Chris V.
Yelp
I guess I wasn't Over it the first time.
FlyOver Las Vegas is a business that's found success despite the apparent lack of a front door causing them to blast cool air out onto the Strip. I first experienced them via a Yelp Elite Experience, and I thank Ashley L. for a pair of tickets which I used today to check out a different "adventure."
FlyOver is like certain rides in theme parks where you're strapped into a chair in a room and the chair simulates motion while a video plays on the screen in front of you. It is also longer than such rides, although their website states that each video is a mere 8.5 minutes, which of course would make me balk at paying the regular price (I'm gonna defer to photos on this, but locals get prices discounted 25-30% at least) since even expensive movie theater experiences last longer. But if you like rides and you like landscapes, this is probably very much for you.
I invited my friend who happened to be my prior +1 and we agreed on Windborne: Canadian Rockies. I liked this overall. The various vignettes comprising the collage was a variety of landscapes, not just snowy mountains. I really appreciated seeing people in several scenes to show the scale of the surroundings.
The immersive aspects worked well too. Despite the seats not tilting all that much - I never felt like I was being restrained by the seatbelt - they made you feel motion and tracked the camera movements well. The subtle scents were nice too, and the water mist mostly matched clouds / fog and whatnot.
Aside from the short length, my main prior criticism still applies: it's not 2021 anymore, it's 2023 and I could still use a little higher resolution. I don't mean that I couldn't distinguish key features and such, but there's 4K on Netflix and I guess I'm just spoiled at home or at the cinema.
By the way, part of the "boarding" process is a room with a pre-video and safety presentation. This does feel a bit unneeded even if it helped to explain some of the narration and why Native Americans appeared in some scenes in the "ride." The resolution also felt unimpressive. Also, in this particular pre-video, there was an apparently Caucasian girl who was in too many scenes. Last, but not least, the safety video was themed around the American West, which was a different video here. I don't know whether they don't have a Canadian-themed video yet or they just queued up the wrong one.
FYI if you're actually planning to go, we parked at Park MGM, which is not adjacent but is close enough and free for locals and MGM Rewards members. We walked through Park MGM, outside Eataly, across a single overpass, and pretty much arrived at FlyOver. I had printed the tickets in advance to streamline the process, and employees also directed us where to go and when. Also, I haven't tried to make use of the bar in the waiting area, and I wouldn't recommend it since you may end up forgetting more than you remember.
FlyOver Las Vegas generally delivers on what it promises, which is the feeling of flying over real world landscapes. Definitely consider them if you really love this type of thing, you're a local or military member, and/or if you wanna show your kids a good time (12 and under are even cheaper).