Las Vegas- Kid Friendly????

[kaytieeldr]

Many shows, on the other hand, ARE family friendly.

OP - see some of these sites
http://www.vegaskids.info/
http://www.vegas.com/traveltips/guide/family.html
http://www.lasvegaskids.net/las_vegas_shows/las_vegas_shows_landing.htm

Also, see the forums at everythinglv.com

 

[crisi]

This is one of those "you can go and have a great time, but you will probably end up seeing one or more of the below"

Signs for strippers and prostitutes, including the cards
Drunk people
Fights (I've seen them too)
Very scantily clad women (every night in Vegas is NIGHTCLUB NITE!)
PG-13 (or R rated) PDA. (And we once got X rated PDA, but that was in a nightclub, not a place that would admit children).

For some families, they are pretty open about such things. For other families, they can count on their kids being oblivious. And some families really don't mind explaining what a jello shot is to their kids. Vegas is a lot of fun, but I'm not going to be taking my kids there anytime in the near future.....

It isn't cheap - a long time ago it used to be cheap (and you can still find some bargains, but Vegas has really upscaled). Jello shots are sold from windows at some of the hotels. People have been known to drink 24 hours a day and you can find people on barstools at 8am. There are women who are obviously "professionally" entertaining their dates. And slot machines look like video games, not something I'm really excited about exposing my own kids to.

 

[doclegler]

We have taken our boys to Vegas twice and had a great time on both trips. We always walk the strip during the DAY, and we do the M&M store, the Harley Davidson restaurant, Stratosphere, shopping and just seeing the sites. Our last trip we also made the short drive to Red Rock Canyon...it was a BLAST! Beautiful and so much fun for the kids.
IMHO, Vegas can be great for kids, but there are a few sketchy things that always seem to happen. Ignore it and just plan to have a great time. Explain to the older kids that we don't "all do it this way".
I did want to add that we got a great deal at Mandalay Bay, but the place was so packed with college aged kids, that we couldn't even get near the beautiful pools. Spring break there I'm assuming...
Good luck and have FUN!!

 

[disneysteve]

For some families, they are pretty open about such things. For other families, they can count on their kids being oblivious. And some families really don't mind explaining what a jello shot is to their kids.

This is a very important point that hasn't really been mentioned yet. It totally depends on you, your family and your kid(s). We have very open and frank conversations with our daughter and we have done so since she was quite young. That includes talking about sex, drugs, alternative lifestyles and every other topic you can think of. We certainly realize and respect, however, that not all parents handle things the same way. If you have a kid who is more sheltered, Vegas might not be the place for them because you'll have a lot of explaining to do that you might be ready for. For us, the various sights of Vegas were a non-issue. If anything, it provided some teaching moments with our daughter, which we were perfectly fine with, though honestly, I can't think of anything particular that came up during our trip. There must have been something though.

 

[MrsPete]

You haven't been since 2005 so you haven't seen it lately. We go every year and it has changed since you were there last. The pirate show at TI is now mostly scantily clad females. Not kid-friendly at all.

I have to agree. I've been to Vegas twice -- once back around 2000 (give or take a year) and then again just last summer. The place has changed. There's more near-nudity, more obvious drunken-ness, and more vagrants.

 

[crisi]

This is a very important point that hasn't really been mentioned yet. It totally depends on you, your family and your kid(s). We have very open and frank conversations with our daughter and we have done so since she was quite young. That includes talking about sex, drugs, alternative lifestyles and every other topic you can think of. We certainly realize and respect, however, that not all parents handle things the same way. If you have a kid who is more sheltered, Vegas might not be the place for them because you'll have a lot of explaining to do that you might be ready for. For us, the various sights of Vegas were a non-issue. If anything, it provided some teaching moments with our daughter, which we were perfectly fine with, though honestly, I can't think of anything particular that came up during our trip. There must have been something though.

