Flamingo Go Room Bathrooms

I just returned from LV a few days ago after staying in a Go Room for 5 nights.

To those of you that have stayed in a Go Room, what do you think of the frosted walls and sliding bathroom doors?

Thank God that I%26#39;ve been married for 26 years because it would have been embarassing to me hearing everything happening in the bathroom, and I mean everything (every drop into the toilet water). The frosted sliding door and frosted wall would definately not be for private people.

Also, there is no way one could stay sleeping while someone is using the bathroom at night. There%26#39;s no way it could be done. Even with the door closed, the whole room became illuminated when the light was on. It became bright as daylight.

I liked the room, just not the bathroom door and walls.

Private people, think twice about Go Rooms.

Flamingo Go Room Bathrooms

we didnt have a problem with that.

at night time we used the pink light.. u cant even see in the frosted glass..

Flamingo Go Room Bathrooms

The TV speakers in the bathroom cure most of the privacy issues. Turn up the volume on CNN and, bombs away.

At night the light is not that bright, it should not wake up most people

I hear MGM West Wing is even worse in this regard.

i sure would not pay extra for a Go room, the regular rooms are quite nice

I%26#39;m checking into Flamingo on Tues and would LOVE to upgrade to GO rooms, but I know there are some people in my group who would have issues with this so we can%26#39;t. It%26#39;s really a shame, not very well thought out at all. At leaast if the sliding doors actully slid into some sort of stable niche in the doorframe, I haven%26#39;t seen them myself but it is oft reported that the doors don%26#39;t slide closed fully.

I just love those GO rooms, though...couldn%26#39;t stay in regular at Flamingo again.

We just returned from Flamingo, had a GO room. Thought it may be a problem since our 16 year old daughter was with us, but it all was fine. The bathroom TV came in handy, plus my daughter had her ipod downloaded and used their great sytem, so we had music on alot.

We always gave her an hour by herself to get ready in the morning, and we wake way before her, so used that time.

I guess it really depends who you are sharing a room with, but we loved the GO room. My daughter liked it better than the room we had at the Wynn our last night. I think the view of the Bellagio fountains from her bed sold her on the Flamingo, along with the entire fun vibe of the place, and location.

I never noticed it. Either our room wasn%26#39;t as bad, or I had too many cocktails.

My male buddy and I stayed in a GO room last August. The opaque bathroom was one of the many things we laughed about. It does take some confidence to enjoy it if it you%26#39;re not a couple. It bothered him more than me... but we both preferred the female eye candy outside our room anyway. ;)

We%26#39;ve stayed in GO rooms twice now...we%26#39;re ok with it because the toilet is tucked back away from the frosted area, so that was no issue. Yes..you can hear some things, but that can happen even in rooms with normal doors! =)

Yikes, I am meeting up with my brother at the Flamingo end of July. Amex is offering a free upgrade to a Go Room which we are considering since we both have back problems and figured a renovated room would have better beds; but some of these comments are pretty scary. Will I was at the Flamingo about 3 years ago and in a regular room and it was quite spacious and quite nice (though otehrs we traveled with said our room was much nicer than theirs). If we get a Go Room, will we need to leave the room so the other person can poop? Are the rooms spacious?

wynn rooms

is there any difference between a double room and a resort room? last time i went there i had a fantastic room overlooking the strip on the 20 something floor. this time i believe i have booked a double room. the travel agent insists this has a king size bed and the website doesn%26#39;t discern between resort rooms. any ideas??

wynn rooms

Resort rooms are the basic Wynn rooms - they have one king bed or two queen beds. However, all of the resort rooms on the strip-facing side have king beds, while the queen bed rooms face the golf course. Hope that helps!

wynn rooms

is a double room a resort room then? i read on an earlier posting that someone had an orange decor room facing the golf course and wasn%26#39;t nearly as plush as the strip facing room. still confused on this one.

Do you tip the concierge?

If I go to the concierge desk for some info ~ and they answer my questions am I expected to tip them?

I just mean asking them for some info not asking them to book anything for me ~ can I even do this are they just there to book things for you or are they willing to just give info and answer queries?

Do you tip the concierge?

From my understanding, you%26#39;re not expected to tip simply for information or questions answered but you should tip if they help make dining or show reservations that were maybe difficult to get or if they just did something special. Hope that helps!

Do you tip the concierge?

I agree, don%26#39;t tip fopr information, do tip if they do you a big favour and have to spend more than just a couple of minutes taking care of things you want/need.

thats what I was thinking just didn%26#39;t want to do the wrong thing and offend :)

The services provided by the concierge really depend on the hotel. Some are actually just ';booking desks'; that book shows, restaurants, and tours. But others, especially at the better hotels will provide more service, including offering advice about non-hotel services.

Tipping is not required for advice or consultation, but I would feel remiss if the person went out of thier way and I didn%26#39;t acknowledge exceptional service.

This is just me, and I%26#39;m not telling anyone what to do:

I always tip $5 when I ask the concierge to print boarding passes.

If I make a special request, like a delivery, or something purchased and sent to the room, I tip.

I will not normally tip if I call and ask for a reservation at spa or restaurant at thier hotel.

What it really comes down to for me is: Did this person just book something as a clerk performing thier job (no tip). Or did this person take a genuine interest in my request, and make an effort to provide me with the best choice (tip).

Thanks for replying ~ I can%26#39;t imagine that we will be using them for booking anything ~ just more to get info etc but of course if they go out of their way I would tip ~ I would just feel strange giving someone a tip for answering some questions.

AJAX in .net

least extreme 'extreme' ride?

I%26#39;ve beent to Vegas several time but never tried any of the rollercoaster type rides on the Strip. But, the last time I went on a waltzer I felt quite sick and wondered if anyone knew which ride would be least likely to produce this unfortunate effect?

least extreme 'extreme' ride?

a ';waltzer';? what%26#39;s that?

least extreme 'extreme' ride?

A waltzer is a fairground ride, like big tea cups that move round in circles and also spin on their axis - and can make you feel quite sick. Maybe it%26#39;s the spinning bit that%26#39;s the problem?

Basically there are 5 rides in Vegas.

Speed at the Sahara is a very fast but short roller coaster that has one loop along the way.

You loop the loop twice,once frontwards,the other backwards.

The other roller coaster is the Manhattan Express at New York New York.

This ride also has one loop,but is slower and longer than Speed.

Its also much more bumpier,rougher on our body than Speed.

Up at the Stratosphere you have 3 rides.

The high shot blasts you upwards,giving amazing views of Vegas.

X.Scream drops you over the edge of the tower a few times,but is quite tame really.

Insanity is the newest ride.

Its moves out from the tower,spinning you around at a good speed for a few minutes of real fun.

You wont want to do this one if you don%26#39;t like Waltzers.

High shot is probably your best bet.

Enjoy.

I have photo%26#39;s of all 5 rides,if you want to take a look.

1as-vegas.com/Photos/Thrills/ThrillRides.html

aahh... lol- just came from an orlando thread that discussed differences between english and american words. haha

well, something that won%26#39;t get you sick... nothing on the strip spins like the teacups. the manhattan express is a rough ride so maybe not that one. maybe one of the rides atop the stratosphere? they don%26#39;t violently spin you- the biggest thrill is that they dangle you over the edge of the tower. too much excitement for me, imo! i would imagine that any ride in the adventuredome would make you puke your brains out, so stay away from there. and the coaster at sahara is basically just speed and one loop (i think) that takes you forward and then backwards on the same track. that one might be okay for you.

I love rollercoasters, but I am subject to motion sickness. I take an over-the-counter motion sickness remedy before I ride and that takes care of the problem.

Very many thanks for the %26#39;info - sounds like Speed, Hi-Shot or maybe X.Scream would be suitable(Insanity is a definite no-no!) - and hadn%26#39;t thought about motion sickness tablets, good idea that.

Big Shot is the most fun, and won%26#39;t make you sick or hand you over the edge of the tower

Try the KIDDIE Coaster at Circus Circus.

I get motion sickness pretty easily, but love the Big Shot. You won%26#39;t get sick on it, but if you%26#39;re afraid of heights, you%26#39;re in trouble.

Same with X-Scream. The IDEA of going on X-Scream is scarier than the ride itself.

wedding meal .. Mon Ami Gabi or The Range steak house?

Planning a wedding in vegas this summer. Just trying to sort a restaurant for 20 people after ceremony. Which would people chose between Mon Ami Gabi and The Range Steakhouse I can%26#39;t decided.

I am marrying in Mandalay Bay and was also looking at the Border Grill but seems to be mixed reviews.

I need help to make a decision. Budget is between 50-70 dollars with taxes on top of that etc.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

wedding meal .. Mon Ami Gabi or The Range steak house?

That 50 to 70 dollars is per person right? Because a nice dinner somewhere in Vegas will run a good bit.

Mon Ami Gabi is a rather romantic restaurant....lovely! Not too cheap; but lovely and delicious!

wedding meal .. Mon Ami Gabi or The Range steak house?

Yes, my mistake it is 50- 70 dollars per person. Been on this forum for ages and my eyes are starting to cross. Thanks for your reply.

can%26#39;t comment on the range but MAG was fantastic. Could easily come in at $50 per head. We spent $200 for 2 of us but that was with three appetisers, 2 good steaks, a side and a bottle of wine ( $160) then tipped $40. Enjoy :-)

We just returned and had an evening at The Range. Between the two I would have to say that MAG would be my choice for a post wedding meal.

Both are fine but they are different and MAG would better express the mood of the event IMHO.

Mon Ami Gabi also has a private room that might be perfect for you. In addition, join their frequent diner club because that total bill might save you some money on a future meal.

Thanks guys for the advice. Good to know what others think. It%26#39;s really hard trying to book somewhere when you have never been before. Especially when its my wedding meal. Thanks

new makeup

MGM & Shopping

Does the MGM have a shopping (center)area within the Hotel/Casino(i.e. such as forum shops, etc.). If so, where is it located. Thanks,

MGM %26amp; Shopping

Nothing as big as the Forum Shops, but there is a small shopping arcade located on the basement level, accessible from the hotel lobby. Mostly lower-end stuff.

MGM %26amp; Shopping

www.mgmgrand.com/amenities/shopping.aspx

This will give you some idea of what is available. I wouldn%26#39;t make a special trip just to shop at MGM.

MGM shops (star lane and studio walk areas) offer very limited merchandise - can%26#39;t compare to the forum shops or canal shops. If you%26#39;re a shop-a-holic, I%26#39;m sure you would find something to buy...lol.

MGM or Mirage?

Gaming aside...which would be your choice?

MGM or Mirage?

I think I%26#39;d rather stay at the Mirage because of the better location. MGM is a tad too far down the south end of the strip for me.

MGM or Mirage?

