niagara falls anyone?

[dana1003]

we just found out our jet america trip is off cuz they folded so now were looking for something else to do..we live 6 hrs from niagara but hubby doesnt think the kids will like it..i went as a kid and loved but havent been in over 25 years..anyone been recently? and will 2 5 year olds enjoy it?

[bellebud]

we just went a few weeks ago. First time, kids are 7 and 9. We all LOVED it!

We stayed on the Canadian side (which I really recommend) at Sheraton on the Falls. Perfect spot - right at the corner of Clifton Park (which is a street that has touristy things, almost like a seashore boardwalk, sort of tacky but really fun for the kids). Sheraton on the Falls and a few other hotels are connected to a bunch of restaurants and an indoor waterpark. The kids loved the waterpark. Just big enough, but not huge.

We did the maiden of the mist (must do!), walked over the bridge to the American side and did the park on that side (just a nice walk-around park literally on the falls, w/ gift shop/food, trolley to take you around it if you want, tunnels). We did the underground tunnels on the Canadian side. We did the Spanish Aero-car over the whirlpool. We did a walk along the rapids. We went on the ferris wheel at Clifton Park - I'm afraid of heights and I thought it was high... until we ate dinner at a place that you take an outside glass elevator up a tower and the restaurant is something like 700' high and it rotates (I really recommend it!!). There's a 'making of the falls' sort-of-simulator experience (movie w/ a simulator floor, and water). Fun! We were there for 4 nights, and we didn't have time to do everything. There's a nearby aquarium that we didn't get a chance to go to.

We drove from NY (I must be just a bit north of you) - we live right where NY/NJ/PA meet.

I'd definitely recommend going - but be prepared w/ lots of money! Everything has a fee, and the food is really expensive. Everything you do, you're paying that 'deluxe' price for being right on the falls (location, location, location). But it was worth it.

[ash-n-brensmom]

I live in Niagara Falls, and my 2 DD's are always asking me to take them down to Clifton Hill (tourist area) so yeah, they will like it. But you need to stay on the Canadian side, no offense to the American side( that's where I am originally from), but the Canadian side has way more stuff for the family and more accommodations. Be prepared to have a Passport for you and DH and original Birth Certs for the kids, or else they won't let you back in the US.

[dana1003]

yes i just read that..we were thinking of getting the passport card instead since its cheaper..where do u exchange $? here before we go? also is the money hard to figure? also read allot of the attractions were free for kids 5 and under? is that still true cuz that will save us allot of $..saw the fallsview waterpark and were pricing it out, so its worth it huh?

[AMB1]

We live two hours away, but I haven't been in about 15 years and I have never stayed overnight. That being said, we're taking our 3-year-old and the baby for a long weekend in a couple of weeks. We are staying at the Sheraton on the Falls, as mentioned by a PP, for its proximity to all the tourist attractions. If we were just going as a couple I think we would stay closer to the Fallsview Casino because I believe that is the newer/more adult area.

Niagara is a bit kitschy, but there is no doubt the falls are spectacular. Our DD3 really wants to go to Marineland to see the whales and dolphins. We're also going to try the aviary at Bird Kingdom (she loves birds and reptiles!). Other than that, we'll take a ride on the giant Ferris wheel and have dinner at the Rainforest Cafe. We've decided against the Maid of the Mist because of the baby, but if she weren't coming, we would definitely ride. I expect we will also get talked into the Build-a-Bear Workshop and the Hershey Store. Although the hotel is attached to a waterpark, I'm not planning on going unless the weather is really bad and we decide to ditch Marineland. The hotel pool will be fine for us if the weather is nice.

Not Disney, but I think it will be a decent long-weekend trip.

[MisterPat]

I grew up about 40 minutes south of the Falls in NY and went plenty of times as a kid. I went again last year with DD 12 and DD 8, DW, and another family of 5. We stayed at the Quality Inn on Clifton Hill. It was a much better deal than the Sheraton and in virtually the same spot. No view of the Falls from your room, though. That's what you pay for at the Sheraton.

Check out this site for a great jumping off point to plan your trip: cliftonhill.com

The Quality Inn is no longer on the site, but the Comfort Inn is right across from it. I think they may have merged them into one hotel.

