Another "When in Vegas" thread

After four years of trying, I've finally commited to going to Vegas this June. Assuming I dont melt in the heat, what are some of the cant miss attratctions/buffets ;)?

I am already considering Circus Circus, Star Trek, and Speed:TR. Also toying with TRCFKAME (coaster @ NYNY) and Desparado. Aside from the obvious (Bellagio Fountains, TI pirates, etc.) what should a "first timer" look out for? Additionally, any discounts would be appreciated.

For the record, I'll be staying in the Polo Towers on the strip. Any transportation advice (rolling six deep).
T.I.A. jeremy

EDIT: One more thing, one person will be only 18. Any night spots or other relavent entertainment options for them? *** Edited 2/15/2007 4:57:31 PM UTC by 2Hostyl***

Heres something you might want to check out, I did it a couple of years ago and it is awesome:

http://shop.vegas.com/tours/tour.jsp?tour=pettyridealong_ric&transport=racecar&title=Race+Car

Blue Man Group and Phantom of The Opera are fairly awesome. Looking forward to seeing a Cirque show on my next visit.

Best breakfast period: Paris. Get there early, there will be lines.

Speaking of BMG, I'm actually going to see one of their shows here in the DC area on March 9. I'll see how much I like it then.

If you like thrill rides, hit the Stratosphere for Insanity, Big Shot and X-Scream, last time I was there, they had a package deal.

For breakfast buffets, I love the Palms and Rio buffets. I think the Palms was like 7 bucks and the Rio was 14 last time I went which was last year.

I was in Vegas in August and I wasn't really wanting to sit in a casino all day so I went out and did stuff around Vegas.

Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire and Hoover Dam were great things to do out of Vegas proper. The first two are state parks made to protect the formations of rock in the area. The latter is well.... a dam and it's amazing to see how it was built and what it does for the whole southwest part of the country.

Desperado was definitely worth the drive to Primm.

I even took the drive over to Magic Mountain from Vegas. Not that I would recommend that to many people as it was a long ride.

As for the rides at the top of the stratosphere. Insanity wasn't that much of a thrill to me. I was more freaked out by X-Scream. Big Shot was nice if only for the view it gave. The package deal for all three rides all day and the ride to the top of the tower was $40 I think.

Whatever you do or don't do, don't - especially if you're a Beatles fan - see Love. It's easily the worst show I've seen in 30 years, either in North America or Europe.

Really? Wow, that's interesting to hear. I thought it was weird to mix the typical Cirque fare with The Beatles. What did you not like about it?

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crazyforcoasters said:
If you like thrill rides, hit the Stratosphere for Insanity, Big Shot and X-Scream, last time I was there, they had a package deal.

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If you do head downtown, go to the tower late in the day then head over to Fremont Street after it gets dark for the Fremont Street Experience. The show runs every hour on the hour after dusk and lasts about 7 minutes.

http://www.vegasexperience.com/viva3.cfm

*** Edited 2/15/2007 11:28:28 PM UTC by Jeffrey Seifert***

I can't say much about any buffets as we usually stay away from them, but it sounds like you've got a good grasp on what to do. Speed and Desperado are, IMHO, the two coasters not to miss. If you're going to gamble on the slots, do it at Buffalo Bill's- the slots seemed a LOT "looser" there than in Vegas. Not that I'm a big gambler, but that was my experience.

The Bellagio fountains are fantastic. Since the shows are random, you may want to watch more than one. There's also a garden inside the Bellagio hotel that's decorated for whatever season it happens to me- that's usually fun. Also don't miss The Mirage and the exploding volcano- it's really cool, even after the first time you see it. The Treasure Island show was a huge disappointment- you have to get there VERY early to get a viewing spot, and all you get is a really lame show that combines a weak Pirates of the Caribbean-ish live action show with a Britney Spears music video. Better time might be spent on a trip to the top of Paris's Eiffel Tower or a gondola ride at The Venitian. Don't forget Fremont Street.

If you have time, you may want to take a drive to Zion National Park- it's less than two hours outside of Vegas. I hear Bryce Canyon is nice, even though it's a little further (something for our next trip). The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is about three hours away, although that requires more than a few hours. Hoover Dam is about 45 minutes outside of the city- definitely worth the time if you have it. Ditto for Red Rock Canyon, which is 45 minutes in the other direction.

One thing's for sure- you won't run out of things to do. Feel free to message me if you want more...

We've been in Vegas without the kids the last two winters between X-mas and New Years. We love to go to the shows. Saw BMG for the first time last year at the Venetian. I was not a fan before the show but was definitely HOOKED by the end. It was alot of fun and reasonably priced by Vegas standards. We've seen four of the Cirque shows. KA was my favorite, followed by Mystere, Love, then Zumanity. Did not get a chance to see "O". Cindy liked Love the best of the four. Mystere was the least expensive, and thus probably the best value. I thought KA was stunning. Love is different from the typical Cirque show. It reminded me of "Hair" or "Godspell." The Vegas shows are expensive. You can expect to spend $75-$150 per ticket.

It is fun to just walk through all of the resorts/casinos on the strip. Every place has its own "freebies" to draw people into their casinos. Rob hits alot of the high points in his post. I really liked the gardens at Bellagio that were decorated for X-mas.

We like the buffet at Alladins. It's ~$25 per person but good food. We would pig out there for brunch but then not have to eat for the rest of the day. We stayed at Paris this year and tried to get into their buffet but the line was HUGE. >90 minute wait, but again that was around the holidays. Also ate at HOOters and Harleys, which were both fun.

We always run out of time in Vegas before we can hit the coasters. There is too much else to do on the strip. I was planning on going to Circus-Circus this last time, but ran out of time. Cindy spends too much time shopping in the malls. :(

Have fun! You can also message me if you have ??

