Trip to Vegas

[PixieDustandEeyore]

My fiance's parents have a timeshare and used their points to get us a week at Planet Hollywood Towers by the Bellagio.
We got these passes for 5 days they were $149.00 and they get you free admissionn to all these places.
What else could you do for a budget trip to Vegas?
We are cooking all our meals so that will save money..and we are driving down so that will save money to.

Do you know of any inexpensive buffets so we could do a meal out and of any fun freebies in Vegas?

Also what grocery stores are out in Las Vegas?

 

[LadySiren]

There's plenty to do for free in Vegas, alongside all the stuff that will cost you money. Bellagio's fountains, the exploding Mirage volcano, the dragon fight at Excalibur are a good start. Be sure to go to the Venetian just to look - it's gorgeous. Don't forget the Fremont St. Experience downtown.

For food options, ask around for fun books at the older casinos (like the Riviera). Speaking of the Riv, they used to have a cheap (very cheap!) diner in their penny slot area. Some friends and I went about three years ago and had a blast playing penny slots and eating cheap diner food.

Other things to do: free gaming lessons during the day, free slot tourneys. You'll likely not get anything but a free ballpoint pen at the end but hey - you're playing slots for free and killing an hour or so. If you like to play poker but don't want to spend a ton of money, buy into a poker tournament. The Fitzgerald in the downtown area has one that I really enjoyed. It's around $45 to buy in, IIRC, and then like $15 - $25 for rebuys (extra chips). You can play poker for several hours without spending more than $60 and if you're good, you can win a little bit of cash. I played last time I was there and I bubbled out at 6th (i.e. - I finished one place short of winning a cash prize, booooo!).

Non-gambling / casino stuff: hit Red Rocks for some hiking, or visit their museum. Drive to Hoover Dam and straddle the Nevada / Arizona border.

Can you tell I A) used to live there and B) love Vegas? And yes, I'm leaving for Vegas in 19 days - business trip.

 

[PixieDustandEeyore]

Thanks so much...I read in a book about Sams Firelight Buffet or something like that have you had any experience with it?

With the 145 dollar passes it includes a trip to Hoover Dam and such Im hoping that will be fun

 

[mrsstats]

Are you going to have a car? If so, buy yourself the American Casino Guide. Lots of coupons for buffets, buy one, get 1 free but know are on the strip. For food shopping, we use Super Walmart for the best prices.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Sam's is going to be kind of inconvenient. It's several miles off the Strip, but straight off, on East Flamingo (first BIG intersection north of where you're staying).

Several half-price ticket locations for, well, half-price tickets to mostly second-tier, same-day shows. If you're willing to donate blood, I can tell you how to get free tickets to see Penn & Teller.

Hoover Dam: First a bus will pick people up at a bunch of hotels and take you all to a central location where you'll change to a different bus and head out to the dam. If you have a choice of times, go EARLY.

Self-parking is, or should be, free pretty much everywhere along the Strip, just don't park ON the Strip. Some downtown hotels charge for parking, some don't. Everything is cheaper downtown. Free entertainment there is the Fremont Street Experience light show, several times nightly.

Free entertainment along the Strip is the dancing water at Bellagio, the Volcano at the Mirage, the Sirens of TI at TI, um, overhead circus performers at the Tropicana... off the Strip, there's the (I'm drawing a blank) something in the Sky - Fantasy? Masquerade? - show at the Rio several times a day, with 'floats' on tracks above the casino. If you do get to Sam's Town, especially in the evening, there's a free light show there, too. And there are lions at the MGM, and I think a bird thing - aviary? - at the Tropicana.

See cheapovegas.com, and see the Las Vegas subforum right here on the DIS, in the Disneyland section, for more help.

