Absolutely horrible experience. We will never come back on a weekend. We paid the regular price of $8 per person--which is not cheap, especially considering they even charged us for our one-year-old. Despite paying full price, we were forced to wait in line for over 2 hours because they had a $12 fast-track lane. The worst part? They apparently don't let anyone from the regular line on the ride until the fast-track line is completely empty. So even though we were waiting patiently, we watched fast-track riders go ahead of us nonstop while the regular line barely moved. Sadly, all the children wanting to get on the ride were on the regular ticket side. Crying, screaming children and yet the staff didn't bat an eye. Overall, incredibly poor system, unfair to regular-paying customers, and not worth the time or money. Very disappointing. read more

Such a cool place. Great shops and cafes and they have a giant wheel ($8 per person) that could take you way up high and have a nice view. The boutiques are so cute and I saw some really nice coffee shops read more

Irvine Spectrum Giant Wheel - Amusement Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

The kids were so excited to ride the Giant Wheel! The views from the top are fun and the kids enjoyed the experience. The ride operators were great with the kids and helped open the door for us at the end of the ride. The line for the ride can be long so be prepared. Also, no food or drinks allowed on the ride! Enjoy the Giant Wheel and the beauty of the glowing lights at night! read more

Irvine Spectrum Giant Wheel - Glowing at nighttime! - Amusement Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

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Just a quick heads up that the Giant Ferris Wheel at the Irvine Soectrum will be temporarily closed in a few days. The 11th or 12th I think. And will reopen during the summer of 2026 with a bigger better wheel! read more

Irvine Spectrum Giant Wheel - Temporarily Closed on January 11, 2026 until Summer 2026 - Amusement Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

Omg... finally, We get to finally make time for the Irvine Spectrum Giant Wheel, we pass by this wheel tons of time on the freeway. I'm so happy it finally happened and I wasn't afraid. I loved passing by the giant wheel and looking at it as a passenger, enjoying the colorful view of the wheel! It was a beautiful Saturday out at the OC, no crowds/line which is a plus. We were in a bit of a rush so this was perfect. I got our tickets and hopped right on the Wheel. Seat belts are required, one way in and the the other way out when you hop on and off the wheel. Tip, don't look down when you get to the top and have a fear of heights. I did not touch my phone at all, afraid I might drop it, or else I would have pics on top of the wheel, hehe. The ride is about 7 minutes, you go around about 3-4 times. Pretty worth if for $8. bucks and get to check out the highway view and this part of OC up high, offering breathtaking view of the surrounding area. This Iconic, Irvine Spectrum Giant Wheel stands out with efficient colorful LED lights, purchase tickets on line or at guest services kiosk up front. They are open from 10-9pm Sun-Thurs, and 10-10pm Fri. & Sunday. The Irvine Spectrum Giant Wheel also hosts various events and movies under the stars. I love that the wheel is close by the Hello Kitty Cafe so I remembered to make a stop before leaving. Overall, I had a wonderful time with the love of my life, no big kids- just us! You have to do this, check it out to see what the giant wheel is all about. (done, visited 5/2025) read more

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The Giant Wheel is a nicely maintained attraction and a very cool landmark at the Irvine spectrum. Rides are $8, and it will go around 3 times. It's a fun breezy ride and you can see all around the Irvine area. You can get a free ride on your birthday. read more

Irvine Spectrum Giant Wheel - View from the top - Amusement Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

Grant was so nice!! while waiting in line w my six year old daughter we met another family who was so cute; June & John. Grant was so friendly & helpful when it came out turn to board the gondola. honestly, this is the exact kind of person you want running an attraction like this.. genuine, competent & positive.. big shout out to Grant who was so sweet, kind & helpful while we enjoyed the most iconic attraction of the Irvine Spectrum. read more

Irvine Spectrum Giant Wheel - waiting in line for the ferris wheel! - Amusement Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

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What a fun treat. Cost $8 to go around three times and they pause you at the top for sensational views! Completely worth it! read more

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Came here to ride with my eldest one. He wanted to ride this as a graduation present so I said sure! The cost for adult rides is $8 each and since we came around 3pm, there wasn't a line. We got to do 3 full revolutions and it was such a pretty sight. Nice views with clear blue skies. Can see very far to the beach areas as well as Peter Canyon area. Friendly staff at the giant wheel. Will come back again soon. read more

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Friendly staff Line was 30 mins on a Saturday evening around 6pm $8 per person, loved it! read more

