Niagara Falls trip help....

[paysensmom]

Going in June ane plan to stay at the Embassy Suites on the Canadian side. I believe we can get the sea and land passports for us (me an hubs) and use birth certificates for our children ages 10, 7, and will be just over one year. Please correct me if I am wrong.
I see on the website that the passes for Maid of the Mist, etc. are $45 for adults and $33 for children. Is it cheaper to get online or buy at the falls?
What else do I need to know? Fun things to do around the area? We are driving from West Virginia and hubs wants to see the baseball hall of fame too.

 

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

We stayed at the Embassy Suites in August. It was a huge splurge to get a room with a view of the fireworks...but so worth it! We had a blast. Be sure to take advantage of the manager's reception. My kids loved that! Also, the breakfast is included, but you do have a waitress and it is customary to leave a tip. We made the mistake of going down with only our room key, and had to hunt through our pockets for a tip.

I think the base prices are the same for Maid of the Mist. They do have some package deals that include some of the other sites. You really have to decide what you plan to do and what is worth it. The packaged deals I saw included the bus shuttle, which might be worth it if you plan to sightsee a bunch. We only did the Maid of the Mist, and didn't walk along the entire path.

Your kids might enjoy the Cave of the Winds tour. My dh took our older two kids on this. CotW is on the American side. It is a better tour. There is also another tour on the Canadian side.

Another "must do" is Clifton Hill. It's a big touristy trap, but it was fun. We bought the little pass they offer, which was good because it gave the kids a limit as to what they could do. I think it was called the Clifton Hill funpass.

There is also a butterfly garden that was recommended, but we didn't get there.

You'll find a lot of info just doing a search on Google.

Have fun! Our kids LOVED that trip.

 

[paysensmom]

Skylon tower worth the ticket? There are a bunch of little things that you can do that seem to add up quickly.

 

[DisneyDebbie]

you are correct about only needing birth certificates for your children. It's not to get into Canada it's so that you're allowed to get back into the US. I think the passes you are looking at must be combo passes. I think the Maid of the Mist is around $12, and Cave of the winds (very cool) around $9, and the trolley was $2. I'm not completely sure as I went w/ a field trip, but it was cheaper for us to pay separately for just what we had time to do, and not get the combo pass.

 

[nilseks]

MickeyHereWeCome, do you mind if I ask if your room was both American/Horseshoe Falls view, and what floor? I'm going to be booking any day now. The horseshoe fall view rooms are $195, add in a view of the American Falls too and it's $225, go to a higher floor and it's $265. I'm trying to figure out how much a good view is worth!

Part of me thinks that if I just do the Horseshoe Fall view rooms on a lower floor for $195, my kids will still think it's really cool and won't know any different. They will still be able to see the illuminated falls and the fireworks. But of course, this is a once in a lifetime thing. So do I just suck it up and pay the extra $70 and go all out???

 

[lizabu]

I think the horseshoe fallsview would be perfectly lovely

What I would recommend is waiting until you get there and buy an Adventure Pass. As you mentioned the Maid of the Mist just by itself is around $40. The Adventure Pass is around $50 and you get tickets for Maid of the Mist, Journey behind the Falls, White water walk and Niagara Fury. You can easily fill 2 days just going around and getting these things done.

 

[lizabu]

Skylon tower worth the ticket? There are a bunch of little things that you can do that seem to add up quickly.

One of the nicest things you can do is eat up in the Skylon tower. Its lovely. Lunch is cheaper than dinner. There are often coupons that can save you some $

Heres a current one http://skylon.com/halfoff/images/Skylon_Half_Off_Offer.pdf

 

[Sal]

DH and I went last May and Niagara's Fury was our favorite! I think your kids would like it, too. Here is the description:

The Biggest Thrill 10,000 Years in the Making!
A dramatic and immersive experience where you will actually feel the sights, sounds and sensations of the creation of Niagara. This thrilling, multi-sensory event, with amazing 360 visuals, will leave you with a new appreciation of the wonder of nature.

I also second the suggestion to get the Adventure Pass.

 

[sherreis]

We went to Niagara Falls for our summer vacation in 2010. Great road trip! We bought our Adventure Pass through our local AAA office and saved a few dollars on it - if you are a AAA member.

We stayed at the Marriott because I have reward points through them and we were right in front of Horseshoe Falls which is spectacular!

