Niagara Falls Blog

HOCO Limited has issued a press release about the opening of the new Niagara SkyWheel:

One of a Kind Giant Observation Wheel Debuts
The Niagara SkyWheel ushers in a new generation of Ferris wheel

[Niagara Falls, Ontario] – It’s big, it’s round, it spins! Canada’s largest observation wheel is now open. At 175 feet tall (53 metres), the Niagara SkyWheel is the newest, most exciting way to see Niagara Falls. The Niagara SkyWheel is the latest addition of quality amusements to HOCO Entertainment and Resorts and promises a boost to the popular Clifton Hill tourism and family entertainment area.

The Niagara SkyWheel is a world-class ride featuring fully enclosed gondolas, each equipped with heating and air conditioning for year-round comfort and enjoyment. Large UV protected, non-reflective glass reduces glare - perfect for taking pictures. Passenger boarding is swift at six gondolas at a time – each capable of carrying up to eight passengers.

Visitors seeking a unique sightseeing opportunity will be treated to breathtaking views of the Horseshoe and American Falls, the City and beyond. The ride duration varies from 12 to 15 minutes with spectacular aerial views for miles in every direction. Daytime rides and night rides will each offer captivating experiences of their own.

Giant wheels are growing in popularity throughout the world since the London Eye was built in England as a millennium project. The World’s giant wheels at other famous tourism locales have been smashing visitor records for single attractions. “The Niagara SkyWheel represents a $10 million dollar investment designed to ensure the long-term vitality of Clifton Hill as the street of Fun by the Falls,” notes Harry Oakes, president of HOCO Entertainment and Resorts.

Designed by Ronald Bussink Professional Rides of Switzerland and manufactured by Chance Rides in Wichita, Kansas, the Niagara SkyWheel has been an international partnership. The gondolas were manufactured in Switzerland and supplied by CWA, a worldwide supplier of ski lift gondolas. The axle, spokes and rings were manufactured in Germany and Chance Rides supplied the tower legs. High tech control systems were designed and built by Siemens.

The Niagara SkyWheel is open all year long. Daily operating hours are 9:00 am to 1:00 am.

Tickets are $9.99 for adults and $5.99 for children under 10. Tickets can be purchased on site or call 905.358.4793.

For package information, visit http://www.cliftonhill.com/packages.

For Media inquiries or to make arrangements for photography, please contact:

Patrick Clary, Director of Marketing
HOCO Entertainment and Resorts
4960 Clifton Hill, P.O. Box 60
Niagara Falls, ON L2E 6S8
Tel: 905.357.5911 xt. 4777
pclary@cliftonhill.com

A couple of things I noticed:

• First off, they are late getting it out. I would have thought that a press release from the day it opened would be best. But I’m not a marketing expert, so there may be other reasons for the delay.
• Other than on the sub-title, it isn’t called a Ferris wheel. It is called an “observation wheel”, a “giant wheel” and it’s name, “Niagara SkyWheel”.

So far I’ve only seen the press release duplicated at one other location (along with the original posting on the Clifton Hill blog and here). I’ll keep a list of where it’s found online and we’ll see what the reach of the press release was:

• TravelVideo.TV
• Canada News Wire added 20060622 8:05 am
• Yahoo! News added 20060623 6:50 pm
• PR Web added 20060623 6:50 pm
• eMediaWire added 20060624 10:35 am

Yesterday I had an opportunity to play a round of mini-put at Galaxy Golf. For those who aren’t familiar with its history, let me fill you in.

There used to be a building between the Comfort Inn Clifton Hill and Quality Inn Clifton Hill driveways. In the lower level was Niagara Marketplace, and in the upper level was Movieland Wax Museum of Stars. Along the side of the building (along the Comfort Inn Clifton Hill driveway) was a store called Fun Factory. Down Clifton Hill there was another store called Circus World. This land was owned by HOCO, but leased to the store. Just beyond that was Fantasy Fudge Factory. In the Fall of 2004 the lease for Circus World was up, and HOCO took over the building. Over the winter they renovated what was Fantasy Fudge Factory and Circus World (the locations down the Hill) and moved Movieland and Fun Factory there. In it’s place in the original building, HOCO put in Cosmic Golf, a glow-in-the-dark mini-putt. But then in the Fall of 2005, HOCO tore down that entire building and built a much larger building that now has Tim Hortons and Canada Trading Company at street level, and Galaxy Golf in the lower level.

In a way, Galaxy Golf is almost exactly the same as Cosmic Golf, yet it is also totally different. The entrance to the course is at street level, but now the course is in the lower level. The first thing I noticed was how far down you go. It almost seems like it is 2 stories deep. Since it is on the lower level, there is also no daylight getting in through cracks in the door or anywhere else. If you are unable to take the stairs, there is an elevator you can use.

The course has a lot of the same decorations as it used to have, but everything looks like it is supposed to be there. Last year you could tell it was a temporary setup, but now everything is sturdy and permanent. Even though it is called Galaxy Golf, it is not entirely space-themed. There are galaxy/space-themed holes, 60’s-themed holes, and aquarium themed holes. They glow beautifully and look phenomenal.

The course itself is rather easy. If you want a challenge, this probably isn’t the place to go. But of course people are going for the cool setup, not necessarily because they want to practice their putting skills. I shot a 41 when the par was in the 50s (I can’t remember exactly). Speaking of the scorecard, I did notice that the scorecard still said Cosmic Golf (they must have a supply of them from before). I also noticed that the pencils have Dinosaur Park Miniature Golf on them. Other than that, everything looks complete.

Currently the cost is $8.99 per adult and $5.99 per child. If your kids are going in and you just want to be with them (and not play), then it is $3.99 for the non-golfer. Entrance to either Galaxy Golf or Dinosaur Park Miniature Golf is included in the Fun Pass which is $24.95 per adult and $18.95 per child.

You can see lots of pictures of Galaxy Golf in the Galaxy Golf section of the Niagara Falls Image Gallery.