FlyOver Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Review by: Mark
(10/24/21) Last Friday, Screamscape had the opportunity to ride the new FlyOver Las Vegas attraction in the Showcase building on the Las Vegas Strip. Thanks to the General Manager Jack, Heidi and the staff of FlyOver for a wonderful visit! This is an absolutely fantastic addition to the Las Vegas Strip and really adds a dynamic attraction to a mini mall building that’s been needing a big attraction for a long time.
FlyOver takes over two former business spaces within the Showcase Mall, DSW Shoes and the old movie theater. The entrance to the building is next to Hard Rock and below the sky bridge to Park MGM. Upon entering the building, a ticket area greets you with friendly staff followed by a long hallway with bright lighting and video effects of organic visuals that they call the decompression zone. This hallway transports you from the loud strip to the serene experience beyond.
Guests then enter the lobby area, themed to the bottom of a canyon. There are comfortable places to sit while you await your journey and a lobby bar called the Lost Cactus with snacks and drinks that are nicely priced in comparison to the normal “strip prices.”
We rode the “Real Wild West” attraction which, with the pre-show, was about a 25 minute experience. Here is the official description of the attraction: “Experience the West at its wildest. Glide over vast prairies and towering peaks. Dip into valleys where untamed rivers rush, and buzz through electric urban spaces pulsing with energy. Wild locations include: Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Monument Valley, Lake Tahoe, Mojave Desert, Las Vegas Strip and many more.“
This is a fun flying theater attraction! First of all, it’s a pretty long experience. The actual ride length is a little over 8 minutes. It gives you the opportunity to see 21 locations in the western US. Transitions between scenes are well edited and smooth. The motion base allows for 6 degrees of motion in front of the 52 foot screen (vs the 2-3 degrees on an attraction like Soarin’). The movement is well programmed and timed to the film. The film itself is extremely crisp and clear with a beautiful soundtrack complimenting it. Before the ride itself there is also a pre-show film that offers a look at the western US from the earliest days and is projected in a unique way.
All films in the FlyOver attractions world-wide are shot and edited in house. Creative Director for the project is Rick Rothschild (former Disney Imagineer for Soarin’) and director is Cannes Lion award-winning director Dave Mossop. Each attraction has a unique film created for the location it’s in and will bring in other experiences for the location (Las Vegas is also showing the Iceland attraction). Seasonal films already showing in other cities will probably be included into this location next year. Las Vegas is the only location so far with two theaters. It also has the ability to add another theater, but that’s not in the works at this time. There are 20 seats on the top and the bottom of the attraction. With 2 theaters and a 12-hour day FlyOver can reach a capacity of 3800/day. Currently only 1 theater is being utilized.
Tickets are $34/adult, $24/child with locals and double ride discounts. There is also a 40” Height requirement to ride.
FlyOver Las Vegas was a wonderful ride and quite the relaxing escape from the Las Vegas Strip. It exceeded my expectations of the attraction and will definitely be a must-do for any out of town guests!
(9/6/21) The new FlyOver Las Vegas attraction is now officially open on the Las Vegas Strip, taking guests on a “on a multi-sensory journey over 22 of the United States’ most stunning destinations in an original flight ride film, ‘The Real Wild West.’”
“FlyOver uses state-of-the-art technology to give visitors the feeling of flight. Shown in stunning 8k resolution on a massive 52.5ft screen, location specific mists, scents and wind fully immerse guests in the action taking place all around them on a spherical screen. Fliers glide over landmarks in Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Montana, California, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and New Mexico.
The 25-minute experience begins with a six-minute pre-show by Montreal-based Moment Factory. Setting the stage for the flight to come, guests learn the history of the booms and busts of the American West, where scenes such as the Cambrian explosion to the ghost towns of Gold Rush are shown on a dynamic 360-degree video wall. After the pre-show, visitors then board the flight ride, where they soar to tremendous heights. Land, sea and sky are all shown throughout the film, punctuated with a captivating musical score by GRAMMY-nominated composer Tom Holkenborg.” Destinations featured include:
Crashing 65-foot waves at Lost Coast just south of Jackass Creek
A dual flood gate release that happens once every 11 years at Roosevelt Dam in Arizona
Potash pools in Moab
Bellagio Fountains and The Strip in Las Vegas
A solar eclipse over a volcanic peak in Oregon’s Cascade Volcanic Arc
Winter beauty in Yellowstone National Park with a team of stallions
Water skiing in winter snow at Cascade Lake
A Hualapai traditional “Bird Dance” in the Grand Canyon
A speed demon Streamliner soaring over Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah
Two Navajo horseback riders traversing Monument Valley, Arizona
Western movie set action in Goldfield Ghost Town, Arizona
Fly fishing in the woods outside of Telluride, Colorado
The vantage point of a wingsuiter as they descend Washington’s Stehekin Mountain
Tickets to experience FlyOver Las Vegas are said to be $24 for children and $34 for adults, with the attraction being open daily from noon to 8pm currently. The attraction is also offering tickets to experience a second ride film at the location from their FlyOver Iceland attraction, with a combo special ticket available to experience both.
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