If it's anything like the London Eye it's definitely well worth building IMHO.
Remove any thoughts of it being a ride from your head. It's a moving observation platform which will take you higher than anything else in the vicinity.
Obviously I can't talk for its impact in another place, but to Londoners it was incredible when it was first erected. Walking from Waterloo station and suddenly getting your first sight of something that dwarfs the Houses of Parliament and the clock tower across the river, and the National Theatre nearby. All the local landmarks suddenly shrink in your perception as this alien wheel rises out of nowhere in the tightly packed South Bank streets.
Or in my case, riding in a taxi along the Embankment on our way to a work do. We were all already quite drunk (and the rest) and had been talking non-stop from Acton. Then came the first sight of the wheel - silence until we lost sight of it some 5 minutes later. Probably a personal reaction for me as I played in Jubilee Gardens (the park where it is) as a child.
On a reasonably clear day I'd challenge anyone with even a vague interst in the London cityscape not to be thrilled by a trip, regardless of expense.
Pre-booked tickets in bad weather must be disappointing though.
ckigar - great pics
