Las Vegas info

[Aust]

We are thinking of adding a couple of days in Las Vegas to our possible Sept.Oct 2012 Disneyland trip. I've done a small amount of research but thought I'd take the lazy option and ask on here! So:

* Would it be worth it - group would be me, DH, 3 kids (aged 11, 8 and almost 4) plus possibly mother-in-law. We're not looking to gamble (well MIL would) but jsut to see the sights, all the interesting hotels etc.

*What's a good hotel for a family? there's too many to choose from.

*I was thinking we'd fly Sydney to LA, then another flight straight to Las Vegas, then back to LA and DL - would this be the best way?

*Any other pearls of wisdom

Thanks

 

[queendisney]

We are thinking of adding a couple of days in Las Vegas to our possible Sept.Oct 2012 Disneyland trip. I've done a small amount of research but thought I'd take the lazy option and ask on here! So:

* Would it be worth it - group would be me, DH, 3 kids (aged 11, 8 and almost 4) plus possibly mother-in-law. We're not looking to gamble (well MIL would) but jsut to see the sights, all the interesting hotels etc.

*What's a good hotel for a family? there's too many to choose from.

*I was thinking we'd fly Sydney to LA, then another flight straight to Las Vegas, then back to LA and DL - would this be the best way?

*Any other pearls of wisdom

Thanks

Personally I wouldn't take kids to Las Vegas, but you will def find others that think its fine, but it is geared far more to the adult side of things with call girl/prostitute cards all over the side walks and thrust into your hands etc. The hotels all have huge casino's, obviously, but the smoke in them is heavy and you will find you will be diverted through these area's when you go to visit the hotels. On a plus note, if you think that you can deal with that and the questions your children will ask, then there are a few things that you might like as a family ie Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay, Madam Tausards at the Venetian, going up the Eifel Tower at Paris Hotel, the fountains at the Belliagio and also the conservatory at the Belliagio, which had a lovely fun display of Autumn last week. I think a couple of days would prob do it though as a family. On the hotel front we only really liked The Venetian (where we stayed), the Belliagio and the Mandalay Bay. We just thought some the others like New York New York, Treasure Island, Excalibur, Ballys, needed updating and the Luxor was just dark inside. Personally for a family I would go to The Belliagio as it had a fresh, bright and more family friendly feeling to it.
We loved Vegas and were there for 7 nights, coming back last Friday, but def would not go back for quite a few years.
Can't really help you on the flight front though. Hope you have a fun time planning it all.

 

[kylieh]

We've taken DD9 to LV twice, when she was just 6, and 7 1/2. Now at 9 I don't know if I would take her again until she is 21, though she would certainly like to go again before that!! We're pretty liberal with DD with what she knows but I think her questioning and what she will see now compared to her maturity level would be completely misbalanced.

Re the gambling, I think that's a personal thing. I figure we go to the RSL and/or sports club for dinner, school concerts, etc and there are a lot of poker machines which we walk past. DD doesn't even think or look at them now, or even think much of gambling after what she has seen, where as DNiece who has been is LV is in awe.

On kids, we found LV really comes alive around 8 / 8.30 at night. In the day time there is really no dodgy/questionable drunk adult behaviour that we could see. Have them back to the room by 8 or so and they'll miss a lot of the adult behaviour. There is a lot for them to do. The porn slappers will/should leave you alone when the kids are in tow.

Places we've stayed....first trip was at Four Seasons. Very nice, they treated DD like a Princess. No gambling, no smoking hotel, but on top of Mandalay Bay with its own facilities.

Second trip, with MIL, we stayed at Mariott Grand Chateau. Would stay again. It is an apartment hotel, full kitchen which even if you don't cook is handy for coffee/tea, in room washing machine/dryer, bedrooms, etc. About 100 meters off strip and aimed at families. No gambling on site.

DH goes to conferences sometimes in LV, without us :-( but they put him up at Circus Circus. The rooms look ok but there is no way in the world I could stay there!! The casino is yuck! Not elegant at all. The circus acts though are good to visit with the kiddies and there is a fun pal our and indoor theme park to keep them occupied. DD really liked that part as well. Totally aimed at the <12. It may sound contradictory, when MIL minded DD one night DH and I went to Circus Circus and gambled, a tiny bit, and broke even. But we had a good dealer who taught us and they have very low limit tables.

First trip we flew into LA then connected to LV. Second trip we stayed in LA for a few days, picked up a hire car then drove out. The drive was pretty easy for DH but I couldn't drive!