 

[blondietink]

Just went to LV last month for 10 days. We had the American Casino guide book and saved a lot of money. We drove our rental car over 1450 miles going to all of the sights around LV including Lake Mead, Valley of Fire, Red Rock Canyon, Mt. Charleston, Dealth Valley, etc. The speedway tour at Las Vegas Speedway was fairly cheap ... $8.00 a piece. Our favorite cheap buffet was at Main Street Station for lunch $7.99 each. We went at 2:00 as they close it at 3:30 to get ready for the dinner buffet. Didn't need anything more than a snack for dinner. We stayed across the street from Planet Hollywood at the Jockey Club, which is also a timeshare/condo resort. Planet Hollywood was very busy! For groceries, there is an Andersen's down East Flamingo Blvd. fairly close to Planet Hollywood. Whole Foods is south down Las Vegas Blvd. and there is a super Wal-Mart on Charleston Blvd.. Don't know if there is one closer than that. Oh yes, there is one on East Tropicana, but I think the one on Charleston would be easier to get to as there is less traffic going that way. Have fun!

 

[jlima]

! For groceries, there is an Andersen's down East Flamingo Blvd. fairly close to Planet Hollywood. Whole Foods is south down Las Vegas Blvd. and there is a super Wal-Mart on Charleston Blvd.. Don't know if there is one closer than that. Oh yes, there is one on East Tropicana, but I think the one on Charleston would be easier to get to as there is less traffic going that way. Have fun!

There is a Vons on the SW corner of Tropicana and Maryland Parkway.

Leave your hotel but don't take the strip; take Harmon to Koval & make a right; then make a left at Tropicana. Pass the airport; then pass the Thomas & Mack Center. The store is just ahead on the right.

There are lots of cheap deals, such as the steak & shrimp special at the coffee shop at the Hard Rock and the steak dinner at Ellis Island.

Use a website called cheapovegas dot com; you should find lots of information.

Have fun planning your trip.

 

[PixieDustandEeyore]

thanks everyone!

 

[LadySiren]

That off-strip parade you're talking about is at the Rio - it's the Masquerade in the Sky parade. You used to be able to buy a seat on the "floats" but I don't know if they do that anymore.

I must say that the Station Casinos all have pretty good food. I was always particular to Sunset Station. And Slots-o-Fun used to do free donuts. I don't know if the Californian (downtown area) is still doing the $.99 shrimp cocktail but it used to be hugely popular; unfortunately, I can't speak for its quality since I never tried it.

Other great free stuff to do: I forgot the shops over at Caesar's Palace. They have all kinds of free shows in the mall. Not as good as WDWs, but hey - what is, right? Circus Circus has free circus acts and a midway that's got carnival games, but watch out for the timeshare sales guys. If they hound you, just tell them you're leaving the next day. If you have nerves of steel (and the ability to say NO, NO, NO repeatedly), go to a TS presentation and see what freebies you can score.

I'd forgotten about the Sirens of TI. I'm still mad that they switched out the pirate show for the sirens. Watching the canon battle was so much fun! Also, if you go to watch the Crazy Girls of Glitter Gulch, please be aware that for the most part, they neither qualify as girls any longer, nor are they crazy.

 

[nunzia]

That off-strip parade you're talking about is at the Rio - it's the Masquerade in the Sky parade. You used to be able to buy a seat on the "floats" but I don't know if they do that anymore.

I must say that the Station Casinos all have pretty good food. I was always particular to Sunset Station. And Slots-o-Fun used to do free donuts. I don't know if the Californian (downtown area) is still doing the $.99 shrimp cocktail but it used to be hugely popular; unfortunately, I can't speak for its quality since I never tried it.

Other great free stuff to do: I forgot the shops over at Caesar's Palace. They have all kinds of free shows in the mall. Not as good as WDWs, but hey - what is, right? Circus Circus has free circus acts and a midway that's got carnival games, but watch out for the timeshare sales guys. If they hound you, just tell them you're leaving the next day. If you have nerves of steel (and the ability to say NO, NO, NO repeatedly), go to a TS presentation and see what freebies you can score.

I'd forgotten about the Sirens of TI. I'm still mad that they switched out the pirate show for the sirens. Watching the canon battle was so much fun! Also, if you go to watch the Crazy Girls of Glitter Gulch, please be aware that for the most part, they neither qualify as girls any longer, nor are they crazy.