Oh another thing I forgot on the strip was Sigfried and Roy's Secret Garden at the Mirage, if you like large cats and porpoises you can see this for less than $20 a person. The cats are beatuiful and the porpoises are fun to watch swim in the tank. There is no show just viewing as the animals are for study. The cats were some of the cats that were used in the magicians shows but now do not perform.

i loved the brunch deal at the Aladdin but, any day now the Aladdin will no longer be. Desperado is a must for coaster freaks but, there's nothing else to do at Buffalo Bills so remember that it's a one shot deal. Although the mall there had some good deals on shoes.

I thought "Love" was great. I've also seen Mystere, and though Mystere had more impressive acrobatics, you just can't beat the Beatles music and theme in Love. I would definitely see it.

I think all Cirque shows are up for interpretation; one person certainly doesn't mean a show is bad, and the sellout of several months for Love certainly doesn't scream "this show sucks." Each show has it's own flavor; find one that interests you.

Mystere: The first Cirque show; go to see this if you want to see classic Cirque du Soleil: heavy emphasis on acrobatics, with some neat stage technology, beautiful music, clowns, and a theatrical presentation.

O: Many (including myself) find this to be the quintessential Cirque production. While the acts aren't as nerve-wracking as they are in, say, a touring show, the production is stunningly beautiful. The music is amazing, and integration with the water is incredible.

Zumanity: I've heard from friends that this show is best served with a little alcohol and audience participation. If you aren't prepared to holler along with the show and have a good time, it may not be the best to see. (Not appropriate for kids either.)

KÀ: If you're looking for a typical Cirque-style show heavy on the acrobatics, you may leave disappointed. What you will see is a theatrical show that takes place not on a stage, but in the air as well as on two robotic platforms that move through the air. The show has stunning visuals, and may be right up the alley of coaster geeks who are interested in automation and seeing mechanical stuff in action. Try not to sit in the front sections unless you want to get a sore neck--the cheapest seats may be the best for this show.

Love: If you want to see this show, try to grab tickets well in advance. Beatles fans will enjoy the remixed music in perhaps the most advanced theatrical sound system to date, and the visuals on the walls mix with the show to create something, well, trippy. Sit in 207, 208, 209, 200, 201, or 202 for the best view as well as the ability for the screens to serve as a backdrop to the show as they are intended.

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Jeff said:
Really? Wow, that's interesting to hear. I thought it was weird to mix the typical Cirque fare with The Beatles. What did you not like about it?

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To be frank, pretty much everything. Astonishingly poor production values, abysmal sound quality and nonsensical and bizarre-beyond-words "interpretations" of Beatles songs for a start. I had more fun watching my 8-year old niece's school production last Christmas.

Ka on the other hand was superb.

One of my favorite things to see in Vegas is not on the Strip. Head a few miles north of the Stratosphere (past the hourly-rate motels, pawn shops, and strip bars) to Fremont Street to check out the Fremont Street Experience. The hourly nightly light shows are hokey, cheesy, and completely over-the-top... but that's what Vegas is all about! The casinos downtown also seem to try a little harder to draw visitors with looser slots and cheaper table games. It's worth a look one of the nights you're in town.

And for an entertaining and cheap, all-ages show, check out "The Mac King Comedy Magic Show" at Harrah's. Tickets are roughly $25 and this afternoon show is well worth it.

Enjoy your trip-

Ray P.

I forgot a few things.

The Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay is a neat little Sea World-ish attraction but it's a bit pricey. It's good, but not worth the cost of admission.

The MGM Grand has their lions on display in the middle of the casino. They're worth checking out, especially if you catch them around feeding time.

The Wynn is a beautiful place, although you may not want to wait on the line for the Ferrari showroom. The cars aren't new- they're slightly used- the new cars are in the basement and are available to look at if you're a serious buyer. Of course, I wasn't. But I was compelled to act like I was, being pretty nuts about cars.

I think that touches upon just about everything... at least everything I know at this point. Have fun!

"The Sirens of T.I." is campy and trashy, filled with horrible innuendoes and double-entendres, but if you like those sorts of things (Benny Hill, Elvira, etc), it's slightly amusing to see how awful it gets. The old sea battle was so much better. :( The moving statue shows at Caesar's Palace suck as well, IMO.

There are package deals available at the Luxor ride area that include Shark's Reef. For just under 20 bucks, you can get Shark's Reef with an Imax show of your choice. I have seen Sharks 3D, Haunted Mansion 3D, and Deep Sea 3D, and all have amazing 3D effects. I can't wait to see Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon 3D. For just over 30 bucks, you get Shark Reef, an Imax film of your choice, one admission to all 3 Ridefilms at the Lux (Search for the Obelisk and Reboot are fun, the third, Dracula's Castle, is so-so), and admission to King Tut's Tomb (all replicas but it looks cool anyway).

There are more sims at Excalibur, but I haven't rode them yet. I did Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum at Venetian recently, and it was fun; no thrills of course. The classic car show at Imperial Palace was interesting too. If you get to Sahara (I'm sure you will) to do Speed:TR, it's 10 bucks per ride. However, for 20 bucks you get an all-day pass for Speed and the Cyber Speedway in the Nascar Cafe. Cyber Speedway is hella fun! Best 20 bucks spent in Vegas.

Friends of mine who visited here recently bought one of those "Entertainment Books" for Vegas before their visit, and saved a ton of money. You can order on-line, but I'm not sure how. It had 2-for-1 coupons for Star Trek (now over $40 for one ticket!), Madame Tussauds, etc. You can check out what coupons there are before purchasing the coupon book, but get it well in advance to ensure delivery before you leave on your trip.

Have fun! :)