 

[lovintheland]

We took our three to vegas three years ago. At the time they were (8, 10 & 13) I wanted to leave just after we arrived. I definately felt uncomfortable staying there with the kids. All the cards with ladies on cover the footpath from people being handed them and dropping them. There were some good and appropriate parts and I did love the shopping but look forward to going back one day either without the kids or when they are much older.

 

[Andona]

Aust, we went to las vegas as part of a West Coast trip the first time when my son was 8 and my daughter was 15.

I'm really ambivalent about Vegas - in one way I'm really glad we went because it's a fascinating place with the lights and the gimmicks etc in the different casinos. However, I also felt pretty uncomfortable walking the streets with my children, mainly because of the Porn slappers who tried to push stripper brochures into my 8 years olds hands!

There is also the Las Vegas hussle - before you get to the check in desk you are likely to be accosted by an official looking person who turns out to be a time share salesman. They will offer you cheap tickets to attractions etc in return for going to a time share seminar. These guys are also posted at the entrance to a lot of casinos etc. My husband loathes hard sell and he got really sick of them

On that trip we stayed at Paris and I would highly recommend it for your family. We are not really gamblers ( beyond a tip on the Melbourne Cup , and the advantage of Paris is that you can get to and from your room without having to go through the casino floor. In many other casinos you HAVE to go through the casino floor to get to your room and to restaurants etc, and most of them have pretty strict rules about walking through the casinos with kids. In some it's ok but you have to keep moving all the time , in others you have to be escorted through by a staff member if you have kids with you.

There are some things that appeal to kids, the roller coaster at New York New York etc, some of the other attractions on the strip like M & Ms World, the gondola ride at the Venetian , the FAO Schwartz Toy store in the shops at Ceasars, the Lions and the Rainforest cafe at the MGM Grand etc. You can take them out to see Hoover Dam too. The dancing musical fountains at the Bellagio are fun too.

I'd also recommend going down to Fremont street one evening to see the fantastic overhead light show, my kids loved that.

You can also ( if they like shopping) go to one of the outlet malls, but be warned we found that the Las vages "hussle" was also pretty full on in the malls. They have kiosks every 50 yards or so and the people running them usually try to push hand cream, or almost anything at you. We have them in our malls now but in Vegas there's dozens of them!

After our first trip we did end up going back to Vegas on another trip but only because it was a convenient place to start our tour of Zion and Bryce national parks. We stayed in the Excalibur that time which I had chosen because it was supposed to be more family-friendly, however I thought it was awful and wouldn't recommend it. We should have stayed at the Luxor or Paris.

I wouldn't say "Don't Go" because it really is a jaw-dropping place and maybe it will be your only opportunity to see it ( don't know your circumstances), however just be aware that it really is an adult town and you might feel uncomfortable at times.

Andona

 

[Aust]

I don't know what to do!! At first I thought we'd do Las Vegas (mainly so I could say we'd seen another part of the US rather than just going to DL again), then after a bit of research I thought no, too much hassle, kids are a bit young. Then my husband mentioned it to his mum and now she wants to go with us and is really keen for Las Vegas. Personally I'd be happy just to stick to DL - will have to consider all this good advice and make a choice.

 

[Sugarglider]

I know some people love Vegas - and TV makes it look amazing. but I found it a sad and depressing actually. I agree with the whole "not really a family place".

I suggest staying in California. there is HEAPS to do.

go (stay longer) to San Diego - go out to the national parks, drive the ocean road (pacific highway to SF) So much to do in CA that you won't miss 3 days in LAS

 

[Caroline NZ]

Hi Aust,
We are thinking of staying a couple of nights at Las Vegas as part of a circular road trip we are making. However I am nervous about taking young children also. We are considering staying at Loews Lake Vegas which is well away from the centre of Vegas.It looks like a nice family resort ( large pools, kayaks, paddle boats etc) We can then just go into the centre of las Vegas specifically to see a show, the fountains etc, but won't actually be staying in the thick of things.
Does anyone know, is it easy to drive into the strip and find a carpark if you aren't actually staying there?

 

[Kangarucci]

We have been twice to Vegas with our girls when they were 7 & 9 and 13 & 15 years. It was no problem. Yes, there were people handing out strip club cards but we just ignored them. We are not gamblers and didn't gamble at all the last time we were there in 2010.

The first time we stayed at Circus Circus which is way up the end of the strip. You do have to walk a long way thru the hotel to get to your room and it was very smoky.

