Las Vegas Attractions

[Brown]

I arrived in Las Vegas five days before TAM2 and visited some of the area attractions. My assessments (for what they are worth) are:

Star Trek: The Experience at the Hilton. Before I went to Vegas, this was perhaps the most highly recommended attraction, the thing that most people said I "must see." I rate it as so-so. The best part was the simulator, and even then, the pictures often seemed to be out of focus, which adversely affected the illusion. Overall, the attraction was a disappointment to me... and too expensive, in my judgment. Soon, this attraction will be supplemented or supplanted by another adventure, which is expected to be even more expensive.

Mac King at Harrah's. The guide books say that Mac is not to be missed, and they are right. His show was equally as entertaining as Lance Burton's show, at just a fraction of the cost. It was also nice that Mac would say hello to the audience before and after the show. Highly recommended.

Blue Man Group at the Luxor. I was undecided about whether to go see these guys. Eventually, I decided to see their show, and I was very glad I did. The show was expensive, but worth it. Some of the special effects in the show knocked my socks off. Highly recommended.

The Big Shot at the Stratosphere. I wasn't sure if this ride was my cup of tea, but I decided to give it a try. When I watched the people on the ride just before I went on, I was really wondering whether I wanted to go. First, the ride goes up the spire very fast. Second, I saw one of the riders getting off the ride, and she looked as though she was glad to be alive. My experience on the ride, however, was one of the most enjoyable in Vegas. The ride was thrilling without being disorienting. I felt like I was flying over the city of Las Vegas. It was one of the most pleasant surprises on my visit. Next time, I'm going to get a pass so I can ride a whole bunch of times. Very highly recommended.

Lance Burton at the Monte Carlo. Lance was a lot of fun. A good portion of his act was what you may have seen on television, but a lot of the performance is new. My favorite bit was the glass and bottles, which fooled me over and over again. Recommended.

Fountain at the Bellagio. I saw about half a dozen performances, and all were a hell of a lot of fun. My favorite bit was Gene Kelly singing "Singing in the Rain" (I thought the ending was clever, too). This was the best free show in Vegas. Highly recommended.

Volcano at the Mirage. Pretty neat, but nothing to write home about. It's free and it's worth a look.

Sirens of TI at TI (formerly Treasure Island). This was a free show, and even then, it was overpriced. I busted my butt to get to this show, and was disappointed in more ways than I can count. Don't bother.

Lion Habitat at MGM Grand. Another freebie. It's pretty neat seeing the big kitties up close.

Adventuredome at Circus Circus. A complete waste of time, in my judgment.

Fremont Street Experience downtown. Worth the trip, this is a fun, free attraction. I loved the show. I also enjoyed some of the bizarre variations on casino games that some of the downtown casinos offer. Recommended.

Madame Tussaud's at the Venetian. I wasn't sure I'd like this exhibit, but I give it a thumbs up. Some of the likenesses there are startlingly good, and some are not so good. But overall, it's worth the price of admission (be sure to check area magazines for a valuable discount coupon). My favorite likeness was that of George Washington. Recommended.

That's all I can remember off the top of my head.

[Brown]

Thought I'd bump my own thread in case anyone is interested in visiting some of the Vegas attractions in January of 2005.

[CFLarsen]

I heard about a convention called "TAM3".... :)

[Hutch]

A couple of updates:

The Star Trek is supposed to be the Borg now, instead of Klingons. Don't know if it has improved any.

Strong second for Blue Man Group, but bring lots of money or prepare for a big hit on the credit card.

Take time to wander through Caesar's Palace, just for the shops and atmosphere.

Love the Big Shot. You want to go again, let me know. My personal record on a Big Shot ride (albeit ground level) is 26 in one day.

Outside of Vegas, it is worth the half-day to see Hoover Dam. Either by tour or with a group from TAM3.

Give a pass to the Excalibur show outside the hotel. Cheesy effects and fake dragon.

[Brown]

Originally posted by Hutch
Strong second for Blue Man Group, but bring lots of money or prepare for a big hit on the credit card.It's now ten months or so since I was in Las Vegas, and the show that has "stuck" with me the most has been Blue Man.

