosed, air-conditioned glass capsules, each holding 15 passengers, giving guests 360-degree views of Central Florida. A pre-flight 4-D experience includes a 3-D film about Florida and its landmarks. (OfficialOrlandoEye.com)

Merlin Entertainments is also opening Madame Tussauds Orlando, the celebrity wax-figure attraction with outposts around the world. Madame Tussauds’ detailed and lifelike wax figures pay tribute to influential celebrity and historical figures and the Orlando outpost will feature figures such as Selena Gomez and the brand-new figure of Ricky Martin. (MadameTussauds.com/Orlando)

The third attraction by Merlin Entertainments at I-Drive 360 will be the SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium, one of 35 SEA LIFE locations around the world. Offering a new twist on the traditional aquarium experience, the attraction will feature more than 5,000 creatures from the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans in floor-to-ceiling displays, bubble aquariums and 360-degree and 180-degree underwater tunnels. Additionally, the aquarium, known for its strong conservation efforts, will have educational components for young marine-life enthusiasts. (VisitSeaLife.com/Orlando)

The developers of I-Drive 360, Unicorp National Developments, are also behind the nearby Vue at 360. The central attraction there will be the 420-foot StarFlyer swing attraction. Expected to open in 2016, this will be the tallest StarFlyer in the world. (www.unicorpusa.com)

The Orlando Eye and StarFlyer aren’t the only upcoming attractions that are transforming — and rising high above — International Drive. Another major addition to the area will be The Skyscraper, slated to debut in 2017. Billed as the world’s tallest roller coaster, the 570-foot Skyscraper will soar more than 50 stories high and could reach speeds of up to 65 miles per hour during a four-minute ride. It will feature an observation deck at 535 feet, accessible by the region’s tallest glass elevators. The ride is being designed to begin and end inside SKYPLEX, a $250 million entertainment complex under development that will be an indoor theme park, with arcades, simulators, rock climbing and games, as well as bars and restaurants. (mangos.com/skyplex)

Yet another fun attraction debuted on International Drive in December. I-Drive NASCAR features a half-mile indoor track for electric karts that can reach upward of 45 miles per hour; a four-lane bowling café; an arcade; a full-service restaurant; and more than 5,000 square feet of meeting space. (www.idrivenascar.com)

Further south on I-Drive, Escapeology also opened its doors in December. In this innovative attraction, teams of two to five players must work together to find the clues and solve the puzzles that will allow them to escape a game-themed room in 60 minutes. Participants can choose from three games loosely based on historical events: Cuban Crisis (in which players are FBI agents who must sneak in and out of Fidel Castro’s office); Shanghaied (in which players try to escape a Chinese ship after being kidnapped); and Arizona Shootout (where players must figure out who the outlaws are before they escape to Mexico). (orlando.escapology.com)

A similar venue opened in December in Winter Park, the adjacent town to the northeast of Orlando. It’s A Trap brings to life escape video games, trapping eight adults in fully themed rooms. Players must solve challenging puzzles to find their way out of the immersive theater game, which tells a story through props, set pieces and character performers. The games can be booked Thursdays through Sundays, with four game choices available. (www.itsatrapgame.com)

Downtown Orlando is also on a roll. November saw the debut of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, a two-block community space featuring the 2,700-seat Walt Disney Theater and other performing arts venues. (www.drphillipscenter.org)

Already home to the Orlando Magic, who play in the Amway Center, downtown Orlando is increasing its offerings to sports fans. The Orlando Citrus Bowl Stadium, site of many college bowl games, recently emerged from a $207 million renovation (www.floridacitrussports.com). A block away from the Amway Center, a Major League Soccer stadium is under construction, slated to open prior to the 2016 season. (www.orlandocitysc.com)

PHOTO: LEGOLAND is targeting small children with the opening of DUPLO Valley.

Of course, the Orlando area is best known for its theme parks, and one of the newest is LEGOLAND Florida. Since opening in 2011, LEGOLAND has continued to add attractions. A 45-minute drive southwest of Orlando in Winter Haven, the park opened DUPLO Valley in May. Geared to toddlers ages 2 to 5, the area is based on the LEGO DUPLO line of preschool toys, and features an air-conditioned indoor play area and a water play area.

This summer will be a momentous time for the park, as it opens its first on-site hotel. The 152-room LEGOLAND Hotel will feature three types of LEGO-themed rooms—Pirate, Adventure and Kingdom—with such fun extras as an in-room treasure chest that can only be opened once guests complete a special treasure hunt activity. The hotel will also boast themed play areas, a family pool that overlooks Lake Eloise, and a lobby featuring a wall made out of more than 5,000 LEGO Minifigures. Guests staying at the hotel will have special early-morning access to the theme park. (www.legoland.com, www.legolandhotel.com)

Sea World Orlando will follow up its opening of Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin, which transports families into the icy world of the South Pole, with more new attractions in 2015. The fun begins in February with Praise Wave, a brand-new Christian fellowship event that will take place on Saturdays in February (14, 21 and 28). In the spring, “Clyde and Seamore’s Sea Lion High” will debut, showcasing the unique characteristics of these clever animals. Visitors will see Clyde and Seamore return to school to get their diplomas in a slippery pursuit full of audience participation. (www.seaworld.com)