36 hours in Las Vegas 6/19-6/21/03

Stephanie and I went to Vegas for about 36 hours in part to attend her cousin's wedding. We arrived around 7 p.m. Thursday night and caught a shuttle to the Imperial Palace, right at the center of the strip.

IP is a functional hotel. It's not real pretty or new, the beds kind of suck, but if you just need a place on The Strip to sleep, this place will do the job. The odd thing about it is that it doesn't have a terribly nice or plush casino either, but we were shocked to find it operating nearly at capacity 3 to 5 a.m.

After checking-in, we made plans to go see X at Aladdin and ride Manhattan Express. We stopped in to get our tickets for the 10:30 show and then set out for New York, New York. Aladdin has a nice themed shopping area that surrounds the theater and casino floor. The casino was moderately busy, but not nearly what IP was doing.

We went the next few blocks to NY and really liked what we saw. The crowds are younger, the theme pretty well executed and the only serious drawback being all of the kids. During our time there we noticed how Vegas appears to be having an identity crisis, not sure if it wants to be Disney World or naughty.

We passed by Coyote Ugly, noted the extreme party vibe coming from within (not to mention the incredibly hot bartender on the outside with the black hair, pierced lip and only a bra on top), and noted that perhaps this might be a place to come back to. Back across the floor, we bought tickets for Manhattan Express.

Well, the reviews might have been mixed among other people, but I will certify that Manhattan Express is the biggest piece of crap I've ever been on. Seriously, I think the worst Vekoma hang-n-bang is a better ride. The restraints are uncomfortable, and the transitions appear to designed by a crack addict. Perhaps it's the restraints, I don't know, but $12 isn't worth one ride. It's absolutely that terrible.

On the way out we saw some twit of a kid on a DDR machine freestyling to some three-step light song, but refrained from playing ourselves because we were only an hour away from going to see boobies.

Leaving NY, which aside from the coaster was a pretty neat place, we crossed the bridge to MGM and looked around there. The main casino floor is impressive, and a cover band was playing on the stage there. It seems like the thing on the Travel Channel we saw about the larger, more open casinos having fewer players is true, and explains why nice places like this were dead compared to the IP.

Back to Aladdin and their small theater, we ordered drinks and took our seats for X. The show is billed as "an erotic adventure," and reviews generally give it some credit as being more artistic than most topless shows. It wasn't bad, actually. These are real dancers and they're built like it. Some of the scenes did creatively ooze sex (the bathtub and vertical bed scenes in particular), while much of it was kind of PG-13. They had a comedian who did the "intermission" who wasn't bad, but the crowd wasn't really into him. What nearly ruined the show was this stupid talentless fake-n-bake Playboy Barbie with fake boobs they had come out and prance around twice. I guess she was there to "sell" the show, but she was terrible. Kind of an insult to the dancers who were actual performers.

The crowd was weird. There were the young couples, where the dudes weren't sure if they were allowed to get into it, the old retired couples, who ran out of Viagra and of course a handful of single perverts. This combination made for one stiff (and not in a good way) group of people who were too worried about society's take on sex to really have a good time, which was a real bummer I'm sure for the performers and especially the comedian.

After the show we walked back to IP, about midnight. At this point we were still pretty amazed at the sheer number of people out and about. As we passed the Bellagio, where the fountains were winding down for the night, there were thousands watching.

Still on Eastern time and dying, we went up to the "Tea Room" which apparently does serve tea, but more to the point is like a Denny's. Nothing special there, but like the hotel, was functional. We turned in for the night at 1:30 a.m.

We got up the next morning around 8 a.m., and after getting ready decided to see what we could find for a breakfast snack before the wedding at 11. One of Steph's friends suggested a little pastry shop in Paris. It wasn't bad, but more fancy than functional, so we bypassed it. The casino itself is, again, very nice, well themed, and totally empty compared to the IP. We walked through Paris, left, and stopped at a doughtnut shop in the front of the Flamingo.