Our kids enjoyed the whole trip. We started on the other side of New York at the baseball hall of fame and then drove across New York. Stayed in Buffalo overnight cause I didn't want to pay the price of the Falls hotel if we were going to be getting there late. After Niagara Falls we went to the finger lakes for a few days. Absolutely beautiful area!

 

[lisaross]

Their is also a "Discovery Pass"

Not sure which is better - anyone?

I am going in August - definitly will be buying the Clifton HIll pass - which is where i am staying - think the kids will enjoy it!

 

[lisaross]

Discovery Pass - Adults $33 and Kids $26

Maid of Mist
Discovery Ctr
Cave of the Winds
Aquarium
Legends of Adventure

Adventure Pass $48 Adults and $33 Kids

Niagra Fury
Journey Behind Falls
Maid of the Mist
White Water Work

Their is also a "Discovery Pass"

Not sure which is better - anyone?

I am going in August - definitly will be buying the Clifton HIll pass - which is where i am staying - think the kids will enjoy it!

 

[The Iron Giant]

We just went to Niagara Falls in September - it was a great trip. The falls are spectacular. We stayed at the Hilton and had a Falls View suite on like the 45th floor. We did the Maid of the Mist boat ride and did the behind the falls tour as well. Both were excellent. As far as travel documents go, my wife and I got passport cards and we brought copies of the kids' birth certificates. We had no problems going into or coming back from Canada. We also tacked on a trip to Toronto since it was only about an hour and a half away. We got to see the city and went to a Blue Jays game as well.

Have a great trip

 

[Fire14]

It's been a few years for me but I got the adventure pass thru AAA and saved money, I figured what WE wanted to do and added those prices together and found AP got us more stuff for not much more (maybe 2 bucks) and we had all day shuttles instead of hoofing it everywhere.

I've done the Pass for Clifton Hill and got my moneys worth out of that but I also had a coupon that I'd gotten from hotel Rack or walking on Hill somwwhere. The skywheel was Awasome, Glow in Dark mini golf was differant. I also remember getting some kind of pass that got me ride on some ghost ride thingie and tokens ( reminded me of Chuck E cheese)

I will also put out there that A lot of the wax museums have discounts if you want to do more than one of em.
WE also take a day and go to Toronto ( I have thing for visting Hard Rock Cafes)

I personally Didn't care for Niagara on the Lake but lots of folks love it. The Floral clock is neat to see and I actually like Butterfly Place.

 

[bamagirl@hrt]

We went to Niagara Falls in October and also stayed at the Embassy Suites Fallsview. We had booked the horseshoe falls view, but we were given a complimentary upgrade to a room with a view of both falls. We were on the 14th floor and had beautiful views! Considering it was misting rain most of the time we were there, some of our best pictures were made out of our hotel window on the day we arrived - there was a break in the rain!

I purchased our Adventure Passes from AAA before we left. They were $45 for adults, so we saved $3/person. We could've saved a few dollars by purchasing separately (we probably would've skipped Niagara's Fury), BUT the most wonderful benefit to having the Adventure Pass was that we could ride the shuttle! Did I mention that it was rainy while we were there? We rode the shuttle to the end, just to warm up and see some sites without walking in the rain.

We ate dinner at the Skylon Tower and it was soooo worth it! The food was good too. We ate in the rotating dining room instead of the buffet. There is an early seating special that is a set price and includes salad, entree, and dessert. It was quite a bit less than paying a la carte later in the evening. They have a website where you can check out menus, prices, and make reservations.

We ate breakfast daily in the hotel. We made a point to get there pretty early to avoid the crowds. They give you info upon check in that estimates the crowd level for different times of the morning. The hotel is also in easy walking distance of the casino. We ate dinner at Johnny Rockets in the casino food court our first night there.

One thing that really amazed me about the town was the beautiful gardens/flowers everywhere! My husband made the comment, "It looks like the Canadian pavilion at Epcot!" It was lovely!

We spent a couple of hours on the US side before crossing over into Canada. The state park itself is nice. There's a nice visitors' center. We paid the $1/person to go onto the observation deck and down the elevator to the stairs that go up beside the falls. Other than the state park, though, I was disappointed and embarrassed by how cheap and cheesy everything on the US side looked! We wanted a fast food place to eat lunch, but there was none! Only an "international food court" which was freezing cold and nasty! There is an abundance of restaurants on the Canadian side.

Of the attractions on our Adventure Pass, our favorite (other than the bus!) was Maid of the Mist. It was breathtaking! The Journey Behind the Falls was ok, but not awesome. Also, if you buy your pass through AAA, you get a coupon for 10% off at any of the park operated gift shops.

