Vegas!

[naomi78155]

*here* it is.

thank you!

 

[Pakey]

The Vegas message board here does not get much traffic. Try going to vegas message board dot com and you will be able to get tons of helpful information.

 

[NYEmomma]

I thought three days was PLENTY for us when DH & I went a few years ago. I'm glad we went to see what the fuss was about, but Vegas is not my kind of place. We don't gamble, DH doesn't drink & we're not really into the partying thing. I prefer my vacations to be somewhere with a lot of history and museums and cultural sights and Vegas is not that, lol.

We got tickets to an old school burlesque show at one of those same day ticket kiosks. It was really cheap & really interest to see a tacky show like that. We also took in the Bodies exhibit that was there when we were, the wax museum & then just kind of walked around the rest of the time.

I know the Venetian is getting a lot of love here, but I have to say that when we went in to explore & do a bit of shopping and there was some type of fragrance that was pumped into the area that I reacted awfully too. I typically am not sensitive to smells but it gave me a huge headache and made my eyes start to itch and to swell. It was AWFUL. And a huge disappointment because I loved the inside of the Venetian and would have liked to spend more time in there.

 

[Shmily1]

I've not been to Vegas but I have a friend that is also a TA and lives in Vegas. She is an excellent resource for Vegas info!

 

[ah1126]

We stayed at the MGM for our Honeymoon and loved it! One thing to do when you are looking at hotels, look at a map of the strip to see where everything is located. We liked being in the middle of the strip close to everything. We didn't have a car, so we did a lot of walking.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

One thing I will say is you will do a lot of walking so take an extra pair of shoes. Being able to switch shoes made my feet feel better so the extra tennis shoes were a God sent.

 

[I Believe In Magic]

Ahhh the smell at the Venetian. It is strong, but I liked it and even to this day (I went 2 summers ago) I smell certain things and say that it reminds me of there. Crazy!!! But again, it is strong, so like the OP said, it could be a bit much. I can't imagine the rooms would smell like that though? Good luck deciding and have FUN!!

 

[nilseks]

Just had to add one more thing...

If you like tapas, Fire*Fly restaurant is an absolute MUST DO. Went there based on the recommendation of some locals who were hanging out at the hotel pool. It's off strip, about a $7 cab ride from mid strip. Prepare to wait for a table, but it's worth it. Once you get your food you'll understand why it's so crowded!!!

And just as an FYI, in case you are unfamiliar with Vegas--you had mentioned MGM as one of your potential choices. A PP said that MGM is mid strip. Just so you know, it's not. It's more toward the south end. Definitely not a bad location but not mid strip. If you're looking for a budget-friendly hotel that's mid strip, Paris would probably be the way to go, IMO.

 

[Sagginit]

hi will be there the first week of oct., maybe ill see ya around if you go then. its my first trip but my friends 3rd. we have those casino comp cards from AC, so we got a great deal on Bally's. some people say its just ok but i had a friend that stayed there and said its fine. i have been shopping around but nothing has beat it the deal we got. personally i'm not going to vegas to sleep . i have heard wynn is really nice but it was more for one night than my 4 nights at bally's.

yesterday restaurants.com had 80% off so i got two worth $75 for $6. the other thing we are doing is buying the club pass. if you and your husband happen to like clubbing you may want to look into it. we are doing it not just to save money but to save time in line. we will also check out their version of txts, i think its tix4tonight. my friend used it before and was happy. i think i am starting to like vegas planning as much as disney. although im sweating out going away without my index cards of touring plans.

 

[naomi78155]

hi will be there the first week of oct., maybe ill see ya around if you go then. its my first trip but my friends 3rd. we have those casino comp cards from AC, so we got a great deal on Bally's. some people say its just ok but i had a friend that stayed there and said its fine. i have been shopping around but nothing has beat it the deal we got. personally i'm not going to vegas to sleep . i have heard wynn is really nice but it was more for one night than my 4 nights at bally's.

yesterday restaurants.com had 80% off so i got two worth $75 for $6. the other thing we are doing is buying the club pass. if you and your husband happen to like clubbing you may want to look into it. we are doing it not just to save money but to save time in line. we will also check out their version of txts, i think its tix4tonight. my friend used it before and was happy. i think i am starting to like vegas planning as much as disney. although im sweating out going away without my index cards of touring plans.

