On some level, your brain knows it’s not physically possible. You can’t just fly above desert rockscapes, instantaneously plunge into snowy vistas and then, in the blink of an eye, rise toward an enormous dam the moment it gushes water.
The geography doesn’t add up. But the experience feels so real, it’s impossible not to get carried away.
FlyOver Las Vegas is one of the latest iterations of a new Strip trend: immersive entertainment. From Meow Wolf at Area15 to the Van Gogh exhibit at the Shops at Crystals, tourists are traveling to Las Vegas to be transported to other worlds. In the case of FlyOver, attendees travel to Iceland or “the Real Wild West.”
Located in the former Regal United Artists Showcase Theater, FlyOver makes the best possible use of an empty movie house. In a building that once showed rom-coms, a 52.5-foot spherical screen transports viewers to a world of breathtaking vistas in 8K high-definition.
Gone are sticky movie theater chairs, replaced by state-of-the-art “flight motion seats,” which put the viewer out and over the screen and then move with the action. Riders’ feet hang in space, like on a roller coaster. Mercifully, FlyOver doesn’t produce the terrible sinking-stomach feeling of a real roller coaster. But there are times when riders might be tempted to lift their feet to avoid scuffing a few mountain tops.
Gusts of wind, well-timed nature scents and even cold mist add to the experience of riding in a magical helicopter. The effect is especially potent when mist sprays riders as they soar over snow or water. A soundtrack by Grammy-nominated musician Junkie XL adds emotion to the moment.
In true Strip fashion, the FlyOver experience extends beyond the ride itself. Entering directly from Las Vegas Boulevard, guests find a space designed to evoke the canyons of the desert southwest. Multimedia studio Moment Factory has created a six-minute pre-show, projected on wraparound walls in a sort of anteroom.
The Lost Cactus Bar provides the libations with themed cocktails, such as the Desert Sunset (orange vodka, peach Schnapps, citrus and grenadine), the Durango to Silverton (a hickory-smoked Old Fashioned) and the Gold Rush, a mock mimosa topped with gold glitter.
Creative director Rick Rothschild is the brain behind FlyOver. The former Disney Imagineer directed and produced more than 25 attractions for the theme parks. In 2001, he directed the original Soarin’ Over California source video for the Disney ride. FlyOver takes that original concept and expands upon it with a much longer experience and the latest technology.
“I’ve always thought flying was a really cool thing to do. My favorite movie when I was a kid was Peter Pan,” Rothschild told Forbes. “Flying gives people that connection to an altered state that is not actually real. You can’t be a bird, but you can sit in a helicopter and pretend you’re one.”
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