All things Niagara Falls Tourism (attractions, dining, accommodations, etc)
From the Buffalo News:
An 82-year-old man who holds multiple world records for kite flying — one for flying three kites while standing in the back of a moving convertible — will take part in the 2007 Niagara International Kite Festival this weekend.
And Ray Bethell, a kite flying icon who has won numerous awards all over the world as a master kite flier, is the person who will give the festival its international flavor as it takes off today for a four-day run along the Niagara Gorge.
From Niagara This Week:
A Canadian dollar on par with the American greenback may end up hurting gateway cities like Niagara Falls in more ways than one, says one of the city’s commerce leaders.
The loonie recently reached parity with the American dollar, but it’’s not all good news, says Carolyn Bones, president of the Niagara Falls Chamber of Commerce. Sure, Canadian money is worth just as much as American, but that means amenities in Niagara Falls have lost some value to American visitors.
Someone posted a question recently to the DIS Discussion Forum (Disney community forum) asking about staying on Clifton Hill:
I want to go and book our family weekend in Niagara Falls for Dec.1st weekend. Last December we stayed at the Comfort Inn, now how does that compare to the Quality Inn next door? Then with all my saved change, I want to take the family to The Rain Forrest for supper. We ate at the one in March at Down Town Disney, but this would be the first for DD 18’s boyfriend.
So which one Comfort/Quality?
On Monday I was at Marineland being filmed/interviewed for a document on Niagara Falls. Local documentary film-maker Jay Cheel is putting together a documentary on the state of the tourism industry in Niagara Falls, and asking how Jay Cochrane would impact the industry.
I showed up at Marineland before it opened (9 am) and met with Jay (when I refer to Jay, it is to Jay Cheel, not Jay Cochrane) and Anne Marie Rondinelli. We were taken over to Friendship Cove and Jay setup his equipment. It was neat being there when no one else was around. I was able to talk to Anne Marie about various Marineland plans (not really anything new happening), how they deal with bad publicity (they try not to get caught up in things as it can cause even worse publicity), and how business was (some people aren’t happy, but overall it seemed like a decent year). I also had an opportunity to talk with a couple of the trainers. Before filming began I spoke with a female trainer (I didn’t get her name) who hadn’t been with Marineland very long. She spends most of her time with the Belugas, and spends one day a week with the Orcas. The whales seem to have a bond with their trainers.
The filming took around half an hour. I shared a bit about the AccessNiagara web site, the Jay Cochrane petition, and my general thoughts about the industry. Of course I won’t be in this documentary for a full half an hour, but Jay wanted lots of information so that he can edit it all together.
At the very end, Mike, the main trainer for Ike (the male whale on load from SeaWorld) came down and had Ike to some tricks in front of the glass. It was great. Since no one else was around, you could hear the whales making noises. Also, I was right in front of the glass, so the whale was only a foot or two away from me. Very cool!
Jay has already interviewed Mayor Salci, and is hoping to interview Jay Cochrane soon.
Don’t forget to sign the petition!
A Flickr user has posted pictures from their trip to Niagara Falls…
Someone named Carrie blogged about a trip to Toronto and Niagara Falls:
Spend a day down in Niagara, was awestruck at the size of the falls. Got a view of them from the air in a Helicopter ride, and also from the water, on the Maid of the Mist boat ride. Wasn’t too fussed on the Clifton Hill mania though.
I’ve found out some more about the filming that was going on around Clifton Hill last week. Apparently the female star (the girl in the black dress shown in the previous post) is well-known Bollywood actress Vidya Balan. The movie will be called Lucky Charm.
From the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal:
It appears that the declining value of the U.S. dollar means more than just overcrowded mall parking lots on weekends.
The cable financial network CNBC sent a crew to the Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls USA on Tuesday to examine the issue, which has seen the U.S. dollar worth virtually the same as the Canadian dollar ($1 U.S. traded for $1.0011 Canadian on Tuesday afternoon, according to The Associated Press) for the first time in three decades.
While that has an obvious impact on locals — such as parking lots littered with Ontario license plates and longer lines entering the United States — the story is important to all Americans, according to CNBC correspondent Brian Shactman.
From the Niagara Falls Review:
Every time Lindsay Stafford visits Niagara Falls there’s one place he just can’t miss.
The Flying Saucer restaurant.
Stafford lives in Barrie, but has been a frequent customer at the Lundy’s Lane eatery for more than 20 years.
“We always go to this place no matter the lineup,” said Stafford. “It’s my first stop off the highway. I don’t even stop at Tim Hortons, the coffee here is better.”
Stafford’s addiction doesn’t stop at the coffee either. He said the unique experience of dining inside a UFO, along with the friendly staff keep him coming back year after year.
And it seems Stafford is not alone.
From the Niagara Falls Review:
Putting pressure on Premier Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals to commit to keep Casino Niagara open makes the city look like it’s taking sides in the provincial election and lobbying on behalf of the casino’s landlord, said Coun. Carolynn Ioannoni.
“It seems that we are wading into what’s a provincial-election issue,” she said during Monday’s council meeting. “It does look partisan.”
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