Tag Archives: Niagara Falls Illumination

Attractions

Why you need to get over your fear of the Niagara SkyWheel

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Photo cred IG @princesspitch_

Scared of heights? Here is why you need to get over your fear of the Niagara SkyWheel, and some exercises you can take that can help with Acrophobia (the fear of heights).

1. The Niagara SkyWheel is safety inspected on a regular basis. 


Photo cred IG @born.wild.still.wild

Our Niagara SkyWheel is safety checked frequently to assure the smooth and comfortable experience you always dreamed of. We are 175 feet from ground level, but since we are situated at the highest peak of Clifton Hill, you will receive an unparalleled view from these panoramic gondolas. We want to make sure that not only you get stunning views, but that there are no “hiccups” while you are up there. You will never have to worry.

2. We are an observation wheel, NOT a ferris wheel.

The SkyWheel doesn’t fold out in a day and you can’t rock them like those rides at the fair. There’s no feet hanging out the bottom to contend with, and your spouse/kids/friends can’t scare you by making them really move with their body weight. If it is a really windy day, the gondolas may sway back and forth a touch, but rest assured that you are completely safe and the nuts and bolts are on complete lock down! The SkyWheel can withstand wind speeds of up to 135 miles per hour! That gondola is going nowhere except providing you with one of the BEST views of the Niagara Falls.

Other ways observation wheels differ:

  • Observation wheels feature enclosed gondola’s.
  • Observation wheels are supported by an A-frame support, whereas ferris wheels are supported by two towers on each side of the axle.
  • Observation wheels offer a 360 degree unobstructed view.

3. We are fully enclosed AND climate-controlled.

No matter the elements, you will be comfortable inside the SkyWheel. Each gondola is fully enclosed by a non-reflective, UV protected glass (for quality photo opportunities). We are air-conditioned in the Summer and heated in the Winter.

4. You CANNOT open the doors.

The gondola doors are locked from the outside, so passengers are entirely safe and secure. There is no way little hands can pry it open for the inside.

5. You have an emergency button at your disposal.

If you absolutely must get off, you may press the “emergency call” red button found on the roof of the gondola. The SkyWheel Operator will see your call and once the rotation is complete, you will be let off immediately before the next turn. There is always a way to communicate with the control board Operator.

*Note: Some SkyWheel operators recommend riding during the evening if you suffer from Acrophobia, as the darkness tricks the eye into thinking you are not as high. You will still get magnificent lit up views of the Niagara Falls illumination, without the fear of staring at the ground and people below.

6. Claustrophobic? We can help with that too.

Also found on the roof of the gondola is the green “fan” button. This will assist you with air flow, plus you may open the upper window part way (see photo).

7. You are not alone.

This means that unlike at a carnival where there is one operator loading, unloading, and operating the wheel, there is no sole operator here at the Niagara SkyWheel. The operation booth is occupied at all times, and there will always be at least one attendant loading and unloading the passengers. They remain on deck — so give a wave on your rotations! They are there to make sure your ride is an enjoyable experience.

Steps to help with Acrophobia:

Research has found that 1 in 7 people suffer from an “irrational fear of heights”, with women being more than twice as likely than men to suffer from this.

a)  When faced with a threatening situation, take slow, deep breaths, which can help slow the heart rate and increase the oxygen flow to muscles to keep from tensing up.

b) Meditate. Relaxing music, aromatherapy, and even some stretching or light massage can help relieve the physical symptoms.

c) Seek “Behaviour Therapy”.  In this form of treatment, the acrophobe is encouraged to take small steps to desensitize himself to the phobia. Do this easily at home by viewing pictures taken from a height, or by climbing one stair at a time and then incrementally increasing the height.

d) Mentally prepare yourself ahead of time by educating yourself on what you are about to do. If you know that you are going to be dealing with heights, try to prepare yourself in advance. Close your eyes and visualize the situation, and understand that it does not pose any real threat to your safety and go over all the safety precautions (barriers, railings, harnesses, etc).

e) Cut back on caffeine. This may be a contributing factor to acrophobia. Limiting or abstaining from caffeine could help alleviate symptoms. It is likely to make you less high-strung and more relaxed, which can make it easier to confront your fear.

