Flyover — Attraction in Paradise

We chose the "Iceland" flyover. We bought our (non-local) tickets online. But did it when we arrived bcz we saw that we'd saved a few dollars. All of the staff were very courteous and helpful. Our fly adventure didn't start yet so we took advantage of the gift shop. A lil pricey as expected but many items that were unique. So for us we made a few purchases. Wait to get any edibles or drinks bcz you can't take them on board (kinda like airport security rules prior to going to your gate... Hmm 🤔). It was time to "board" our flight. We went to a photo area where we posed and would have the option to see it & buy at the gift shop after the flight. The flight intro inside before taking our "seats" really got you ready for the adventure. It's folklore with a strange creepy character telling the story. (Not my thing, but definitely for those who enjoy fictitious mysteries related to the place.). The holographic experience, music and narrator got your eyes wide open with a greater expectancy of what we were about to encounter. We then were led to our seats. Buckled up and your virtual flight begins. You're lifted up & tilted as becoming airborne begins. Wind blowing, nature sounds and smells along with a breath taking absolutely Beautiful and even death defying moves that had me holding on, closing my eyes at times (bcz that's just me), vocalizing my amazement, excitement and at times fears. I wore slippers (aka flip flops). I have to say. WEAR SECURE FOOTWEAR or take your loose shoes or flip flops off and tuck them securely on the side of you or in the compartment under your seat with your purse etc. The flight took about 25 minutes total and worth it. If we had more time, we would have done a double and chose a second place to flyover. I really didn't expect it to be this good. I imagined it to be like a large video game. Definitely far from that. The ages that were with us were 13, 20, 41 & 63. There were kids that were much younger.. maybe 7yo. (40" & up). I recommend this attraction to be included with your itinerary along with other nearby places. PARKING We parked in the same building connected to it.. Look into your options and recommendations with consideration of your plans for the day. We all enjoyed this experience and look forward to...

UPDATE We went to experience the Windborne Canadian Rockies flight, and it was amazing! Great screen resolution, great effects while going through the clouds getting misted, all the smells of the sage and everything, it was a super fun, super smooth (almost a bit scary) ride!

Fun, but room for improvement. We saw the Wild Wild West show. You are first sent into two different presentation rooms (totaling half the time of the entire experience), about 10 minutes in the first room and another 10 in the second room, all while standing. The first room is a sectioned-off staging area with a large video screen on one wall transitioning between various nature scenes. The second room has another presentation, this time in the round, explaining the wild West. All that standing, without knowing that there was going to be a lot of standing, and going from room to room while always standing was a little aggravating. The ride was smooth and fun, but a bit too slow for my taste. And, their screen has a few visible flaws, taking away some realism. I expected a little bit of adventurous jostling around, but got absolutely none. There were scents like fire and ocean that went along with the ride, which also included misting in places, where appropriate. There were multiple scenes that transitioned about every 20 or 30 seconds, which made it frustrating because I wanted to spend more time experiencing any one of those particular scenes. There were just too many of them, and they were all too short. The 4D ride itself is rather short, but still fun. There's a netted basket below the seat where you can keep stuff like your purse or your water. The overall resolution of the presentation was lower than expected. I've been on rides like this over 10 years ago that had more fun and excitement to it. If you've never done anything like this, it's worth it; otherwise, meh. There's a bar inside, because Vegas. Bathrooms and lockers are available (the first 90 minutes are free). Gift shop inside. Iceland was another show there, but we...

I really wish each experience was rated separately because I've been on 2 and overall I'd give them: Iceland - 2.5/5 Chicago - 5/5

Iceland was just another Soarin' clone. The pre-show is boring and has very little tie-in to the ride film. That being said the film was excellent and there was a part that did a great job in making you feel like you're moving very fast and is shot in the POV of a helicopter but with awkward cuts and fades that take away a lot of the immersion (much like Soarin' at the Disney parks). There were really well-timed mist and wind effects though and it's nice and long. Not bad, but DEFINITELY not worth the price.

Chicago on the other hand was fantastic. The pre-show actually has real people as characters and it shows a story of how Chicago people form the city and make it resilient. Those same characters are featured throughout the ride film in subtle but significant ways that provide an emotional connection. The film was also shot from a drone's POV so you had a lot more nimble movements including backwards motion (which I've never seen done on a flying theater to this extent). I also really enjoyed that it was shot as if it was a single shot with no obvious cuts and you're essentially flying through Chicago on real-time with the drone (even though it goes from morning through night during that time which I think is even more impressive). There is also little to no CGI and if it is used it's very hard to tell that it's not real. Everything about the ride experience felt natural and like you were actually flying. That being said I still don't think it's worth $30+ but if you can find a deal I think $20 is fair and you get your...