The London Eye is celebrating its 25th anniversary today. Owned by Merlin Entertainments - the company behind Legoland and many European theme parks - the London Eye officially opened to the public on March 9, 2000.
Built for the Millennium celebrations in London, the Eye missed that deadline by a bit, though it did operate without passengers on December 31, 1999. Like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, this 443-foot observation wheel was designed to be a temporary attraction. But people loved it, and The London Eye is now a permanent attraction on the River Thames.
Merlin Entertainments is celebrating the anniversary with a short film about the history of The London Eye and its relationship with the city and its residents.
The London Eye was the world's tallest Ferris wheel when it opened, holding that record until 2006. Its popularity sparked a global boom in the development of Ferris wheel attractions, which now can be found in dozens of city centers around the world.
The view from each of these wheels is as unique as the cities that host them. The world's tallest now is the UAE's Ain Dubai, at an astounding 820 feet. That's nearly 50 percent taller than the world's second-tallest wheel - and the American record holder - Caesar Entertainment's High Roller in Las Vegas, which stands 550 feet.
U.S. theme park fans likely have seen the Orlando Eye, also owned by Merlin, which tops out 400 feet above International Drive. Unlike some of the other popular observation wheels around the world, the Orlando Eye is not located in an architecturally dense city center. But Florida's flat topography makes it feel like you can see much of the state on a clear day. Pro tip: Bring binoculars on your Orlando Eye ride to see all that detail in the distance, including all of Central Florida's theme parks.
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I've never been to the one in Dubai, but I've been on the High Roller and the London Eye, and both are engineering marvels. It is kind of funny how so many cities have installed Ferris wheels as part of recent redevelopment projects, but none come close to the size and visual spectacle of these massive hubless wheels.
We've actually done the High Roller a number of times, and can tell you from experience, the ONLY way to do the Vegas wheel is to book a spot in the "bar cabin", where it's an unlimited open bar for the @30 minute revolution around. If you're not super picky about your alcohol, it's probably one of the best deal on drinks in all of Las Vegas.
@Russell: I 100% agree about the High Roller. If you’re game, and the bartender understands the assignment (and they usually do), you can have a real blast and put in a night’s work of drinking in 30 minutes lol. Just don’t drive afterwards or operate any heavy machinery.
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I love an episode of the BBC show Hustle opening with the con artist characters pulling off some land deal. After it's done, the mark looks out the window as he thinks he just bought the Eye.
And then later a news bit about it with everyone laughing on anyone thinking they could buy a landmark like this from two guys off the street.