Review: Niagara Takes Flight — A New Way to Soar

Niagara Falls’ newest attraction is now boarding in Canada.

Located at the Table Rock Centre at the edge of Horseshoe Falls, Niagara Parks has recently launched Niagara Takes Flight, a fully packaged immersive experience that combines highly-stylized multimedia with a breathtaking flying theatre.

Guests will begin their journey queued underneath a scale-model Rainbow Bridge, set against the backdrop of a colour-changing waterfall. The attraction dispatches groups of riders every 15 minutes, and it is here where anticipation builds.

After an obligatory photo op room, guests will congregate in the first of three themed preshow rooms. It should be noted that the attraction itself is only the highlight of the experience; in the meantime, the show has already begun.

The preliminary Ancestors Room is framed as a campfire session, where a couple of local Indigenous tales — notably the Haudenosaunee Creation Story of Sky Woman — are played out on full LED columns. It runs maybe a little longer than necessary, but the multimedia and animation production efforts on display ensure that it remains engaging.

The second Waterfall Room is larger and features the main preshow, which describes Niagara Falls’ history as an industrial complex and later a sightseeing destination. Narrated by James Cameron, the spectacle is displayed on screens arranged to appear like… well, a waterfall!

Dubbed the Transporter, the third and final room offers the illusion of a massive industrial elevator, where riders seemingly descend to a depth of 400 feet. This is also where you’ll receive seat assignments, which are stacked on top of each other across two levels.

Niagara Takes Flight uses a customized 48-passenger variant of Brogent Technologies’ O-Ride Flying Theatre design, where four individual cars are rotated from the boarding platforms to face the 180-degree screen behind them. The bases then move independently to simulate your experience.

So what does your flight actually offer? Like many location-based flying theatres, it’s definitely a “Greatest Hits”-based adventure, stopping in at all of the region’s most iconic destinations and activities. It’s no spoiler that the Horseshoe Falls are a key and thrilling focus, but honestly there’s more than waterfalls in Niagara.

There’s plenty to commend here on a technical level. The screen graphics are incredibly high resolution and the usage of mist effects compliment whenever you soar close to the water. Transitions between scenes are cleverly handled with visual editing tactics, keeping the pace intact without cheapening the immersion (Watch and learn, SeaWorld). Niagara Takes Flight really does pull out all of the stops to convince riders that they’re soaring on location.

Another scene that impressed me was the re-enactment of a battle during the War of 1812, in which American forces captured a key stronghold from the British military. The reconstructed Fort George is a popular historical landmark to this day, but how else can you fly through its choreographed clash of artillery and smoke?

I’d imagine that Niagara Takes Flight would be an exciting introduction for those uninitiated with the region, but it packed a different appeal for us locals. Throughout the ride we were saying, “Hey, there’s Queenston Heights, there’s the Botanical Gardens. Look, there’s that trail by the Whirlpool we always use!”. It’s like flying a drone through your own neighbourhood, minus the legal ramifications; the setting is familiar but the perspective is fresh.

The flight wraps up with a tour through the Niagara Parks Power Station and Tunnel (Nikola Tesla was a true pioneer here) before bursting out into an extravagant nighttime finale, featuring a fireworks display and the iconic lights of Niagara Falls. It’s not as exciting of course as actually attending on a Canada Day weekend, but the capper is lovely all the same.

I had the pleasure of attending the ride’s announcement at IAAPA Expo in Orlando, Florida last November. It’s evident that the designers worked hard to craft a compelling, spectacular production that stays with you long after you disembark. Admission is priced at nearly $30 per person, but honestly the figure is reasonable given the quality and length of the experience.

Walking out of the building however, the Falls are very much there and in the flesh. It’s a neat reminder that your adventure didn’t unfold in a fantastical overseas setting, but rather right here in Niagara Falls, Canada. The attraction simply boils down to one expression… there’s more to explore!

Have you visited Niagara Falls? Let us know in the comments below!