We absolutely love the MGM!! We dont mind the walking and the monorail is right there.

I like Mirage better but I think the rooms at MGM are a little nicer right now. This will change soon as the Mirage rooms are being renovated. I admit I%26#39;m biased because the gaming is excellent at Mirage and you didn%26#39;t want that to influence our opinions. I like the restaurants at both places and the pools are excellent at both.

They both are good.... but we love the MGM! The Pools are great! We love to walk around and if we get tired... we take the tram!

I like them both, but would probably take Mirage at the same price.

We really love the Mirage, have stayed there many time. We said that we would never stay anyware else.

But....We got free rooms at the MGM and we are going to stay there for the first time in June. We are excited to stay some where new but are also a little nevous.

'; vegasaddicts ';

You will love it! We always stayed at the Mirage and went with some friends, that got us a better deal at the MGM.... It has been 4 years... and we have not gone back to the Mirages to stay... We love to Play over there... but we love the rooms and you cant beat the pool! =)

You are going to have a blast! We are going again a week from Tues!! CAN%26#39;T WAIT!!!!

I would choose MGM, I actually like it%26#39;s location a lot!

Mirage! I am native Las vegan and we love the mirage. The mgm is so spread out as far as property goes. You will walk miles just inside the hotel. I think that the mirage has better restaurants and I personally like the pool much more. The mirage has such a great feel to it. It smells of Hawaii and really does a fine job at bringing the outside in. The flowers alone in the mirage would make my decision. They employ some of the best florists nationwide. I dont think you would regret the mirage and the location is more prime in relation to the other upcale properties. It just lends itself to the whole experience. Have a great time!

I like the Mirage location but i would choose MGM.

Bellagio or Venetian

Was planning to stay at the Bellagio from 1st Sep for 4 nights but have now found the Venetian on offer for $139 a night, which is non refundable. I read that the Bellagio offers are not out yet, bearing that in mind what do you think is the best option?

Some of the things stated on the Venetian website seem excessive e.g. A cash or credit card deposit of $150.00 per night is required upon check in for incidentals and the balance of room and tax for the remainder of your stay.

Also the ';Total Package Prepayment is required at time of booking'; does this mean that the whole amount has to be paid when doing the booking?

Are these requirements the same for the Bellagio as I can%26#39;t find anything mentioned on the website.

Bellagio or Venetian

If your dates are firm the V deal is excellent. Yes, paying ahead of time - so what - the rate is superb. Get travel insurance for a few bucks in case of an emergency.

The V is my choice over B even with no rate specials - for us much better rooms and property overall. Of the 2 you%26#39;re considering V no question.

If you can get a great rate at Wynn or TheHotel they are worth considering also

Bellagio or Venetian

You have to take into account how comfortable are you with the conditions of the Venetian%26#39;s offer. The $139 rate is very good, but it is non refundable and must be paid up front. How do you feel about being locked up without any flexibility? If your mind is set at staying there, def go for it. It is a very nice property!

Bellagio is also a very nice and their promo rates may be similar to V%26#39;s once they%26#39;re out 2-4 months before. Given that hotel prices at that time of the year is generally one of the lowest, I%26#39;d wait till I I find Bellagio%26#39;s deals (around June Maybe) and decide from there.

Thank you for both your replies, my heart was really set on staying at the Bellagio but now I am just not 100% sure. As this will be our honeymoon I really want to get it just right.

As Bridgey suggested, coming from Europe you%26#39;ll presumably have travel insurance anyway in case unforeseen circumstances cause you to cancel. If you%26#39;re happy with the Venetian rates then no reason not to book.

For your information, the new Bellagio summer promotion does cover your dates. Code SU1591.

The incidentals ';deposit'; is purely a hold placed upon your credit card that%26#39;s released when you check out. Nothing will appear on your billing other than what you actually use. This is standard at all hotels world wide, not just in Vegas. Amounts vary from hotel to hotel.

The rate is so good ($139) because once you book they have your money whether you cancel or not, it%26#39;s non refundable. The rate (promo code) Blagger gave you for Bellagio is refundable and can be changed without penalty up til about 72 hrs before date of arrival. Big differece to me, I%26#39;m always making changes in reservations! If you%26#39;ve not been to Las Vegas before, then I%26#39;d stay at Bellagio, its absolutely beautiful and the location is right in the center of the strip, nothing like those wonderful fountains out front. I don%26#39;t know why bridgefan doesn%26#39;t care for Bellagio, she%26#39;s never said that I know of. I do like Venetian as well but overall find it a slight step down from Bellagio when you take into account the entire package of casino/hotel/restaurants and other amenities. Also, it will be pool weather when you are in Vegas and Bellagio pool area is wonderful, much nicer than the Venetians.

Whatever you decide, both are good properties.

I%26#39;m a Bellagio fan and patron allll the way...have nothing but wonderful positives to say about it. Of course, we%26#39;ve never stayed in the Venetian...so, can%26#39;t be totally knowledgeable about comparison.

The Venetian appears to be a REALLY nice casino/hotel; however, when dh and I have toured it, the fragrance that they use all over kind of wards us off. It is a very very sweet smell that becomes too overwhelming after a bit. Wish they would find a fragrance a little less over-powering. I don%26#39;t know, we just might be a little to sensitive to fragrances.

I vote for the Bellagio. Their rate calendar for the 1st week in Sept, is $179. They do not require payment up front (only 1 night%26#39;s deposit) and you can cancel up to 24 hours before. The Venetian is nice (4 stars), but the Bellagio is nicer (5 stars).

If your heart was set on Bellagio,don%26#39;t settle for anything else. Book with Bellagio now and watch for a rate reduction. You might be able to get that down to $149 later. I loved it there (the rooms and locations, and the pool).

Thanks for the replies everyone. I think we will probably go for the Bellagio.

Venetian is a very lovely hotel and the rooms are all renovated, but you can not beat the location of the Bellagio--it%26#39;s at THE best intersection on the Strip and if you go at a slow-ish time of year and let them know it%26#39;s your honeymoon, they%26#39;ll probably give you an upgrade.

So, I vote Bellagio if that%26#39;s your heart%26#39;s desire. The Venetian is a bit of a hike from the action, IMO.

get time from datetime

two girls late 20's which show ka or o?

We are going to vegas in May. We want to see one show while we are there. Which show is best out of these or is there a better one? Thanks

two girls late 20's which show ka or o?

age is irrelevant - your tastes are what matters.

This is an oft asked Q, you will get lots of info by using the search feature, sort results ';by date'; for the latest and greatest.

Also look at the CDS website, it has good info about each show.

personally i%26#39;d also consider spamalot if you haven%26#39;t seen or don%26#39;t have a touring company coming to your area.

two girls late 20's which show ka or o?

I really enjoyed the water element that O provides so I%26#39;m always partial to say that one.

Plus its at Bellagio and I%26#39;m a sucker for the fountains.

I%26#39;ve seen Mystere(twice), Ka, Love and O. Mystere continues to be my favorite. I feel it has the most WOW moments and it is the one I always recommend to someone who has never seen a CDS show before. Love was absolutely fantastic but it isn%26#39;t a typical Cirque show. The emphasis is on the music rather than acrobatics. O was good- but I don%26#39;t feel it was quite as good as Mystere. I didn%26#39;t like Ka at all. Except for the stage- it just didn%26#39;t hold my interest.

You could check out the video clips from YouTube on both KA %26amp; O...Check out Mystere also, thats our fav. O is beautiful and the best part for us for KA was the stage, which is incredible.

On YouTube, search these:

KA MGM

O Bellagio

Mystere

Hope this helps.

Are you blondes or brunettes?

Thanks everyone for the replies We have decided to book %26#39;O%26#39;

Hair colour???

I have not seen Ka, but can tell you that O is incredible! You will not be disappointed. I saw O with my husband and it was definitely the highlight of our vacation. The theater is beautiful too.

Spinguy - That was an extremely helpful suggestion. I was trying to decide between Mystere and O. Those youtube posts sold me on Mystere. Thanks!

Lol, anytime....thats how we%26#39;ve picked shows before, figured it would help someone else....We%26#39;ve used YouTube to look up lots of places. If you haven%26#39;t been on it much, it%26#39;s amazing that you can usually find something for what you%26#39;re looking for...

before you look to much into this, check if the shows are playing when your there. Me and me friends wanted to see KA but its not playing may 11-19th! We are very very disappointed!

Yet another Wynn vs Bellagio

Ok, here%26#39;s the background. Planning on going to Vegas for 6 nights in December.

We%26#39;ve been before and stayed at the Bellagio, which we loved. Everyone%26#39;s telling us not to go back to the Bellagio, but to try somewhere different and that the Wynn should be the place to go this trip.

I%26#39;m a bit bewildered. We%26#39;re not gamblers, although we enjoy the excitement of the casino floor. What we look for is a wee touch of luxury, great food, and nice bars. Will the Wynn meet our needs, or should we play safe and go back to the Bellagio?

Yet another Wynn vs Bellagio

Wynn would definitely meet your needs, so would the Venetian

Yet another Wynn vs Bellagio

I would go with Bellagio but only because of the better location.

I like to try different locations each trip. The Wynn is not that far north. You can still walk to mid strip.

We stayed at the Wynn and it%26#39;s luxurious in a over-the-top whimsical way.

You will find all of your criteria at the Wynn.

While you are there see Le Reve. It%26#39;s amazing! Book tickets before your trip due to seating availability.

We are staying at the B in June...just for something new to us. The B is much more crowded in the public areas.

Split your trip .... 3 nights at Wynn, then 3 at Bellagio. If you immediately love the Wynn, cancel Bellagio and extend your Wynn stay.

Awesome advice from old3. You will love the Wynn, however. The Parasol%26#39;s and tile mosaics are so beautiful. So, if you choose Bellagio, at least visit the Wynn!

I%26#39;m a Bellagio lover, but from what you%26#39;ve said, I say try the Wynn. Otherwise, you are going to wonder %26#39;what if.%26#39; Wynn is a beautiful facility so not like you%26#39;d be slumming it! Go and enjoy!

Think you will find the Wynn less crowded with tourists also.

Don%26#39;t know why Bellagio put the conservatory right off the entrance/check in lobby - but you can find your self fighting through crowds to get through the lobby to your room.

May also want to consider the Four Seasons.

I say go to the Wynn. I have been to Bellagio (very nice) and this time I will get one night at Wynn. I am sure you will like it. Get a red card.

Rent a car or Not rent a car?

Our flight arrives around noon on a Saturday next month. We plan on checking in at the Imperial Palace and then, head straight to the Las Vegas Premium Outlets for a couple of hours of shopping before dinner at the Wynn. Is it worth renting a car for the day (in terms of time and cost saved) or are we better off taking a cab to the different locations? Also, is there a shuttle from the strip that takes you to the Premium Outlets? Thanks.

