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Hey all! I'm going to Las Vegas this summer for my 30th birthday. Yikes! I just want to have fun. As much fun as possible. We'll be there for 6 nights, and I haven't planned anything yet. At first I wanted to stay somewhere on the strip, somewhere really nice and exciting, you only turn 30 once, right? But the more I think about it, the more I think I should save the money and stay somewhere cheaper (but still nice and exciting). Then I'll have more money to spend on attractions and souvenirs, etc. I was very resistant at first to the Fremont st hotels, but the 4 Queens looks like fun. I like that it's right under the awning screens overhead. At first it looked kind of tacky, but I saw some nice pictures and it looks like fun. I was hoping for a nice view, nice clean room, spacious with as many amenities as the price range can afford. I also wanted advice about attractions. Like for the buffets, how much do I need to plan before we get there? I like to be flexible and just go with the flow, especially when I'm going somewhere with so much to do (like WDW). But I also have a small amount of patience if I get out there and find out I should have booked stuff ahead of time. I love buffets, I love seafood, I love trying new foods. I love nice restaurants and getting dressed up. I love shows, but nothing sexy or risque. My boyfriend loves magicians, we like comedians. The Titanic exhibit sounds right up my alley. I like museum type attractions, and I love animals. Any advice anyone has would be greatly welcome, and I'll be sure to give updates when I plan anything. I do want to gamble too, but I'm afraid I could get a little crazy with that. I also don't have alot of money, so any money saving tips would be great. So how much should I plan in advance, but I still want to have some wiggle room? Thanks everyone!!!
Okay. (You can't see me, but I'm stretching my fingers out in preparation!) First, Happy Birthday! I feel old. Now, on to your questions:
- Hotel - for a downtown hotel, 4 Queens is probably your best bet. It has a less "Vegas tacky" feel to it. The gambling downtown is cheaper, too, so you'll be closer to the hotels (Golden Gate) that have cheap craps and blackjack tables. However, make sure you're including transportation costs and parking fees. Parking isn't free downtown and you'll be away from The Strip and have to rent a car or take a bus to get there.
- Magicians - Lance Burton is the best show, IMO. There are some others who are "good" and Mac King is fun, but his stuff is made for comedy rather than impressive illusion.
- Shows - I recommend you decide this ahead of time. Some of the shows do sell out (though it's less likely now, is this economy). If you don't like risque, then avoid Zumanity (out of the Cirque shows) and the "Vegas" shows.
- Food - buffets are plentiful, though not always good. Most are okay. We prefer breakfasts at almost all of them. If you're willing to spend the money, then I recommend Bellagio or Wynn. DO NOT try Circus Circus or Riviera (if it's still open?). We got comps to Riviera's years ago and I still think we spent too much money! Rio All-Suite Hotel still gets good reviews for their World Carnival Buffet. And you can always travel further out and hit our favorite buffet at the Red Rock Station, which is about 5 minutes from Red Rock Canyon. With restaurants, you shouldn't need too much in terms of before-you-go planning, but you may want to have a game plan and call in the morning. Mon Ami Gabi is a french restaurant at Paris with views of Bellagio's fountains. Try them for lunch. Also, a Vegas institution is located at 4 Queens called Hugo's Cellar. It's great for a gourmet meal (though not outrageously expensive) and for ambiance. The salad alone - they make it specially for you at the table - is worth going!
- Other things - for recreation, you'll be really close to Red Rock Canyon, though it will be HOT. We're also about 45 minutes from Hoover Dam, where you can stand in NV and AZ at the same time. We just went to Mirage's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat a few weeks ago. It was pretty cool, though the garden (where the tigers are) was a bit stinky.
Good luck planning! Vegas is pretty casual, so there will always be something worthwhile to do without reservations or advanced planning. PM me if you have specific questions...
You'll have a great time and what a great way to celebrate your 30th birthday. if you are interested in staying on the strip, i know there are a bunch of good deal being advertised for the summer. I get emails daily where rates are like $59/nighth at places like Monte Carlo and Luxor. Only one I would advise staying away from is Excalibur have heard bad things about it. If I get any emails in the next fews days I can let you know. My folks have stayed at Bally's (which usually runs some deals and they have said it was nice and clean). I love staying at Planet Hollywood if you can get a good deal.
DH & I went to see Wayne Brady and he was really good. I have heard that Donny and Marie are good as corny as it may sound. DH & I saw Peepshow which was good as well but definitely is sexy and risque which probably doesn't help you very much
There's a great BBQ place over at the Rio called Rub, prices were pretty reasonable. I have eaten at the Spice Market buffett at Planet Hollywood for breakfast and dinner and both are good. I also LOVE both the Burgar Bar at Mandalay Place and BLT burger at Mirage (they are a bit pricey for a burger but WELL worth it).