Have fun planning and a wonderful trip!

 

[North of Mouse]

We went several years ago before needing passports, but thought everyone needed them now to get back in (didn't realize children could just use birth certificates). I too, even then, was very disappointed by the US side. We walked over from the Canadian side as that was where we were staying. The Canadian view of the falls is so much nicer too. An awesome site and very much worth seeing, We went to Toronto also and the city was neat, but the scenery on the way there was way blah (unless it has changed - developed more). Queen Victoria Gardens (I think that's the correct name) is a must see- just so gorgeous - of course we were there in the springtime. I don't "do" north in the winter I'm a southern girl through and through (originally from LA with my feet in the Gulf

 

[luckyfin]

I agree that Canada has more to offer, but the park on the US side is pretty spectacular and worth going to see. You can walk literally within feet of where the falls go over the edge. It is amazing to be able to feel the true power of the falls. It never gets old for me.

 

[MickeyHereWeCome!]

MickeyHereWeCome, do you mind if I ask if your room was both American/Horseshoe Falls view, and what floor? I'm going to be booking any day now. The horseshoe fall view rooms are $195, add in a view of the American Falls too and it's $225, go to a higher floor and it's $265. I'm trying to figure out how much a good view is worth!

Part of me thinks that if I just do the Horseshoe Fall view rooms on a lower floor for $195, my kids will still think it's really cool and won't know any different. They will still be able to see the illuminated falls and the fireworks. But of course, this is a once in a lifetime thing. So do I just suck it up and pay the extra $70 and go all out???

We had a view of both falls. I think it was floor 13 or 15, or something like that. We chose a room that had a fallsview, so we talked it up about being able to see fireworks from our room. When we checked in, the room we had chosen would just see the American Falls. This was an anniversary trip, so we really splurged and upgraded on the spot. My kids still talk about what a fantastic view we had. We have never paid that much for a hotel room, but for us, it was worth it (we paid much more than your quote, since we needed a larger room for 4 kids)! Having done that, we were able to avoid the need to do the Skylon Tower.

Yes, it was very expensive, but who knows when we'll get to go back. If you aren't going to be there on a fireworks night, I don't know that I'd pay the extra.

 

[luckyfin]

Duplicate post product of a new tablet & a glass of wine. Sorry!

 

[disneymarie]

I agree that Canada has more to offer, but the park on the US side is pretty spectacular and worth going to see. You can walk literally within feet of where the falls go over the edge. It is amazing to be able to feel the true power of the falls. It never gets old for me.

I agree! We have a dd that lives just miles from the Falls US side. I will take younger dd every year. At night we watch the fireworks after supper. The next day go back to do the Maid of the Mist, Cave of the winds, and tram to get to the islands and brink of the falls.

The next day DH joins us and we had to CA side. Start at the Falls all the way up the top, work our way down. We get the bus pass and ride the entire way up, and then go into the Bird display place the museum was at. From there dh and I hit wine country! On the way, we may stop at the rapids too. I like the rapids better then the journey behind the falls.

On the way back we stop at the Locks I think it is 13 that we can view the large cargo ships.
After that dinner and head to Clifton Hill. DD gets a pass for a few rides and attractions.
Then on the way back we hit the Mexican food on US side, dang can't remember the name for late night grub before heading to dd house. In the morning I think it is the Olympia Greek food for breakfast, they have AMerican too....but is great amount. Think it is near North Tonawanda.

What a day...now I get to take dgs up this Spring trip and introduce him to the wonder of Niagara. I can still remember walking with my mouth wide open my first several trips!

 

[nilseks]

Thanks for the input, MickeyHereWeCome! Much appreciated! Loved your pics--we have decided to do a lower floor room (floors 10-15) with a view of both falls. It's a splurge but we'll only be there one night. And honestly, I thought it would be more than $225. I'm kind of surprised it is 'only' that much because it's the week after 4th of July which is a very busy travel time--but we'll be there on a weeknight.

The plan is to arrive sometime around 4 in the afternoon. After a long day of driving we will probably head to the TGI Friday's in the hotel to eat, let the boys swim a bit, and then just relax in the room and take in the illuminated falls and fireworks. Then the next day we will hit the sights all day (Maid of the Mist, Cave of the Winds, walk up to the falls on the American side) and head to a cheaper hotel before beginning more driving the next day.