Although I don't recommend this practice, one way that you can see Blue Man without taking a financial hit is to win enough money at the Luxor tables to buy a ticket. That is what I did. Had I not been so lucky, I might not have seen these guys, and I would have missed one of the best shows in Vegas.

[Segnosaur]

Originally posted by Brown
I arrived in Las Vegas five days before TAM2 and visited some of the area attractions.


I saw many of these attractions, plus a few more last time:

Shark Reef (aquarium) at mandilay bay. I've seen better aquariums, but this one isn't too bad. Their main attraction is a hammerhead shark

King Tut's Museum at the Luxor ... a pretty good tour for the price. You can get an audio guide, and from what I hear its a pretty authentic recreation (looked not bad from my point of view)

Tournament of Kings at the Excalibur... An excellent show. You get a meal (that you have to eat with your hands) and get to watch a pretty well coreographed show featuring knights duking it out. (Its about $50). I recommend it.

Sirens of Treasure Island A free show outside the Treasure Island hotel. Well, the price is right. Its pretty packed outside there though

Las Vegas Natural History Museum Takes a bit of travelling to get to. It is a little cheesy compared to 'real' museums (lots of stuffed and mounted animals, as well as anamatronic dinosaurs.) A bit cheaper than most things though. (You do have to travel a bit to see it.)

Race for Atlantis at Caesers.. A 3D motion simulator ride. (You have to wear these special computer goggles). Personally I think the star trek one was much better done

Wildlife (bird) Habitat at the Flamingo. Another free thing... I liked it.

Sigfried and Roy's Secret Garden at the Mirage. They have both a dolphin habitat (with viewing areas where you can see under water) and one with Tigers/Elephants. I saw the dolphin habitat but the other area was closed.

[exarch]

Originally posted by Segnosaur
Tournament of Kings at the Excalibur... An excellent show. You get a meal (that you have to eat with your hands) and get to watch a pretty well coreographed show featuring knights duking it out. (Its about $50). I recommend it.Wow, that is rather expensive. But since you get a dinner out of it as well, it might definitely be worth it.
I'm tempted to go. Anyone else interested in this?

[Brown]

Originally posted by Segnosaur
Sigfried and Roy's Secret Garden at the Mirage. They have both a dolphin habitat (with viewing areas where you can see under water) and one with Tigers/Elephants. I saw the dolphin habitat but the other area was closed. I did not visit this attraction, but I understand that it is quite good. Some have said that playing with the dolphins makes it worth the price.

[Segnosaur]

Originally posted by exarch
Wow, that is rather expensive. But since you get a dinner out of it as well, it might definitely be worth it.
I'm tempted to go. Anyone else interested in this?

I know I'll probably be going to see it again. Perhaps we can organize a group.

Originally posted by brown
Sigfriend and Roy's Secret Garden

I did not visit this attraction, but I understand that it is quite good. Some have said that playing with the dolphins makes it worth the price.

I didn't get to play with the dolphins; however, I went with a group of people rather late in the day (after most of the crowds had gone), and as a result got to have some pretty lengthy conversations with the people who lived there. That made it interesting.

[kittynh]

the knight thing sounds odd enough that it would be worth a go. Any blood involved? Poking out of eyes? Hey, it would be a good historic reenactment.

I was a little scared about the sling ride, but if everyone else survived it I guess I can. I want to get out to Red Rocks, which I missed. Also the Hoover Dam is fun, and you can make a lot of jokes using the word, "dam".

[Brown]

Originally posted by kittynh
the knight thing sounds odd enough that it would be worth a go. Any blood involved? Poking out of eyes? Hey, it would be a good historic reenactment.Actually, it's much like "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." Two knights duel, and when one slices another's arm away, the injured knight proclaims "'Tis but a scratch!!"