Rent a car or Not rent a car?

Don%26#39;t waste your money on renting a car. It%26#39;s more of a pain than taking a shuttle or taxi.

Rent a car or Not rent a car?

How long will you be in Vegas? You may find that renting a car is cheaper and more convenient.

I believe the outlet mall is right near the airport and car rental facility. You could rent a car and stop at the mall before checking in. Since you arrive at noon your room may not be ready that early, so shop first then check in.

Without a car it would be taxi from airport to IP to at least drop off luggage, then to mall by taxi or bus and back to IP.

Then probably taxi to and from Wynn.

Sounds much more expensive to use taxis with your plans.

I%26#39;d probably rent a car for just the day (24 hrs), turn it in the next day and then walk or use cabs after that.

This outlet mall is on Charleston-not the one on Warm Springs. I would rent a car from the airport for one day. This would save you cab fare to Imperial Palace, then the outlet mall and then Wynn and back to IP. You can usually return a car to a hotel . Imperial Palace has a Hertz desk but I would check to see the rates for other car rental agencies in surrounding hotels. Many have Dollar. This would give you 24 hours to go where you want without having to pay cab fare. Just be aware of the hours the car rental desks at the hotels- they usually close 4 or 5PM

Driving is not that difficult in Vegas. You can usaully avoid the strip traffic by using the side and back roads. Parking is free- just tip if you use valet parking.

Sorry about the mistake on the mall location. I just don%26#39;t get to the malls in Vegas very often. We all have different priorities I guess.

Thanks for all the advice. I think we will go ahead and rent the car from Dollar for a day.

new makeup

vegas music baby boomer era

I am burning some CDs to play in the car whilst I am driving around Vegas .I want to burn one quintessential Vegas CD. I%26#39;ve got some Elvis , Bobby Darin, Cher and Tom Jones; need some more ideas . What is your favorite song or singer that evokes memories of Vegas. tia

vegas music baby boomer era

What, no Dean Martin? Have you gone mad? :)

vegas music baby boomer era

Cheryl Crowe%26#39;s Leaving Las Vegas and the Dead Kennedys version of Viva Las Vegas always put me in the mood for Vegas, baby....

Yeah, you have to have some Dino in there!! For me, it%26#39;s gotta be ';Aint that kick in the head'; - For some reason that song is just so Vegas to me!!!

Sammy Davis Jr. %26amp; Buddy Rich - Come Back To Me and also The Birth of The Blues. Recorded at the Sands

LL

How about Sinatra? He and Elvis are totally Vegas to me.

Wayne Newton just screams Vegas to me. LOL

TR 04/14-17, Part 3 (Peppermill, Magic Show and Downtown)

See reply.

TR 04/14-17, Part 3 (Peppermill, Magic Show and Downtown)

One of the things we wanted to do this trip was to see “The World’s Greatest Magic Show at the Greek Isles.” One of the performers is a local man who graduated with and was a friend of our son. I had been emailing back and forth with him the last week or so and had learned from him that by calling the box office first thing the morning of the show we wanted to see, might net us free tickets. Sure enough 100 comped tickets are being given each day throughout April. Each caller can receive up to four tickets. There is a $2/ticket printing charge. What a deal!

So, after cleaning up and resting for a bit, we took a cab to the Peppermill lounge for some drinks and a snack before the show. Our cabbie thought it was humorous that we were going to the Peppermill “during the day” . . . saying that he normally only has that request late at night. The cab ride was $14.

It really doesn’t matter what time you go to the Peppermill Lounge . . . it’s open 24 hours a day and always has the same dark yet glitzy, old-Vegas feel. I expect that it might be more lively later at night, but we enjoyed our time there . . . the atmosphere, two drinks each, a very nice server and chicken strips were all great. Cost . . . $43.24.

From there we walked to the Greek Isles. It was a comfortable walk into a neighborhood we’d not been in before. We felt safe, but I was glad it was daylight and that I wasn’t alone. Somehow having a good part of your neon sign burned out doesn’t scream “high class” and just plain isn’t very welcoming. This is a small, old casino/hotel that is . . . quite frankly . . . not very nice. We picked up our tickets without a problem and then tried to decide how we were going to spend the next 30 minutes+ before the line for the theater would form. The selection of slots wasn’t good . . . but we settled in to play some low limit machines . . . without much success. On the upside, drink service here was very good . . . one very attentive server with very few patrons.

Theater doors were to open at 6:30. Not thinking comped tickets would land us very good seats, we decided to stand in line once one started to form to get the best we could. As we entered the theater, we were pleasantly surprised to find it a pretty darn nice setting . . . and we were ushered past the GA seating to the VIP section. This theater is arranged with a row of booths in front, then a row of tables (for eight), another row of booths, etc. We could have upgraded to a booth for $10 each . . . didn’t. We were seated in the first seats in the first row of tables . . . about two tables off center. Nice. Drink service was available in the theater. We enjoyed visiting with our “table mates” before the show started . . . you meet the most interesting people in Vegas :)

The “World’s Greatest Magic Show” is a good show. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Now . . . they’re not David Copperfield nor Lance Burton . . . and some are more talented than others . . . but it was fun. Six magicians performed what is said to be “their best” illusions. I got “into the act” at one point . . . but only from my seat . . . didn’t have to go on stage . . . and no one made me disappear ;) After the show, the performers gathered in the lobby area to sign t-shirts and visit with the crowd. We had an opportunity to visit briefly with the young man we’d particularly gone to see (who is very talented by the way!) and whom we’d not seen for probably four years.

There is no cab queue at the Greek Isles. When the show is over, their front desk calls for cabs. We didn’t have to wait terribly long and we were in a cab headed for downtown. ($14).

Downtown was a disappointment for me this year. We make the trek down there each trip . . . the highlight for me is always Carl Ferris and other musicians. Monday night, Carl was not performing . . . nor were any other musicians . . . even though they and a stunt show were listed on the schedule at the Web site. Nonetheless, we spent a few hours downtown, did enjoy a premiere of the Queen tribute (nice light show . . . and I don’t usually enjoy those) and took a cab back to MGM ($23) . . . to fall into bed, exhausted.

TR 04/14-17, Part 3 (Peppermill, Magic Show and Downtown)

Very nice! You got to enjoy the Peppermill and a magic show that only cost you $2 a ticket! Good thing to have contacts! Nice job on receiveing the VIP section!

I got excited when you mentioned Queen, hoping for some sort of tribute show. But then I realized it%26#39;s only the overhead FSE!

Bet the beds felt great that night!

If you%26#39;re a Queen fan, Low, I think you%26#39;d like this light show.

Gotta tell you . . . when we were at Indigo Lounge, there was a Freddy Mercury look alike in the audience. He was dancing up a storm. Fun to watch.

About what time did you call the box office? Did you come right out and ask for the tickets or did they offer them to you when you inquired on the show for that night?

Lyle

The box office at GI supposedly opens at 9 a.m. I tried calling right at 9 . . . but didn%26#39;t get an answer until 9:15 or so. I just plain asked them if they still had any of the special promotion free tickets left for that night%26#39;s show. She said they did and that we could have up to four. I told her we only needed two. She took our information and told me that we would need to show identification to pick up the tickets at the box office

Easy peasy.

You rock! Thank you Coffeemug. The next cup is on me.

If it is in the same theater as the old Rat Pack show, it is a very nice theater. Very old school vegas style seating.

Thanks a ton.

Lyle

Enjoy, Orr. Oh, btw, there is a $2/ticket printing charge. Still a good deal :)

I used to like ';we wil rock you'; but when you are trying to sleep at Binions and they are blasting that song at 145 AM and it sounds like there are speakers in your room, you learn to hate it.

database

White Tigers at Mirage

We were in Vegas last week and walked over to pick up our tickets for LOVE. We used the entrance that we always use to go in and the Tiger Area that we always stopped to look at was boarded up. Just wondering when this happened and if they moved them out to the Secret Gardens. I can%26#39;t remember if we went there last March to see them or if it was the March before. By the way, LOVE was really worth seeing, and we also took the helicopter down the strip at night. It was really cool!

White Tigers at Mirage

There are indeed white tigers out in the Secret Garden area. I know the ';free'; area where you used to be able to watch them has been boarded up for a few months now.

Glad you liked LOVE...it is a great show!! Sounds like a fun trip!

White Tigers at Mirage

White Tigers area was closed to make way for another Burger Bar that would OFFER-- FAKE KOBE BEEF BURGERS AT A VERY HIGH PRICE. Same as Burger Bar at Mandalay Bay, that offers FAKE KOBE BEEF.

They use the same type of cow meat, BUT it aint KOBE BEEF.

If its still boarded up, lets hope the bogus deal fell apart.

Would be better to have an IN // OUT Burger joint there

.

It%26#39;s a shame. Last June that Tiger in the front put on one of the funniest free shows I%26#39;ve seen in Vegas!

I am glad it is not genuine Kobe, but instead

the same, only different.

I would rather get similar at 1/3rd the price with the fake Kobe

The only thing SIMILAR is the name of the Breed of the cow.

I could feed you Brangus Bull and you could not tell the difference between it and the fake KOBE.

Lowrance,

Did it involve the tiger doing a little dance in the water and then p**ping (in the water)? %26#39;Cuz that%26#39;s the ';funny show'; I saw there in September.

I know the tigers only ';visit'; that room, but sometimes they are SO bored.

Majong,

The Mirage website does mention that area (and the volcano) being closed for renovations. I saw it on the site after someone first mentioned it on here. I was hoping that they were going to replace that non-moving ';moving sidewalk'; outside that entrance at the same time.

lol Mailgirl, I think we saw the same show!

hum..looks like that tiger is playing you guys.. I saw that same show back in July of 2001 lol I have photos somewhere, but they are on that old fashioned photography paper, not this new aged digital style haha

low stakes Poker tournaments

low stakes Poker tournaments - are they all over. How do you register. What is buy in.

low stakes Poker tournaments

http://www.allvegaspoker.com/

Virtually all the info you%26#39;re looking for is here. Registering is easy enough - just show up in reasonable time for the start and you%26#39;ll be fine.

low stakes Poker tournaments

Are you referring to tournaments with pros or amateaurs?

If the latter IP and Orleans have them.

amateur...

As somebody already mentioned visit:

www.allvegaspoker.com

Just click on a casino to see their tournaments and all the information you need to know about them.

Piece of advice: Try to stay away from the ones with the cheapest buyins. They tend to be super turbos and just a huge all-in fest where there is a lot more luck involved than skill. Read the information for the blinds structures before you decide to play a tournament.

Registration is easy. Just show up to the poker room shortly before the tournaments starts and sign up at the entrance to the room.