We will be there Oct. 5-8! Maybe we will bump into each other. May never know it ( I will not be sporting Mickey ears or a lime green Mickey head). Thanks for the info. Happy Gaming to you!

 

[jnfr2424]

Vegas is my other home away from home besides Disney.
DH and I did Vegas for New Years and I have to agree with pp It was COLD!!! So cold that it even snowed. Anyhoo we did some resort hopping while we were there. We started at Mandalay Bay - beautiful hotel loved it and looking forward to going back. the only thing is that its too far from everything on the strip. Even to catch the main monorail at MgM was tiresome. Then we hopped to Luxor - I see why the room was $25 for the night NEVER AGAIN then we stayed at Mirage loved it there great service even got to see Beatles LOVE for half price!

IMO 4 days is enough to see the strip especially if you are not gamblers/drinkers. The biggest tip I always tell people for your first time stay on the strip especially in the middle (NY NY, MGM, Bellagio, Caesars, Flamingo(we have a family brick here just like in MK), Mirage, Planet Hollywood) where its easier to get around on foot instead of taking taxis - the traffic on the strip reminds me of NYC not going anywhere no time soon.

If you want to see shows, book your tickets before you leave home. I plan trips around show tickets because the popular ones sell out and are hard to come by.
Show Suggestions as someone mentioned, LOVE, KA, Le Reve, O, Celine Dion( yes its that FABULOUS!! Even take in a B'way show like Lion King or Jersey Boys also check ticketmaster for Vegas to see if your fave musician is playing in Vegas while you are there. We once saw someone in concert at Mandalay Bay and the show was in their pool area (think TL) we were dancing in the water!
Another great place to check for information is www.vegas.com

 

[debrapagliasotti]

For our 10th anniversary trip, DH and I stayed at Bellagio in a Lakeview room. It was beautiful!!

For our first trip to Vegas we stayed at Monte Carlo...it was nice, but this was before City Center was built, so I imagine the view has changed some.

As far as eating...our ABSOLUTE fave restraunt in Vegas is Mesa Grill at Ceasars Palace. Its Bobby Flay's restraunt...soooo yummy! Definately need a reservation though.

When we go to Vegas we always see Cirque shows. We saw Ka and O on our last trip and saw Zumanity on our first trip. LOVE Cirque!!

Blue Man Group is also in Vegas...as well at Phantom of the Opera...several other Cirque shows are there...Rat Pack tribute show...Celine Dion...magicians...gosh, you name it, you can find it in Vegas!

A great website is Vegas.com and you can look at all the shows and book tickets

 

[kaytieeldr]

The Vegas message board here does not get much traffic. Try going to vegas message board dot com and you will be able to get tons of helpful information.

It might get more traffic if more of us could direct posters to it as soon as Las Vegas threads appear... or if there were a link to it on the Budget and Community Boards

My favorite source, until then, is everythinglv.com

 

[DaisyD]

We've been to Vegas 3 times in the past 5 years and going again in Feb. We have stayed at the Bellagio, Bally's, and Caesars. Next trip will be back to Caesars since the other two couples we are going with won't have comps at Bellagio. We really liked Caesars as it was centrally located and could go next door to the Bellagio or cross the street to Paris and all the other casinos. We did a lot of walking when we went last September and it was HOT. Close to 100 degrees then. We never rent a car, relying on walking, the bus, or taxis. Usually we walk to where we want to go then take a bus or taxi back. My favorite way is walking as we can casino hop as we go.

Before booking with a travel agent, go online and check out prices for yourself. If you are planning on doing some gambling, that's mostly why I'm there, you are better off booking yourself. We learned this the hard way. We have a travel agent give us a deal for the Bellagio. Halfway through our trip we got a visit from the casino host asking us how we booked. She wanted to comp our room for us but couldn't as we booked through an agent. Instead we ended up with a lot of free meals but a free room would have been nice too. LOL

We love the buffet at the Bellagio and we make it a must stop at the Harley Davidson Cafe on the strip. Other then that we barely have time to eat there. LOL

The best show we have ever seen there is Carrottop at the Luxor. When someone first recommended it to us I thought ewww Carrottop, who wants to see that annoying guy. LOL But we bought tickets and went. It was without a doubt the funniest show I've ever seen anywhere and Vegas' best bargain. If you order your tickets 30 days ahead on line its even cheaper. We laughed so much in that show we were almost dizzy. It truly was hysterical. I will be seeing him next time too.