And one of my favorite places there is Yolo's at Planet Hollywood. Great Mexican food. Everyone I have taken there when we go loves it. I have eaten at the Brew Pub at Monte Carlo as well and it was pretty good.
One thing though, if we stay off the strip, do we need a rental car? We weren't planning on getting one. We usually do whenever we go anywhere, but I figured we're pretty much going to stay near the strip, and there's the monorail, and the odd cab ride. I figured the 200 or 300 we'd spend on a car could be used towards our transportation and we won't need to worry about parking and hiding our valuables, etc.
As for shows, I did buy a book yesterday, so we'll have to pick a couple we definitely want to see, depending on how expensive they are. I absolutely love Cirque but oddly enough it wasn't one of my must sees, I figured there's so many shows out there, and I've already seen two Cirque shows and they are always amazing, but some of the acts were sort of repeated, just maybe in a different way. Is "O" good? I've heard great things about that, and they use water, so that at least would be a different element. I've seen La Nouba in WDW, and Kouza when it came to Philly, and they were both the same type of show. So I think "O" would be something cool and different. Is Zumanity really that bad? Is there nudity? I can take crazy stuff, I just don't want to be sitting there having a romantic time with my boyfriend and have nakedness in our faces.
If there are any shows you really want to see, especially the Cirque ones, then I would book ahead. On our October trip, Love, Mystere and O were all full the nights we went. I can thoroughly recommend all three by the way.
As for buffets, we love the Wynn and the Bellagio - you won't go wrong with either.
One thing though, if we stay off the strip, do we need a rental car? We weren't planning on getting one. We usually do whenever we go anywhere, but I figured we're pretty much going to stay near the strip, and there's the monorail, and the odd cab ride. I figured the 200 or 300 we'd spend on a car could be used towards our transportation and we won't need to worry about parking and hiding our valuables, etc
Downtown is further from The Strip than you think. The Strip "officially" ends at Sahara, which is also where the monorail ends. Downtown (at least, the hotels) pick up a couple miles further north and the in-between is not a section to casually wander through on foot (not horrible, but I wouldn't feel comfortable). So, unless you spend a majority of your time downtown and only go to The Strip once or twice, the cab fare will kill you. You could do the bus, double deckers are called The Deuce, with an all day pass for $7 (or thereabouts) and it runs the entire length of Las Vegas Blvd. Take a look at what offers are out right now - I've been hearing from a lot of people about Planet Hollywood and it's a pretty decent place, right in the middle of things (I stayed there once for work a few years back). Or, use Priceline. I recently did it for Chicago and got The Drake for $99/night. If you name your own price, you can only be locked in if it accepts the offer you made, so you're not committed for anything out of your budget. You can't name the hotel, but you can narrow down the area (for example, I told it I wanted the Magnificent Mile area of Chicago) and the level (I told it 4 star). Our first offer of $79 was declined, but we resubmitted at $99 and it was accepted and they told us it was The Drake! You could get a really nice place....offer what you can afford and make sure it's a level and location you'd be comfortable with.
Regarding Cirque shows:
Quote:
Is Zumanity really that bad? Is there nudity?
No, it's not "that bad" but it is (I've heard) pretty risque and I think there is toplessness. Mystere is, I think, the most traditionally "Cirque" show. O is the top seller for a reason and Love is absolutely amazing, especially if you're a Beatles fan. Neither can be considered traditionally Cirque. The storyline for Ka is pretty unique, but I've not heard buzz about it beyond the fact that it's a good Cirque show. Though not officially a Cirque show, Le Reve was created by Franco Dragone, who was one of the original founders of Cirque (he also did parts of Celine's A New Day).
I've seen Donny and Marie. I was surprised at how enjoyable it is, but I really wished they'd done more of their older stuff. It's a mix of pop music, then each comes out and does some of their "this made me famous" stuff and then they end with their duets stuff. But a lot of medleys happen, with very few full songs of their older music. So, I had a good time but was hoping for more.
W saw "O" when we went to Vegas last year for our anniversary and it was absolutely amazing!! We stayed at the Venetian and it was really a very nice hotel. We had rented a car, but ended up taking it back early because we never used it, but if you are staying downtown you may need it to travel up the Strip. I believe that there is free valet parking at all the hotels.
We stayed at both the strip and downtown our last trip and liked downtown better. Everything is close together, and it has that "Old Vegas" feel. We stayed at the Golden Nugget which is actually SUPER nice - you may want to see if they are offering any deals because it might not cost that much more than Four Queens.
I second the suggestion of "O" for shows and agree that you should probably book ahead. I know our show was sold out.
Other things we really enjoyed were the aquarium at Mandalay Bay, the tigers at the Mirage, and the Bellagio Buffet.
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We stayed at the Golden Nugget which is actually SUPER nice
Excuse me while I put on my Cliff Clavin hat....little know fact, perhaps, that the Golden Nugget was Steve Wynn's first hotel. He eventually sold it before his empire became a household name.
