The Other Orlando Blog

Titanic -- The Experience (to use its full and pretentious name) is leaving its temporary home at the Orlando Science Center And returning to International Drive.

The Sentinel has the details.

Titanic -- The Experience, which introduces visitors to the world of the ill-fated ocean liner, will end its temporary run in the Orlando Science Center on Oct. 12. It will move to a 20,000-square-foot location at 7324 International Drive, a mile north of the now-demolished Mercado shopping-and-dining complex where the attraction had spent the first eight years of its existence.

"It was always the goal to go back to I-Drive and back to the tourist district," said David Christensen, a spokesman for Worldwide Licensing & Merchandising Inc., which owns the Titanic attraction. "It's a permanent location. We have a 25-year lease."

Titanic Ship of Dreams opened on International Drive in 1999. A bitter landlord-tenant dispute left the attraction homeless in August 2007, and it moved into the Orlando Science Center to avoid putting the memorabilia in storage.

By contract, the exhibit was required to stay at the government-supported science center until January 2009 -- but in May, the center sued Titanic's owners, accusing them of threatening to remove the exhibit early. The center won a court injunction, but the two parties said Tuesday they have reached a "mutually agreed upon decision" to let the exhibit leave now.

Labels: orlando science center, Titanic

The Sentinel is reporting that The Mercado "has a date with a wrecking ball in September," which would suggest that Titanic - the Experience will have to find new digs.

David Christensen, Titanic spokesman, issued a somewhat cryptic statement today:

WLM, Inc., parent company of the Orlando based and family owned Titanic-The Experience, is finalizing agreements with developer Unicorp to ensure the attractions continued growth and success for many years to come on International Drive; the location the world renowned attraction has been proud to call home since 1998.

“We are excited and inspired by Unicorp’s bold and dynamic visions for International Drive” stated G. Michael Harris, a noted Titanic expert and expedition leader as well as WLM, Inc. President. “I look forward to our continued relationship with Unicorp and bringing Orlando a new and improved Titanic-The Experience”.

This doesn't really say that the attraction will stay put, merely that it will remain on International Drive. But where exactly?

Let me put on my Matt Drudge hat and breathlessly type . . . Developing . . .

Labels: International drive, Mercado, orlando attractions, Titanic