Editor Pick
How High??!!
- July 24, 2009
- Rated 4 of 5 by
tartlette from Bath, United Kingdom
If you asked most people to name an attraction in Toronto then the CN Tower would probably come top of the list. So is it worth all the hype?
HISTORY:
The Tower was built in 1976 by Canadian National and was originally designed to be used for transmitting TV and radio signals. It is still used for its intended purpose but is also now a huge tourist attraction. Over 2 million people a year visit it. It is 553.33 metres or 1815ft and 5 inches tall and is the second tallest structure on land.
LOCATION:
The only place that you can't see the Tower staring at you is when you're actually up the thing! Just look up in Toronto and there it is. It is actually located downtown on Front Street. It is about 5 minutes from Union Station using the Skywalk.
COST:
I knew it was going to be expensive and the guide book told me that the 'Tower's main aim is to take your money' but it still came as a shock. There are lots of different packages available.
1. Total Tower Experience:
Look Out, Glass Floor, Skypod, Movie and Motion Simulator Ride
All Ages $32.99
2. Observation Experience:
Look Out, Glass Floor and Skypod:
Adult (13-64) $26.99
Look Out and Glass Floor only:
Adult (13-64) $21.99
3. Attractions Experience:
Look Out, Glass Floor and Motion Simulator Ride or Movie
Adult (13-64) $26.99
The tax adds around 13%.
THE EXPERIENCE:
I paid my money for the Observation Experience. The queue at the ticket counter was fairly short with only a couple of people ahead of me. I was then directed to another queue (you will see a pattern develop here) to wait to have my picture taken. This now seems to be a theme of most big tourist sights. This would have been fine but as I was on my own it all seemed a little pointless.
I then proceeded to...another queue. This time it was for security. Fair enough. Then another queue to get into the lift. The lift held about 12 people. There are 6 lifts so the queue did move. I did feel slightly like a sardine in the lift, they are quite small for the amount of people they put in them. It wasn't so bad though as you're only in the lift for 58 seconds. The lift made my legs go a little jelly like. You can see out while the lift shoots up the outside of the building. The lifts did feel a little outdated and they rattled a little so if you have a fear of heights then think carefully before paying!
On the Look Out level there are toilets, water fountains, a shop and the Horizons Café. There are also huge windows where you can admire the view. I have to say that I was bowled over by the view and it was a hazy day so it must be absolutely fantastic when it’s really clear. I could see all of Toronto laid out below me and loved spotting things which we had been to see. Apparently on a clear day you can see Niagara Falls but I don't know how often this happens. If you're in Toronto for a few days make sure you watch the local forecast to get the best day to go. A less hazy day may mean longer queues but I think that the difference in the views would be spectacular. There is also a photo area where they will take your picture against a screen and make it look like you are hanging onto the side of the Tower and other hilarious (!) things.
Having wandered around here for a while I made my way down the stairs to the glass floor area. Here you can stand on a reinforced glass floor and look at the ground below. It said it had been tested to withstand the weight of 6 hippos. Seeing all the kids jumping on it and thinking well if they can do it, I stood on the floor. Definitely not one for the feint hearted! I did think it was in bad taste to have a big X marked on the ground directly below the glass floor but I don't think that this was intentional! On the same level was the outside observation area. Although it was good to have this, to say I'd been outside at that height, it wasn't very good for the view as the mesh was dense and made it difficult to see anything. Also on this floor were information boards telling you about the Tower, with pictures, which was interesting.
Back up the stairs to the Look Out level I prepared to travel to the Sky Pod. Guess what, another queue! I waited for around 20 minutes. They did have ropes for the queue but they weren't nearly long enough for the amount of people so the Look Out was crowded with people just waiting for the lift. This lift was slower and went inside the building so it wasn't so leg wobbling.
Coming out on this level there is a huge board over the lift telling you all about the SkyPod and how it is the highest observation level in the world. You then walk up one flight of stairs and out onto a deck. The views are even better than the lower level. The windows go right to floor level so you see in front and below at the same time which was great. This level was much smaller than the other one but didn’t feel that crowded considering the queue to get up there. I managed to find a quiet space to take a picture of myself up there. Then another badly organised queue to take the lift back down to the Look Out level.
To leave the Tower you need to go to the Glass Floor level. There were two queues available to join to get back down the Tower. Lovely. This queue was the longest of all the queues and took about half an hour. When you reach the bottom you have to walk through the shop to leave, surprise surprise! The shop was filled with the usual tourist bits and pieces, to do with the Tower and Canada in general. There were T-shirt, posters, postcards, magnets, model CN Towers and much more. This was all fairly pricey and most of it could be bought in other shops for less money. You can also pick up the photo that they took of you right at the beginning (around $20-25). At that price there was no way I would have bought it. The trouble is that they print all of them rather than having them on a computer so you are paying for all the photos that people don't want. This seems like a huge waste of paper.
Other things to do at the Tower include a simulator, a movie and a restaurant that revolves. I gave these a miss as they had taken enough of my money already! The movie is 15 minutes about the construction of the Tower. The simulator ride is Lego Racers, what this has to do with the Tower I have no idea but I expect it’s a good bet if you have children. The 360 Degree restaurant is supposed to be a gourmet dining experience. If you buy a main course then the ticket to the Look Out level is included, which makes it a lot cheaper than it first looks. It’s open for lunch and dinner. A main course for dinner ranges from $34 to $110 - a pricey view!!
I didn't try the cafe at the Tower either as the prices were higher than they should have been. Take water with you as the queues are very long and I dread to think what they would have been like had it been a clearer day.
MY VERDICT:
You can't really go to Toronto without seeing this in my opinion. I you have a bad fear of heights then I can understand you running for the hills because it is very high and is quite scary. Other than that though I would definitely recommend this. The views are fantastic and its one of those places that I felt I had to go to just to say 'been there'. The major downside is the price. If you are in Toronto with a family then this is a huge chunk of money to spend on something that will only last at the most a couple of hours (well depending on those ever present queues!). I was slightly annoyed that there was no student discount. I took a book with me to read while in the queue and a bottle of water is also a must. Try to go on a clear day and it will be worth the money (but only just!).