We've tried two Cirque D Soleil shows, Kaa and O. Neither we enjoyed and actually all 6 of us fell asleep in Kaa. No lie!

Pink Jeep Tours are great for sightseeing. We took one to the Hoover dam few years back and taking another tour with them this trip but not sure which yet. They pick up and drop off at your hotel. If you really want to surprise your husband, book a helicopter to the Grand Canyon. We did this last year and it was amazing! We have all 6 of us in this helicopter and they took us all over and ended with a delicious lunch complete with champagne right in the canyon.

Freemont Street is really cool to see too. Overhead canapy of of a light show and plenty of drinks and entertainment. It's also fun to see how old Vegas looked and Binions is a neat old casino to see.

I took my mom to Vegas in June for her birthday. We stayed at Caesars and saw Celine Dion. Awesome show and we had a great time!

As you can tell I love Vegas and can't wait to go back. I'm sure you two will have a blast!

 

[nunzia]

I worked at the MGM and I stayed at the Venetian on a visit . Very nice, good location, check out hotels.com or their website for deals..I keep getting offers by email, so sign up with them if you can. They generally have a free continental breakfast at their sister hotel..Palazzo?? We stayed there because the shows we wanted to see were right there and very close (Jersey Boys..great!! and uh..the new show done by the cirque guy...which was odder than usual cirque shows but good). There is alot of free stuff to do and just wandering the strip and looking around can take all day Have fun! Just wear what you wear at home..and beware all the sidewalk crazies.

 

[madcat]

We just got back from our first trip to Vegas in May, we stayed at the new and improved Tropicana our stay for 4 days was 330.00 and it was worth it! All of the furniture is brand new, the rooms are so fresh and clean looking after a long day/night on the strip and the beds were so comfortable. The front desk clerk told us that so many people love the beds that they actually ask where they can get the same matress set for home. We got there at 11pm and no one was checking in so we didn't have any of those hour long check in lines you hear about with vegas, the Trop is right next to the MGM and across the street from the Excalibur. One thing that don't have is the large food courts like some of the other Casinos have but they do have 2 resturants and eatery type places as well as a bar and a starbucks. The Excalibur has the food court though so if you wanted something quick you could walk across the street. The Tropicana also has two pool areas, one that has a club theme that is brand new (Niki Beach) and the other is the pool that the hotel has had, it is really big though and we never had to look for a spot for a chair, my cousin and I actually lucked out and some guys gave us their cabana after they were done for the day.

While we were there we spent time in N.Y. N.Y., we did spend time in the MGM and walked through a lot more. Yes I would have loved to stay at the Bellagio, but I could not afford it (we did go get a drink there though) The rooms at the MGM were okay and the rooms at the Luxor seemed a little dated. My brother in-law was staying at the Exaclibur so we got to see his room too, I was surprised at how really dark it was. My husband and I both agreed that we made the right choice with the Tropicana. HAVE FUN!!

 

[Mommy23Princesses]

Hi! So glad to hear you'll be coming out my way
October is a weird weather month, it can be in the 90's or it can be in the
range of 50-60, it can be windy or rainy or be sunny. That time of year always makes me mad because I want it to be chilly and fall weather but living her you never know.


Besides doing things on the direct strip, you could take a cab down to Town Square, it is south Las Vegas Blvd about a 5-10 minute cab ride. There is great shopping and restraunts there. When you are gaming on the strip be sure to sign up for players cards to get incentives. Also my hubby and I love to go Downtown, the old strip, we always have fantastic luck down there and always walk away winners. The buy-ins are less and the machines tend to hit more (might not ben true but that is our assumption since we have never left downtown with less than we came with and that is after, gaming, drinks and dinner, but we are also not huge gamers so we don't game often, maybe once every 6 months)

Check out living social escapes and sign up for Las Vegas, they seem to always have hotel getaway deals for good prices. Have fun while your here!