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Fun area, and it was a cool experience to be able to look over the whole area. Stay was friendly, and the cars were clean. Price wasn't too bad it was 8$ per person, and they offer a military discount. No food or drinks allowed on the ride, but they had a little table to hold our stuff while we rode. The wheel goes around 3 times once it is loaded with people. Very relaxing and chill experience. read more

Irvine Spectrum Giant Wheel - Amusement Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

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What's not to love? A giant ferris wheel that only cost $8 to ride and you get the most amazing views! We bought our tickets and got in to the line which moved rather quickly. I'd say we were in line for 20 minutes or so before getting in to our bucket. Once all the riders have boarded, the ferris wheel probably goes around 3-4 times which is plenty of time to take in the sights. We did it at night and really enjoyed it, especially watching the ice skaters below, listening to the Christmas music and watching the giant Christmas tree light up and change colors. What fun! read more

We got stuck at a complete halt on the Ferris wheel today for about 30 min. I called down to customer service and was told they were having "technical difficulties." When we finally started moving again it was very jerky and we rocked wildly. When we finally got to the bottom they let us know there's no refunds but said we could get right back on because there was no line and they had it running again. We decline and they gave us double the amount of free tickets for the carousel. read more

You'll know you're at the Irvine Spectrum Center when you see the Giant Wheel. It's visible from Interstate 5. Plenty of free parking... try a parking garage - they're free as well. To buy a ticket, find said 108-feet tall Giant Wheel. The booth is on the west side of the ferris wheel. As of 4/10/22, tickets per person were $5 for about two full rotations. If you have younger kiddos, the carousel is so cute and well-maintained with some interesting animals from which to choose. Tickets may be purchased at the same booth for $3 per person. We waited approximately 10 minutes to get on the wheel and virtually no time for the carousel which is a relatively short walk away (less than 1,000 feet). My 7 and 8-year-olds loved both of them even though they agreed that the wheel was super slow. The friendly staff ensures that your seat belts are fastened. Credit cards accepted. We went during the day, but the LED lights at nighttime look amazing. read more

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One of the cleanest mall. Plenty of parking and lots of great food choices surrounding areas. read more

Irvine Spectrum Giant Wheel - Beautiful mall & very clean! - Amusement Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

This Giant Ferris Wheel is definitely something that everyone should do once. The views are amazing and what a fun way to get a different perspective on the 5 freeway, the Irvine Spectrum and beyond. The tickets were $8 per person so for us to go with our little guy it was $24. That $24 could have turned into $60 if we would have bought the "front of the line" pass. The line is slow, but the workers do their best to keep things moving. The cars themselves fit 6 and they have seat belts so you I felt super safe albeit we had our little guy up so high. And you get your own car, so it's not like the ferris wheel at Disney CA Adventure where you share your car with people you don't know. We had a particularly good view of the Hello Kitty bakery that is right below. Total aside, but I had no idea how popular that place is. Pro-tip for Giant Wheel Riders...it's very cold up top. If it's a chilly day and you don't have a jacket, this may not be your time! I'm not sure if I really need to do this experience again during the day. I imagine at night time things would look totally different so maybe we'll give that a try. read more

Cute ride and a hit with my toddler. $5 per person isn't bad for 3 rounds (2 rounds if there's an event going on). They have seatbelts for this ride too which I found interesting but also cool. Haha NORDSTROM is the closest entrance to the wheel. read more

Irvine Spectrum Giant Wheel - Amusement Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

Everytime we visit Irvine Spectrum we gotta have to go on the Giant wheel with the kiddos. Whether it's daytime or nighttime you will always get a beautiful view once you get to the top. Most of the time there will be a waiting time to get on. Ride price is inexpensive, I paid a total of $24 to ride on it. read more

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My husband and I were at Irvine Spectrum near sunset time so we decided to ride the Giant Wheel. It costs $8/person and goes around in 3 loops. There's no food or drinks allowed on the ride so you have to finish it or they have a place for you to put it. The ride was really nice since you get a great view of Irvine. I'm afraid of heights but this ferris wheel was super stable and moved slowly. The line wasn't long and the wait was short for a Friday evening. read more

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Although the giant wheel looked great lit up we didn't get the chance to go on it. The line was an hour and half wait and you have to stand and wait there the whole time once you buy your tickets. Would be better if you could walk around the shops and then come back. But we do plan on coming back to be able to get that ride in! read more

Irvine Spectrum Giant Wheel - Amusement Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

