Experience The Real Wild West on a new flight ride
By Melissa Gill
Picture gliding over the glittery Las Vegas skyline from a bird’s eye view with a cool breeze sweeping through your hair. FlyOver Las Vegas is an immersive cinematic flight simulation layered in metaphorical decor featuring engaging multi-sensory technology. Utilizing sophisticated mechanics, FlyOver Las Vegas journeys guests over 22 captivating landscapes from around the world that they may never have the means or ability to experience in person. Located on the Las Vegas Strip, FlyOver is in the Showcase Mall adjacent to the Hard Rock Cafe. The attraction plans to hire about 100 employees. This coming attraction is a $40 million to $45 million investment set to open this fall.
Experience that “Flight Feeling”
Guests sink into soft seats in front of a 52-foot spherical screen attached to a moving platform built to shift in six degrees of motion generating a “flight feeling.” Utilizing special effects, the ride includes multi-sensory features such as bursts of wind, mists and specific scents synchronized with the scenery projected on the screen. The laser projections for the ride “keep the color and intensity of the screen equal” to maintain clarity. FlyOver’s films will be shown in about 9k resolution upon completion. With scenes shot from a helicopter, the film captivates stunning aerial footage of iconic tourist destinations and some rare views of wildlife. Conceived by attractions and hospitality company Pursuit, FlyOver Las Vegas is the third FlyOver to open in the franchise following FlyOver in Vancouver and FlyOver in Reykjavik, Iceland.
The attraction visionaries include former Disney Imagineer dubbed the “founding father of flight rides,” Creative Director Rick Rothschild; Cannes Lion Award-winning filmmaker Dave Mossop; Moment Factory’s Julian Demers-Arsenault as Multimedia Director and Grammy-nominated composer Tom Holkenborg. Combining all their talents and skills, the attraction aims to tell guests a story from start to finish.
Two films are confirmed to show at FlyOver Las Vegas experience: The Real Wild West and FlyOver Iceland. This is the first FlyOver location to have two film rides operating in the same venue with each one capable of boarding 40 people in each simulation plus a fully-loaded bar. Both experiences will have their own unique pre-show, too. Guests will have the option to ride both in one visit and take a break at the Oasis bar in between shows. The bar is designed to look like a canyon underneath a starry night sky with a river flowing towards where the attraction begins.
Decompress in The Real Wild West
The Real Wild West experience is a new voyage that will be featured for the first time ever in Las Vegas. The ride flies sojourners over breathtaking views such as the volcanic peak in Oregon, a wingsuiter descending over Washington’s Stehekin Mountain, majestic horses galloping in Yellowstone, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the glorious Grand Canyon, Goldfield Ghost Town in Arizona and the glowing Las Vegas Strip.
The six minute pre-show projects across a 360 degree wraparound wall with a medallion hanging in the center. The attraction’s pre-show plays an important role as guests immerse themselves into the narrative. This part of the attraction introduces riders to the story of the West by illuminating the connections between the spirit and the land. The Creative Director, Rick Rothschild, hopes to help visitors “decompress” from the fast-moving city outside when they enter FlyOver Las Vegas.
Capturing the Spirit of the West
Although the high quality film and multisensory special effects in itself provide the guests with a unique experience, Rothschild emphasizes that himself and his creative partners are first and foremost storytellers.
“What is the spirit in this place we call the West?” asks Rothschild. This question sparked the heart of their concept for The Real Wild West.
FlyOver builds a bridge unifying humanity with nature through a hyper realistic simulation. The way he describes this attraction almost implies that it is more like going on a spiritual journey than an amusement ride. Context is important to him.
“[We’re] trying to share a bit of culture, [we’re] trying to share a bit of geography, sort of a sense of people and land in a particular part of the world. And to do that, to just have people fly over it with no context, it’s great, it’s pretty, it’s fun, but we want them to have some context, some understanding and a connection.”
Why FlyOver Fills a Void in Vegas
For those seeking an amusement park kind of experience without the high costs and long lines, FlyOver appears to be a great alternative. Plus it is a family-friendly attraction. With M & M’s World, Coca Cola Store and Hard Rock Cafe nearby, this location seems ideal for anyone who is traveling with kids.
When describing how the attraction complements Vegas, Jack Kenn, general manager of FlyOver Las Vegas says, “We’re able to give them amazing content at a great value and with very little time commitment. We’re happy to fill, what I’ve felt for a long time is a void in Vegas, having something that is a quick hit, super entertaining, really high quality at a price that is great for everybody.”
The entire show lasts about eight minutes and 40 seconds. Adult tickets will cost $34 and children tickets (12 and under) will cost $24.
