MORE Vegas questions/Vegas experts needed

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

I was just reading the other thread asking for info on Las Vegas and it made me want to ask some questions about Vegas because I am going to try to get DH to take me to Vegas in 2014.

I want to go stay about 5 or 6 days and see all the Cirque DU Soleil shows they have there.

Is it advisable to rent a car when in Vegas so you can get yourself around town or do most ppl walk and take cabs?

Is it hard, traffic wise to drive around Vegas?

How do you know which places have the buffets and how much they cost? Is there a Vegas website or do you just have to Google everything?

How do you find out about show tickets and how much they cost?

My main thing is trying to find out how I can go about researching Vegas on my own. Are there some main websites I should be looking at?

I saw someone posted a link in that other thread for a 24 hour buffet pass where for around $50 you can eat at the buffets around town as many times as you like but it seems they all open at 11 am for lunch. So where would you go about getting breakfast?

What are some suggestions for good places to stay? I would like to be pretty close to the main strip where all the popular hotels are for easy access to the shows and food.

And what exactly is there to do during the day while you are killing time waiting for the shows to start later in the evening? I am assuming most shows happen at night. My husband and I don't gamble so that cuts out that activity.

Any info you have is greatly appreciated.

 

[CynBeth]

Pretty much it is easier to walk or take a bus. There is also a monorail for certain parts of the strip. We stayed at The Mirage a month ago and liked it. I don't know how much you want to spend on a hotel so it would depend on the price and theme. The all day buffet pass is for certain hotel buffets of the same hotel group. I am pretty sure most hotel buffets serve breakfast. I would recommend the breakfast buffet at Paris. It has a crepe station and an omelet station plus many other choices. As far as what to do during the day there are free things such as the fountains at the Bellagio and seeing the Flamingos at the Flamingo. It is also fun to walk around as many resorts as you can to see the theming. A few resorts such as Caesars and The Venetian have shops. There is M&M World near The MGM. There are attractions that cost such as the rides at the Stratosphere and the Roller Coaster at New York, New York. There is an exhibit at The Luxor. If you like animals there is The Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay and Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden at The Mirage. The Venetian has a wax museum and the gondola rides. I am probably forgetting something. I researched each hotel and buffet individually so I don't know about a website for LV. I hope all this helps. Good luck!

 

[ambgoph]

A good website to look at is Las Vegas Advisor. They also have a message board.

If you're interested, they offer a membership that gives you a coupon book with some decent deals. We have purchased a membership each time we've gone to Vegas and found it worthwhile.

 

[usnuzuloose]

You can ride the Duece bus for 7 dollars for 24 hours. It will even take you down to freemont st. They have the light show in the evening. Driving can be brutal. Things may look close, they are not. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes.

There is an Earl of Sandwich in Planet Hollywood. There buffet is really good. The Wicked Spoon in The Cosmopolitan is good but pricey. Type in free things in vegas. It will come up with some coupons for different stuff.

The shopping is galore!!! The Venetian has the Gondolas with shopping. The Bellagio has a huge chocolate fountain with a good bakery with it.

We stay at the Desert Rose which is right behind the Tropicana. It is quiet, pool, laundry room, ice , pool, jacuzzi, gym and BBQ's. Free breakfast everyday. Eggs, toast cereal and so forth. They come in 1 and 2 bedrooms. The couch pulls out into a bed. Full furnished kitchen. It can be over whelming. But camera worthy!

 

[RC Fan]

Try www.vegasmessageboard.com.

For rental cars, try kayak.com.

Check the individual hotel websites for buffet prices and info. I think you have 24 hours from the time you pay for the buffet pass.

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

Thanks for the link. I have been over there reading up on the message board.

Thanks everybody for the additional info.

What is everybody's opinion on the New York New York resort? Good/Bad?

 

[CaliforniaDreaming]

We found it a hassle for the car if you are just going to be going to strip locations. Much easier to walk or take a cab if you are going far.

I haven't had a lot of experience with the buffets, but Bellagio's was pretty good. Have heard good thing's about Wicked Spoon at the Cosmopolitan.

Haven't stayed at NYNY but visit every trip. I like their food options (food court and restaurants). I like center strip so Bellagio is my #1, have also stayed at Bally's which I think is decent for the price (make sure you book North Tower Deluxe). Monte Carlo also has good rates, nice casino and the tram to Bellagio. I haven't gotten to stay at Aria yet, but it seems like a nice contemporary/classy place.

 

[Albort]

I was just reading the other thread asking for info on Las Vegas and it made me want to ask some questions about Vegas because I am going to try to get DH to take me to Vegas in 2014.