VooDoo Lounge

I downloaded V.I.P passes for the VooDoo Lounge on a Sunday in June can anyone tell me about the club on Sundays? Also what is the dresscode?

VooDoo Lounge

the voodoo lounge is boss the view from the roofbar%26amp;terrace of the strip is fab just nice casual will do

VooDoo Lounge

the voodoo lounge is boss the view from the roofbar%26amp;terrace of the strip is fab just nice casual will do oh sunday is just normal

Nice casual means no jeans, t-shirts, I presume?

you will see a lot of designer jeans.

We were there in September and I had Khaki shorts and a golf shirt on.

How is the place on Sundays?

Sunday nights are my favorite! Not overly crowded...just perfect!

Thanks BLUESILVER, exactly what I%26#39;m looking for!!

You%26#39;re welcome! As for dresscode, they say no white t-shirts, shorts, tennis shoes or open-toe sandals. Jeans are fine as long as they aren%26#39;t torn or baggy. It all depends on the person at the door %26amp; how busy it is if they enforce the rules.

QUESTION: Where do I download the passes from? I can%26#39;t find the right ';spot'; on their website! (I%26#39;m at Rio%26#39;s website right now...)

applying makeup

Best seats to see the ';Jubilee'; show at Ballys

We%26#39;re arriving in Vegas in August from Australia and want to see the %26#39;Jubilee%26#39; show at Ballys Hotel.

There are only 2 of us. Any suggestions/recommendations on the best seats to purchase would be appreciated.

Best seats to see the ';Jubilee'; show at Ballys

In the middle is where it would be best...for me anyway. There%26#39;s so much glitz to see and it%26#39;s all around you so if you%26#39;re up too close it can be overwhelming.

Best seats to see the ';Jubilee'; show at Ballys

Yeah I agree, dont get seats in the front. We sat in the front row of the back section and I was perfect. They do a lot of things on the side and actually right above you, even were we sat. Its an AWESOME show. Even my husband was impressed who is not into that sort of thing at all. Im sure the boobs helped out there, lol.

Have fun, you%26#39;ll love this show!!

Do not sit up front where the table/chairs and booths are! That%26#39;s too close. Sit in the middle section of C close to the front of it. We%26#39;ve seen the show twice and loved it. It%26#39;s hard to get the front row of that section since it%26#39;s usually saved for the high rollers and whoever else they deem important.

asks for advice

Entertaining Clients (25-30 of them) near PepperMill Reno

I will be there the first week of June 08 with about 25-30 clients and am looking for something fun to do near the Peppermill. These are probably mostly 25-35 year old people. Fun places to play and/or fun places to eat. We could always just book a room and meal at the Peppermill but trying for something different. This would be at night as there are meetings all day.

Entertaining Clients (25-30 of them) near PepperMill Reno

Wow...that%26#39;s a tough one! There really isn%26#39;t anything near the Peppermill-it%26#39;s kind of by itself along Virginia Street, away from downtown. One suggestion through the hotel would be to book a golf package (check the website for more info-peppermillreno.com).

Alternatively, there are a few companies that do tours for large groups that range from motorcycle rentals to airplane tours to trips up to Virginia City. Try checking out sierraescapades.com, renotours.net, or grandsierraresort.com (I know you%26#39;re not staying at Grand Sierra, but they might offer the tours for non guests?).

Best of luck!

Entertaining Clients (25-30 of them) near PepperMill Reno

Oh...just noticed you said nighttime only due to meetings during the day...

I believe some of the mentioned companies offer sunset airplane tours?

Have you contacted the Peppermill already for info or suggestions?

Best place for slots & VP

We have been to laughlin many times. Seems like to more friendly slots move around.

We will be in laughlin in early May.

Any suggestions were those friendly slots might be residing now?

Thanks...

Nick

Best place for slots %26amp; VP

i only play certain machines because of the payoff involved......the new wheel of fortune penny machines at edgewater 1.00 a pull. Diamond line 7 machines .60 a pull. triple luckly 7....9 line times .10 a line. Wizzard of oz buck a pull. Old wheel of fortune penny machines at the entrance to colorado belle.2.25 a pull....9 lines times .25. Palace of riches .90 a pull. If i do hit one of these the payout is decent not 4.00.or 5.00.and also any 3 line spin poker machine as much bet as i can afford lol....which is not alot these days.....My stradegy is i only usually have 20 or 30 bucks to play but i play near max or alway more than the minimum. If i get lucky i will have 50 to 100 or more to keep playing on if i want to.. if not theres another day.

Palms Tables

I%26#39;m booked to stay at the Palms in July. What are the table minimums here mid-week? Its been a few years since I%26#39;ve been in this casino. I%26#39;m not expecting there to be any $5 tables. Any $10 or $15?

Thanks

22

Palms Tables

bump

Palms Tables

You probably will find $5 tables in the daytime. Palms is party central at night but the casino hasn%26#39;t been that busy during the day on the couple of times I%26#39;ve been there. You should find $10 in the evenings mid-week.

Us Airways read this

I just logged onto this site to look at summer fares and to check my trip, my Thanksgiving flight home was cancelled, they are making my leave home 3 and 1/2 hours early from LV,I swear I can not stand this airline, this might be enough to make my fly the ';cattle call '; airlines known as SW.

Flying from OC CA to LV I am very limited with non stop cheap prices.

Anybody with flights planned may want to check on their flight times.

Us Airways read this

flight skd changes are not unique to USA or any other airline - it happens all the time. No skd stays the same, as many posters here have reported. All airlines, including SW chnage skd at some point - and those pax with res obviously are reskd. A fact of airline travel - always has been and always will be.

since this is for november travel you hadn%26#39;t been notified yet - and who knows, may change again. keep checking - and check up until time to leave for the airport, in case of last minute delays.

anybody with flight plans should always check res - has always been the thing to do. At least with computers and technology it%26#39;s easy to get the info - decades ago you only had phone calls, and we didn%26#39;t have cell phones, answering machines, computers, automated info lines - and we still have enough sense to check travel plans.

Us Airways read this

Have two trips booked already and just checked them after reading this and nothing has changed. One in July and one in Nov.

Sher

I know flight times change but if I wanted to leave ast noon I would have booked that time, but will keep checking times, I just about have a heart attack when I get a email notifying me of flight change.

TIA if the flight they put you on is not to your liking then call them and they will put you on any flight that day or the day before or after. This happened with my Feb trip and my sister and friends started with the 9pm direct from Detroit (which was cancelled) they put them on a 5pm connect and they called and got put on the 7am direct at no charge. this was an outgoing flight to Vegas. When I have had this happen with USAir, NorthWorst aka Delta and Spirit, if the change is more then one hour they have to put you on the flight of your choice, even if it is the next day.

';if the change is more then one hour they have to put you on the flight of your choice, even if it is the next day.';

They ';have'; to? Probably not, check the conditions of your ticket. But often the agent will do what they can...

Flight reschedules happen, every airline, anyhere, especially if you book far in advance like the OP. It%26#39;s the down side of getting those cheaper advance fares. Not that they%26#39;re so cheap any more lol.

I have a flight coming up in June, had a schedule change and called the airline, they cleared up the itinerary and 2 days later I had ANOTHER one and had to call them again. It%26#39;s all part %26#39;o the game...

Each month since booking the June trip, I get email re some flight change...usually a few minutes. It seems it%26#39;s happening more this year than previous years. Anyway, it%26#39;s no biggie as long as reservations for shows etc are not messed up. I just roll with the punches and save myself an ulcer.

wow. i%26#39;ve never had this happen to me. i fly mostly sw- LOVE them. i flew us airways twice. the last time i flew them i had the worst air travel experience ever. and then, walking through the gates, every other desk had an irate passenger screaming at agents, seriously. i thought, never again. and i never have.

a lot of people point their noses down at sw. i could go on and on about why sw is way better than any other domestic airline. assigned seating is overrated. its all about customer service and sw is tops in that category.

';a lot of people point their noses down at sw. i could go on and on about why sw is way better than any other domestic airline.';

Let%26#39;s start with their first class section and their international service. How does SW comnpare with the other domestic airines for that? :)

a heart attack over a few hour skd change on a short trip to LV? Chill TIA - life throws us curve balls, save the heart attacks for important stuff.

ALL AIRLINES change skd - even SW, none ever stays the same.

well, by ';domestic'; i exclude international. i know anyone looking for first class is going to point their noses down...

Restaurant.com

I got an email today that they have a promo, $25 certificate for $5 and a free $10 code TASTE. I am planning on ordering for Hennessey%26#39;s downtown. Any other suggestions for the Fremont St area? Can you use more than one at a time? I have never used these before.

Restaurant.com

';Limit one (1) gift certificate per redemption. Only one gift certificate can be used per party, even if the party is seated at separate tables and/or receives more than one check.';

From their terms and conditions.

Restaurant.com

LOL and how would they know this? So, what if you strike up a conversation with folks at the next table, and the waiter ';thinks'; you know each other, and you both had certificates...what a strange rule.

Ate at Mickey Finnz last month. Food was good. In fact ordered one for there for October trip and took the free one for Ocean 1 for breakfast. 3 nights downtown, 2 nights on the strip.

Warmwinds, I guess that rule applies to a large party that arrives together but has to be seated at more than one table. You%26#39;re right in that if you made a deliberate effort to bend the rules then there%26#39;s no way that the restaurant would realize.

What other restaurants are available in the Fremont St. area?

I just bought my certificates about five minutes ago, actually! I would search by putting in the zip code for Fremont Street and looking within, say, one mile. Then if you find a restaurant that looks good, click on ';map'; toward the top of the page (by the photo) to see exactly where it is.

Just did four weeks ago exactly what you are planning to do. Bought the Hennessay%26#39;s coupon and used it. It was OK, but the beer was better than the food. Food mediocre. We liked our five buck Restaurant.com coupon for Blondie%26#39;s a lot better, but Blondie%26#39;s is in the shops at Planet Hollywood Casino. If you get out of downtown to the strip, Blondie%26#39;s is pretty darn good and planet Hollywood Casino is very cool and worth seeing.

applying makeup

conditions and marriage

which shows are worth seeing?

We are heading to vegas next weekend, april 26 for 3 nights and we would like to see 2 shows. Like most people these days, we are on a budget. It was hilarious because one night we were writing down the ones we wanted to see and it came to 17. We dont want to spend it all on one show, if you know what I mean. ( cirque 160.ooooooooooooo!!!!!! ) Thinking about jersey boys, the russian skaters on ice, menopause, blue man group. phantom of the opera, etc etc. Any ideas or recommendations would be appreciated.

which shows are worth seeing?

Seems a tad late to plan the show, but on the other hand, you COULD just wait till you get there and see if any of your 17 choices are at one of the half price ticket booths.