For those of you that have an intense fear of spending a lot of money (Chrometophobia), here is a $1.00 off Niagara SkyWheel coupon that can be used for up to 6 people in your group. Just print it out and enjoy!

Or purchase the Niagara SkyWheel in a Clifton Hill Fun Pass. This is the best deal to get more attractions, for less. Proceed with the order online and you will receive an additional Niagara SkyWheel (go day and night!):


 

Attractions, Entertainment, Family, Things To Do

Niagara Falls Vacation Tips and Tricks on Clifton Hill

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Here’s the scoop on how to get the best out of your time with the family on Clifton Hill with a few insider tips to make your Niagara Falls vacation the best time ever!

Know the Best Time to Dine

Generally, the busiest times to dine during the Spring and Summer months is between 8:00 – 9:00 pm, and between 7:00 – 8:00 pm for the Fall and Winter. Our busiest season is the Summer, from the time that kids get out of school in June until the Labour Day weekend. The primary reason why our restaurants fill up at these times is due to the Niagara Falls Fireworks shows, which is one of this industry’s biggest draws to the city of Niagara. The showtimes are at 10:00 pm during the Summer, and at 9:00 pm during the Fall and Winter. Travelers prefer to dine approximately two hours before the shows begin so belly’s are full in time for the grand spectacles in the sky.

Clifton Hill is a massive tourism draw for our international guests and overseas group excursions. With this in mind, many people arrive in large groups which could result in longer wait times to be seated should you come at the height of the dinnertime hour. Both the Boston Pizza and KELSEYS Original Roadhouse come equipped with a pager system should you have to wait for a table; and be aware that reservations are not made at many of these establishments (pre-planned large group bookings aside), so timing is everything.

*If you wish to book a large group for parties and special functions, you may call ahead to check for availability with our Group Sales Department at 1-800-801-8557 or fill out an online inquiry here.

Best Time to Avoid Crowds on Clifton Hill

It goes without saying that when traveling to Clifton Hill in the Summer and many Holiday weekends, you should expect crowds. Once mid-April hits (or before, should the ice boom in the Niagara River be removed earlier), all the attractions will be open and running including the Hornblower Niagara Cruises and the MistRider Zipline to the Falls. Clifton Hill’s attractions run year round (with the exception of outdoor miniature golf), but with the introduction of these two seasonal tourist attractions, Clifton Hill becomes a family magnet. Hiking the gorge is at its height, Niagara-on-the-Lake is flourishing with fruit stands and outdoor patios, and events and festivals throughout the region are abound.

If you can manage a getaway prior to late June, that is the prime time to travel here to avoid the peak season, and save some money along the way. Mid-week from September to March is fantastic because prices are lower for hotel accommodations. In September the weather is still warm, the boats are still on the water, both portals remain open at the Journey Behind the Falls, and kids aren’t too deep into their schoolwork yet. As long as you don’t mind large groups of school kids during the day, May to June can be heavy with end of the year school trip bookings at our attractions (see here for our current school group package for the curious minds).

When referring to hitting up the attractions at the least busy times, Clifton Hill is less crowded in the mornings, as many guests are still waking up or just arriving to their hotel destinations. On days that feature the Niagara Falls Fireworks shows, many guests have the desire to try and catch the show from the Niagara SkyWheel. If this is the case, remember that you are not the only one with the same idea. The SkyWheel does not take reservations, so if the wish is to be on the ride when the fireworks go off, arrive approximately 20 minutes to a half hour before the show (even earlier on Holiday weekends). 

Try to do most of the Niagara Falls attractions before the fireworks shows, as once they are over, the crowds conjure up the Hill at approximately the same time. These people are ready to continue on with the fun at the same time that you are, meaning the potential of longer line-ups in likely.

