Watch the on-ride POV |
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The London Eye on 5 August 2009 | |||||||||||
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Statistics | |||||||||||
Manufacturer | Hollandia UK | ||||||||||
Type | |||||||||||
Capacity | 800 per cycle | ||||||||||
Hourly capacity | 1600 | ||||||||||
Height | 135 metres | ||||||||||
Speed | 0.9 km/h | ||||||||||
Cabins | 32 |
The London Eye is a standalone Ferris Wheel currently located in London, Greater London, England, UK. The ride is owned and operated by Merlin Entertainments. It is currently the highest ride in the UK.
History
The ride was officially opened on 31 December 1999, but the first rides wouldn't be given untill 9 March 2000. This is thus considered the opening date of the Millennium Wheel, as it was called upon opening. The attraction was originally intended to remain standing for 5 years, but this date would be moved further back on several occasions as the ride became a popular icon for the city.[1] It wouldn't be untill 2024 when it was eventually decided that the ride would become permanent, with no more postponing of its dismantling being needed.[2]
Design
The ride features 32 cabins, each cabin being able to carry 25 people. This gives the ride a theoretical throughput of 1600 riders an hour. This is also due the ride not stopping to allow riders to enter or exit a cabin, the ride travel's slow enough to the point where stopping isn't neccesary in most conditions. This max speed of 0,9 km/h gives the attraction a ride time of about 30 minutes.
The ride is cantilevered, being only supported on one side. The wheel itself is hanging over the River Thames.
References
- ↑ "London Eye". Britannica.com.
- ↑ "Reuzenrad London Eye mag permanent blijven staan". Looopings.com.
External link
Merlin Entertainments | Amusement parks owned/operated by|||||||||
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Dungeon | |||||||||
Eye | |||||||||
Legoland | |||||||||
Legoland Discovery Centre | |||||||||
Madame Tussauds | |||||||||
Peppa Pig Theme Park | |||||||||
Water Parks | |||||||||
Former |