The wedding was outside in the middle of the Flamingo, only two down from our hotel. Flamingo is kind of old school as far as casinos go, opting more for the classic neon instead of a theme. There was a small reception for the 20 of us inside the hotel, and it was top notch food.

Back to IP for a nap, and that afternoon we jumped in a cab headed for the Stratosphere. Shadows were also getting long at this point. The view up there is amazing. The city is this weird green space surrounded by mountains. You start to wonder how any of this came to be, since the desert is otherwise uninhabitable if you ask me.

Big Shot is amazing. Wow. It's hardly a long Space Shot, but the air at the top is insane, especially when you consider you're already a thousand feet in the air. Absolutely breathtaking.

High Roller is fairly uninteresting, but hey, it's still something that you're so high up there. I sat on the inside seat, which wasn't really that interesting.

After returning to the ground (which I was anxious to do because the rumble of High Roller up there is not a comfortable feeling in the building), we stopped in an arcade for a little 6th mix DDR action. The machine was a stomper and not very sensitive, but at least we can say we played in Vegas.

On to Sahara a couple of blocks down the street. Speed: The Ride is a nifty little contraption, and at $10 to ride until you puke, a good value by Vegas standards. The ride operators would have rather been pretty much anywhere else, but clearly our group of 20 people who got several laps were really into the ride.

Despite not having the Premier lapbar retrofit, the ride is very smooth and the padding obnoxiously large and soft. The immediate turn out of the launch is the only quick direction change, and it's not fast enough to really bang your head around. The loop is huge. The turn around the valet/cab drop off is neat, and the climb up the tower very sweet. Like all shuttles, going backward is always a little weird the first time. It was strange to feel the slow-down before the loop, but obviously had to be there. We did three cycles, and declare this the best amusement ride in Vegas.

Since we were there and didn't want to hunt for food (we were meeting people later), we decided to give Sahara's buffet a try. I have to say, it was pretty good stuff. At $7 each, it wasn't the cheapest buffet on The Strip, but it was yummy. They had some better stuff on there in the way of meat and seafood. No complaints there!

Back to IP, we got dressed up to go to Ra at Luxor. The reviews said it was the mother of all dance clubs, so we thought we'd give it a try. We met up with Aries from SG and her posse, who were also staying in IP. The seven of us got this bad-ass stretch SUV limo and headed up to Luxor.

Arriving in a giant limo and being with a very tattooed woman who has purple hair is fun because people are pretty sure you're famous. Granted, we probably looked like Republicans next to this group, but it was still kind of fun. Aries is a serious cutie and her and her friends were pretty cool to hook up with strangers they'd only met on the Internet.

Luxor is architecturally the most impressive thing I had seen in Vegas. The giant Sphinx is kind of goofy, but the huge pyramid is impressive inside and out. The casino has a lower ceiling, which might attribute to its busier floor.

Ra was described by one review as "a trendy dance club/meat market with 20-somethings looking for someone to makeout with." That might be true, but among the many thonged asses showing skin, nearly everyone was with someone. Singletons were in short supply, and despite a $20-$10 cover ratio, was slightly more of a sausage party (figures not adjusted for gay males, mind you).

The club is 19,000 square feet of Egyptian-themed club. The bar is lit only by oil lamps, the light show is better than most concerts and the sound is crystal clear despite being loud. You would think some place this trendy would feel forced, but surprisingly it did not. The DJ on when we got there was playing lame top 40-ghetto music ("It's getting hot in here..."), but he soon left for a real house/techno jock who started to mix it up. We had a great time just being there.

At about 1 a.m. we left and walked around Luxor some more. Of all the places we had been to that point, it had the best vibe, in my opinion. That could be because I was drunk, but who knows. Looks like a place I'd like to stay on my next visit.

