Need some Las Vegas help.....

[lizdotcom99]

I just got tickets to Vegas for my birthday in March. I have never been and the only trips I have planned successfully are the ones to the World. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I think we are going to stay in the Paris hotel and was wondering if it is customary to request a "free" room upgrade if possible and what is the best way to go about this. Also are there any "must do's" while we are there. I think we are going to get tickets to "O" since we so loved Cirque while at the world. Any help would be greatly appreciated and if there is any information that would make my planning any easier I would be ever so greatful. Thanks in advance,
Liz and Greg

 

[thelooneyhouse]

I love Vegas and I hope you have a great time on your birthday!!
Some great sites that I went to when planning my trip were:
www.vegas.com
www.lasvegasadvisor.com
www.in-vegas.com
www.lasvegastalk.com
and www.a2zlasvegas.com

Im not sure about the upgrades ,I have heard talk on some of the vegas boards that people do ask when checking in ,and some of them have been lucky!

I went to see O while I was there and absolutely loved it,I also saw Danny Gans,an impersonator and a must see in my book is Blue Man Group at the Luxor.

Food is great and cheap in alot of the hotels,but of course you will find some higher priced restaurants as well.
the seafood dinner buffet at the Rio was amazing!!

I will try to find some more info that I had when booking my trip.

most of all,have fun and remember that there are plenty of free and almost free things to do while in vegas -you dont only have to gamble.

ps. i almost forgot --here are some of the sites that tell you all the low priced and free things you can do in vegas
http://www.lasvegastrends.com/freelasvegas.shtml
http://www.travel2vegas.com/bestfree.html

www.lvnv.com
and http://www.vegaswebworld.com/todo/todo.html

 

[cuterlt]

The Paris Hotel is a wonderful place to stay! We've stayed there at least a few times, and found it to be delightful. We've never gotten an upgrade room, but you can ask for one, always. They say that sometimes a $20 tip trick works, but I haven't ever tried it. You must see the Bellagio fountains which are right across the street. They are wonderful - music and fountain show, for free! Depending on what you like to do, there is soooo much to do in Vegas. Just walking around is fun, lots of sights to see, lots of interesting people. The Venetian hotel is beautiful; so is the Bellagio, so is the Paris for that matter. The nice thing about the Paris is it's connected to another hotel (Ballys) which has a monorail that goes to the MGM Grand. You have access to a great deal of the strip. Bellagio has a tram that goes to the Monte Carlo.
If you have any specific questions, please feel free to ask. I am a old time Vegas fan, so hopefully I can help.
Don't forget that there is hotel check in at the airport for the Paris hotel. It will save you valuable time! And is a wonderful convenience.
Again, please feel free to pm me or ask on the board any questions.

 

[lizdotcom99]

These are all wonderful tips! I am pretty good at the Disney thing but Vegas is all new to me. I live about 40 minutes from Chicago and have seen the Blue Man group there and I agree they are one of my faves! I am getting very excited about "O". I have heard this is Disney for adults, but I am a bit sceptical.....what can I say I am a die hard Disney fan and DIsney would have been my first choice...but it was a gift......and I guess I need to broaden my horizons. I have heard so many great things about Vegas and can't wait. I am sure we will do a little gambling (but really how long can one play nickle slots for, I am the last of the big spenders when it comes to gambling...but I will indulge a touch). I will let you all know how it all turns out. Oh and by the way , I love the free things in life! Sometimes they are the best!
Thanks again,
Liz

 

[vickitricki]

Try and see Zigfreid and Roy's show at the Mirage, and the Thunder from Down under show atthe Excalibur!!

Check out Treasure Islands show...

 

[Jeafl]

We stayed at the Paris too and loved it. I asked very politely for an upgrade, and mentioned that it was our 15th anniversary as well as my DH's 40th birthday. The woman at the desk said we could have a lovely upgrade, but for $20 a night! We declined, but had a beautiful room anyway, even though it didn't overlook the strip. "O" is a wonderful show, as is the other Cirque show, Mystere. Another show we loved was Caesar's Magical Empire. There is definitely plenty to do there even if you're not a big gambler.

 

[yensid1071]

I was in Vegas this past July & my parents have been twice this year (they go at least once a year). As cuterlt mentioned, there's a monorail from Bally's to MGM. A lot of Dis fans may know this - it is an old WDW monorail (Mark IV model). DW took my pic in front of it while there & the employees around us just kind of looked at us funny. Sadly, it didn't have the "Please stand clear of the doors..." speil. Oh, well....

There are all kinds of free shuttles you can take. Harrah's has one that goes to Rio & back. There's one at Barbary Coast that goes to Gold Coast (next to Rio & across from the Palms. Gold Coast has a jazz band that plays daily for free & they sell 75 cent hot dogs). Behind Harrah's you can pick up a shuttle to Sam's Town and back. From Sam's Town, there's a free shuttle to downtown (Freemont Street).

We saw EFX Alive at MGM. It wasn't as much as the other shows, but was quite entertaining. I would highly recommend it. Rick Springfield is the star of the show (Tommy Tune was there before him). Be sure to get there 30 min early & watch for Sal.

If you're looking for daytime shows, Harrah's has a magic/comedy show by Mac King. You can get 2 for 1 or free tix to it. At Rio, Ron Lucas has a daytime ventrioquist show (same thing for tix). As you can tell, I did a lot at Harrah's & Rio. We stayed at Harrah's & had a *great* time.

There's plenty of other things to do out there. It's just a matter of looking and seeing what you have time for (Mirage has the volcano, Treasure Island has the pirate battle, several anamatronic statue shows in the Forum Shops at Ceasars, Aladdin has an indoor rain shower/show, etc. Be sure to look at the roof/sky in the Forum Shops. It shifts from day to night in the time frame of an hour or so).

