Vegas tips?

[kksmom]

My DH and I have decided to celebrate our 10 year anniversary next year in Vegas. It will be our first trip there and we will be going with another couple that we are the best of friends with. We are going to renew our vows while we are there.

I, of course, feel I need to approach this like a trip to Disney and research it to the hilt . . . I would be forever greatful for any tips a fellow diser can provide!!

Does anyone know of a message board like the DIS for Vegas?

TIA!

 

[Blondie]

Lots of good tips on this thread:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1349982

 

[Soubrette]

My only advice is not to go with expectations that Vegas will be like WDW. Everyone told me that it was like an adult Disneyland, and I was really disappointed. There's definitely over-the-top theming, but it's more...tawdry. Just wasn't for me.

Also...bring lots of $$$...it was way more expensive than I had expected.

 

[Tinkerbell_Girl]

Here are some Vegas message boards and some other sites I like-

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/

http://www.vegas4visitors.com/

http://www.lasvegastalk.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=index

http://www.cheapovegas.com

Hope this helps!

 

[mickeyboat]

Definitely invest in seeing a good show. That is my favorite thing about Vegas. Don't forget comfortable walking shoes, and remember that the hotels are so big that they don't look very far apart - but they are. There is free parking at almost every hotel.

Denae

 

[kksmom]

Here are some Vegas message boards and some other sites I like-

http://www.vegasmessageboard.com/forums/

http://www.vegas4visitors.com/

http://www.lasvegastalk.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=index

http://www.cheapovegas.com

Hope this helps!

Thank you so much!! Those are exactly the types of boards I was hoping to find!

Thanks everyone for you tips. Keep them coming!

 

[Tinkerbell_Girl]

Thank you so much!! Those are exactly the types of boards I was hoping to find!

Thanks everyone for you tips. Keep them coming!

No problem!

 

[hydster]

I didn't see when you were going but as a Vegas Veteran here is what I can offer you.

~If you are going in the summer months it is brutally hot and brutally dry! It is VERY easy to get dehydrated very quickly there so make sure you drink plenty of liquids *not including alcohol* all day long! Seriously that heat is so stifling and dry even for me and I live in Utah.

~Everything is MUCH farther away than it looks. It definitely fits the mirage scenario let me tell ya. We've been SO many times and yet sometimes we still think things are way closer than they are. What looks like a block is usually 3 or 4. Wear really good walking shoes and break them in long before you go! Be prepared to walk, walk, walk no matter what! All of the hotels are gigantic and just going into the casino or depending on where you stay to your room you will walk quite a bit!

~The porn slappers on the streets can be very annoying. Just ignore them. Don't take what they are handing out, don't look them in the eye and just keep walking.

~Vegas hotels are NOT cheap for the most part. We go at least 4-6 times a year and so far we've never ended up paying less than about $100 a night and much more during the weekends, holidays or when specific shows are in town *ie: Jimmy Buffett*

~Depending on what you want to do a car is not always necessary in Vegas. From Mandalay Bay to Excalibur they have a free monorail. From behind MGM grand clear to almost Freemont street they have the monorail *for a fee* but it's very convenient and much better than walking. If you do have a car you can drive to ANY hotel and either self park *which is usually pretty far from the casino* or valet park it even if you don't stay at that hotel. That is pretty convenient. There are so many taxis you don't have to worry about never finding one! They are everywhere!

~Traffic down Las Vegas Blvd. is a nightmare! Avoid it as much as possible. We drove down last week and hit the outlet stores and driving down the far south end of the strip going north took us almost 45 min to get through 1 light and the closer into mid strip you get the more cars and traffic you encounter.

~There is always a good show playing in Vegas so find someone that interests you and go for it. We've seen some great performances while there. A lot of them are pricey but we've not been disappointed yet.

~A lot of the restaurants in places like MGM or Mandalay Bay can be very pricey especially big names like Emerils. They usually have dinners that are around $40-60 bucks a plate so budget wisely if you want to eat somewhere like that.

~A great way to see the Bellagio fountains and eat is to request an outside table at the Paris in Mon Ami Gabi. You can see the fountains, hear the music and eat all at the same time.

~Hotels and their "attractions"~

Bellagio has the fountains of course and the conservatory that are free of charge. They also have a great Art Museum for a fee.

Caesars Palace has the fountain shows and exotic cars free of charge.

Circus Circus ~I'd suggest you avoid like the plague!~

Flamingo Hilton has a wildlife habitat free of charge and is home to Margaritaville.

Luxor has an IMAX theatre and some motion sim rides.

Mandalay Bay has a shark reef that is incredible for a fee.

MGM Grand has a lion exhibit you can view for free or go inside for a fee.

Mirage has the volcano free of charge. It also has a tiger habitat and dolphin exhibits for a fee.

NYNY has a roller coaster for a fee but if you have back or neck issues I'd suggest you stay off it. It's really jerky

Paris has the Eiffel tower of course for a fee.

Showcase Mall has the M&M store

Stratosphere has rides on the top of it for a fee. Some are really scary!

Treasure Island has Sirens of TI for free. It has become a bit more racy each time we've seen it.

Tropicana has the Titanic Exhibition for a fee.

Venetian has the Gondola rides *cheaper in the summer if you go outside than inside of course* and the Guggenheim Museum. We have been to both the Venetian and the Bellagio and the Venetian is much more "picky" about how close you can stand to the art than the Bellagio. They also have Madame Tussauds wax museum for a fee.

Wynn is gorgeous but doesn't have much to see unlike the other hotels. They do have a maserati/ferrari exhibition but it is a fee as well.

That's all I can come up with for now but please feel free to PM me anytime about it. It's our favorite non-Caribbean destination!

 

[kksmom]

Wow!! You guys amaze me!! Thank you so much!!

We are looking at April or May of 2008. We want it to be warm enough to swim, but not sweltering hot.

 

[Tinkerbell_Girl]

Go to the hotels that your interested in staying at websites and sign up for their special email promotions and offers. You'll get great deals that way! And remember to sign up for their players cards!

 

[hydster]

Wow!! You guys amaze me!! Thank you so much!!

We are looking at April or May of 2008. We want it to be warm enough to swim, but not sweltering hot.

We were there last week from the 13th until the 17th of MARCH and it was 94 degrees! Definitely very hot!!! Just so you know!

 

[PhotobearSam]

Cool, DH wants to go to Vegas for his 40th in 2 years...Thanks for the info.

 

[kksmom]

Guess we'll focus more on April rather than May!