We rolled back into IP around 2 a.m., and, not surprisingly, the casino floor was the busiest we had seen it yet. Back to the Tea Room for mediocre Denny's food, we reviewed our trip and tried to decide if we should just stay up or nap before we had to leave for the airport at 5. Around 3, we retired to the room (casino was still jumping) and went for a short nap.

At 5 a.m. we got up and got a cab to the airport. The little club in front of the hotel was still going full swing. I was in awe, but part of that is the guy turning 30 in a couple of weeks and part of it is just someone who never adjusted to Pacific time!

The cabby was a moron. Our fare was $9.90 and I gave him a $20. He gave me two fives in return. There was no way in hell I was going to tip the guy five bucks on my last bill. If he would've given me singles I might have given him at least three, but his loss. He was pissed, but I wasn't someone who cared much at that point.

Overall, our experience in Vegas was brief, but we caught one show, hit one club and surveyed the joint overall. Next time we go I think it'll be easier to form a game plan and have a better idea about what we'd like to do. If you plan to go, we found lots of good info at www.cheapovegas.com, which pretty much fell inline with our opinions.

Oh, and we rode a couple of roller coasters.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
"Pray that your country undergoes recovery!" - KMFDM
*** This post was edited by Jeff 6/22/2003 6:34:43 PM ***

Imperial Palace, despite having a very cheesy exterior, and for what it all lacks in the way of a cohesive theme, has several advantages: It's in the middle of the strip, you don't have to walk that far to get to Bellagio or Caesar's Palace, and it's cheap. The hotel does a fair amount of "repeat business" as well, meaning many guests have their regular room which they use each time they visit the hotel. I thought the casino was exceptionally smoky, and I had bad luck there :(.

You're right about NYNY: The coaster is a huge piece of crap. It is beautiful, though, and really dresses up the exterior of this cool hotel and casino. After riding, I thought I could have easily used the $12.00 for sooooo many other things in Vegas. LUXOR is a great hotel, I agree, but for me, impressions were often guaged not by the feel of the place but by how much money I won (or lost) there.

Stratosphere is awesome, and I liked the High Roller. The outside seat was good, and you got a little air in places (hey, you take what you can get). Sahara's Speed: The Ride is the best ride in Vegas - the best part is the launch over the cab drop.

Did you hear anything about Spped: THe Ride possibly being removed or is it the operator?

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-Sean Newman

...weird to see Suicide Girls mentioned here on Coasterbuzz. That site has popped up elsewhere in my life from all sorts of different sources and I still have no idea what it really is.

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--Maddie--
What do I Listen-To?

Most people would call SG a porn site (and yes, there are pictures of naked girls), but it's more a community than anything else. Nearly half the members are women, everyone has a journal and photo album, there are forums on music and stuff... it's everything that Maxum magazine wishes it could be only with a taste for pierced and tattooed women instead of Barbies.

I wasn't sure how much I'd like Vegas. I don't mind spending money on vacation, provided I get what I pay for. Vegas can be a little hit and miss in that respect, and I think it just takes some getting used to and a little research to reach that point. Overall, I liked the stuff at the south end which, according to what I read, makes me still part of the young crowd (I worry about that ;)). Ra was a good time and I would've liked to have checked out Coyote Ugly.

We're thinking it might be a nice transitional place to stop to and from Hawaii when we next visit.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
"Pray that your country undergoes recovery!" - KMFDM

The reason why the casino at IP is always busy is because it has extremely low minimums for a casino on that part of the strip. You won't find anything under a $10 miniumum in that area usually except there.

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I hope they kill that iron yuppie. Thinks he's so big. The great homer simspon

I'm not sure if that's true, at least not on Thursday. While we didn't play, we noticed minimums at $5 almost everywhere. Personally, I think it's just the sheer volume of people staying there. The occupancy rate has gotta be higher than some of the other places.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
"Pray that your country undergoes recovery!" - KMFDM

Yup. ME at NY-NY is a giant turd. Headbanging going down the first drop sealed the deal for me.