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I have hardly ever had to wait more than 5 minutes to ride this ferris wheel, maybe because I'm coming at off peak times. A nice way to get a view of the surrounding area for not too much money. read more

I would rate 0 stars if I could. Came here with my friends to show them a good time around a highly rated and amazing mall. We decided to go on the giant wheel as the last thing to do and the workers there are so rude. They seemed like they didn't even want us to go on because they were close to closing. We were trying to make the best of the situation granted the workers seemed peeved and one of the female workers, Abby straight up shushed us. So unprofessional. We weren't even being loud. Then started laughing at us with her other coworkers. We wanted a refund after that, but I guess they don't accept refunds? Not very pleased with the experience. read more

Waiting here for about 20 minutes. Total mismanagement. Then they let people cut in front of us. Extremely disappointed, never seen this level of mismanagement before. Won't refund your tickets either. Would give 0 stars if I could. read more

Irvine Spectrum Giant Wheel - Children left disappointed at the level of mismanagement - Amusement Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

Long, hot wait. Was worth it though. We felt safe and the gondolas were shaded. Staff on carousels and big wheel polite and professional. Thank you...$5 for 2 trips around read more

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$5 for three rotations... Is it worth it? No line (we went at about 6pm on a Wednesday). Free parking. Fresh air. Fantastic views of the surrounding area. Jennifer had this great idea to ride the Giant Wheel at the Irvine Spectrum Center because we would avoid some traffic before meeting for dinner in Irvine. Good move! The ride here costs less than the High Roller at the Linq at Las Vegas. The difference is that the compartments of this ferris wheel aren't air conditioned or enclosed. Plus, this Irvine one has seat belts. In Vegas, you can stand up and walk around in the gondola. I think all 5 of us (Steve S., Craig, Jules, Alana, and I) had fun - it was such an enjoyable experience and I'm quite sure that we'd all ride it again! read more

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Each time I've come down to Irvine Spectrum, almost the first sight is this Giant Wheel! This Ferris Wheel was crafted in Italy. There are 24 gondolas, from what I counted. This wheel is 108 ft tall! The Giant Wheel has over 52,000 energy-efficient LED lights which make up nice designs for our viewing pleasure! The tickets are $5 each, or 6 for $27, or 12 for $51. You must purchase your ticket at Guest Services, right next to the Giant Wheel. Per the website: "For your safety, the Giant Wheel has height requirements: any child under 36" must be accompanied by an adult. To ride alone, you must be at least 63" tall. Car seats and carriers for children are not allowed. No lap sitting allowed. Other restrictions may apply; please see Guest Services for details." Thank you, Steve S., for buying our tickets! We had 6 in our party, but only 5 of us wanted to ride. So, off we went! I think we got 3 go arounds before they wanted us to exit. The view from above is really great! You can see the Spectrum as well as the freeways from high up! The loading and unloading was fairly quick, probably because the wheel was not full. It is set up to load/unload two gondolas at the same time. I don't know why most of the time, I haven't seen very many riders. It's worth the ride at least once! I would ride it again! read more

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$5 for a nice relaxing view of Orange County? Sure! Not too busy going on Labor Day 2021 and only waited maybe 10-15 mins. Its pretty slow, but nice and chill with a cool breeze when you're up top. My 6 and 3 yr old liked it a lot. read more

Irvine Spectrum Giant Wheel - Fun facts about the Ferris Wheel! I'm a nerd, yup. - Amusement Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

I'm sorry but this giant wheel was such a waste of time. We came here for the first time so I wasn't sure what fo expect, but under no circumstances did I expect the ride to take as much time as one would wait for a popular Disneyland ride. They do not have a good system. It took more than an hour for two of us to get on and off the giant wheel. The staff kept stopping it. The wheel is supposed to go around three times for $5.00. It was such a waste of time. If you want to go on it, tickets can be purchased on site. Cash only. Located right next to Nordstrom read more

I tried this for the first time with my son when we got a free pass on his birthday (You need to register your kids details and birthday with Guest Services and you get a couple of free coupons in their birthday month). I went in the day time twice where it was hot but completely empty. No queue and no stops along the way. I tried it on the weekend one evening recently and it was pretty crowded. The wait was about 30 mins. Once you get on, there are multiple stops as others turns came to an end. My son still enjoyed himself but became pretty restless by round 3 due to multiple stops. Beautiful view. $5 per adult (kids free below a certain height). Reasonably priced and fun for little ones. read more

