A new Orlando attraction puts visitors at the center of their very own game show, complete with a host, buzzers and a giant spinning wheel.
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The Great Big Game Show is one of the newest attractions on International Drive, giving friends, co-workers, couples and families a chance to go head to head in tests of skill, luck, strategy and knowledge. During the hourlong experience, two teams of up to seven players each face off in mini-games to see who can rack up the most points.
“It’s a lot of fun, because people love game shows, but they’ve never gotten to experience what a game show is like,” said Zach Stone, one of Orlando’s hosts. “We get to take them out of their reality and give them a taste of an actual live game show. The energy is always high.”
During a recent experience, the eight mini games ranged from trivia to stacking foam blocks and from Nerf dart shooting to spinning a giant wheel for points. Another task involved answering elementary school questions with a giant pencil, and the final showdown was over a Plinko-esque game with specialized chips.
Teams are at the center of the action when competing against another, complete with the celebrations and disappointments that are the hallmarks of any game show.
“Our fan base enjoys escape rooms, but we bring in people who are more interested in interacting with people rather than puzzles,” said Sunshine Rawlinson, the Orlando location’s general manager, noting its affiliation with The Escape Game, both under the same roof. “It’s very Orlando. It has all of the entertainment and show quality that you look for when you’re in Orlando.”
There are 18 mini games that can be tailored to a group’s wishes or selected at random. Other games involve drawing blindfolded, giving the least popular answer to a survey question, memorizing images and hitting the buzzer after a certain amount of time has passed. There are several variations on classic trivia packaged into different games, as well as a one-letter-guessing game that’s suggestive of Jeopardy.
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The variety is geared toward all ages and backgrounds, whether it’s couples looking for a date night, a full family affair, a friend outing or corporate team building. Because the games are varied on each visit, the location has already seen repeat guests since opening in March, including one family that has visited at least half a dozen times.
“It is totally different every time, which makes it infinitely replayable,” Rawlinson said. “We really care about the guest experience. We like to cater to people. We love to make big deals out of celebrations and things.”
The Central Florida location for the Great Big Game Show is the first in Florida and the 22nd overall, located just north of Icon Park. It is housed in the same building as the attraction’s affiliate, The Escape Game, which opened in 2015 and took hold in the world of escape rooms.
“Orlando holds a special place in our story,” said Jonathan Murrell, co-founder and chief marketing officer of Great Big Game Show, in an email statement. “The Escape Game opened here in 2015, and this city was one of the first to really embrace what we were building. Bringing Great Big Game Show to Orlando feels like a full-circle moment, giving us the opportunity to introduce a new way to play in a market that has been part of our growth from the very beginning.”
Additional Florida locations are planned for Dania Beach and Panama City.
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If you go
The Great Big Game Show Orlando is open from 8 a.m.-midnight every day at 8145 International Drive, #511, in Orlando. The experience costs $39.99 per person before taxes and fees. Each studio can host between 2-14 people at one time. The experience is open to all ages, but it is recommended for participants ages 6 and older. A paying guardian (18+) must participate with anyone age 14 and younger. More information: greatbiggameshow.com/orlando or 321-320-8617
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