I want to go stay about 5 or 6 days and see all the Cirque DU Soleil shows they have there. Cirque Du Soleil Shows at the end will just be the same thing over and over again, i wouldnt go to every single one of them. There are some interesting ones though, such as KA(a massive plate that moves), O is okay(in my opinion) but its like a water show. Mystere focuses on like a forest theme. THats all ive seen but a majority of them kinda overlap. There are other shows though, Blue Man Group is good, Jabbawockez was amazing for me... Note: im a 26 year old...

Is it advisable to rent a car when in Vegas so you can get yourself around town or do most ppl walk and take cabs? Generally, you dont need a car. You can walk everywhere depending on where you stay at. If you stay on the strip, car will just stay parked all day long. There are trams and monorails(costly) between each hotels. I do recommend renting a car and go check out Hoover Dam & Meed Lake. One day drive. you can add more places to go if you want to venture out of Las Vegas. Perhaps check out Fremont Street?

Is it hard, traffic wise to drive around Vegas? On a busy day, its pretty crowded on the strip. just learn the roads around the strip and your good!

How do you know which places have the buffets and how much they cost? Is there a Vegas website or do you just have to Google everything? What phone do you have? on the iPhone, there is an app called Vegas Mate that list everything you need to know about Las Vegas. But its probably best to call ahead.

How do you find out about show tickets and how much they cost? Googling it would be best and check out all the prices. be aware of hidden fees though aka Processing fees!!!

My main thing is trying to find out how I can go about researching Vegas on my own. Are there some main websites I should be looking at? There is a Las Vegas board, you can check it out!

I saw someone posted a link in that other thread for a 24 hour buffet pass where for around $50 you can eat at the buffets around town as many times as you like but it seems they all open at 11 am for lunch. So where would you go about getting breakfast?

What are some suggestions for good places to stay? I would like to be pretty close to the main strip where all the popular hotels are for easy access to the shows and food.

And what exactly is there to do during the day while you are killing time waiting for the shows to start later in the evening? I am assuming most shows happen at night. My husband and I don't gamble so that cuts out that activity. It varies by your budget and time you go. They have different promos too. like right now, Wynn(probably one of the Top hotels in LV) is doing a promo, $150 a night + show tickets. Now that is a good deal. It varies from hotel to hotel though.

Any info you have is greatly appreciated.

Hope that helps!

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

I was on the NYNY website and saw they have a 700 sq ft suite that goes for $105 a night. It's massive and it is nice. I can't imagine ever staying in a room that big for that cheap. I guess they lure you in with low rates so that you will gamble in the casino.

 

[JessB320]

Thanks for the link. I have been over there reading up on the message board.

Thanks everybody for the additional info.

What is everybody's opinion on the New York New York resort? Good/Bad?

We love NYNY, have stayed there twice. It's a fun hotel. Zumanity is an AWESOME show. There is a decent dance club or two in the hotel and I like where is it on the strip. Pool was pretty good too. The only thing we didn't like was the roller coaster lol. It's the jerkiest bumpiest roller coaster I've ever been on!! And we are roller coaster lovers. Ohh and they have a steak house in the hotel that is sooooo good. I would stay there again in a heartbeat!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Keep in mind that if you do rent and drive, valet parking is free (tips only) at all the hotels on the strip.

If you are interested in the Cirque shows, I have seen -O-, Mystere, KA, and Beatles Love, all but KA multiple times. I will be seeing Zarkana in a few weeks. The other two Cirque shows, Zumanity and Criss Angel, I have no interest in. The Cirque shows are stunning.

 

[RC Fan]

New York New York should be fine--see what they say about it on TripAdvisor. Also check www.smartervegas.com for room specials.

 

[eliza61]

I was just reading the other thread asking for info on Las Vegas and it made me want to ask some questions about Vegas because I am going to try to get DH to take me to Vegas in 2014.

I want to go stay about 5 or 6 days and see all the Cirque DU Soleil shows they have there.

Is it advisable to rent a car when in Vegas so you can get yourself around town or do most ppl walk and take cabs?

Is it hard, traffic wise to drive around Vegas?

How do you know which places have the buffets and how much they cost? Is there a Vegas website or do you just have to Google everything?

How do you find out about show tickets and how much they cost?

My main thing is trying to find out how I can go about researching Vegas on my own. Are there some main websites I should be looking at?

I saw someone posted a link in that other thread for a 24 hour buffet pass where for around $50 you can eat at the buffets around town as many times as you like but it seems they all open at 11 am for lunch. So where would you go about getting breakfast?

What are some suggestions for good places to stay? I would like to be pretty close to the main strip where all the popular hotels are for easy access to the shows and food.

And what exactly is there to do during the day while you are killing time waiting for the shows to start later in the evening? I am assuming most shows happen at night. My husband and I don't gamble so that cuts out that activity.

Any info you have is greatly appreciated.

