International Drive: The hub of Orlando’s Tourism.

International Drive, usually referred to as just IDRIVE, is located behind Vista Cay Resort and runs parallel to Universal Boulevard. Vista Cay is considered to be a part of the I-Drive District even though it is technically located on Universal Boulevard. 

Is Vista Cay near International Drive? 

Vista Cay Resort is located in the I-Drive district, and although not on International Drive, it sits on Universal Boulevard, which runs parallel to it. 

International Drive is approximately 11 miles long and hosts the Orlando Convention Center (the second largest in the country. International Drive offers a huge variety of entertainment, dining, shopping, and hospitality. What also makes International Drive so popular is its proximity to major attractions such as Universal Studios, Epic Universe, SeaWorld, and Disney. 

International Drive started approximately in the late 70s. It set these first roots to become a tourist hub.. Disney was opened in 1973, and International Drive had a meeting space, which is now the convention center, and a couple of motels on it. 

The development of Orlando’s main tourism corridor.

A combination of different events in the late 70s and early 80s caused International Drive to become a major tourist hub. The first was the development of Universal Studios, which is very close to one end of International Drive As a result, many hotels, gift shops, and so forth began to be constructed at this time. Also, what helped was the fact that the convention center (or then it was more of just a meeting space) began to expand very slowly the original Convention Center was only 40,000 square feet and today it is boasting over 2 million square feet So that gives you some idea of the size and scope of how International Drive has seen huge growth. Also, with the opening of SeaWorld at the other end to Universal of International Drive and SeaWorld at the other end, and now the convention center and Epic Universe in the middle, I-Drive today is without a doubt Orlando’s main tourism thoroughfare. 

 Attractions on International Drive 

Some of the major attractions are on or around International Drive, in addition to Universal Studios and SeaWorld. Other attractions include:

Icon Park

Icon Park is easy to find, as you can see the 400 ft Ferris wheel that goes around very slowly and allows people to go in, take a capsule, and take a look at an aerial view of International Drive. And Orlando. Also in Icon Park, you will see various other attractions such as Madame Tussaud’s Sea Life Aquarium, very popular restaurants, shops, and a star flyer ride.

Wonderworks 

WonderWorks on International Drive is very easy to spot, as you will see the upside-down building, and you’ll always see lots of tourists taking pictures in front of it. Wonderworks literally looks like a building that’s been tossed upside down. Inside, they have what they call amusements for the mind, as well as a hurricane simulator. 

Fun Spot

Also on International Drive you can visit Fun Spot America which is a small Fairground type amusement park which makes for a good half day 3/4 of a day out which is a lot less expensive than going to Disney you can buy a wristband for the day and ride all the mini roller coasters and go-karts all day for as much as you want.

Dining on International Drive

International Drive is known as the restaurant capital of the world. A lot of people don’t know that International Drive is very close to the world headquarters for Darden restaurants. As a result, many new restaurant concepts do get tested out on International Drive.

Fine dining 

If you are looking for upscale dining, The Point Orlando complex offers several options such as the Capital Grille, Cuba Libre, and Vito’s Chophouse. You can also always go to some of the higher-end hotels, such as Jack’s Place at the Rosen Plaza.

Casual dining options on International Drive

Some of the more casual dining options on International Drive include Cafe Tutu Tango with an eclectic menu of appetizers, or you can go to LongHorn Steakhouse, Bahama Breeze (a Caribbean-themed restaurant), or numerous other casual-themed restaurants. Pretty much any casual theme restaurant that’s common in the United States can be found on International Drive, and all you have to do is a quick Google search and you’ll be able to find exactly what you’re looking for.

Dinner shows

There are two Dinner Show type themes on International Drive, one is the Pirates Dinner Adventure, which is a pirate-themed dinner show with a hearty meal, and the other is Sleuths Mystery Dinner Show, which is an interactive who did it again served with dinner blended with entertainment.

International Restaurants

International Drive also hosts a large range of international restaurants whether it’s Indian, Brazilian, Chinese, or Caribbean the range is almost Limitless on International Drive some of the better known restaurants on International Drive with an international Flair include: Taste of Chengdu, Dragonfly Grill and Sushi, Bahama Breeze, Texas in Brazil, and many more

International Drive shopping

International Drive has a range of shops from outlet malls, which are extremely popular, to some of the higher-end boutiques. 

Outlet Shopping

Outlet shopping malls are extremely popular around International Drive and include the Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets and Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores. 

Another place to go shopping is Point Orlando, which has a mixture of entertainment (look for the Ferris wheel), which is in that complex at Icon Park, and offers a curated selection of stores such as Armani and Victoria’s Secret. This is a more upscale ambiance, and it’s centrally located.  

Souvenir shops and specialties.

International Drive is full of souvenir shops up and down. All you have to do is drive around and you’ll find plenty of them. These souvenir shops are usually very competitively priced and make for a more affordable shopping experience than if you were to buy your tourist merchandise within a theme park generally they’ll be about 75% cheaper or more than buying the same items within any of the theme parks and we always highly recommend that you just go check them out and see what they have for sale. 

Why International Dive?

Why International Drive? This is a good question, and the reasons are quite simple. International Drive is between SeaWorld and Universal Studios, and given the road infrastructure, it provides the quickest and easiest means to access major theme parks such as Disney World. Epic Universe on Universal Boulevard runs parallel to International Drive, is literally one street over from International Drive, not to mention, International is home to the second-largest Convention Center in the entire United States.

Another key feature often not considered of why wanting to stay around the International Drive area and specifically Vista Cay it’s the proximity to the Orlando International Airport, also referred to as MCO. International Drive makes for very quick and easy access using the express road from the airport, and is an approximate 12-minute drive from the airport to the International Drive Area.

Other reasons that make International Drive the greatest location in Central Florida when visiting Orlando are that International Drive is actually in Orlando itself, and it’s not in the far south, such as Kissimmee or Clermont. Also, International Drive has the most modern and sophisticated infrastructure, making it easily accessible to get in and out of. Also, there is a large array of restaurants, shops, hotels, and attractions along the International Drive corridor. This is what makes International Drive perhaps the best in terms of location in Central Florida, and at the Vista Cay Resort.