We are open and frank with our kids - but there are still some topics that I prefer be more theoretical at this point than Vegas would allow. Prostitution is one of them. My kid's (who are ten and eleven) know it exists, we don't hide the reality, but I'm not ready for them to be exposed to the active marketing of prostitution.

Another is jello shots. I have the firm belief that a person should NOT learn about jello shots from their parents. Even in a theoretical sense. That's something you must learn from your friends. A person should believe that their parents do not know what jello shots are - at least not until the person is well into adulthood. Its like believing your parents only ever had sex to conceive you and your siblings.

 

[tcarr5]

My husband just returned Friday from a business trip to Vegas and told me although it has been marketed as a "kid friendly", family place to go in the past- it is nothing more than a sess pool I personally would never take my family to "sin" city! I'd rather spend the money on Disney

 

[kaytieeldr]

Another is jello shots. I have the firm belief that a person should NOT learn about jello shots from their parents. Even in a theoretical sense.

Granted, I'm an adult and have been for years but my FIRST exposure to Jell-o shots was at Pleasure Island.

 

[crisi]

Granted, I'm an adult and have been for years but my FIRST exposure to Jell-o shots was at Pleasure Island.

Yep, its one of the reasons I thought Pleasure Island should be off limits to anyone under eighteen. I'm really not much of a prude, but there isn't any reason an eight year old needs to know about jello shots.

 

[jpeppers]

My question is why if you can take your children to Disney would you even consider taking them to Vegas? You might have a completely positive experience on your trip but it is inevitable you will be hit with the negative eventually. I have seen the fights during the afternoon, and people throwing up on the strip during the middle of the day and anyone who says they haven't noticed the "flippers" is not paying any attention. When I go to Disney I will step aside to let a child do anything, it is a place for children and I love watching there eyes light up but on the other hand Vegas is for adults. I find it a little irritating to have to stand in line behind children there. I know parents need to go somewhere for themselves too but Vegas just isn't it, get a sitter!

 

[GrillMouster]

Love Vegas. As other said, lots of stuff kids may like, but it's all surrounded by not kid-friends stuff. The "sex cards" are everywhere. I'm not even talking about the "slappers" that hand them out. Every inch of the sidewalks are COVERED in them. Unless you keep the kids indoors the entire time, I don't see how they could NOT have this stuff all in their faces. Only you know your kids and what they can handle. Personally, I won't be bringing my little one yet.

 

[disneysteve]

Another is jello shots.

What's with the jello shots? I've been to Vegas twice and don't recall seeing anything about them. Are they now selling them out in the open somewhere on the street?

 

[kaytieeldr]

To sum this all up....Disney needs to remember what made the parks magical,teach all cast members to have fun at work and to loosen up some of their rules.

Hyperbolize much? I don't walk well. I limp, I use a cane (long distances, I use an ECV or wheelchair, but in Las Vegas a car's easier). Anyway, when I DO walk, the cane and I tend to slip on odd textures - water or paper towels on tile in a restroom, matte or semi-gloss advertising cards on pavement... funny thing. When I do walk in Las Vegas, like from, oh, MGM to the Coke bottle building - I don't slip. No cards on the sidewalk. When I (sh!) parked at Harley Davidson Cafe to get to Earl of Sandwich in the Miracle Mile shops - I didn't slip. No cards on the ground. Flamingo to Harrah's? Yeah, okay, there were some "slappers" on the way, and yeah, there were some cards on the ground - people, I dunno, tend to litter... but EVERY INCH of the sidewalk? Really?

 

[daisax]

I love Las Vegas, and I think you CAN have a good, brief time with kids, but it will be expensive (to keep them entertained), and you'll have to do a lot of explaining or be comfortable with nudity.

Most aspects have been covered, but even the cabs driving down the street have billboards (some electric) on top of them, many with quite raunchy pictures. So unless you're comfortable with your kids seeing a fair amount of barely covered cleavage and bare bottoms, be aware that you can't really escape that sort of thing.

 

[ChristaDeVil]

Just going to echo what some others have said.

