An Immersive Wizard of OZ

I recently had the opportunity to experience The Wizard of Oz in a whole new way. I visited the Sphere in Las Vegas, which is a massive high-tech entertainment venue, in order to watch The Wizard of Oz in an immersive 4D setting. The theater can hold over 18,000 people, so that should give you an idea of how huge this venue is.

I took my seat and waited in anticipation for the film to begin. Once it did, I could hear all sorts of gasps coming out of audience members as the screen completely surrounded the audience. It was as if you were right in the middle of everything.

I really got a feel for things when the tornado hit. Huge fans blasted cold air into the audience, and my hair was blowing everywhere, while flying debris (paper leaves) engulfed audience members. At the same time, my seat rumbled, giving the feeling of movement. It actually gave you the feel of being in a real tornado! This was just the beginning of the many fun, tactile additions to the movie.

When the tree became angry at Dorothy after she tried to pick some apples and threw apples at her and the Scarecrow, fake apples dropped down from the ceiling. While it snowed over the poppy field to wake Dorothy and her friends up, fake snow began to fall. When the flying monkeys appeared on screen, they also appeared in the theater. I could go on, but I don't want to give everything away.

The photo you see of the Emerald City is from a distance. Once Dorothy and her friends arrived, the city was towering. I had to lift my head all the way to see the top of it, which was several stories tall.

One major difference was how the wizard looked. While in the original movie, he sounded a bit scary, he really didn't look too threatening. As you can see by the photo above, his look changed quite a bit.

Although the original movie was an hour and 42 minutes, the Sphere's version was an hour and fifteen minutes, with 27 minutes being cut from the film. However, the editing of the film was done so well that you really don't notice.

In order to fit the venue, enhancements were made to the movie, especially by AI, and I have to say, they were wonderfully done and helped so much in the immersive experience.

Overall, the film was quite an enjoyable experience, but it wasn't the only thing to experience. There are various displays to look at, as well as a post-show where the Wizard appears.

Even before entering the entertainment center, you can get a glimpse of what's ahead when you see the Wicked Witch of the East's legs and feet poking out from under the theater while wearing the ruby slippers.

The cost of this experience? That's where it can hit you. Tickets start at $104 and go up to over $300. Was it worth the money? For a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I think it was.

In talking to other people who have seen it, I have yet to hear anyone say that they didn't like it. It really boils down to a personal choice if you feel you would get enough out of the experience to make it worth the money. In my case, it did.

So, do you have a favorite Wizard of Oz moment or character? Does this immersive experience seem like something you would want to do? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.