No, I'm kidding. Actually, I hear it's all choregraphed, but these guys really swing away at one another. Originally posted by kittynh
I was a little scared about the sling ride, but if everyone else survived it I guess I can.If you mean the "Big Shot," yes, you should go. The ride only lasts a minute, and you can survive anything for a minute.Originally posted by kittynh
I want to get out to Red Rocks, which I missed. Also the Hoover Dam is fun, and you can make a lot of jokes using the word, "dam". You cannot make these jokes anymore. "Damn" is considered to be a blasphemous word, and is therefore forbidden. To prevent inadvertent utterances of blasphemy, the facility is now known as the Hoover Water Containment and Power Generation System.

Yes, I'm kidding again... or am I...?

[Loon]

The knight thing, when I saw it 15 years ago, was pretty cool.

[exarch]

Originally posted by Brown
No, I'm kidding. Actually, I hear it's all choregraphed, but these guys really swing away at one another.Having heard a thing or two from some re-enacters, I know that it's quite possible to hit each other rather hard (or at least make it seem like you are) without injuring each other. Although unlike reality, re-enacters will hit each other in those spots where the armour offers MOST protection, not the other way around, obviously. so it does look very spectacular.
The joust is what I'm most interested in ...

And Brown: "It's only a flesh-wound.".

[UnrepentantSinner]

Originally posted by Segnosaur
Tournament of Kings at the Excalibur... An excellent show. You get a meal (that you have to eat with your hands) and get to watch a pretty well coreographed show featuring knights duking it out. (Its about $50). I recommend it.

Basically like Midievel Times? That does sound cool. But since we have one here in Dallas, I'm not likely to be up for it in Vegas.

[Segnosaur]

Originally posted by UnrepentantSinner
Basically like Midievel Times? That does sound cool. But since we have one here in Dallas, I'm not likely to be up for it in Vegas.

Yeah, its supposed to be like Midieval times, but I've heard this one is a lot better. (The show lasted something like an hour and a half with no significant breaks.)

[MacGuffin]

Since I live down the road from Vegas I have been there several times in the past few years and have a few recommendations for good cheap shows. I had a great time at TAM2 last year but unfortunately my school district will not pay or give me time off for TAM3 so I can't make it.

A great show is Mac King, afternoons at Harrahs. Sign up for their slot club and you will get a coupon to get in for the price of an expensive drink. About $8. He is dark on Sunday and Monday so check him out Thursday afternoon, as TAM runs the rest of the time he is on. When I spoke to Mac in July he said he was upset he couldn't be a part of TAM but it just conflicted with his schedule.

Amazing Jonathan is also a good show evenings at the Riviera. You can usually find half price tickets for him at the ticket booths on the strip north of the MGM.

Showgirls of Magic is even a fun time if you get the coupons. It is standard cabinet trick fare but done by topless women. The highlights are actually some of the comedy bits in between the tricks. 1/2 price and with the coupon it is $20 including two drinks and a polaroid with the girls. The theatre is tiny so all seats are close to the jiggling.

Share and Enjoy - Aaron

[Luciana]

Bump-o!

I reread this thread, to see what I could manage to do with the free time (I'm sure I can squeeze in the Conference between all this!) and the thing that interested me the most was the Big Shot, at the Stratosphere.

I'd like to go there sometime! Anyone else like thrill rides? I love them. I always regret it deeply the moment the train starts moving, but as I leave it, I always want to give it another try. I'm not normally that volatile, but thrill rides do that to me...

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Originally posted by Luciana Nery
I'd like to go there sometime! Anyone else like thrill rides? I love them. I always regret it deeply the moment the train starts moving, but as I leave it, I always want to give it another try. I'm not normally that volatile, but thrill rides do that to me...

I'll go with you, as long as you promise to scream and grab on to me! ;)

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Do the Skepchicks count as a Las Vegas Attraction?

[exarch]

Originally posted by Luciana Nery
I reread this thread, to see what I could manage to do with the free time (I'm sure I can squeeze in the Conference between all this!) and the thing that interested me the most was the Big Shot, at the Stratosphere.

I'd like to go there sometime! Anyone else like thrill rides? I love them. I always regret it deeply the moment the train starts moving, but as I leave it, I always want to give it another try. I'm not normally that volatile, but thrill rides do that to me...I'll go with you, since it sounds like fun and I didn't get around to it last year.