Next time you go, check out downtown Vegas, if for no other reason than to see the Fremont Street Experience. It's still got some "old school Vegas" feel to it, and some of the best blackjack rules in town (if you're into that sort of thing).

And yes, Coyote Ugly is a place to go for some serious partying! :)

Jerry
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Pinball and Coasters...Any Questions?

Jeff, when you return to Vegas, I too have to recommend a trip down to Fremont Street. There are about a dozen casinos within a 5 block walk (some of which are quite old but still "functional" ;)) and the light shows at night are a pretty neat attraction. Plus, at casinos such as the Golden Gate, Plaza, and Four Queens, craps games can be had for as low as a $2 minimum (most often $3), Let It Ride is a $3 minimum, and I have also seen low stakes blackjack downtown. The payout on slots and video poker also seems to be a little better than at the Strip properties.

Other must-sees: the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino, which has a cool indoor parade with floats suspended from the ceiling on a giant track, and the Palms Hotel, which has a killer indoor/outdoor dance club on the 54th floor overlooking the city. The Palms seems to be the new "hot spot" in town and is definitely worth a look.

Glad you enjoyed your trip-
ray p.

Gotta give the thumbs up on the Rio myself. The Voodoo Lounge there is a great nightclub with a wonderful view of Vegas. They also have the best looking cocktail waitresses in all of Vegas (this fact is even advertised in the casino).

Most blackjack minimums are 5 bucks anywhere you go. There is only one place I have seen blackjack for two bucks on the strip and it was some little place across the strip from Westward Ho. My game is Texas Hold Em. Poker is so much more fun than Blackjack and you arent playing against the house, you are merely splitting off a percentage of your winnings for a "place to play poker." The reason that IP is so popular is because it is one of the last old school strip hotels left. If you go down the street to the Flamingo, you will see the same kind of activity in their casino. I saw a show there about five years ago (I think it was the Rockettes) and you could barely make it through the casino to the showroom because the casino was absolutely packed. Meanwhile, the casino at Excalibur where I stayed looked like a ghost town. Bottom line is that a lot of old people still come to Vegas year in and year out and they head right to IP or Flamingo or downtown to Fitzgeralds or Binions. IP is also known to have some of the best dealers in town, even better than places like the Belagio or Paris. These are the kind of people that will remember you when you are in the casino again next year.

As for Manhatten Express I fully concur with Jeff's assessment of that ride. It is the biggest waste of a coaster I have ever seen. I will never ride it again. I wouldnt ride it for free!

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Bob Hansen
Resident Airtime Whore

I was also in Vegas recently, and I have to comment on Coyote Ugly. Unless you are a gay male, don't bother going! Being my 3rd choice of places to go (Studio 54 said I had the wrong kind of shoes, the Piano Bar at NYNY was closed for remodeling), I didn't want to go much anyways.

When I got in there... total sausage-fest! I would say the mix was AT LEAST 80% male, 20% female. That included the bartenders. And of those 20% female, less than 1/3 were there without boyfriends. Definitely not worth $10 to hear music from a jukebox and pay $6 for a beer.

The place I ended up spending time, was the dome at MGM. Right outside the Studio 54 entrance, they have a club DJ that spins from ~1am to dawn. The bar was moderately priced ($7 for a Belvedere Apple Martini), and the vibe really was a lot of fun. All 20-somethings, it was a nice relaxed atmosphere that seemed to draw all of the people leaving 54 throughout the night.

As for coasters... I gotta say that the $10 all day pass for Speed at Sahara was quite awesome.

Skunky

Bummer about Coyote Ugly. The bartender in the outside bar was easily one of the most beautiful women we had seen everywhere... Steph's words, not mine. What a terrible tease.

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Jeff - Webmaster/Admin - CoasterBuzz.com - Sillynonsense.com
"Pray that your country undergoes recovery!" - KMFDM