I got Menopause the Musical for half price at the Fashion Show Mall half price (or tix for tonight) booth and thought it was a lot of fun.

Phantom and Blue Man Group are still pretty expensive. I personally kinda like Jubilee for my first Vegas show.

which shows are worth seeing?

Can only comment on what I seen. 2 adults, 2 teens aged 15 %26amp; 17. We Loved ';LOVE';,(($109) Spamalot was also excellent and cheaper,( $75) cheerful and a pleasant diversion from the sun was Dirk Arthur!!!! We only went to Dirk as some friends said it was good. It was a cheap and pleasant hour out! 拢80 for four of us!!! :-)

LOVE, while maybe out of your price range, is a not-to-miss experience - simply mindblowing! Mystere is the least expensive Cirque show, but the most authentic and still very amazing. Blue Man Group is also extremely fun! There are some places to find discount tickets day-of, so check with your concierge for that info (or maybe others on the board have more details about that, I%26#39;ve never done the discount tix before). Have a great trip!

My top 3 favorites are: LOVE, Spamalot, Mama Mia

The 3 worst shows: Jubilee, Danny Gans, Mystere

(I know others will disagree)

We plan on Jersey Boys, Cher and Le Reve next month.

For discounts on shows try Travelzoo and www.goldstar.com. They currently have discounts on Spamalot, Le Reve, Ka, Phantom and others.

We loved Mystere!

try to see LOVE if you can,

and then try to have drinks for an hour at ';Lake of Dreams'; bar at Wynn - awesome light show at night ever 30 min.

-----

Lake of Dreams

Wynn Las Vegas is constructed so that visitors must enter the building to view the free attractions. The main attraction is a large, curtain waterfall behind a mountain that faces the strip. The waterfall falls into a 3 acre (12,000 m虏) lake. Both the waterfall and lake have images displayed on them to produce a show called ';Lake of Dreams';. This show starts on the hour beginning in the afternoon. When the show is inactive, the waterfall creates an animated color sequence on the screen.

The show can be viewed from the Parasol Up (a bar and viewing area), and can be viewed through a glass window with no audio. Or, the show can be viewed from Parasol Down, with a larger view. Visitors can go to the platform at the Parasol Down bar to view the show with full-volume audio. Those dining at SW Steakhouse or Daniel Boulud Brasserie may also have a full view of the show while dining. Children under 18 are prohibited from going to Parasol Down.

Thanks guys for responding. I appreciate your time.!!!

http://shows.travelzoo.com/las-vegas-shows/

orcestra seats for Mama Mai for 50.00 plus tax,

I am 42 and I love musicals, I loved Mama Mia, I am seeing it again 05/24.

Got tickets to Jersey boys, balcony seats 70.00 after tax.

Have seen Blue Man in Chicago - good show with some audience participation - Saw Jersey Boys on Broadway and Chicago it is a GREAT show - especially if you grew up with the Four Seasons! I would recommend Jersey Boys over all of the other ';Broadway'; type shows (have seen them all in either NYC or Chicago)

AC/Vegas Customer Survey Comparison

From yesterday%26#39;s Press of AC...an interesting study....

Atlantic City tops Vegas in hospitality, satisfaction service

By KEVIN POST

Published: Thursday, April 17, 2008

Atlantic City has won a stunning upset over longtime rival Las Vegas in a competition crucial to each.

Under the headline ';Atlantic City trumps Las Vegas for customer satisfaction and value,'; Market Metrix last week announced the results of its latest Hospitality Index survey.

In every category - from value for price to sophistication and pampering - New Jersey%26#39;s nearly 30-year-old gaming market outperformed its 77-year-old rival in Nevada.

';Compared to the Las Vegas Strip, Atlantic City guests are more satisfied with their hotel and casino experience,'; said the survey, published in Hotel %26amp; Motel Management magazine.

A convincing 78 percent of Atlantic City visitors were ';very likely to recommend'; the resort to others, but just 59 percent of Las Vegas visitors were as likely to do so, according to San Rafael, Calif.-based Market Metrix.

Jonathan Barsky, CEO of Market Metrix, had one word to describe that difference: ';Wow.';

';It was really surprising to us to see the performance ... to see Las Vegas, the king of gambling and entertainment, get beaten by Atlantic City,'; he said.

Market Metrix surveys 35,000 travelers per quarter, and about 10,000 of those were in the two gaming markets, Barsky said, a huge sample size.

This was the first time the company pulled out figures for a separate Casino Index of customer satisfaction, he said. ';Going forward, we%26#39;re developing a much more detailed and more frequent index for casinos, so we%26#39;ll be able to monitor these scores over time.';

Reaction to the survey depended on location.

';It%26#39;s a coup for Atlantic City,'; said Larry Mullin, president of the Borgata Hotel, Casino and Spa. ';The town should be proud.';

';This is great news,'; said Robert McDevitt, president of Local 54 of UNITE-HERE, the largest casino union.

';It%26#39;s gratifying to be recognized for providing a quality customer experience,'; Jeffrey Vasser, executive director of the Atlantic City Convention %26amp; Visitors Authority, said in a statement.

Erika Pope, senior manager with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said its researchers weren%26#39;t familiar enough with Market Metrix and its survey methods to comment on the results.

';We produce our own annual visitor profile study, and in two decades, our results, such as they are, continue to indicate year after year that our visitors are overwhelmingly happy with their experience here and would, if asked, recommend Las Vegas to friends, neighbors, relatives and such,'; Pope said.

Mullin - whose company, Boyd Gaming, operates in both markets and uses Market Metrix research to optimize its operations - said the relative ease of traveling to Atlantic City is an advantage that might be showing up in the survey.

More importantly, he said, new development is transforming the city and the experience for visitors.

';It%26#39;s part of a story that will get much clearer as we develop our second hotel, the Water Club, and as MGM Mirage and others come into this market,'; Mullin said. ';As the town matures, I think the future looks bright.';

McDevitt, who started out as a casino waiter and bartender, said he has always been resentful of people saying, ';It%26#39;s so much better somewhere else.';

The survey made him ';really happy.';

Barsky said the independent survey is the largest of its kind ';as far as we know.';

AC/Vegas Customer Survey Comparison

Hmmm...Plastic cups of beer (A/C) vs. bottles of Corona (Vegas). That%26#39;s a tough one.

The real question is how many of the AC customers have also been to Vegas. Having been in both markets, it%26#39;s not even close. I live 1.5 hours (driving) away from AC and have been to Vegas 7 times in the last 3 years. Only once to AC.

AC/Vegas Customer Survey Comparison

As a visitor from Europe who has been to both...I liked Atlantic City more than I expected to,,,and I have to say the best buffet I ever had was in the Borgata.

However having been there, I wouldn%26#39;t bother again, and am just about to leave for my 9th visit to Vegas.

Travel times:

London-NY-AC about 10 hours

London-NY-LV about 19 hours

Nuff said

This is not surprising to me. I would think AC has to try much harder than Vegas to attract customers and keep them coming back.

I have to agree with everyone here. I myself live about an hour from A/C. I have been to Vegas more in the last 5 years then A/C. In my opinion it is two different worlds.. remember the casinos (most of them) are located on a boardwald with the Atlantic Ocean right there which is so cool and Vegas will never have that. That being said Vegas is still got em beat hands down. You should def experience gambling by the ocean in New Jersey ..maybe once but then it back to Vegas Baby!

Good Luck!

I live within a few hour%26#39;s drive to AC %26amp; the 1st time I was there was after already going to Vegas, but it is really very different. We had a good time, but it just doesn%26#39;t compare with the ';Wow'; factor of Vegas. There%26#39;s no way I could stay in AC for more than 3 nights %26amp; I always want to stay in Vegas for more than 5 nights!

Been going to AC since 1977, 8 to 10 times a year. During that period we have visited Vegas maybe 30 times. As mentioned earlier, most people make a day trip or an overnighter to AC. There is nothing to keep you there but gambling. Fine meals can be had and comps for the average player are probably better in AC. But very few people (that I know) make AC a vacation destination.

The Borgata is our AC destination and it compares favorably to the top Vegas casino hotels. But the rest of the AC properties don%26#39;t thrill us. Nobody does it all like Vegas. But they better watch their rear, because 3 Card Poker odds are much better in AC. And I don%26#39;t know of any AC casino that uses the 6/5 BJ rules, though many do hit soft 17.

Vegas still wins hands down for the overall experience in my book.

bally's - Do they still have airport check in?

a friends told me it is gone now...really hoping it is still there..very convenient

bally's - Do they still have airport check in?

The only hotel with airport checkin is MGM Grand.

bally's - Do they still have airport check in?

Jen...?

Mirage airport check n?

Never have used airport check-in so I don`t know if there is one! Is it Harrah`s properties or MGM or both? Are they any better to use or should I just wait and use the hotel check-in?

Mirage airport check n?

No airport check-in for Mirage.

Airport check-in for Harrah%26#39;s properties is currently unavailable. The only hotel offering this option right now is MGM Grand.

Vegas bad dream!

I woke up this morning in a cold sweat. I guess I am really thinking too much about my Vegas trip. I%26#39;ve heard that if you tell your dream it won%26#39;t come true so...here it goes!

My dream started at one of those strip malls. I was walking around thinking ';I know there is something I%26#39;m forgetting to do';. I bought some stuff and went home. In my dream I fast forwarded to the next day. I woke up, looked at the clock, and my flight is scheduled to leave in ONE HOUR. I was in a panic. I called my friend, she was still sleeping. She said she%26#39;d drive herself to the airport and I%26#39;d get a ride. I wasn%26#39;t packed. I threw stuff in a suitcase and got dressed. OMG - that is what I was supposed to do - get a pedicure! Bare tootsies. Can%26#39;t wear sandals!!! Too late now, grabbed a bottle of polish and off I went.

Now I%26#39;m getting a ride to the airport, which is by my dad, the world%26#39;s slowest driver. Why not my husband??? Who knows!!! I tell him - pull over - I%26#39;ll drive. I drive like crazy and get there. Jump out of the car and rush into the airport. I find my friend and we get in line. I don%26#39;t have my boarding pass, my email confirmations for our car, room or ';O'; - nothing! I%26#39;m calling my husband trying to get him to print the stuff and get it to the airport. He can%26#39;t figure it out. Look at the clock. Flight leaving in 15 minutes. OMG. Get through ticketing. Run to security line. I start going through my purse and I have a steak knife, the large knife I use to cut bread, a cork screw....why...WHY??? I%26#39;m frantically throwing stuff out and I am next. Finally get through there, onto the people mover to the air side of the terminal. My friend yells RUN and then...........I wake up!!!

I really need to get away, LOL!!! Is it Friday yet? I%26#39;m setting 2 alarm clocks and my cell phone alarm.

Anyone else have crazy dreams about Vegas before they go?