The Niagara SkyWheel has a standard fee of $11.99 for Adults and $6.99 for Children (plus HST) no matter the time of day, season, etc. Refer to the Niagara Falls Illumination schedule prior to an evening jaunt on the big wheel in the sky. The SkyWheel provides incredible views of the Niagara Falls and the entire Niagara skyline, but for the best photos be sure to ride within the allotted illumination times. Remember, the sky is dark by 5:00 pm in the Winter, so if you come during that time of the year, refer to the illumination chart highlighted above or simply ask a cashier working there when the lights go on and off.

Without a doubt, the Clifton Hill Fun Pass is the best deal for to get more bang for your buck when doing an abundance of attractions. At an incredible savings, you’ll get 6 of our most popular attractions for only $29.95 for Adults and $19.95 for Children (+HST). During the late Fall and Winter (minus the Christmas season) some attractions can open a little later than the Summer hours of 9:00-10:00 am. If you bought the Fun Pass and you do not finish all the attractions in one day, you have one year from the date of purchase to do so. Hold on to your cards for a future visit.

A huge benefit of the Clifton Hill Fun Pass is the avoidance of line-ups. Your cards are VIP, meaning you head straight to the turnstiles and scan your way in without having to wait at any cashier stations.

Dinosaur Adventure Golf Course

As one of the nation’s largest miniature golf courses, Dinosaur Adventure Golf features two 18-hole courses that you choose from: “Raptor Run” and “T-Rex Trek” (for a total of 36 Holes). But what course should you choose?  If your Niagara Falls vacation is family oriented and includes young children than the T-Rex Trek is for you. This course was made slightly easier, and kids will love the opportunity to play a hole inside the volcano — which only this one provides. The Raptor Run is for the competitive families or for the older family; it’s more challenging with trickier holes.

Scariest Haunted House

Clifton Hill has an obsession with haunted houses. Which should you choose? If you have young children, stick to the haunted houses directly on Clifton Hill. While they can be scary, they are manageable. These would be “the Haunted House”, “the House of Frankenstein”, and “Castle Dracula”. Looking to terrify yourself? Nightmares Fear Factory is the one for you! Are you brave enough to make it till the end? As I write this, 148,780 have chosen to “Chicken out”.

 

Niagara Falls Coupons

We have Clifton Hill coupons on our website available to print off ahead of your Niagara Falls vacation. These are for both attractions and dining savings. Forgot to print them off? No worries. You will find coupon books on site located in the Great Canadian Midway and our Tim Hortons location. If you park in our public parking lot (click here for information), you will receive a coupon book upon arrival full of amazing savings.

Things To Do

Five ways to celebrate Earth Hour in Niagara Falls

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What is Earth Hour?
Earth Hour is a worldwide movement organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) that unites people to protect the planet. This year in 2015, Earth Hour will take place on Saturday, March 28th, between 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm.
Earth Hour was famously started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Since then it has grown to engage more than 7000 cities and towns worldwide, and the one-hour event continues to this day on a much larger scale. People across the world are encouraged to participate for this short amount of time, as hundreds of millions of people will switch off their lights in a global celebration of their commitment to protect the planet.
It is celebrated on the second to last weekend of March because it is around the time of the Spring and Autumn equinoxes in the northern and southern hemispheres. This allows for near coincidental sunset times in both hemispheres, ensuring the greatest visual impact for a global ‘lights out’ event.

