This past October I had the opportunity to experience Niagara Falls with family and it was a truly wonderful experience. There were 13 of us traveling together with ages ranging from 1 year old to 70 years old and there was plenty for everyone to enjoy! We spent four nights in a hotel overlooking the falls with three full days of activities. Below I will share our experiences with the weather at falls in October, our hotel accommodations, The Niagara Falls Adventure Pass, and other activities.
We traveled in early October, which turned out to be the perfect time for us. This time of year is considered shoulder season which means the crowds were lighter and the hotel prices were better: Two things I really enjoy! The weather was also just about as nice as we could have asked for. The temperature was in the mid-high 60s and very comfortable. The fall colors were showing and there were beautiful flowers everywhere, not to mention the breathtaking falls themselves. Seeing Niagara Falls up close is truly an awe-inspiring experience. We were fortunate enough to be able to stay in a hotel overlooking the falls so we could really soak up every moment.
Where we stayed
We stayed at the Embassy Suites Niagara Falls Fallsview which is just about as close to the falls as you can stay. There are multiple options for hotels that overlook the falls, but we chose this hotel because of the room setup. Our family travels best when my husband and I have a separate sleeping area from the kids and these did just that. The layouts vary – our group had 4 rooms, and they weren’t all the same. Each room had a king bed in the main room with a window overlooking the Falls, but some had a pull-out sofa in the other room while others had another bed. Our room had a 2nd bed for our sons. They are still young and don’t mind sharing. They all had a nice bathroom and a small sink area with a mini fridge that was very handy. Our room had a large closet that held all our luggage, which was a nice plus. They also have cribs available by request for the tiniest travelers.
We enjoyed waking up and looking out at the falls in the morning and staying up late to watch the nightly fireworks before tucking into bed! The hotel also included a hot breakfast buffet, continental breakfast options, juice, and coffee. Our family took advantage of this each morning before heading out for the day. I was really happy to have this provided so we didn’t have to take hangry children out to eat first thing in the morning! There was also a voucher for an afternoon drink and snack, but we didn’t end up using this amenity. The hotel also has an arcade, a restaurant called the Keg that allows for views of the falls while dining, and a large indoor pool with two hot tubs on the 9th floor. Another perk of staying here – the incline railway was directly behind the hotel making it extremely easy to go straight down to the welcome center and the falls or catch the WEGO bus.
What We Did
The first day was mostly traveling. We flew into Buffalo, NY and rented a car to drive to Niagara Falls, CA. We got our first look at the Falls while crossing into Canada and then found our hotel just on the other side. We opted to park in the available offsite parking and take the short shuttle ride back to avoid the higher priced valet option. Once we got settled in our rooms, we were hungry and went out on foot to find something for dinner. We were pretty tired and hangry from travel at this point so we went to the first place we saw – Applebee’s. Normally I like to visit new places when we travel, but this worked for everyone this time. Afterward, we ventured a short walk down the street to a convenience store to grab some drinks for the mini-fridge. The boys like to drink milk in the evening and it was almost bedtime. We quickly found out that everything near the falls is going to have a noticeable upcharge – more on this later. After taking a few minutes to admire the falls at night, we headed back into the hotel. We decided to make the most of our night and stayed up a little later (10 pm) to watch the fireworks show from our room. This ended up being something we did every night before bed and something I looked forward to.
3 Full Days at Niagara Falls
We had 3 full days to explore Niagara Falls before heading home and we wanted to make the most of it. We decided to buy the Niagara Falls Adventure Pass. There are multiple options, but we went with the 3-day option so we could take advantage of the incline railway and the WEGO transportation that was included. Since our traveling group included small children and grandparents, we needed an easy way to get around. Aside from the transportation, the pass included several attractions as well as a souvenir passport and coupons to use in the area.
The Adventure Pass included Niagara Parks Power Station Self-Guided Admission (both Day and Night), Journey Behind the Falls, White Water Walk, Butterfly Conservatory, Floral Showhouse and the Whirlpool Aero Car along with three consecutive days aboard WEGO, three consecutive days unlimited access to the Falls Incline Railway, round trip access to the Niagara on the Lake WEGO Shuttle and four seasonal heritage sites. Ages 2 and under are free! We did EVERYTHING!
Day 1
On our first full day, after starting off with a hot breakfast from the hotel, we took a ride on the incline railway down to the welcome center. We went down to the lower level to start our day at Journey Behind the Falls. For this attraction, we followed tunnels behind the falls to look-out points. There were two areas that allowed us to see and hear the power of the falls from behind. The other tunnel ended at a two- part platform where you could see the falls up close and feel the mist – more than mist, you WILL get wet on the open platform! The open platform does require you to descend a set of stairs, while the covered platform does not and will keep you much dryer. Ponchos are provided for this activity, but it’s very windy and you will still likely get a little damp. The ponchos are yours to keep if you choose or you can recycle them after.
Next, we had lunch at a restaurant in the welcome center. They had decent food with inflated prices. There are some coupons on the back of the souvenir passport book for this restaurant though- so check those out. After lunch we took the incline railway back up the hill for a break at the hotel to allow for some down time and naps for the tiny travelers. My children aren’t big on naps, so we took this time to explore the hotel- we found the arcade and the pool on the 9th floor.