Last year we stayed at a timeshare place, Carriage House, which was about 200 metres off the strip near Paris. We had a spacious apartment with kitchen, access to the laundry, free internet and essential groceries to purchase. Very accommodating staff and we would stay there again.

 

[Andona]

Hi Aust,
We can then just go into the centre of las Vegas specifically to see a show, the fountains etc, but won't actually be staying in the thick of things.
Does anyone know, is it easy to drive into the strip and find a carpark if you aren't actually staying there?

Caroline,
You should be able to park in any of the casino's car parks. You could certainly just drive in and park in the Excalibur one because we did that before we checked in. The casinos WANT you to come into them so they make it as easy as they can.

However, the strip can be a car-park in the evenings. There is a LOT of traffic moving along it so give yourself plenty of time.

Thanks for the tip re Loews. We are planning another road trip to the USA ( Miami to Los Angeles this time) and we'll have to stop somewhere near Vegas so the DH can drive across the new bridge at Hoover Dam. ( Don't ask me why!?) I definitely didn't want to stay on the strip this time and was hoping for something more along the lines of a family-style resort hotel. Loews sounds like it could be perfect

Andona

 

[Andona]

I suggest staying in California. there is HEAPS to do.

go (stay longer) to San Diego - go out to the national parks, drive the ocean road (pacific highway to SF) So much to do in CA that you won't miss 3 days in LAS

Sugarglider, totally agree with you! Aust, definitely consider San Diego if you're looking for an alternative to Vegas. It's a comfortable drive and the Zoo is wonderful - my kids loved the pandas and the polar bears.

We didn't have time to go to Seaworld but my BIL and SIL took their family to see it and they raved about it, they had a ball. They also absolutely loved Legoland, which is down that way.

Alternatively ( don't know how many days you want to be away from DL) but you could head up to San Francisco or Yosemite national park. They are both wonderful.

Andona

 

[australiankaren]

hey there

I have just added vegas to our trip next year, but as 2 empty nesters, and DH has never been, i thought "why not!"....great people watching location....

I took my 15 yr old son there in 2003, and had to practically beat the guys with escort cards off him.....got to the stage where my DS would ignore them and the "racey" cards on the ground....

And in 2009 was there with a male friend and he hated it as we were constantly accosted by "escorts" even though we were "together"......but this seemed to be down the circus circus end......nothing happened up the other end near luxor/ mgm, so maybe its the dodgy part we all need to stear clear of.....

ok, back to topic.....great for us oldies, bit iffy for youngins...

 

[alicia1506]

we will be in vegas in a few weeks for our trip & we have booked the tropicana... it's down the south end of the strip, across from mgm & it's just been remodeled from the ground up -- they spent like $180m or something... now it's got a nice south beach theme going, lots of light and airy furniture etc which is why we picked it, as the smoky/grungy casinos really aren't our thing...

we also got a fabulous deal by booking with the Tropicana directly, and since it's just been remodeled, all the furnishings/beddings etc are all brand new, so no lumpy mattresses or stained carpets we're not big gamblers anyway, aside from the occasional lotto ticket or melbourne cup wager, and its casino is off to the side of the main entry & one of the smaller casinos in vegas, so we were pretty impressed, and the trip advisor reviews/pics were impressive...

i'd suggest considering it, especially if you're looking at a place to cater to a MIL, DH, yourself and your kids... and from there, you can always shop/do tours etc and avoid the seedier activities at the other end of the strip

 

[WAMUMOF4]

We would fall in the don't take the kids category as well the only way we would take our kids back to Vegas is if we were driving through there to get somewhere else and we stayed in a non casino hotel just down from the MGM

The things we did love about Vegas were our hotel the outlet malls and Hash house a go go twisted farm food.
I just think there are so many nicer places to take the kids in the USA.

 

[jessiegirl84]

I would have to agree with the others on here, I went to Vegas with my boyfriend last year for 5 days, and we had a fabulous time. But I do remember saying to him when we were walking the streets, this is probably not a great place for kids. The thing that is really bad is the men on the streets shoving half naked ladies cards in your hands and people drop them, so naturally kids were picking them up off the ground, its really not something you want your kids to pick up.
That saying though, there would be lots of things for your kids to do and see, such as circus circus plus the lions and sharks at the hotels plus the fountains at bellagio. You could afford the gambling by staying off the strip at a hotel that doesnt have a hotel.