Nice ride in the middle of the shopping center, second time riding. First time my child was free but I guess they recently changed policy or attendant wasn't properly informed. After I asked ignorantly replied I am not sure but proceeded to charge. Fair price off $5 per person but only goes around a few times. read more

Irvine Spectrum Giant Wheel - Front Row - Amusement Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

There are only so many times you can drive past the Irvine Spectrum and see the Ferris Wheel and say " maybe next time ". Sooner or later you'll have to stop by and try it out. The good news is that the Irvine Spectrum is a nice shopping mall with great places for lunch or dinner. The "Giant Wheel" is 5 bucks a person but if you have a small child ( under 32 inches?, they ride on for free). So, if you have five people it's $25 bucks for two revolutions. Better when it's darker outside because of the lights. Recommendation - Stop by the mall and watch the light show... - Try it once. That way the next time you're driving down the 5/405 you can all say that you've ridden it. read more

Irvine Spectrum Giant Wheel - $5 per person - Amusement Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

I saw this giant wheel from the freeway and was extremely intrigued to check it out. We bought our tickets in the booth right in front of the wheel. Fast and easy. We headed to the carousel as the line was pretty busy for the wheel. We came back a while later and got in line. We waited for about 20-25 minutes to board the wheel. We got on and put on our seatbelts. The night was warm so being at the top wasn't unbearable. The view up top is not magical but hey for someone who doesn't see a giant wheel in the middle of a shopping mall often I won't complain! Once the ride was over we got off and took photos of the wheel. Pretty cool and fun wheel at night. My little one enjoyed it just as much! read more

staff is friendly, price is somewhat reasonable, ride is nice, rode could be longer or go around 2 more times for the price.

So fun! Giant Ferris Wheel at Irvine Spectrum. Ticket booths available throughout the shopping n center. Located next to Nordstrom's and the new Hello Kitty Cafe . High rising fun for everyone! Seats up to 6. They are also handicap accessible which is so wonderful!! My kids had the best time and were surprisingly not at all afraid. "We went around 3 times!!" Was the tagline when they came off the Ferris wheel saying. Good times. Spectrum is always a fun place to bring the family. So much to do and see and eat. Check website for more details and happenings. read more

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Great way to enjoy some R&R time from shopping. Great views and a peaceful quick retreat. Love that the gondolas have seat belts, nice safety feature especially with kids who can't sit still. Quaint little ride for families as well.. read more

Every time I go to the Irvine Spectrum, I will take a picture of this Giant Wheel. I just like it. And when I come home by freeway, I will look at it attentively. (Of course, when I am not driving. ) I am just attracted by it. And I think it is probably the highest point where I could go and see the view of Irvine! Nice views especially with Californian sunny weather. Next time I want to see the sunset on the Giant Wheel. Tickets: 5 dollars for 3 rounds per person. And there are some discounts if you come there in more than 4 people. And you could get a free ride when you are on your birthday. read more

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Since there was no line got dragged on this lol. $5 to go around 3 times I guess it was worth it thank you to Steve S. for buying the tickets. You could fit up to six people in one cart we had 5 as Jennifer N sat outside to take our pictures. There were good views of both the 5 and 405 Fwys at night it looked cool I would be curious to see the view during the daytime. The ride is very smooth it didn't shake or anything you really couldn't even tell it was moving. Overall a good Ferris Wheel ride. read more

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Surprisingly Fun. This Ferris Wheel is not too shabby! I prefer going on it at twilight when the lights of the center come on. It add to the overall ambience of the ride. read more

I was super excited to ride the Ferris wheel. It goes slow so it's good for people who are sensitive to motion sickness. It costs $5.00 without tax for a single ticket. The ride went for 3 whole loops before it came to an end. You can see the hills and some mountains of Orange County. It was kind of cloudy when I rode it, but you could still see the hills, the 405, and 5 freeway. The staff was friendly and greeted people with smiles and made small talk as you waited to get on. It can get chilly when you reach the top, but I guess it was windy on this day. It's a good activity to do on a clear sunny day if you want to catch some amazing views. read more

Irvine Spectrum Giant Wheel - Receipt - Amusement Parks Near Me - Irvine, California

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Yes!!!!!! The giant wheel!!!!! We were told 3 rotations, we only got 2. BUT, we stopped for a long time on the first one and the view was so great! No line. Free reading material just in case. Friendly staff! I LOVED IT! read more