Earth Hour in Niagara Falls will see that the Niagara Falls Illumination Board has the illumination turned off during that hour for both the American and Horseshoe Falls.
Here are 5 things to do for Earth Hour in Niagara Falls to focus on your commitment to helping the environment:
Have a Candlelight Dinner

There are several restaurants in Niagara Falls that will be celebrating this event with candlelight dinners. Call around and find a place participating in Earth Day festivities and doing their part.
For example, Southbrook Vineyards in Niagara-on-the-Lake is celebrating their second annual “Earth Hour Winemakers Dinner” from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm. This is a 3-course meal with wine pairings by candle light. Proceeds help support Nature Canada’s efforts to conserve and protect Monarch butterflies in Canada.
The cost is $110/person and you can register online by emailing: events@southbrook.com or by telephone:  905-641 2548.
Go on a Ghostwalk

This one is among the list of things to do in Niagara Falls this weekend. Every Saturday evening in March from 8:00 pm – 9:30 pm you can experience ghost walks in Canada’s Most Haunted Town! This tour begins at “the Haunted Shop” at 126 Queen Street in Niagara-on-the-Lake and features the old town and the many stories of ghosts and dark history.

Detailing the rich stories fitting of such a historically dark place, including the ghost of an angry soldier at The Angel, the violent legend on the shores of Lake Ontario, and a house that makes cameras go crazy.

This also includes stops outside the Niagara-on-the-Lake Courthouse, Prince of Wales Hotel, Apothecary, Royal George Theatre.

Stories of séances, town secrets, legends in the birth place of our nation and the violent heart of the only war fought on Canadian soil.

Prices: 

Adults: $13.00

Children (13 and Under): $5.00

Seniors (60 and over): $10.00

For more information and for tickets sales, visit www.ghostwalks.com

While you’re already creeped out — head to Nightmares Fear Factory!

The Nightmare Fear Factory is the most famous of Niagara Falls’ haunted houses. You are completely led through in the dark to fend for yourself. Visit your nightmare if you dare and become closer than ever to your friends and family during Earth Hour in Niagara Falls!

Stargaze

This is the perfect opportunity for nature lovers and photographers to set up by the Niagara Falls with your cameras in Queen Victoria Park or the Oakes Garden Theatre for a unique moment in time, in order to capture complete darkness above the majestic Falls.

Go for a walk

Use this opportunity to get out and get some exercise, or head down and see us on Clifton Hill for some ice cream at Sweets N Treats. Grab a special treat at the Fantasy Fudge Factory to enjoy as you wander around. Or sit! We have plenty of benches lined up and down Niagara’s most entertaining hill — we cater to the young and old, the energetic and the relaxed folk. Grab a coffee at our Tim Hortons and take a load off in our SkyWheel Courtyard (as seen below).

For more information on Earth Hour, visit www.earthhour.org 

Christine Lynn

clynn@cliftonhill.com

www.cliftonhill.com

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Attractions

Hornblower Niagara Evening Cruises

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Canada’s newest Niagara Falls attraction and the only company on the Canadian side of the Niagara River permitted to operate boat tours of the Falls, the Hornblower Niagara Cruises has been off to a great start since its opening date of May 15, 2014 (see blog here to read about the ribbon cutting ceremony last month). In  just a month, thousands of travelers have flocked to be a part of riding one of the two catamarans — the Niagara Wonder and the Niagara Thunder. Each catamaran holds up to 700 passengers, with a private charter and special events boat, labeled the Guardian, that seats 150 passengers comfortably.
Until recently, we have only become acquainted with Hornblower Niagara Cruises first and foremost tour option: The Voyage to the Falls. This tour provides an up-close viewing of the magnificent Great Gorge, American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and of course the mighty Horseshoe Falls. For the utmost closest daytime views of the Niagara Falls, this is the tour to choose for an intimate encounter with Canada’s wonder.
However, this month has introduced something truly special — three other options: The Sunset Cocktail Cruise, the Falls Illumination Cruise and the Falls Fireworks Cruise.
Hornblower Niagara Evening Cruises
 The Sunset Cocktail Cruise