[Ladewig]

Originally posted by Brown
I arrived in Las Vegas five days before TAM2 and visited some of the area attractions. My assessments (for what they are worth) are:

Star Trek: The Experience at the Hilton. Before I went to Vegas, this was perhaps the most highly recommended attraction, the thing that most people said I "must see." I rate it as so-so. The best part was the simulator, and even then, the pictures often seemed to be out of focus, which adversely affected the illusion. Overall, the attraction was a disappointment to me... and too expensive, in my judgment. Soon, this attraction will be supplemented or supplanted by another adventure, which is expected to be even more expensive.

Mac King at Harrah's. The guide books say that Mac is not to be missed, and they are right. His show was equally as entertaining as Lance Burton's show, at just a fraction of the cost. It was also nice that Mac would say hello to the audience before and after the show. Highly recommended.

Blue Man Group at the Luxor. I was undecided about whether to go see these guys. Eventually, I decided to see their show, and I was very glad I did. The show was expensive, but worth it. Some of the special effects in the show knocked my socks off. Highly recommended.

The Big Shot at the Stratosphere. I wasn't sure if this ride was my cup of tea, but I decided to give it a try. When I watched the people on the ride just before I went on, I was really wondering whether I wanted to go. First, the ride goes up the spire very fast. Second, I saw one of the riders getting off the ride, and she looked as though she was glad to be alive. My experience on the ride, however, was one of the most enjoyable in Vegas. The ride was thrilling without being disorienting. I felt like I was flying over the city of Las Vegas. It was one of the most pleasant surprises on my visit. Next time, I'm going to get a pass so I can ride a whole bunch of times. Very highly recommended.

Lance Burton at the Monte Carlo. Lance was a lot of fun. A good portion of his act was what you may have seen on television, but a lot of the performance is new. My favorite bit was the glass and bottles, which fooled me over and over again. Recommended.

Fountain at the Bellagio. I saw about half a dozen performances, and all were a hell of a lot of fun. My favorite bit was Gene Kelly singing "Singing in the Rain" (I thought the ending was clever, too). This was the best free show in Vegas. Highly recommended.

Volcano at the Mirage. Pretty neat, but nothing to write home about. It's free and it's worth a look.

Sirens of TI at TI (formerly Treasure Island). This was a free show, and even then, it was overpriced. I busted my butt to get to this show, and was disappointed in more ways than I can count. Don't bother.

Lion Habitat at MGM Grand. Another freebie. It's pretty neat seeing the big kitties up close.

Adventuredome at Circus Circus. A complete waste of time, in my judgment.

Fremont Street Experience downtown. Worth the trip, this is a fun, free attraction. I loved the show. I also enjoyed some of the bizarre variations on casino games that some of the downtown casinos offer. Recommended.

Madame Tussaud's at the Venetian. I wasn't sure I'd like this exhibit, but I give it a thumbs up. Some of the likenesses there are startlingly good, and some are not so good. But overall, it's worth the price of admission (be sure to check area magazines for a valuable discount coupon). My favorite likeness was that of George Washington. Recommended.

That's all I can remember off the top of my head.

I am unfamiliar with Blue Man Group, but I will say that you got everything else right. "Sirens of the TI" was unwatchable. "Big Shot" was more fun (and more scarey) than it looks - it is a great way to test one's atheism.

Gambling aficionados may enjoy a trip to Gamblers' General Store (http://www.gamblersgeneralstore.com/). They have quite book section. Although the store is just a few block from "The Attic," I recommend skipping this over-priced funky fashion store.

Skeptics of a certain age may enjoy the Rock and Roll/70's culture doll/action figure displays outside the "Pink Taco" at the Hard Rock. Carpenters, Charlie's Angels, Welcome Back Kotter cast all in 1:6 scale.

Lastly, if one does casino hop, one can play the ugly carpet game and compare floor coverings in various venues to determine who really does have the ugliest carpet.

Car nuts should definitely check out the Auto Collection at the Imperial Palace.

[Luciana]

Originally posted by The Central Scrutinizer
Do the Skepchicks count as a Las Vegas Attraction?

Yes. We are. :D

I don't promise grabbing, but I promise that you'll see me trembling afterwards. :D :D