Quote:
Other things we really enjoyed were the aquarium at Mandalay Bay, the tigers at the Mirage, and the Bellagio Buffet.
Oh! I forgot about Shark Reef! It's a pretty cool aquarium. Again, the things in Vegas are "exhibits" and not day long adventures. But that is a fun way to spend the afternoon. Mandalay Bay is also where they have the restaurant with the wine angels and Border Grill, which was created by the Two Hot Tamales (and it's actually right near the Shark Reef). And Mandalay Bay has a kick-a** pool area.
Also, I looked at Priceline for the areas in Vegas. If you want to bid, stick with area 7 (South end of Strip). The North End would work well, too...
Next - hotels - Downtown is somewhere to visit for an hour and leave! It is not nice at all and the Freemont Experience (or whatever they call it now is overrated). There are so many great deals in vegas right now that you can easily stay on the strip, in a great room, at a great price! Check out earlyvegas.com they have discount codes for most strip hotels, and they link you directly to the hotel to book. I have seen rooms at TI and Luxor for $40. Others around $50. Site changes all the time so check it out. We are going to Vegas in Aug and are staying at MGM celebrity Spa room for $82 a nite.
Shows - check out visitlasvegas.com type in your dates and see what is available. The "O" show is fantastic! Blue Man Group is highly recommended! We have not seen any Magic shows, but Lance Burton is currently closed because he broke his foot.
Plenty of Buffets - definetely hit the Bellagio Buffet! Another recommendation is the 9 Fine Irishmen at NY NY. Enjoy your trip and your B'day!!
I went to the cirque website and they have trailers for the shows. So I'm between O and Ka. Ka looks really cool, but I think we're going to do O. Unless my bf and I decide Ka might be better. We'll see, but we're definitely going to do one. I saw the trailer for Zumanity, definitely not EVER going to see that. It might be more tasteful in person (doubtful), but it looks very sexy and almost raunchy, with the big muscle men in thongs and things. Yeah, don't need that. But the other shows all look great, classic Cirque wackiness that I love. I was really thinking about downtown, but there's not that many places downtown compared to the strip, and I think it's more likely we'd stay on the strip and venture downtown, than vice versa, so I think we'll do strip. Plus the not wanting to rent a car thing. Are there many bus tours around? I know you can get a bus to the Hoover dam, but how about red rock canyon? That looks really cool. And it's not as far as the dam. I like the idea that alot of stuff is just walk through for an hour or two, versus a whole day afair. I think that'll be enough to keep it exciting and not let me get too tired to enjoy things. Of course, I also want to take full advantage of the pool at wherever we're staying. Everything sounds so promising, I'm really starting to get excited!
I think you'll do great with either Ka or O, but O gets my vote. As for bus tours to Red Rock Canyon, Viator is a site I've used before to book excursions and they have a couple. Try this link to a luxury SUV tour there or the Hummer adventure tour (more pricey! )
Try Adventure Photo Tours, too. Not sure of their price, but I know they pride themselves on customer service (they participated in a recognition program I used to manage). They really go for the picture moments of the tour and do the dam, Red Rock, Valley of Fire or Grand Canyon.
We just saw O in April, and it was awesome!!!!! You have to see it.
We ate at Serendipity 3, it's in a separate building in front of Caesar's Palace. It was fun and quirky. The food was really good....and the frozen hot chocolate for 2 was delicious.
About This Page: 
30th birthday in Las Vegas!
I just want to have fun. As much fun as possible. We'll be there for 6 nights, and I haven't planned anything yet. At first I wanted to stay somewhere on the strip, somewhere really nice and exciting, you only turn 30 once, right? But the more I think about it, the more I think I should save the money and stay somewhere cheaper (but still nice and exciting). Then I'll have more money to spend on attractions and souvenirs, etc. I was very resistant at first to the Fremont st hotels, but the 4 Queens looks like fun. I like that it's right under the awning screens overhead. At first it looked kind of tacky, but I saw some nice pictures and it looks like fun. I was hoping for a nice view, nice clean room, spacious with as many amenities as the price range can afford. I also wanted advice about attractions. Like for the buffets, how much do I need to plan before we get there? I like to be flexible and just go with the flow, especially when I'm going somewhere with so much to do (like WDW). 
But I also have a small amount of patience if I get out there and find out I should have booked stuff ahead of time. I love buffets, I love seafood, I love trying new foods. I love nice restaurants and getting dressed up. I love shows, but nothing sexy or risque. My boyfriend loves magicians, we like comedians. The Titanic exhibit sounds right up my alley. I like museum type attractions, and I love animals. Any advice anyone has would be greatly welcome, and I'll be sure to give updates when I plan anything. 
I do want to gamble too, but I'm afraid I could get a little crazy with that. I also don't have alot of money, so any money saving tips would be great. So how much should I plan in advance, but I still want to have some wiggle room? Thanks everyone!!!
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