I used to work at Boulder Station and MGM Grand..and I am also mad they put in sirens at TI...We moved quite awhile ago, but one of our favorite things was having steak and egg breakfast at Arizona Charlies for $1.99 (way off strip..on Decauter). The M&M place is fun, Star Trek is gone from the Hilton, right? Isn't three a cheesy Liberace museum somewhere still? The outlet mall is OK..my friend took a tour bus that was a hoot..you had a 'celebrity' guide and she said it was well worth it. Yes, Fremont street is good for an evening of free entertainment..certain times of the year they hve free concerts and the spray paint artist is great to watch. I'm sure there are still food/drink specials all over Fremont. Isn't Planet Hollywood where Aladdin used to be? They had a very cool shop area..oh yea, Bellagio, go inside to see the glass flowers and do they still have the what is it called...garden area? Also, love the atmosphere at the Venetian..gondola ride is not what it's cracked up to be though

 

[chalee94]

...Star Trek is gone from the Hilton, right?

...Isn't Planet Hollywood where Aladdin used to be?

They had a very cool shop area..oh yea, Bellagio, go inside to see the glass flowers and do they still have the what is it called...garden area?

Also, love the atmosphere at the Venetian..gondola ride is not what it's cracked up to be though

1) yes...it was amusing. i was sad to see it go. i think they are trying to restart it downtown but nothing yet from what little i've heard.

2) yes.

3) yes.

4) yes.

i would suggest spending extra ($40ish each) to try the bellagio or wynn buffet. very expensive but there's not much else like them...king crab legs for dinner (presliced for easier eating)...amazing selections, but go hungry and don't be surprised if there's a long line...

the most fun free thing in vegas is wandering through the casinos and mall areas. caesar's palace, bellagio, paris, venetian especially have unique theming...

 

[Straitlover]

I second Ellis Island for chepa eats. It's close to PH, too. It's on the road behind PH, the road on the backside of the monorail. I can't remember if Koval is the road in fornt of the monorail or behind.

We ate at EI 3 times, actually. Once for the inexpensive steak dinner (not on the menu but jsut aks for it). Once for breakfast, which was yummy and cheap! And once in the brewery section for the rib dinner, which was the best!!!! Ddin;t like the beans, but everything else was great. They also have a homemade root beer that's supposed to be very good. I don;t like RB, so I didn't try it. When we went, there was a coupon in the American Casino book for a disocunt on the rib dinner, which was not that much to begin with.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I must say that the Station Casinos all have pretty good food. I was always particular to Sunset Station. And Slots-o-Fun used to do free donuts. I don't know if the Californian (downtown area) is still doing the $.99 shrimp cocktail but it used to be hugely popular; unfortunately, I can't speak for its quality since I never tried it.

I don't think the Cal does, but one of the "Gold"s does - Gold Spike, maybe? Not the Nugget, I know that for sure. Anyway, it used to be for anyone; now you need to be a player's club member.

Isn't Planet Hollywood where Aladdin used to be? They had a very cool shop area..

Yep, now it's called the Miracle Mile - and they even have an Earl of Sandwich!

And whoever said the Station buffets are good? Too bad - the Boyd buffest (Main Street Station, Orleans, Gold Coast, Sam's Town) are better. So there!

 

[aclov]

Not sure if anyone mentioned it yet, but there a Las Vegas forum now too!

I bought the American Casino Guide and looks like great coupons in there!

 

[luvmy3jewels]

When we went a couple of years ago, we bought several gift certificates from Restaurant.com and were very pleased. It made the meals much cheaper!!

The breakfast buffet at the Paris hotel was very expensive but really good!! (We thought it far exceeded the Wynn buffet).

 

[luckey-lasvegas]

You can also buy certificates from restraunt.com

For a break drive the loop at Red Rock or go hiking there. Check the local paper for two for one coupons. Stations had been running them for the buffets quite a bit. The Southpoint has great 2fer specials as well as great late night specials in their cafe, not to mention $1 bowling and $2 beer after midnight.