Vegas bad dream!

Lmaooooooooooooo!!!!!

You seriously need some pills for that!

Too funny!

Vegas bad dream!

LOL, that is just too much. I actually have dreams like that everytime I have a flight that leaves earlier than noon. The night before is horrible and I am better off not sleeping at all.

lol- very amusing! well written =D

Actually, what you need is a drink!!

At least you weren%26#39;t naked, too.

15-

I know you, you%26#39;ll be there at the airport with bells on REALLY EARLY. Have a great trip and relax. Enjoy the shows and win some $$$$.

Deb

You%26#39;ll be fine, just don%26#39;t forget your purse when you leave to go to the airport! LOL ;-) Have a great time in Vegas!

You need this trip bad.

LOL! Set two alarms in case one fails, double check for money, credit cards, and ID. Anything you forget you can get in LV, including a pedicure.

I hope you have a great trip and in this case NOT a dream come true. :-%26gt;

Thanks everyone. Yes, I will be at the airport really, really early, and I will have many alarms set. I do need this trip, bad!!! I also need a drink, but not now. I should be cleaning the house, and getting stuff ready since this I work all week, but of course, I went to soccer and now I%26#39;m back on here. Thanks for the nice comments. I really can%26#39;t wait! :)

cs files

suites at Bill`s

Hello.

Is there anyone here with experience from the suites at Bill`s? Is is it worth $1500 for 6 nights?

suites at Bill`s

That seems high. Is it a busy week that you%26#39;re going?

suites at Bill`s

We are going october 9th. Should we cancel and book this room closer to arrival?

Why would you cancel it? You have 48 hours before your trip to cancel. Sometimes I have 4 different rooms booked in Vegas for the same night.

Sounds like you are at the rack rate this far off. The price will likely come down. Just keep it and watch the rates as the date approaches.

I stayed in a suite at Bill%26#39;s in November. I absolutely loved it. It almost has a high-end cabin feel to it, so keep that in mind. Do not expect glitzy decor. Gigantic bathroom with a huge spa tub smack in the middle.

Does anyone know the differense between the suites with just a spa tub and the ones with a plasma and a spa tub? The price was about $100 more pr.night? How big are the suites?

applying makeup

circus circus

Stayed at Manor twice a few years ago. It%26#39;s okay with my style, which always looks for cheap room as long as it%26#39;s clean and quiet. I%26#39;m not a spoiled Vegas lovers, easy going, lol

circus circus

the rooms are ok the location is poor as are the clientele and the casino is smoky and feels dirty and dated

Bottle service banned in Boston

Slightly off topic, but since we have had many discussions about bottle service in LV nightclubs, I thought people might be interested to learn that the city of Boston is banning the practice:

bostonherald.com/news/…

Bottle service banned in Boston

Yeah NYC is thinking of banning it too. People getting too drunk or something....I hope they don%26#39;t, and so do the clubs. Last year my birthday was so fun , three bottles at this great club. If I had to pay per glass for the same amount of booze, it would have been $$$$

Bottle service banned in Boston

I think they should ban it in LV too. for multiple reasons. Its akin to extortion, if you want a seat, you pay big money and need to tip multiple persons.

Maybe the IRS looking into Pure will cause some changes. I think the lack of seating is simply a way to reduce the square footage for clubs in casinos. Square footage that does not produce income 24 hours a day, like seating at Vp bars or slot machines.

Thanks for this update stratton. Luckily for me, this is a non-existent issue at any establishment with the name ';Sullivan%26#39;s'; in the title!

But it%26#39;s a DANCE club, not a lounge, if you had more seats there would be no dancing, and it might as well just be a lounge. No seats!!!! Dance, dance!

';Pokaski said the practice violates so-called “happy hour” laws that ban serving more than two drinks at a time to a patron.';

That%26#39;s the first thing I thought of before I even clicked on the link, that Massachusetts had banned happy hour type promotions years ago after a series of drunk driving accidents, and bottle service would definitely not be something they%26#39;d encourage.

I just can%26#39;t see paying that price for seating and a couple of bottles... I agree with extortion.

On a seperate note... was it Stratton or Foxy who buried Ortiz%26#39;s shirt at the new Yankee stadium? LOL

And did you bury anything they%26#39;ve missed? =)

I%26#39;d tell you but then I%26#39;d have to . . . :)

Slight hijack, but they don%26#39;t have Happy Hour in North Carolina either(I almost left the state when I found out!!). I think the logic is that they don%26#39;t want to encourage people to drink alot of cheaper drinks within a set time frame and then drive home. I can%26#39;t , for the life of me, remember what they called it instead of Happy Hour, but they called it something.

Heard about this early this morning on the news... thought about posting it too Strat!

I think the whole bottle service concept is sort of lame... it%26#39;s just an attempt to make the clubs sort of ';elite'; which I kind of feel is wrong. $300 for a bottle of sub-par vodka is not how I want to spend $300. People on vacation shouldn%26#39;t have to be turned away or not be able to sit down once all night because they don%26#39;t have the $ to spend on bottle service. What if you want to go to the club, but you don%26#39;t drink or only want one?

They won%26#39;t ban it in Vegas, simply because a lot of people aren%26#39;t driving to and from the clubs... they%26#39;re walking or taking public transportation.

I can see why they%26#39;d ban it in Boston, but I think the way Vegas is heading it%26#39;s just going to get worse.

';Banned in Boston'; - how funny. Haven%26#39;t heard that in ages. That used to be the proud mantra of every risque book or show.

I%26#39;ve always thought that it was ridiculous to expect 2 people to drink a whole bottle of gin or whatever in one night (just how many drinks is that?), so why not have ';half bottle'; service for 2?

Help..HET points expiring 05/06/08-Canuks?

Have too many points to let go and can%26#39;t get back before the deadline the email just advised a few moments ago will expire....only need to get one credit to maintain....any canuks on their way that would be willing to use my card and money to save the points? Willmake the whole procedure as painless as possible...

Help..HET points expiring 05/06/08-Canuks?

Have you thought about getting a Total Rewards Visa card? I have one since I am not always available to get to a Harrah%26#39;s property before my points expire. Also, when I opened my account, I was given a 2,500 extra points.

Help..HET points expiring 05/06/08-Canuks?

good advice...I%26#39;m going to look into that and hopefully avoid this situation in future...

I believe that the card is only open to residents of the u.s. Goin%26#39; on wed night so card probably won%26#39;t make it here on time.

I asked a similar question regarding expiring RC%26#39;s a few days ago and my post was removed!!, I too have quite a few $$%26#39;s in my account and would like to send my TR card with a friend so that they don%26#39;t expire and be used for a future trip. I did enquire and the TR Credit card is not available to Canadian residents.

I am going May 9 and would be happy to upgrade your card but it looks like it would be a little late.

Sorry I can%26#39;t be of more help.

Look at the May Thread and see if anyone would play your card for you.

There has to be people out there that would be willing to keep your points alive. I know that it is not that easy in Canada as compared to the States as to the points.

sarvansc - I sent you a message. Let me know if I can be of help.

Ring Harrah%26#39;s reservations and try to get them to connect you to the Total Rewards staff.

If you can connect with them, tell them you had planned on making reservations, but will be there next month, and could they swipe the card for you.

(actually done on the computer).

Worked for me.

One idea here, though.

Don%26#39;t bother saving your points.

Use them up as you go along.

Funny though. If you can have a friend use your card on a penny slot machine you get an extra six months on your comps.

But, if not, you lose it all.

Of course, the whole idea is to make you come back and play some more. Marketing genius%26#39;s.

shuttle from Las Vegas to Ontario,CA airport

Hi, Is there a shuttle or bus service from Las Vegas to Ontario,CA airport? If not, which car rental company offer the best price to pick up in Vegas and leave at Ontario airport.Thanks

shuttle from Las Vegas to Ontario,CA airport

There aren%26#39;t shuttles to get from Vegas to the Ontario airport, best way to get there is to fly on Southwest airlines between the two. It would be much cheaper than renting a car.

shuttle from Las Vegas to Ontario,CA airport

You can try Lux Bus America Co...

They have a single afternoon scheduled trip from LV to Ontario from 3:30 to 7:30. Not sure where you end up in Ontario, or if they would make an airpoert stop, but they would probably drop at the nearby Marriott.

See:

luxbusamerica.com/bus-schedule-pricing.php鈥?/a>

It would certainly be cheaper than renting a car, unless you could work out a deal with Budget, which has a main depot in Ontario and is always having to shuttle cars back and forth with Vegas (I have been given a free upgrade and no drop off fee a couple of times)...just make sure to talk to that location directly (or the Las Vegas facility) and not to the national sales desk.

Overall, flying may turn out to be less stressful, less time-consuming and circa the same cost, considering Southwest regularly offers webfares of about $59.

Hi to all, I forgot to mention we%26#39;re 6 adults and the lowest i saw for airplane fare is 80+us. Can you include the website where i can a lower rate? Is it still more practical to ride the plane.

www.southwest.com

If renting a car, since you will be picking up and dropping it off at two different locations, you will be charged a drop off fee and sometimes these can be expensive.

Car rental compaines to research are Avis, Hertz, Budget, Alamo, Enterprise, Dollar. Also check on www.hotwire.com

lock file

Leaving in 10 hours...

Will do my best to post a TR when I get back.

Leaving in 10 hours...

Have a great time!

Lounge to Listen to the ';Oldies';

Where on the strip is there a lounge that plays the good old rock n roll tunes for us 50 somethings?

Thanks

Lounge to Listen to the ';Oldies';

Amazingly enough, especially considering the large amount of disposable income available to this group, there isn%26#39;t that much.

Of course there%26#39;s some Elvis. The best being Big Elvis who performs in the lounge at Bills weekday afternoons.

Then there%26#39;s the Beatles, with LOVE at Mirage, and thier music played in the Revolution Bar. Also, go to the 1/2 price booth and pick up tickets to Fab Four (now at Sahara). This is an absolute must if you haven%26#39;t seen them before. I promise you will be transported back to the 60%26#39;s.

And now there is The Jersey Boys at Palazzo.

After that it depends on the exact musical era, and pickings are somewhat slim. Cher will be starting at Caesars soon. If you%26#39;re a little younger Mama Mia (Abba) is still at Mandalay Bay and Barry Manilow at Hilton. If a little older, I think the Platters, Coasters and Drifters still have a show (Sahara?).

There used to be a pretty good Motown group in the lounge at Bally%26#39;s, don%26#39;t know if there still there.

I hope that others will be able to add to this list, and maybe I can find a few new ';Oldies';.

Lounge to Listen to the ';Oldies';

I think you%26#39;d have to rent a Mustang drop-top, get a

six-pak and tune the Sirius radio to channel 5 or 6.

That%26#39;s just me of course.

