After attending a wedding in the Niagara wine region of Ontario, Canada, (followed by a visit to the Henry of Pelham winery), my wife and I decided to bring our three boys to see Niagara Falls and take them on the Maid of the Mist boat tour (a AAA/CAA Great Experience for Members attraction).

We knew our older boys would love the experience—and they did.  My wife and I and our 2-year-old did not enjoy the experience as much.
It was Canada Day (July 1st) weekend, so the area was very busy and the weather was sunny and hot.  We arrived at a town near Niagara Falls late in the morning and immediately parked the car (for $20!) in the west parking lot. 

While paying for parking, I asked how long a walk it was to the Maid of the Mist ticket office.  We were told it was about a 10-minute walk.  We set off walking with our very excited 5 and 7-year olds. Our 2-year-old reluctantly sat in his stroller.

As we passed the waterfront park, we were impressed again by the beauty of the falls. The Canadian side has a great panoramic view and a walk through this park is worth the trip alone. I cautioned my children to be careful along the low waterfront fence because a climbing child could easily tumble over into a steep embankment leading to the river. (A college-aged student fell to her death this summer from the same area).

In hindsight, I wish we had remained in the pretty riverfront park for a picnic to enjoy the falls. Instead, we decided to venture on to the ticket office. The sun was baking down on us. The 10-minute estimate for the walk ended up being closer to 35 minutes. 

I was surprised that the park staff did not know that information. Once at the ticket office, we expected an awning to shelter folks waiting in line. No such thing here. We waited 10 minutes in the hot sun to buy tickets and were then corralled into an inner courtyard, where a large group of overheated tourists were packed in like sardines waiting to descend to the waiting boat below.

Some people have a different idea from mine of an appropriate social distance. I was surprised again that this waiting area was not made more comfortable for families.

We were in the baking sun for another 45 minutes and there were no dividers to help tourists form a spaced out line. Finally we were at the boat deck. We had a family photograph taken, available later for purchase.

We were told that no strollers were allowed on the boat and were all given identical blue raincoats.  Once on the crowded boat, the tourists became one big sea of blue raincoats. My wife held on to a post with one hand and held our squirming 2-year-old in her other arm.

The 20-minute boat tour headed dramatically into the mist, and the roar of the approaching falls scared my 2-year-old, and he began to cry. The boat rocked back and forth. The boat deck and my glasses got covered by mist just as my two eldest boys darted away from us into the sea of blue raincoats. My wife looked concerned as I ran after them.

At one point, I put my hand on the shoulder of some other child who I thought was my son. Once I looked at his face, I realized the shirt color was the same, but this was not my son. I later found my two boys safely leaning against the 4-foot guardrail that separates passengers from the swirling current below.

When I saw my wife holding our 2-year-old near people losing their balance every time the boat rocked, I was concerned about their safety and wished that we had been permitted to bring the stroller on board.  

Once off the boat, the older boys said they loved the adventure. My wife and I were relieved as we headed into the crowded gift shop and restaurant area. By now, the family photograph of us was ready.

I inquired about how much the picture would cost and was told it would be $30 for two 8-by-10 photos. I then asked how much one picture would be and was informed that there was a 2-photo minimum purchase for $30, and I reluctantly bought both.

Over the years, I have heard so much about the Maid of the Mist boat tour and agree that it is worth experiencing. It is just not an ideal attraction in high-season for families with young children or multiple young children! 

A few family travel tips: The Niagara Falls waterfront park is magnificent, and I would counsel families with young children to simply pack a picnic lunch and consider skipping the Maid of the Mist tour entirely until the children are older.  Or go on a quieter day when there are smaller crowds on the boat.

I don’t think it is a good idea to bring children younger than 4 on the boat tour during the busy season because it is crowded, loud and a bit scary. I had safety concerns too about losing my children in the crowd of blue raincoats on board.

The 45-minute wait to board the boat in a tightly packed crowd of people was not at all appreciated.  I have visited hundreds of attractions, and I think the organizers of this long-running attraction need to improve the embarking experience (maybe add an awning, a bit of live entertainment and a few dividers to space out the waiting people into rows). Also, strollers for toddlers should be permitted, in my opinion.

Bon voyage!