As for stuff to do, there sre plenty of things for all ages, but not nearly as "kid-friendly" as Disney (who is?). With that said, we had a 5 yo boy in our group and he did many of the rides and srcade stuff, loved the restaurants (Rainforest Cafe, Hard Rock, PLanet Hollywood, etc.), thought the simulator (Niagara's Fury) was awesome, loved the skywheel and the firworks over the falls at night and endured the walking (almost as much as Disney).

We, too, walked across to the American side and took the trolley around the park. Nothing new on the American side in the past 20 years.

Marineland sounds nice, but there are many reports (and I recall this problem) of bees everywhere. It's not kept in great condition and the rides and attractions are showing their age.

Definitely worth a trip. Definitely stay on the Canadian side somewhere on Clifton Hill. I wanted to go again this summer, but DD got braces and we have two week Disney cruise and vacation coming up in August. Will go again soon for sure!

[ParrotBill]

Money changing:

Banks are your best exchange rate. Sometimes you can get some at a local bank before you go but you may need to order ahead.

If you wait until you get there American currency is widely accepted at bad exchange rates. Get to a local bank.

In a pinch your hotel may exchange money. There is a place to do currency exchange after you cross at the Lewiston Bridge crossing. Probably one at the Peace bridge also but I can't remember.

The Rainbow Bridge backs up badly at peak times. Drive over at a late or early time or use the Lewiston or Peace bridges instead.

Remember to save your receipts and track your spending and don't go over the customs allowance. When you come back they sometimes quiz me about what we bought so I just hand over a list with receipts.

[sk!mom]

We are going in a couple of weeks. We're booked at the Embassy Suites (Canadian side) is it OK or should I switch to the Sheraton? I looked at both.

Money changing- I was assuming that since this is a very touristy area, there would be ATM's readily available. Is this not the case? Traveling in Europe, we found the best way to get each countries currency was to simply visit an ATM. Will this work for us? We don't use a lot of cash, preferring to charge everything possible.

[AMB1]

Originally Posted by sk!mom

We are going in a couple of weeks. We're booked at the Embassy Suites (Canadian side) is it OK or should I switch to the Sheraton? I looked at both.

I booked the Sheraton because I wanted Starwood points. I looked at the Embassy Suites and it was a definite possibility -- I've stayed at an Embassy Suites elsewhere and it was great.

Money changing- I was assuming that since this is a very touristy area, there would be ATM's readily available. Is this not the case? Traveling in Europe, we found the best way to get each countries currency was to simply visit an ATM. Will this work for us? We don't use a lot of cash, preferring to charge everything possible.

Yes, there are ATM's all over. That's what I do when we travel to the U.S. You should also be able to use your bank card/debit card to pay at most stores. It automatically applies an exchange rate. You may not get the absolute best exchange rate, but it is convenient and means you don't have to carry tons of cash around.

[toystorymom]

We were just there and we had a great time! Our boys (12, 9, 8) all really enjoyed it, even more then I thought they would since it isn't Disney!

sk!mom - we stayed at the Embassy Suites, it was great, a beautiful hotel. I would be happy to answer any questions for you.

While we were there we went on Maid of the Mist (a must do!), saw Niagara's Fury, the Butterfly Conservatory, Whitewater Walk, Journey Behind the Falls. We also did Cave of the Winds which is on the American side and the kids LOVED this and were absolutely soaked. I managed to stay a bit more dry. We spent an evening at Clifton Hill, went to the Hard Rock, visited the Hershey Store, went miniature golfing - for some reason my kids have to do this everywhere we go. We also spent a day at the indoor water park which was great fun and was not crowded at all. We had planned to check out MarineLand on the last day but came home a day early when one of the kids wasn't feeling well.

We didn't end up changing any money. We just used our Visa card for everything although they do take US dollars pretty much everywhere. Food is pricey, but isn't it always on vacation?!

Overall great fun and something really different from our usually amusement park trips.

[ash-n-brensmom]

DO NOT take the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge!!! This is the route that mapquest and all GPS's send people through, and it has the least amount of custom booths. BAD COMBO!!!! Look up the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission's website for a toll free number that you can call as you are approaching Niagara and they will have the wait times listed on a recording. Have the routes printed out for the Rainbow and Peace Bridges. It's worth the extra planning. Take it from me, I cross at least once a week and the wait time on the L/Q can be over and hour and 10 minutes on the Rainbow.

