As stated in previous articles, my husband and I have decided we are no longer giving our son gifts. Instead, we are collecting experiences. He has plenty of toys, video games, and material objects. On the contrary, he is in constant need of new adventures and memories that will last much longer than the brief euphoria from a gift. For his 11th birthday, we decided to fly! Here is my review of indoor skydiving with iFly in Orlando, Florida.
What is Indoor Skydiving?
What is indoor skydiving? Simply put–you fly. Any age person, as young as three years old, can indoor skydive. You are given instructions and equipment prior to entering a wind tunnel. An instructor is with you inside the wind tunnel at all times. He/she coaches you on what you are doing well and what you can do better in order to get maximum fly time.
A big misconception is there will be a feeling of falling. This is far from the truth. In fact, the dropping feeling in your stomach never occurs. You simply float up and down within the chamber. There is never a feeling as if you are not in control or the sensation of losing control.
My review of iFly Orlando
This is my second time doing indoor skydiving. Both times, I went to iFly Orlando. The facility is located on International Drive in Orlando in the area of Pointe Orlando. There is parking onsite so you do not have to pay for parking or use the parking garage for Pointe Orlando.
The first time I did indoor skydiving, I was with my best friend for her birthday. It was just adults and was at another location on International Drive. This time, I wanted my son to experience it. I was pleasantly surprised how modern the new location is. It has two wind tunnels. Oh, and by the way, my son loved it!
We booked our reservation via the iFly website. You choose a package as well as a date and time. You can complete all waivers via the website or you can complete the waivers upon your arrival.
What Should You Know?
- What should I wear? Wear comfortable clothing. Do not wear jewelry of any kind. I wore my wedding ring and they asked me to remove it. You will be given a locker free of charge to store your belongings.
- Is it safe? You are assigned an instructor who will fit you with a flight suit, helmet, and goggles. You are shown a very short video to give you some safety tips. Your instructor will go over the basics of flying before you enter the flight tunnel.
- Should I pay for the video and photos? You should definitely pay for a video and photos unless you have someone in your party who will not be participating. If you have someone in your party who will not be participating in the indoor skydiving, they can take video and photos of you. If everyone in your party is participating, you will want to have the video and photographs done by iFly. You will not be permitted to have a cell phone, camera, or GoPro will flying. (FYI: The photos in this article are from iFly)
Get A Deal
Make sure to check Groupon before booking your indoor skydiving experience. Many times, I have seen Groupons for this experience.
As discussed in previous articles, sign up for Rakuten for free. This allows you to earn cash back on online shopping and experiences. At the time I am writing this article, Rakuten is offering 6% cash back on all Groupons purchased. If you are not already a member of Rakuten, use this link to sign up. You will receive $10 cash back. I will receive a cash bonus for your referral.
Related: Tips for saving money on travel.
iFly also offers specials for a reduced flight cost for teachers, military, first responders, and seniors. In addition, they offer deals for families flying as well as discounts to Boy and Girl Scouts. Make sure to check out their website.
In Summary
I would highly recommend experiencing indoor skydiving with iFly. It was exhilarating. It made a wonderful birthday celebration for our son and we have memories that will last a lifetime. There are many iFly locations throughout the United States as well as internationally so find a location near you and fly!
Have you tried indoor skydiving? If so, what company did you use and what did you think? Drop me a comment! I”d love to hear from you.
Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation from IFly Indoor Skydiving for this review. I paid full price. The opinions presented in this review are honest and real.
This post includes affiliate links and ads. At no extra cost to you, I may earn a commission and/or points/incentives should you click on a link and make a purchase or sign up for a free service. This blog is independently owned and the reviews of any product and/or travel destination here are my opinion.
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I’ve wanted to try this for years! There is an indoor skydiving place near Gatlinburg where we visit frequently but have never done it. Looks like y’all had a great time!
Candy,
You should definitely do it!
–Chris
I didn’t know that you can do indoor skydiving these days! I think it’s a great birthday present. I would’ve loved it as a kid.
Lia,
It is super fun! I would never consider real skydiving, but this was a blast!
–Chris
We have an iFly here in Kansas City. While I’m terrified of heights, my daredevil youngest received an indoor skydiving gift certificate at Christmas and had a blast!
Sage,
I hate the feeling of roller coasters, dropping, etc. I loved indoor skydiving, however. I did not once feel as if I was falling or unsafe.
–Chris
This is something I’ve always wanted to try! Since I don’t have the guts to skydive from a plane I thought this would be a good alternative. If your young son did this I’m sure I could handle this.
Kelly,
I agree! I,too, cannot even imagine doing skydiving from a plane as I do not like the feeling of falling!
–chris
I’ve been outdoor skydiving but never indoor! It sounds like a fun experience for sure.
Amanda,
I am the complete opposite. Outdoor skydiving is way too scary for me.
–Chris
I have one of these near our home in San Diego and have some major anxiety over trying it out. Appreciate the detailed post to ease my worries. Maybe I’ll face my fears when I’m in Florida this spring!
Agnes,
I can understand your anxiety. I had the same fears. It was actually fun and I promise there is no feeling of falling uncontrollably!
–Chris