Virtual reality makes Machu Picchu trip possible - without leaving the mall
Back in 2007 my brother and I hiked the Inca Trail through the Andes mountains of Peru to the ancient city of Machu Picchu, one of the seven wonders of the world.
Now, for a limited time, Central Floridians can visit Machu Picchu with a lot less time and effort - and no fear of altitude sickeness, which nearly waylaid my brother on our trek.
Fever, the entertainment-event company perhaps best known for its candlelit concerts, is presenting a pop-up virtual-reality experience titled “Machu Picchu: Journey to the Lost City” at the Florida Mall. Machu Picchu, if you don’t recall, is an incredible terraced city that thrived in the mid-15th century at the heart of the Incan empire.
The modern experience aligns with two current trends: Using space in malls for entertainment options beyond retail and the rise in virtual-reality entertainment.
South Orlando’s Florida Mall, which attracts tourists by the busload, is also home to the Crayola Experience and a Build-a-Bear Workshop, for example.
Developed in collaboration with Virtual Worlds, a studio specializing in virtual reality and immersive technology, “Machu Picchu” has already been presented in Germany, Singapore, the United Kingdom and other U.S. cities. It’s part of Fever’s growing portfolio of virtual-reality experiences, which also include visits to the Colosseum in Rome, the underwater wreckage of the Titanic and the pyramids of Egypt.
“This expanding lineup reinforces the company´s mission to democratize access to the extraordinary and make culture accessible through technology, transforming the way people learn, connect and engage with history,” the company’s description of the attraction states.
So does it achieve that? Did I learn, connect and engage with history?
Well, yes, to a degree.
I chose the “American” narration, which features actor Terry Crews as an energetic robot tour guide making bad Inca-puns in a jocular manner, a very cute llama named Larry and a story line about going back in time to invisibly observe the Machu Picchu residents - until something goes wrong. It’s kind of like Disney World’s Dinosaur and Guardians of the Galaxy attractions mix with a National Geographic special.
If you want a more sedate experience, there is a “British” version, which is described as more typical documentary-style narration. Spanish and Portuguese are also offered.
The roughly 45-minute experience takes place in a large room that participants can clearly see before donning the VR headsets. (Make sure to properly adjust yours at the start, or the 45 minutes will feel much longer.)
So it’s remarkable about how immersed you are once the virtual reality kicks in. I had to stop myself from leaning on walls that my brain knew weren’t really there, and I found myself walking around pots and other objects on the ground that similarly only existed virtually.
It is interesting to view the famed city, which is presented as a “millimetrically precise” re-creation designed by using images from drones, laser scanning and photogrammety - the practice of creating 3D imagery from overlapping 2D photos, the company says.
And there are moments of excitement - ledges, mountain cliffs, a rising platform. You may have to close your eyes and remind yourself you are standing safely on the floor.
It’s a little strange that amid the hyperreality of the places - which include temples and vantage points visitors cannot experience at the real Machu Picchu - the Incas themselves appear a bit cartoon-like.
And the end of the experience blurs the line between fact and fiction, when the Incan religion is used to create danger in a mythical underworld. It makes for more of an adventure, but I would have been happy to see another view or two of the real Machu Picchu.
On the technical side of things, booking the first time slot of the day led to a lengthy wait of 45 minutes, but when I departed there was no one in line to enter. My headset did glitch early in the presentation, but an attendant came to my assistance immediately.
If you’ve never been to Machu Picchu, this experience just might whet your appetite for the real deal. If you have been, well, obviously this is not designed to replicate the thrill of getting there under your own steam. But it will bring back the sense of wonder - and without a mountain trek.
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‘Machu Picchu: Journey to the Lost City’
• Length: 45 minutes
• Where: Fever Hub, inside the Florida Mall at 8001 S. Orange Blossom Trail in Orlando. Use the “Rideshare 2” entrance, between Macy’s and the Florida Hotel.
• When: Saturdays, Sundays and Memorial Day, through June 7.
• Cost: $29 adults; $25 children (recommended for age 10 and older), students and seniors; groups of four or more, $25 each
• Info:machupicchuexp.com/orlando
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