No matter what you do, I'm sure you'll have a *GREAT* time. Just seeing the lights & scale of everyting there is amazing!! Have fun!!!

 

[ivanova]

There's a good show at Caesar's ... Caesar's Magical Empire ... for about $70/adult it includes dinner (veggie, beef, chicken or fish) with a magical host (the dining room holds maybe 20-30 folks). After dinner you move onto two more magic shows, plus there's an area with two bars and a player piano. Sometime they have wandering tarot card readers, etc. to keep you entertained between the 2 magic shows.

It's a lot of fun, and for the price it's a good deal (with dinner included).

 

[esmerelda51]

Sorry to say that Caesars Magical Empire closed as of the 30th of Nov. I just got back from Las Vegas and that was the only disappointment. I loved that show so much. I had so wanted to take a friend to it this year. This was the best show for the money I have ever been to in Vegas. ( this would have been a great choice for any DISer. Since with the theming and humor there seemed something Disney about it)They are planning something new for the space but no one could tell me anything. I just hope they don't get rid of all the theming that is in the space. Also for a Disney lover don't overlook the Virtual reality rides. Caesars has Race for Atlantis( which is also 3-D and the Hilton has Star Trek the Experience. My friend had never been on that type of ride and she giggled all through it and wanted to go on it again. You can't go wrong with staying at the Paris although I will never stay anywhere except Caesars since I get such great comps there. Anywhere in that area is great since it is so central on the Strip.

 

[adamak]

You should approach Vegas the same way you research WDW. Very similiar.

Get the Cirque de Soleil tickets asap. THey ran out very quickly, unlike Orlando's version.

If you love Japanese / Asian food, please try Nobu. It's definitely the best food experience I ever have.

Bellagio's buffet is also extremely good, though I probably won't go back since I dont' like stuffing myself like that.

Bellagio / Venetian / Paris / Luxor / Mandela Bay are my favorites. Go resort hopping. Eat eat eat.

I always have luck with slot machines at the entrance. I guess because they're used more often, therefore, have better chance of giving out rewards.

 

[GoldenGate]

If you like ABBA music, you should see "Mamma Mia" which will be playing at the Mandalay Bay Hotel starting in February. I saw the show here in San Francisco and it was fantastic!

 

[lizdotcom99]

I love that show!! We are going to see it in Chicago again when it comes in the summer as me and my boyfriend got season tickets to the theater from his boss!!! Although I would love to see it again sooner, I think I will try to see something I have not seen and that will not be in Chicago anytime soon. I guess I really want to make this a true Vegas trip.....so many shows....so little time and money
Decisions, decisions!!!!!
But I love these ideas, thanks so much for all of the help. BTW, tomorrow is payday for me and I will be getting the "O" tickets then. I am hoping they still have the seats I want!! Wish me luck!!
Thanks again for all the great input!!!!!
Liz

 

[GoldenGate]

Originally posted by lizdotcom99
so many shows....so little time and money

So little money is right The price of O tickets alone can break the bank

 

[Dan Murphy]

The two Cirque shows, as said several times, are stunning, especially -O-. And, just like WDW's La Nouba, the lower seats in the second level seem to provide the best viewing, as much of the show is high up as well as on the walkway dividing the two levels. Sections 202-204 are great. Here is seat chart. Tickets can (and should be) bought 90 days.

http://www.nwtickets.com/special/las_vegas_shows/cirque_o_tickets.html

Just looking at the sights is breathtaking, everything is so big and opulent (gaudy). Nothing like it anywhere. It needs to be seen, at least once.

If you are a non-smoker, you will notice the newer casinos (Paris, Bellagio, Venetian, Aladdin) will have significantly cleaner air than the older (Bally's, MGM, Caesars, et al). Also be prepared for a phalanx of sex show leaflet passers who line the sidewalks.

It is a town like no other, enjoy.

 

[Laurabearz]

I love Vegas....... even got married there..... LOL (live on the internet too)

Paris is a lovely hotel....... wonderful themeing..... as do 99.9 % of the casnios..... so if you love themeing..... you will love vegas!

The free Tresure Island Pirate show is worth seeing..... as is the water show in front of Beligio.

We rent a car because we either hit Hoover Dam or Red Rock on our trips. but for the most part we cab it.... love the taxi drivers there....... a lot are older NYC hacks who got tired of the cold..... chat with them and you get great stories! Shuttles are fine but most cab rides are around 5-7 bucks, a lot faster, and exactly when we want to go.... ya know?

There is a free light show in Downtown...... on Fremont street..... It is cool, but with the exception of the Golden Nugget and the The Mint.... I dont care for the seedyness of DT (Still always have a blast there....... and it is great for people watching....... Oh and less of the guys slapping booklets in their hands, But I love the strip!)

NYNY has a roller coaster...... it is okay....... kinda of jerky......but cool at night, long lines always 6 bucks to ride ,maybe more, per person........

The Stratosphere has two attractions on top...... the roler coaster and the Big fling you up thing..... coaster is lame..... the only fear factor on that is will the track fall off the top....... The fling you up thing is very intense.... for me anyway..... great view.... big thrill) BUT the Straosphere is at the very end of the strip...... a long way from everything....... If your pressed for time I would skip it....

My DH's and I straitigy is to walk the casinos by day..... playing quarter slots as we walk thru........ I am a carpet nut there..... look down...... the miles and mile of the carpeting must amaze me..... so ornate! LOL

Then we chill back at the hotel and change for the night..... that is when we break out the big bucks and find a casino we liked during the day and go back to play Black Jack, ROulette, craps.......

OR see a show........

Vegas is wild......... you will have a great time!