 

[jgates]

My other fav place also! My place to visit was mentioned a page or so ago - vegasmessageboard (dot) com. It was recommended to me here several years ago & is a great resource.

I normally stay at Paris or Flamingo (I'd do a GO room at Flamingo - the regular rooms have had their remodel postponed evidently). Ballys also has nice large rooms - some of the biggest standard hotel rooms on the strip & is good. You are basically center strip & can work each way from there.

If you want to stay slightly off-strip & just drive over & valet park, there are some Marriot hotels near Hilton - They have Springhill Suites which would give you more room with family, free wi-fi and probably a continental breakfast. Valet parking is free - just remember to tip. If you are not renting a car, then stay on the strip.

Comments on Tropicana - lots - and I have yet to really hear anything bad about them if you get a remodeled room. However, they are further south on the strip.

If you stay at an MGM Property, you will have a resort fee each night of your stay - amount varies by property. Also at many others. All Caesars Props do not have resort fees. If taking a laptop, just like Disney, be prepared to pay a daily fee. (Although at some MGM props it is included in the resort fee).

Free things:

See the Lions at MGM
Bellagio Fountains
Conservatory in Bellagio
Chocolate fountain in hallway behind the Conservatory
Mirage Volcano
Gardens behind Flamingo with flamingos, etc & memorial to Bugsy
Imperial Palace auto colletion (there are free passes you can print online)
Fall of Atlantis Show in Forum Shops at Caesars
Siren Show at TI (not kid friendly in my opinion)


Pay:
Eiffel Tower Ride
Aquarium at Mandalay Bay
Dolphin Habitat (name?) at Mirage
Gondola Rides at Venetian
Roller Coaster at NYNY
Neon Museum (slightly north of downtown-must schedule tours-not sure if kids allowed)

Come visit us at VMB - look forward to seeing you there!

 

[Manders77]

Hi all, we are going to Vegas in 2 weeks for my BIL wedding. He lives in Vegas. We have our hotel booked (staying off strip at a hotel he has his reception booked at). Since DH & I are going with our 2 kids DD3 1/2 and DS1, what is there to do that's kid friendly and free or low cost? We've been out to Vegas before pre-kids but since this is a family wedding, kids have to come. Can't really ask BIL for suggestions since they are partiers/drinkers and total opposites of us, I decided to ask the board I trust, my fellow DIS'ers. We were thinking of Bellagio fountains and Lions at MGM grand. ANything else, we are there for 4 days with 1 day reserved for the wedding. The other days are open to us since none of us are in the wedding or are obligated to any of the events. All the activities they reserved for out of town guests is not kid friendly so we are not partaking. Thanks all.

 

[malibuconlee]

Hi all, we are going to Vegas in 2 weeks for my BIL wedding. He lives in Vegas. We have our hotel booked (staying off strip at a hotel he has his reception booked at). Since DH & I are going with our 2 kids DD3 1/2 and DS1, what is there to do that's kid friendly and free or low cost? We've been out to Vegas before pre-kids but since this is a family wedding, kids have to come. Can't really ask BIL for suggestions since they are partiers/drinkers and total opposites of us, I decided to ask the board I trust, my fellow DIS'ers. We were thinking of Bellagio fountains and Lions at MGM grand. ANything else, we are there for 4 days with 1 day reserved for the wedding. The other days are open to us since none of us are in the wedding or are obligated to any of the events. All the activities they reserved for out of town guests is not kid friendly so we are not partaking. Thanks all.

Just a note on Bellagio...the last time I was there I did not see it enforced but in the past unless you are a hotel guest strollers are not allowed in the atrium.

Your kids are pretty young so most things I would suggest wont' work...like Gameworks. They might like M&M World, the Lions at MGM. Will you have a rental car? I know how difficult it is traveling with little ones. We have definitely decided that for us there are just some things we won't do that we may want to since we have a little one and that's OK with us since they are only small for a short time.

Will you have other relatives there that would watch the kids so you can have a date night with the hubby?

As a frequent Vegas visitor I only ask that you don't have the kids in strollers walking thru casinos at midnight. Yes I have seen this every trip and it frustrates me every time!