Whoa, whoa, whoa! What about the Platters, Spinners and Coasters at the Sahara??? I think that qualifies.

If you are looking for a lounge act rather than a show try Bally%26#39;s for a great motown group with tunes from the 60%26#39;s and 70%26#39;s. If you want to dance try Poly Ester%26#39;s at the Strat.

Instead of paying $39 to see the Platters show at the Sahara...

Or even their solid Beatles revue (';Fab Four Mania';), for $49.

Just go the Casbar Lounge off the Sahara casino floor for a more varied 60s %26amp; 70s show for free (although they seem to go back and forth over time regarding a two-drink minimum).

The place really rocks with a more ';mature'; crowd than the ultra-clubs; consistently offering a great time. Classic rock, funk, Motown, pop, blues; all the favorites along with some more obscure and an occasional original in the oldies style. Usually lots of dancing till the wee hours.

See the website at:

www.saharavegas.com/shows/casbar-lounge/

Been many times, and they all have been good ones.

Someone recently did a TR where they mentioned an oldies group in a no-cover lounge in the Venetian.

applying makeup

Changing assingned seats on rebooked flight

Delta has had 4 changes since I booked in January.

I check the flights every day now and see that the flight from Cincinnati to Las Vegas has several seats 12 rows up and in front of the wings.

My question is...

Is there a charge for changing seats? It appears I can do this online, but don%26#39;t want to add anymore to my flight cost.

Benny

Changing assingned seats on rebooked flight

No.

But don%26#39;t give them any ideas. :)

Changing assingned seats on rebooked flight

No, they don%26#39;t charge. They changed the planes (767 to 757 %26amp; MD88 to 737) for both legs of my return flights in June that I booked in Feb, and I got moved from row 15 on both flights back to rows 35 and 27. My friend and I also got separated. I noticed this immediately and tried to change my seats, but the feature was not working until earlier this week! We did get to get seats together again, but we are still stuck in the back of the plane.

There could be a charge. Those seats may be classed differently than the one you bought and may provide another inch of legroom or something like that. There is no reason not to try to change it online since it won%26#39;t let you complete the change if there is a different cost.

';There could be a charge.';

No, there will not be. She specifically mentioned Delta airlines, they will not charge to change your seat assignment.

It goes without saying (I hope!) that she was not trying to change her seat to First class, but rather within the coach cabin. If you%26#39;re holding a coach seat, the seat map on Delta wil not even display the First cabin when you check your itinerary.

Thank you all. That is what I wanted to hear.

DD and I are separated on the little leg and were put in the back on the CVG to LAS leg. I can never sleep and would love to be in front of the wing to take pics.

They must have had a small group cancel 10 seats out of the front of coach.

I will try and hope it goes through.

Benny

I didn%26#39;t mean to suggest that there was a charge for simply changing seats. I thought I was clear that changing seat class could result in a fee. With the rapidly changing distinctions to jack up fees, it is not always clear if an open seat is the same class as the one you bought when you are looking the seat selection chart. I apologize if I misled anyone.

Leo, I was told at work that several people were charged to change seats. That is why I asked.

I just went to my itinerary and it let me put in the change, but my new itinerary is the same as the old.

I don%26#39;t think I am supposed to mess with it so I won%26#39;t.

I will be infinitely happy if they don%26#39;t cancel any more of my flights. I am flying out of a small airport and Delta canceled all of the flights over 500 miles out of State College PA. This took them down to 1 flight a day that would link to CVG and none to Atlanta.

I just want to get to the MEGA.

Benny

I frequently change seats in coach for free. Once I ended up with a window seat in a full plane when I prefer an aisle seat. I checked just about every day for two months hoping one would open up. Eventually one seat did and I immediately changed. Seats are released all the time right up until the day of departure. So- if you don%26#39;t like your seat- keep checking.

Now some airlines...United comes to mind...have configured their coach seats up the front to have more leg room (';Economy Plus';), and yes you will pay more for those. But I%26#39;ve never heard of having to pay more on any airline to make a lateral change.

I would question it too - but you would be able to tell when you pull up your seats online. I always fly NWA and the rows in front of the wings have a ';P'; or ';E'; on them. They are for preferred (Elite) or Exit rows and both can have a cost ($15-30 on NWA) if you select them on your own. I do not know if Delta has that provision or not.

My advice is to try, if it does not work, then get to the airport early and be one of the first to the counter. Be nice and always say Hello, ';agent name';. It seems calling them by name gives it a more personal touch and will get you better service much of the time.

Lyle

Go Joe

Anybody see the fight, not seen the hilights yet but hear mixed views about the result, some think it should have been a Hopkins win but no matter Calzaghie proudly flying the flag for Britain.

Go Joe

My husband watched the whole thing, agreed with the final results. He thinks there will be a rematch down the road.

Go Joe

Listened to it on the radio at work Holgater. General consensus of the opinion is that Joe was somewhat fortunate to get the decision.

Rumours of 8,000 Brits over for the fight and the atmosphere sounded terrific. I can%26#39;t picture Vegas with that many roaming the strip. I%26#39;ll hazard a guess that beer sales went pretty well.

I saw the boxers at the PH last monday being introduced to the media. There was a huge crowd of brits there for that!

Walking the Allegiant tightrope

A week ago fares were $89 each way. Now I%26#39;ve got $59 one way, $89 return.

Anyone have a crystal ball as to whether they%26#39;ll do their $19 (or even $39) for the summer?

Walking the Allegiant tightrope

All I know is, Allegiant is all I fly to Vegas. Regardless of the rate at the time, it%26#39;s always going to be the cheapest way to go - at least from WA state.

From what I%26#39;ve seen in the past, they only have the ';very cheap'; prices as introductory deals to/from the places that are seasonal - like SanDiego and SanFrancisco from here.

Walking the Allegiant tightrope

I was watching like a hawk and found a $39 fare and jumped on it. It was back up to $89 last week and $59 right now. You never know with Allegiant.

I read from someone on this forum who said to fill out the form till you get to the seating chart to see how full the plane is... but I don%26#39;t know how accurate that is since we never book a seat and they won%26#39;t be assigned till we get there. I%26#39;m sure we aren%26#39;t the only cheopos.

ALSO... when I booked the $39 fare, it still said %59 on the calendar chart.. didn%26#39;t find out it was $39 till I got to the next page.

Good Luck

We don%26#39;t book seats, either - that%26#39;s not cheap, that%26#39;s smart. We%26#39;ve been seated together on the 2 side every time, and even if we have to separate for a 2-3 hour flight, who cares? It would be different if you were traveling with kids or elderly but I%26#39;ll never pay for a seat.

I%26#39;m going to go make a fake booking now and see what happens - thanks for the tip!

I fly exclusively on Allegiant to Vegas. Yes, their rates often change. If I see a rate I think is reasonable, I take it. I can live with a reasonable rate and it can certainly go up as well as down---no crystal ball!

We prefer Allegiant from here as well. We have to drive two hours to get to the town they fly out of, but it%26#39;s worth it in the long run... for the prices AND the non-stop flights.

Right now the fares from Shreveport are between $79 and $199. Huge difference!

We are flying from Eugene to Vegas one way during a multi city trip. I%26#39;m just glad I got the flights are booked..

I watched it for a long time until my flight went down to $79 and $104. Going first of June and since they only fly out of Shreveport once a day and twice a week, until end of June anyway, I was afraid the flight would book up and I can%26#39;t change my week. Still got 2 RT for just over $400. From what I%26#39;ve seen in this area that%26#39;s good.

Yeah, but once you%26#39;ve paid $19 and $39 it%26#39;s hard to take $59 and $89 3 months in advance! I did do a dummy booking and there are still plenty of seats (at least not many that have been purchased).

With the way the airlines are trying to make up for rising gas prices, Allegiant will be no different from any other. Although I got US Air $92 each way a month or so ago from Ca.

Where you coming out of Warm?

For June 22-27 those fares dropped to $76 and then returned up at $99.

ingrown hair

Car hire from Vegas to New york

We plan on driving from Vegas to New York. What would be the best place in Vegas to rent a car and any advice on how long to spend on the trip, I%26#39;ve allowed 3 weeks.

Car hire from Vegas to New york

From posts I have seen on this forum it would probably be best to make your car arrangements from home before you leave. Rates and rules are much different for non US citizens renting here.

The drive itself probably takes 5 or 6 days. So, 3 weeks would allow you plenty of time to stop in places of interest along the way.

Car hire from Vegas to New york

You DEFINITELY want to make arrangements in advance. One way rentals of that magnitude are very different than a local rental. You might have trouble arranging that on short notice.

Also, you will want to check around with different rental companies as the price difference for a one way rental will vary from company to company. You would also have to look at one of the nationwide companies like Hertz or Avis and not some smaller company who might have an office in Vegas but not NY.

Go to the Budget rental site:

www.budget.com/budgetWeb/home/home.ex鈥?/a>

In search field type ';car rental one way across country';.

There is some good info you will like to read.

Happy motoring!

Thanks for your help

I dont think they allow you to travel that far !!!

There are companies called %26#39;driveaways%26#39;, they need cars transporting from Coat to Coast and they do not charge you for the hre, although they will require a refundable deposit, have a look on here:

gonomad.com/transports/鈥avins_driveaway.html

TR: Nov 17-23/07 Grand Vacations,Venetian, Phantom, Dolphins

Recently came back from a dream vacation to Vegas and for those interested, here is the report.

Disclaimer: This report will be very VERY long. Therefore I will not be held responsible for anyone being left in a comatose state as a result of trying to read this. Heh heh

TR: Nov 17-23/07 Grand Vacations,Venetian, Phantom, Dolphins

This trip was the result of around 15 years of dreams. My cousin and I grew up together as rabid Phantom of the Opera fans. We were constantly acting it out with our toys, or singing it ourselves. I was usually the lead, Christine and my cousin played Meg so I’ll refer to her as M in this report. Yes, we are insane. Certifiable.

Unfortunately family circumstances saw M move to the opposite side of the country with her Mom and Canada is a pretty large country to be spread out across. The Internet has basically much been our only contact since then. Our lives took us down very different paths through the years but we kept that interest in Phantom and shared a dream of someday having a reunion and seeing the show together.

I’ve seen the show in New York, London and Toronto but M’s circumstances never allowed for her to make large trips. I saw the show in Vegas last year and was very impressed. I knew this HAD to be the location for us to see the show in and 2007would be that year. So I’ve saved everything extra off of each pay cheque for a year to do this.

The Report:

Nov. 17- Argh! It should be illegal to have to get up at 4am. 6:20am flight from my home to Newark. Loooong lines at security and then I’m off on my next flight or so I thought. While waiting to board they announce that the flight is overbooked and they need to bump two people. I’m about ready to have a panic attack. I CAN’T get bumped. It figures! I never ever book shows for the night of arrival just incase something happens. This one time I decide to book two shows and now this happens. Oh horror of horrors!!! Oh wait! What’s this? Two people have volunteered for the later flight!! Woo Hoo! Vegas here I come!