Not sure I would do all the Cirque show in one trip, some really don't interest me. There's a cirque show featuring the music of the beatles I think, that's one that holds absolutely no attraction for me. I loved Ka and O. would do those over again.

We cabbed it almost every where we went. Had absolutely no issues and I don't recall it being overly expensives.

Others have pretty much given you great links so you're good there.

We've never stayed in NYNY but we did have lunch there. It was a bit noisy but it was a lot of fun walking through.

things to do during the day.

Dh and I did a indoor skydive thing that was soooo much fun.http://www.vegasindoorskydiving.com/ Do this!!

tour the hotels. Believe me there is a lot to see. Go down to the Wynn and check out the really high end cars.
Relax at the pools.
Eat. Every hotel on the strip has a plethora of restaurants. from buffets to headliner chef joints and every thing in between. checking out the eateries is almost a tour in itself.
Take a gondola ride.


Wanted to say, make sure you check out the "lounge" shows. some of the smaller hotels and casinos had awesome entertainers. We saw some top notch comedians.

have fun.

 

[DaisyD]

We have been to LV 6 times so far and never rent a car. It's so easy to walk, take a bus, or a cab there. I will say there is no way I would see all the Cirque shows. There is Love, Ka, O, and others. I liked O, fell asleep on Ka, and hmm cant even remember the last one we saw.

I would highly recommend Carrot Top. Yes, he is that annoying guy that used to do the phone ads but WOW, he was and still is the BEST show on the Strip. He is in the Luxor and probably the funniest comedian I've seen and we have seen a lot. He is a bargain price too at around $40 a show. We laughed throughout the show.

Bellagio has the best buffet around but you will pay for it. Same as those cirque shows. Pricey unless you wait til last minute and talk to the guy at the front of the line. They can usually get you in for $50 a person.

We have stayed at Bellagio, Caesars, and Ballys so cant help you on NY NY. I do like the central location of Ballys though Bellagio is much prettier. We are literally only in our room for 4 hours. We stay up til about 5am, sleep for 3 hours, shower and get back out there so we reallly don't care about the hotel as long as its clean and great location. I'm not a fan of the NY NY Casino though.

I love LV and look forward to going back soon. Have fun!

 

[jetskigrl]

Thanks for the link. I have been over there reading up on the message board.

Thanks everybody for the additional info.

What is everybody's opinion on the New York New York resort? Good/Bad?

We stay at NYNY quite often. I just stayed there last October and will be staying there again at the end of this month. This time it is because we are seeing a concert at MGM Grand and like the location right across the street (it is terrible trying to get a cab right after a concert there).

I have always had great interactions with the employees at NYNY (never a bad one)and received room upgrades twice. I find even the standard rooms to be a good size and very nice.

But our favorite spot is the Bar @ Times Square to see the dueling pianos. The piano players on the weekends (Thurs - Sun) are the best

 

[MinnieLovesMickey12]

I was reading on the Vegas message boards and someone there mentioned that you can't just cross the street. That there are certain places you have to walk down to and then cross the street and walk back to where you wanted to go. Have you found that to be the case all the way up and down the strip?

Also someone mentioned being charged resort fees at their hotel... Is that every hotel that does that and how much extra is that on top of the room rate?

 

[LynnM]

Resort fees-NYNY does have a fee,I think it's around $20/night

Yes there are only certain points where crossing the street is allowed. Most of the busiest corners have the pedestrian bridges, so there is a lot of stairs. Always cross at a light and only on the walk signal. Jaywalking is illegal and very dangerous.
Vegasmessageboard.com has some helpful forums.

 

[jetskigrl]

I was reading on the Vegas message boards and someone there mentioned that you can't just cross the street. That there are certain places you have to walk down to and then cross the street and walk back to where you wanted to go. Have you found that to be the case all the way up and down the strip?

Also someone mentioned being charged resort fees at their hotel... Is that every hotel that does that and how much extra is that on top of the room rate?

The strip is like any busy street and you should only cross at intersections. You will see many people cross against the red lights but we try to be very careful because there is so much traffic. In order to cut down on the pedestrian traffic though, many of the intersections have bridges to avoid having to wait for the light (too many pedestrians make it hard for the cars to get through the intersections also).

Yes, a lot of the hotels will charge a resort fee in addition to the room rate and taxes. This covers parking, pools, fitness rooms, etc. And for NYNY, I don't recall if there is free internet in the room but they do allow you free access to the computer in the business center in order to check in for your flight.

 

[Albort]

Resort fees-NYNY does have a fee,I think it's around $20/night

certain resorts(MGM owned properties) have resort fees. Just booked a trip to Mandalay Bay, they charge a resort fee of $25.
They are for random services such as internet.

 

[eliza61]

Caesars palace, Paris, planet Hollywood Donot have resort fees.