If you want to see another part of the US, I would definitely recommend San Diego or San Francisco, we went to both and they were beautiful and much more geared towards kids and familys.

 

[HappyFingers]

we stayed at Trump

the price was competative
the hotel was clean and well maintained
its right across the road from the fashion house mall (100 + shops)
its non smoking and just a short walk to the casinos (or shuttle)
it does not have a casino attached to it so its nice and quiet

i came back from the casinos at 2am one night and found a 21 yr old with his head in one of the foyer pot plants he was in the middle of being violently ill and he was being supported by his sheepish looking mate, i giggled all the way to my room and wondered if he got charged a clean up fee on his bill as he made quiet a mess in the pot plant, security was aware of what was happening but they allowed him to keep what little dignity he had as he wrenched and reached into the pot plant with his mates support, in the morning the pot plant was clean and there was no smell, it was as if it had never happened

 

[Oz-kateer]

We were just in Vegas a couple of weeks ago - my mental jury is still out on just whether it's a place for kids.

Sure there's lots to see - and I mean LOTS. Everything in Vegas is bigger and brighter that just about everywhere else in the USA. There are family friendly shows (some of them freebees) and there's also a lot of free stuff to wander round and look at.

We were able to pick up some cheap tickets to see Elton John at Caesars Palace which was a lot of fun, he's just finishing up in a few weeks though I think.

We took a couple of day trips to the Grand Canyon and to Hoover Dam, and the kids enjoyed these the most of all.

The fact that you can walk the kids right through the middle of the casinos was a bit of an eye opener, and I'd forgotten about the smoke. In fact you often HAVE to walk the kids through the casinos to get to your room and to get to the restaurants and restrooms. The boys enjoyed looking at the cars and bikes you can apparently win if you pull off the right jackpot.

There's some good exhibitions on right now - Titanic and Bodies at the Luxor, which is worth a visit even if you don't want to see the exhibits, and I recommend the Luxor buffet (even if it is in the basement...)

There are tour desks everywhere hawking cheap tours and tickets, and books of coupons you can pick up with $$ off and two for one deals on just about everything in and around Vegas - picking up a few of these will also give you an idea of just whats on.

If you want to do something fun away from The Strip make sure you take in Fremont St. We rented a convertible for a day and just went driving around with the top down - the most fun I certainly had in ages. Parking is no problem during the day but can get competitive at night.

Take a trip down to south Las Vegas Blvd (the Strip) near the Mandalay Bay hotel where the famous "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign is on the median strip in the middle of the road - you can stand on the atro turf underneath and get a great photo. Take care though, for some insane reason they don't have a pedestrian crossing to get over there. Go at lunchtime when the traffic isn't so bad.

Food and accomodation isn't expensive - the hotels are all about their casino action and so they'll throw a lot of cheapies and freebies at you as a hook (parking, for one) in the hope you'll stay and play. As I had the kids with me I didn't, but we saw a few big winners jumping all over the place, and ran into quite a few wedding parties.

The Strip at night is a sight to behold - lights lights and yet again still more lights.

Maybe it was because I'm female, or maybe because I had the kids with me but the people standing on the street handing out the girlie XXX flyers and business cards were polite and respectful enough not to shove anything in our direction.

I felt quite safe in Vegas, all in all. Can't say I'm in any screeching hurry to return with a bunch of kids but one day I'd like to go back there, with adults.

All in all, kids had a good time.

 

[ExcitedSam]

It seems like we are doing similar trips.

At first I was no to Vegas, but then reading about a lot of the things to do and see for kids I thought it might be ok for a couple of days, but today I've been reading a lot more of what people's experiences have been and now I'm not so sure about Vegas again.

I thought the drive from vegas up to Yosemite looked interesting too? I maybe mistaken. So maybe we should do a LA, Yosemite, SF, LA loop instead?

What to is there do in SF for kids/families? Off to look into that now. Lucky we have 10-11 months to decide

 

[australiankaren]

hey
i too am yes and no and yes and no and yes re vegas
found some great prices at excalibur ....around $40 a night [sun-thur sept 2012], so now back to yes..

and yes, its great we have 10 months 1 week to plan....

 

[PrincessInOz]

Karen - I stayed at Excalibur once before and got a great rate as well. Just make sure you take all your email confirmation with you. When I got there, the front of house didn't believe the on-line rate and were going to charge me something different (more expensive). Luckily, I was able to show the objective evidence and put a stop to that conversation.