After everyone was rested up, we headed out on the WEGO to the Whirlpool Aerocar. The is a cable car that travels across the Niagara River and offers some incredible views. The tour operator also provided some interesting information about the river along the way. The car travels to the opposite side of the river before returning along the same path. This was a pretty neat experience. When we were done here, we decided to take the WEGO to do a little shopping. We stopped at Maple Leaf Place for some souvenir shopping. They had a lot of nice items, but the cool thing about this shop is they offer free samples of maple syrup. We each tried a maple syrup flight with three different flavors, all delicious.
Next was dinner at Zappi’s Pizza and Pasta. It was recommended and did not disappoint. The kids were given balls of dough to play with while the food was being prepared and it helped the wait go by smoothly. The pizza and bread we ordered were very tasty. After dinner we all prepared a little birthday celebration for my husband’s father. It was his 70th birthday, which is what spurred the whole family trip in the first place! After some cake and visiting, everyone was pretty tired. We headed back to our room to get ready for bed and watch the fireworks.
Day 2
After breakfast we took the WEGO to the White Water Walk attraction. Here you take an elevator down and then walk along the Niagara River. There is a nice boardwalk with observation decks and great photo ops. The boardwalk is about a quarter mile long and then you follow the same path back to the starting point. There are informational signs along the way providing interesting facts about the river. We then decided to take the WEGO over to the Hornblower. This was not part of the adventure pass, but something extra we wanted to do.
The Hornblower is the Canada version of the Maid of the Mist on the American side of the falls. They take the same route and you can see the other boats loading on the opposite side of the river. This is a large boat that takes you as close as possible to the base of the Falls. You are provided with a poncho for this as you will feel the mist from the falls and get a bit wet. We grabbed some lunch on Clifton hill nearby and then went back towards the welcome center. Outside of the welcome center, there are some wonderful observation areas to view the falls up close from above.
Next stop was the Power Station and Tunnel. I wasn’t sure what to expect here, but it was actually pretty cool. We were there during the Tesla coil demonstration. It was very loud, but cool. My 3-year-old still asks to hear the short video I took of it months later. When we were done exploring we took the glass elevator 180 down to the entrance of the Tunnel. This part was more interesting than I imagined. It’s 2200 feet long and ends at an observation platform at the river’s edge giving a new perspective. There are benches along the way for those that need to rest or just sit and relax for a few. There were information boards along the way that showed you were you were underground and what was above you along with details about how the tunnel was built and its original purposes. The power station was a fun experience during the day, and a completely different experience at night- more on that day 3!
Next we spent a little time at the hotel arcade before dinner at Turtle Jacks just down the block. This restaurant had great food, friendly staff and was kid friendly. They even had prize box the kids could pick from after dinner. We left with some cool new sunglasses. After dinner we went back to the hotel for some pool time before fireworks and bed.
Day 3
We took this day to try to see the rest of the items on the Adventure Pass that we hadn’t gotten to yet. We started at the floral showcase because it was the farthest attraction away in one direction and then we planned to work our way to the other side for the Butterfly Conservatory. I mostly wanted to go to the floral showcase because my mother-in-law likes flowers and I thought she would enjoy it. There was something for everyone though and I was pleasantly surprised. There were arrangements that looked like mushrooms from Mario, bumblebees, and even a giant dinosaur. Everything was beautifully taken care of. When we were done here, we traveled on the WEGO to the butterfly conservatory.
I have never seen my children so CALM. Our boys are always full of energy and bouncing all over, but here they were calm and stayed still hoping a butterfly would decide to land on them. After a little time they were successful in their endeavor and got to hold a couple different ones. A tip I wish I knew beforehand was that butterflies like the color red. After saying goodbye to the butterflies, we boarded the shuttle to Niagara on The Lake. The shuttle leaves from right outside the conservatory, so it made it easy.
It was a bit of a ride to get there. We decided to get lunch after we arrived and do a little shopping. I hadn’t researched this area much before we went, so I was unsure of what all we could do here. There are plenty of shops and eateries within an easy walk if that is what you are looking for. We spent a somewhat short amount of time here and then caught the shuttle back.
Once we returned, we met up with the rest of our group on Clifton Hill. They were checking out the arcade which was rather large with a lot going on. There are several attractions in the Clifton Hills area, but we didn’t spend much time here because we were mainly wanting to see the falls and other attractions. One thing I wanted to do was the Ferris wheel, but we just didn’t make time for it. We had dinner at a really Fresh Burrito and headed back toward the hotel. We decided to do one last thing and see the power station at night.
The power station and tunnel at night was possibly my favorite part of the trip. I didn’t know it going it, but it was a completely immersive experience. All of the main lights go off and the entire area is flooded with a light show and narrated story of the history of the power station. It was not crowded at all and my boys were running and chasing the lights and just freely having a wonderful time. I didn’t want the show to end, but when it did we went down to enjoy the tunnel at night. The view of the falls is completely different in the dark because the falls are illuminated. The light change colors and it’s beautiful to watch. A bonus of going at night is that you can view the nightly fireworks from this observation deck! The power station closes about the time the fireworks start, but if you are there they will let you stay and watch them. We had to get up early to travel home the next day, but this was a fantastic way to end the trip!
All the restaurants and convenience stores within a few blocks of the falls will be substantially more expensive because of the location. The first night we grabbed a couple odd and ends from the convenience store. We saw very elevated prices – like $15 for a small case of water. We took a short 2-mile drive to Walmart sometime during the next day and the prices were normal. We noticed along the way that restaurants appeared to be much more reasonable as well.
