On the north end, you’ll find shopping destinations including designer outlet stores such Saks Off Fifth, Neiman Marcus Last Call and a Bass Pro Outdoor World. Sea World and the sprawling Orange County Convention Center, the country’s second-largest, anchor the primary part of the drive to the south. It contains six theme parks, 20 attractions, 200-plus restaurants and more than 100 hotels. Now I-Drive extends south, miles beyond its original length. After learning that Orange County already held a Hamilton Road, he chose International Drive, because it "sounded big and important." International Drive Raidle built a road that tied Sand Lake to Road Kirkman Road, two thoroughfares that linked to I-4. To give visitors to his hotel a paved street, Hamilton and partner R.F. They turned around and sold the property for hotel sites at 20 times the original price of $10,000 an acre. Hamilton ignored the teasing and partnered with another man to purchase another 28 acres. Friends thought Finley was crazy and jokingly called it Finley's Folly. It was the only hotel between downtown Orlando and the theme park. In 1970, Hamilton opened a Hilton Inn more than a year before Walt Disney launched his grand vision – Walt Disney World. I-Drive traces its roots to 1968 when attorney and businessman Finley Hamilton, anticipating the impending construction of Disney's Magic Kingdom, purchased 10 acres near Interstate 4, between the planned theme park and the city of Orlando. The shopping is just as diverse, with gift shops, outlet centers and upscale retail.Īnd it started on scrub-filled land that appeared to have little value. Today, the boulevard spans the gamut from fine dining and five-star hotels to family eateries and affordable hotel accommodations. International Drive has grown from one man's adroit land purchase, first to a halfway hotel spot between Walt Disney World Resort and Universal Studios, and now to a distinct destination that offers visitors a range of options. In fact, Wallenda hatched the idea to perform his feat on the 400-foot wheel while vacationing with his family on I-Drive. The area deftly mixes Vegas-style awe with world-renowned shopping and restaurants. But from his vantage point it would be easy to see how a new International Drive ( known by locals as I-Drive) has emerged from the T-shirt shops and fast food joints that dotted the area for so many years.Ī string of attractions – including not only The Wheel but also a marine aquarium, a wax museum, several new roller coasters and thrill rides, and the latest version of famed South Beach nightclub Mangos – promise fun and adventure on I-Drive. Wallenda, of course, was rightfully focused on balancing atop the rotating observation wheel. When daredevil Nik Wallenda climbed to the top of the The Wheel in ICON Park in Orlando, the 400-foot centerpiece of International Drive, he held a truly unique view of the tourist district.
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