[njmomboys2]

We live on Aug. 1st for a combo trip to Niagara Falls & Toronto. (Saturday-Friday)

We are staying in Niagara from Sat-Tuesday at the Embassy Suites.

What is the custom situation for when I return? What is the $$ limit of what I can bring back?

Also we are doing the great gorge adventure pass...any other not Miss tips? Restaurant recomm? My boys are 14 & 9...

Any tips on Toronto..staying at Grand Hotel & Suites...planning on doing Casa Loma, CN Tower, Hockey Hall of Fame, Bluejays Game, Canada Wonderland....

Thanks!!!

[njmomboys2]

one more question...does the ATMs dispense American money?

[sk!mom]

Originally Posted by njmomboys2

one more question...does the ATMs dispense American money?

No- ATM's in other countries dispense that countries currency.

[notes4theheart]

Niagara Falls is amazing. I saw plenty of kids there this past weekend dragging their parents all around the place. A few things to do:

Canada:
Almost everything here takes American cash, so if you can't exchanged don't fret too much.

Must Dos:Get the Adventure Pass...DH and I were planning on not getting it until we realized that we wanted to do everything listed and if we paid seperately we'd be spending 30 more. It's also even cheaper if you order ahead online. Things that are included (all in Canada): Maid of the Mist, Journey behind the falls, White Water Walk, Niagara's Fury and 2 days transportation on the people movers (the bus that moves you EVERYWHERE). It also gives you half off the Spanish Aero Car and the butterfly exhibit.

Attractions:
Maid of the Mist: We saw kids begging parents to go again. The ship basically takes you past the American Falls and then out to Horseshoe Falls where it sits in the midst. You get these awesome rainbow views and it feels like it's raining (you get a poncho). My recommendation: Get of the top of the boat near the railing. It doesn't matter left or right, just get the top near a railing. The bottom is disappointing (DH and I rode three times).

Journey Behind the Falls: You walk in a tunnel that takes you to (channels jungle cruise) the backside of water!! LOL, it's a great place to see this amazing white wall of rushing water. Then you get the chance to walk out to a little bridge and see the falls a few feet away. Don't worry they give ponchos.

White Water Walk: Amazing boardwalk besides the rapids. You get to litterally walk right up to class 5 and 6 rapids. The kids were standing right where the water squirts up and treating it like a water ride.

Niagara's Fury: this starts with a preshow: a little cartoon teaching us how the falls was formed. I kept feeling like it would really fit in in Disney. Then you go into a moving theater where you get to feel like you're riding the falls!!! :-)

Spanish Aero Car: you ride out and look down at this huge whirlpool! It's very peaceful but the two kids on it were shocked. Don't worry about what side you're on, they switch at the end.

Butterfly Conservatory. I had to be dragged out. It's this HUGE area where butterflies of litterally every color swarm around you and circle you. One little girl said it best: I feel like snow white when she gets circled by the birds. The butterflies land on you and sit for a while and then fly off. It's one of the most magical places I've ever been.

That's all we did on the Canadian Side (we were only there 2 days and rushed through everything) If we'd had more time I would have made sure to see the Bird Kingdom. It's a FREE FLYING aviary. It looked awesome but also way too long. There's several other really awesome looking places, but I can't recall. You can probably find them easily.

But: If you're looking for a place to have dinner. I recommend driving inward. The food and prices near the falls just don't mix. I HIGHLY recommend Wildfire (6788 Thorold Stone Road, Niagara Falls, ON L2J 1B4, Canada). It feels like a real world Le Cellier and the steaks are just as good.

American:
We spent one day on this side...and wished we spent longer. There is SO MUCH TO DO. We did the movie (kinda dry for children, I wouldn't recommend) and the Cave of the Winds Walk. This was quite simply one of the most amazing experiances I have ever had in my entire life. I can't begin to tell you how it feels to be that close to a water fall. Once you stand under it my word!! LOL!! I felt like a kid at a water park all over again! There were kids there dancing in the water spray and just jumping around excited. It was breathtaking. There aren't enough words in the english language to describe the place.

Lastly: I second Sheraton on the Falls. BUT Priceline it. It's much cheaper :-). Feel free to PM me with further questions. Sorry for the book