I'm FAR from conservative as far as Vegas goes, but I wouldn't feel comfortable taking my son there until he's of age. That's my personal opinion, and totally because I go to Vegas to pretend that I'm 21 again and party as such. Yeah, I said it. However, if you are going into it as a "family vacation" and you are willing to face some of the issues that some have listed (jello shots, half-naked women, etc.), go for it. There are some really fun things to do there that don't involve drinking or gambling. However, don't judge me if I'm stumbling up to my room with a drink in my hand, headed to bed, if you see me on your way to breakfast.

 

[crisi]

What's with the jello shots? I've been to Vegas twice and don't recall seeing anything about them. Are they now selling them out in the open somewhere on the street?

In the hotel hallways at the Excalibur up in the shopping area when we were there. And several of the other shopping areas around the strip - generally in the "less expensive" hotels. Haven't seen jello shots at the Bellagio.

 

[Spacepest]

I'm a Las Vegas resident, and I'd definately say the Strip is NOT kid friendly, along with most of the tourist areas.

Are there activities that children can do? Yes, there are. But lets be honest-this is a state where drinking and gambling are legal 24 hours a day, and most of the staff and residents turn a blind eye towards prostitution and pornography. There are vans with billboards of scantily clad women in compromising positions driving up and down the main street and people handing out picture cards ("porn slappers"), all advertising escort services, strip clubs, etc. If you are not comfortable with those things, leave the kids at home.

If I were to take my kids down to the Strip, I'd watch them like a hawk. Also, I'd never take them at all during a weekend (Fri, Sat, Sun), during any major holiday, sporting event, or convention, and only during the daytime and early evening. If they were to go out at night it would be straight to a show and back to the room, and try to get them in bed by 10 p.m. (I notice things start getting really rowdy and raunchy after 10). So basically, escort your kids EVERYWHERE. And DO NOT leave a child or teenager of any age at a hotel pool unattended, any time of the day or year.

IMHO, there is nothing more pathetic than the sight of a family with a stroller full of crying kids wandering the Strip after midnight. Vegas publicity campaigns might try to claim that its "family friendly" in order to rack up more business, but in reality, your children will not be welcomed by the casino staff into bars, high end restaurants, or the gambling areas of the casinos. Teenagers, same thing.

 

[sk!mom]

I go to Vegas to pretend that I'm 21 again and party as such. Yeah, I said it. However, if you are going into it as a "family vacation" and you are willing to face some of the issues that some have listed (jello shots, half-naked women, etc.), go for it. There are some really fun things to do there that don't involve drinking or gambling. However, don't judge me if I'm stumbling up to my room with a drink in my hand, headed to bed, if you see me on your way to breakfast.

I've been trying to think of a way to say this very thing. DH and I are normally very responsible (sober) parents and adults. We go to Vegas to cut loose and have fun as do millions of other adults. It's pretty much a 24 hour party. My kids would be a real drag!

At home, you will likely find me doing laundry on a Saturday night while I soberly wait up for DD to get home or for time to go pick her up. In Vegas, every few years, we have breakfast around 4:00am on our way to bed where will sleep until noon! Every few years because we choose to travel with our children more often than not.

I just want one adult place. My kids can wait until they're 21!!

Actually DS is 25 and he and went with DH a couple of years ago.

There are just so many great destinations that are completely family friendly, I selfishly want to keep Vegas (oh, and New Orleans) for the adults!

 

[crisi]

At home, you will likely find me doing laundry on a Saturday night while I soberly wait up for DD to get home or for time to go pick her up. In Vegas, every few years, we have breakfast around 4:00am on our way to bed where will sleep until noon! Every few years because we choose to travel with our children more often than not.

When we were there two years ago, I was the drunk broad dressed too young in the very short skirt and garters enjoying a very long tease with my husband. We go to bed early in Vegas

 

[sk!mom]

When we were there two years ago, I was the drunk broad dressed too young in the very short skirt and garters enjoying a very long tease with my husband. We go to bed early in Vegas

Yes, there's that too! Yet another reason that having kids along would be a drag .