Arrive in Vegas at 1:25pm and I’m like a racehorse at the gate, just chomping at the bit as I wait anxiously to deplane. Is the line ever going to move? Eventually the crowd moves and I’m off! Wow! Terminal 1 is big in comparison to teeny Terminal 2 which I’ve always flown into. I weave my way through the crowds and stumble onto the MGM check-in. I’m not staying there but use it to pick up my KA and O tickets for tonight to save me having to rush to the hotels to get them before their 1hr before show deadlines.

I get to one section of the airport and theres a HUGE Phantom banner on the right hand wall. I am so here!!

Once I have tickets, my luggage and a welcome from the Phantom I’m off to find the shuttles. I’m staying at the Hilton Grand Vacations at the Las Vegas Hilton and don’t like the thought of a shuttle going from hotel to hotel along the strip. Neither do I feel like bothering with cabbies right now and the tunnel. I have a plan… I board a shuttle that’s ready to go to MGM and I’m on my way in a matter of minutes.

Arriving at MGM shortly, I get in the lobby and smile. This was where I stayed on my first ever Vegas trip in 1994 back when Michael Crawford was doing the EFX show. Except that when I got there, he’d been injured as was replaced by David Cassidy. Groan. After reminiscing for a moment, I round the corner to Starlane to get the monorail…only to find that there is no elevator and I’m not lugging a huge suitcase on the escalator. I turn around and make way to the other monorail entrance near the Signature towers. Soon I’m on the monorail and on my way to the Hilton, enjoying the sights along the way and glad not to be in the crazy Vegas traffic.

Once off the monorail, I notice an open gate that allows a short cut to the Grand Vacations without going through the Hilton. Yay! A four minute walk from the monorail to the Grand Vacations and that’s with pulling a large suitcase behind me. Great! I look at my watch and I’ve made it here in less than an hour since my flight landed! Awesome.

The downside, I’m two hours early for check-in and I suddenly have a migraine starting. Remember that getting up at 4am thing? I enter the lobby and although it’s small, it’s nice and a clerk at the Elite counter motions for me to leave the regular line and come forward. A few minutes later, I have keys to a strip view 1 bedroom unit. A quick stop at the welcome centre where I receive a number of coupons and learn that I don’t have to sign up for a timeshare event. If I did though I’d have received $150 cash.

Moment of truth….I get to the room and am instantly pleased with what I see. Huge room with full kitchen and laundry. Large living room with flat screen TV and DVD player. Nice furnishing throughout and for one who is germ-phobic, it looks clean. Still, I know I’ll give it a going over with Lysol and such later. Lol Right now I have to attend to the migraine.

A few hours later, some headache meds, supper and a soak in the jetted tub in my bedroom, I’m off to MGM for KA. M is only coming tomorrow night so I’m on my own until then. Migraine is still there but at least I’m at a functioning level now.

Now if anyone has actually read this far and wants me to continue... I%26#39;ll keep posting the rest.

TR: Nov 17-23/07 Grand Vacations,Venetian, Phantom, Dolphins

Great TR so far keep it coming !!!

Thanks. Here%26#39;s the rest of DAY ONE:

I’m sitting on the monorail heading to MGM and remembering that I need to pick up Phantom tickets before M arrives tomorrow as some of the tickets are surprises for her. I’m now at the Harrahs stop and wondering if I can make it to the Venetian and back to MGM in 45min. The monorail stops and I bound out and soon am making my way along the Strip. I get to the corner of Casino Royale and am greeted by the lovely sight of the Venetian at night and I pause for a moment to take in the view. As I keep going, I distracted by the Sephora store but resist the urge to go inside. I’m on a mission!

The clerk at the Phantom desk is slightly amused by the mass of tickets I’m picking up but hey it’s my vacation and I can do as I please. We both had a laugh and then I was back out at full tilt to get back on track to MGM.

Tickets for KA say to arrive for the show no later than 15 prior to show time. Before arriving, I had no idea how strict they were about that. I’m now at MGM and have 6 minutes to make their deadline….ah no problem. Deadline or not, I need to visit the little girls room first.

I remember the KA theatre as the former EFX theatre and was really curious to see what the changes were like. Upon entering the lobby it’s like you’ve come into a whole different world. The ushers are all dressed as characters from the ‘Land of KA’ and play their roles well. I enter the theatre auditorium and am greeted by a flash of flames coming up from the stage. I nearly jumped as high as the flames. Wow! The theatre is totally unrecognizable to the EFX theatre. The set for KA extends along the sides of the theatre with all sorts of interesting looking catwalks that had me wondering what would take place on them.

As with other Cirque shows, there’s a pre-show. Some freaky looking alien creatures come slithering through the audience, climbing over seats and quite honestly gave me the creeps. That’s good though. Shows that they were really playing their parts well! Loads of other characters appear on the side pieces of the sets and climb all over it, some leaping off and into the audience but before landing their bungy type harnesses pull them back up onto the walls/catwalks.

Fire continues to shoot up from the pit of the stage periodically. I kept musing to myself that the big dragon from EFX must still live under the stage. That thing used to shoot some big flames. I remember learning that during the EFX show the dragon’s fire actually was hot enough to raise the temperature of the entire theatre.

They have a most interesting way of reminding people to turn their phones off and not to use cameras. They never use a word but it’s very clear. It ends with an “audience member” ’s phone and camera getting thrown into that fiery pit. The “audience” guy though suddenly gets swept away into the shadows of the theatre and we never see him again.

I knew the music of KA and loved it but knew nothing of what to expect from the show itself. Reviews always seem quite mixed. What I saw though was wonderful. I work in music/theatre so I’m always fascinated by seeing different shows. It’s a certainly a very dramatic show and the hydraulic stage was really interesting the way it worked. The sets and costumes were brilliant and I thought the story was easy to follow. The music is very full sounding and the speakers in the headrest of each seat was great. The downside is the seatbacks are quite high so I find that if you’re short, the seat in front of you is blocking your view even if there’s no one sitting in it. I’d say the location of any seat in the theatre would afford you a good view of the stage (aside from the seat height thing). I’m usually a ‘front row junkie’ for shows but tonight was in the second last seat in the balcony and although I’d rather have seen the actors faces better, it didn’t spoil the show. It’s very different from what people expect when they think Cirque du Soleil. It’s not so much a show with various stereotypical Cirque type of acts strung together. It felt almost like seeing an actual play or some sort of a modern dance piece by the way it was so well choreographed with scenes like the fights. I’m not explaining right but not quite sure how to describe it. I really thought it was a wonderful, beautiful show and I would certainly return. It brought a smile to my face many times and at other times had me on the edge of my seat.

As soon as I left the world of KA, I headed to the world of Ballys(not much to see here) and from there onto the Bellagio. I had some time to kill before seeing ‘O’ at 10:30pm and so I went to see the fountains, checked out the conservatory. The conservatory was set to a gorgeous fall theme with a ‘waterfall’ of fresh apples, lots of crystalline leaf decorations, an old-fashioned mill complete with working water wheel. I play fiddle so a treat for me was the music in the conservatory, a really neat arrangement energetic arrangement of fiddle music. Not quite celtic, not quite old-timey but with a modern edge and fun. After walking around with a goofy smile on my face and the song ended, I head to the Café Gelato for a snack. How is one supposed to pick just one flavor when they see all the awesome kinds available? Their special of the day is the Bananas Foster Sundae. Hmm, sounds good so I order and am overwhelmed by what I receive. Three huge scoops a café au lait type flavor gelato, a huge chopped banana, a mountain of whipped cream and healthy handful of chopped pecans. Oh my word! I just ordered a dessert for three! Well I won’t need to eat again after the show. I do what damage I can to the dessert and my waistline and then roam around the hotel, stopping to buy a KA CD in the gift shop since the store at MGM was too packed.

My seats for O were restricted view ones. However, I’d say less than 2% of my view was blocked by anything. I was in section 203 right in the middle of the theatre and right where some action happens at the beginning of the show. There was no down side to the seats I had. I anxiously waited for the show to begin as I’ve wanted to see it for years. Unfortunately I ended up not liking the show. Wasn’t crazy on the music. Loved the costume and thought the performers and musicians were really talented. They did some amazing things with their dives. But I just could not get into the show. There is a story to the show but I found it too hard to follow. The whole thing was sort of abstract to me(what’s with the burning man reading the newspaper?). I won’t be back but I am glad that I went the once so I could see what it was like. I certainly liked the technical aspect of it.

Next is to find the taxi line to get back to the HGVC. I don’t really like taking cabs but it was after midnight and didn’t feel like roaming around alone back to the hotel. By this point I’ve been up for 24hours so I’m beat and my headache is returning. That taxi line is HUGE but within 20min I am on my way and have a really nice driver. Soon enough I’m in my room and off to dream land.

great trip report so far cant wait to hear the rest.

Annie

Great to read about Ka in detail - and looking forward to Phantom!

Ka was the first Vegas show I ever saw and I was pretty impressed - but I have alot more shows to see yet!

In a previous %26#39;younger%26#39; life ( many moons ago) I was a theatre stage manager - so always interested in show reviews . Great TR, keep it up coming !

PS - Great to read about O as well!

Was doing a quick check of Trip Advisor before I headed out Christmas shopping,after the storm last weekend I%26#39;m behind schedule (any other posters from Canada will understand) and there top of the list is NB_Fiddler%26#39;s report.

';To read'; or ';not to read';, I%26#39;ve been patiently waiting for it LOL

Suffice to say I%26#39;m a little more behind schedule, excellent details keep it coming.

I expect more when I get back from shopping in town so get busy posting you have about 4 hours

M

fiddler...liked your review and I%26#39;m anticipating the rest. I did not especially think O was so great, myself. Your description of KA makes me want to see it. It%26#39;s got to be better than O. For a water show, I loved Le Reve at the Wynn. Re: migrane...great anxiety, little sleep and stress = migrane.

Lantana: Thanks very much. I have to say I enjoyed your trip report immensely. You%26#39;re an awesome writer!!

Roadtrip4fun: Sorry for the delay in writing this. Better late than never. I%26#39;m writing the next post so it%26#39;ll be up soon. How long do I have left until you%26#39;re done shopping now? lol

Chachachio: Glad to know I%26#39;m not alone in my thoughts about %26#39;O%26#39;. I%26#39;d really like to see Le Reve next time. There%26#39;s going to be a new song added to it soon by Andrew Lloyd Webber so I%26#39;m curious what that will be like.

Long but a very good TR glad you had fun in Sin City.