Hornblower Niagara’s Sunset Cocktail Cruise is an extended 30-minute evening tour. Set to evening sunsets this half-hour cruise is the ultimate Niagara Falls romance experience. Complete with on-board licensed bar and light snacks, guests can savor fine Niagara wines and beverages while enjoying Niagara Falls at dusk. The boats board at 8:00 pm, are cruising by 8:15 pm and disembarking by 8:45 pm, allowing the ideal “sunset” time for photo opportunities and memory sharing. Adults (13+) are $35.00 (+HST), Children (5-12) are $31.50 (+HST) and toddlers and infants 4 and under are free.
The Falls Illumination Cruise

Hornblower Niagara’s Falls Illumination Cruise is a truly amazing experience! We’ve all seen the beauty of the Falls Illumination and its dazzling lights and colour displays, but to see them up close and personal is extraordinary. Like the Sunset Cocktail Cruise before it, this too is a 30-minute evening tour the features an on-board licensed bar and snacks. Check out the “Mist Retail” souvenir shop located in the “Grand View Marketplace” on your way in to board the catamaran. Here, you will find merchandise to make your Hornblower Niagara Evening Cruise a heightened experience. Like the photo above, glow sticks are available for purchase here to accentuate your trip, along with additional ponchos (although they are provided free of charge) and any other souvenirs you wish to carry and remember your trip by. The Falls Illumination Cruise boards at 9:30 pm, sets sail from 9:45 pm – 10:15 pm, and then disembarks by 10:15 pm. Adults (13+) are $35.00 (+HST), Children (5-12) are $31.50 (+HST) and  toddlers and infants 4 and under are free.
Falls Fireworks Cruise

If the Falls Illumination isn’t enough, how about something truly dramatic? The Hornblower Niagara’s Falls Fireworks Cruise is it! Operating on  Fridays, Sundays and Holidays from May 9th to November 30th, plus Wednesday’s June 18th – August 27th (*Fireworks subject to weather), this 30-minute evening tour features an on-board licensed bar and snacks, capped off with a “bang” with the famous Niagara Falls fireworks show at 10:00 pm. The Falls Fireworks Cruise boards at 9:30 pm, sets sail from 9:45 pm – 10:15 pm, and then disembarks by 10:15 pm. Adults (13+) are $35.00 (+HST), Children (5-12) are $31.50 (+HST) and  toddlers and infants 4 and under are free.
Hornblower Niagara Cruises also introduces group tour experiences, complete with VIP benefits, which include:
– Extended operating hours
– Date and Time select reservations
– Dedicated motor-coach reception
– Exclusive Group Check-In
– Express Group admission to boarding
– Direct billing and voucher privileges
– All major credit cards accepted
– Downloadable promotional material
*Available in 8 languages, Hornblower Niagara Cruises offers its guests a souvenir audio tour to accompany you on the boat, and to take home with you. It’s a 30-minute narrative providing you with rich history and interesting facts as you take the tour.* 
Looking for a different perspective and view of the Falls illumination and fireworks at night? Instead of from below the Niagara Falls, trying viewing the illumination and fireworks shows from above aboard the Niagara SkyWheel . You’ve never seen views like this from 175 feet (53 metres) high above the Niagara landscape. This 8-12 minute rotating journey will give you panoramic views of Niagara’s most majestic wonder! Summer-time sees extended hours on the SkyWheel, with closing times of 2:00 am, and the opportunity to time it right with the Falls Fireworks. Reservations are not made here, but if you have a group inquiry or a tour, you should schedule a ticket pick-up time well in advance of the fireworks shows. It’s a good idea to arrive 30 minutes before Falls fireworks shows at 10:00 pm. 9:15 pm – 9:30 pm is ideal to increase your chances of being on the Niagara SkyWheel during the firing of Canada’s longest running fireworks series.

For more information on any of these cruises please visit Hornblower Niagara Cruises online at www.niagaracruises.com, and for group inquiries and booking please email at:  groups@niagaracruises.com or call 905-394-3040.
For group inquiries at the Niagara SkyWheel please contact Lisa at gcm@cliftonhill.com or call 1-800-801-8557.

Christine Lynn
www.cliftonhill.com
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