Las Vegas thread and MSE guide 2009

mookybargirl

The Bellagio Fountains

JailhouseBabe wrote: »

Is Thanksgiving likely to affect us? Sorry to seem dim
Oh - I'm imagining John Candy and Steve Martin now Busy airports?

Vegas will be more busy over holidays or holiday weekends. Hotels in Vegas fluctuate on a day by day basis and over holiday/peak times, the prices will be higher, so expect to pay a bit more than usual. Also buffet lines and taxi lines will be big, so prepare to wait a bit longer. I've been over Labour Day twice and it wasn't any problem for us, but we're not in any hurry and prepared for to pay a little extra on the hotel rates. We were there Nov last year (though not over thanksgiving), weather was great!

duchy

JailhouseBabe wrote: »

Hi,

I've promised DD I'll take her to Vegas for her 21st. Ideally I'd like to fly out/arrive on her birthday (21st Nov) and arrive back early on 27th (day I graduate). If we fly from Birmingham, we should be able to manage it.
Here's where I'd appreciate some help/advice:

I've found flights for £417 (1 connection) - is that reasonable? I'm pretty sure it may be worth paying a little extra for the convenience - it's 20minutes from home by car and we could get a lift each way.

Flights are with Continental. Any horror stories? Recommendations? Does anyone think we'd blag an upgrade as travelling on DD's 21st?

Finally, should we wait until nearer the time to book a hotel?

TIA x

As you'd be tired the day you arrive why not fly BEFORE her birthday so she gets the full birthday in Vegas experience ? That way you could maybe do something special in the day-maybe a helicoptor ride or a spa visit as well as a special dinner .
Also flights can get delayed so flying in the day you graduate might be pushing it-you'll not be at your best and could miss the ceremony altogether-which after three years work would be a shame to risk.

£417 sounds a little high but as there are fewer flights from EDI so less competition-maybe not. I like CO always had good flights with them. Honest answer about blagging an upgrade very very very unlikely.

Definitely wait to book a hotel

trets77

The Bellagio Fountains

Also, my husband had a big win our first night (one requiring tax paperwork, but only just...and all on a $1 bet on a slot) - our biggest win ever...so that was an excellent start to the trip!

Many Congrats Ferf . sounds like a your having a great time too.

Thanks for the restaurant codes guys. Just got a $50 Hawaiian Tropic zone voucher for $6. Minimum spend $100 but you can use it on drinks as well!!

Good deal me thinks !! and the girls serve in Bikini's as well.

JailhouseBabe wrote: »

Hi,

I've promised DD I'll take her to Vegas for her 21st. Ideally I'd like to fly out/arrive on her birthday (21st Nov) and arrive back early on 27th (day I graduate). If we fly from Birmingham, we should be able to manage it.
Here's where I'd appreciate some help/advice:

I've found flights for £417 (1 connection) - is that reasonable? I'm pretty sure it may be worth paying a little extra for the convenience - it's 20minutes from home by car and we could get a lift each way.

Flights are with Continental. Any horror stories? Recommendations? Does anyone think we'd blag an upgrade as travelling on DD's 21st?

Finally, should we wait until nearer the time to book a hotel?

TIA x

i really will have to look into this next time we go as Birmingham is so much easier for us , than our usual departure Airports ( Heathrow , Gatwick and Manchester) . we have never had the Opportunity the fly from Humble Brum Airport .

if we did not have to pay for parking , Petrol or Hotels the night before , it would probably save us about £50 - £75 per ticket . So your £415 from Birmingham would be like a £350 ish fare from one of the other Airports . so IMO £415 is reasonable and if it were me i would be booking it .

like we always say book the Flight and the rest is easy . Thanksgiving will push the price of that nights stay up compared to a normal night , but it's just one of things , don't worry about it .

for now book a fallback deal that can be cancelled without penalty and then keep tabs on the offer links in Post 1 . 12 weeks out is the usual time when the good offers start appearing but you should check once a week until then . Make sure you do your ESTA ASAP. you can find the link on post 1 . beware of typing ESTA into google as there have been a lot of scam sites charging you to do it when it is totally free .

stoneman

The Bellagio Fountains

tingtong wrote: »

OK, looks like I'm doing the Shooting Safari "Shooting Through History" package on Tuesday. Will let everyone know how it goes.

Thanks for sharing that tingtong. Just had a look at the site and it looks right up our street. am emailing him now to try and get in on the "police patrol" sometime week after this.
Link Shooting Safari

duchy

mookybargirl wrote: »

Vegas will be more busy over holidays or holiday weekends. Hotels in Vegas fluctuate on a day by day basis and over holiday/peak times, the prices will be higher, so expect to pay a bit more than usual. Also buffet lines and taxi lines will be big, so prepare to wait a bit longer. I've been over Labour Day twice and it wasn't any problem for us, but we're not in any hurry and prepared for to pay a little extra on the hotel rates. We were there Nov last year (though not over thanksgiving), weather was great!

Thanksgiving is a huge deal in the US (think August bank holiday) and prices will be higher-however often there will still be offers some time ahead. We had the same experience over Easter. It's not a public holiday but apparently all the hotels were finding that people were staying longer as it was Easter and instead of the usual American 2 nights over the weekend were booking 3 or 4 nights. Both the Flamingo and Orleans were fully booked but we had great offers at both booking a couple of months ahead (although we did book reservations we could cancel in case something better came along later). It seems early bookings were slow so they dropped tjhe prices and then raised them once things picked up.

duchy

I've had a few questions about slot tournaments since I mentioned them so I thought I'd post about my experience.
Like many of us now and again I get invitations to slot tournaments and to be honest I didn't know what they were. Whilst walking through the Ventetian we saw a bank of machines blocked off and saw one been played for the first time-lots of button thumping and a host yelling encouragement.
The next day I took my friend to the Palms and got her signed up for a player card and we were both invited to their slot tournament starting the next day. They explained that it was run over 5 days but each day there were 4 sessions and you could only enter one session per day. You didn't have to enter every day and each session had prizes. Top prize was $500 ranging down to $35 for 14th place. You played a 7 min session on a machine on free play and were ranked by highest score including bonuses at the end of the 7 mins.
Well it was free and it took 7 mins so why not so we returned for the first session the next day.
We all had a go and my score ended up with around 10,000 higher than my friends so we decided I might be in for a chance of $35 so waited (OK played in the casino) until the results for the 10am-12pm session were announced at 12.30. To my amazement I came 4th and walked away with $150 in cash.
Not quite in Ferf's league but it turned out to be lucky money and I went on winning (mostly) for the next couple of days.
Definitely worth a go if you are invited !

newty428

I've been persuing this forum for a bit now and am hoping some of you kind people will be able to give me some sound advice!

Me and DH are off to Vegas next Friday (Yay)!! I was lucky enough to win this trip in a competition on Capital Radio. We are staying in the Wynn for 5 nights, we have a helicoptor trip around the Grand Canyon booked for the Saturday and we are booked in to see Cirque du Soleil "O" on the Sunday. (I'm not gloating, honest)!

Neither of us have been to Vegas before, I am looking forward to seeing the fountains at the Bellagio and I deffo want to go to the Outlets. But can you advise me places to eat in the vicinity, other things we should deffo see, casinos (not gamblers but fancy the slots). How do we get to the outlets? Anything else I might find useful???

Thank you for your time

Triker

The Bellagio Fountains

newty428 wrote: »

I've been persuing this forum for a bit now and am hoping some of you kind people will be able to give me some sound advice!

Me and DH are off to Vegas next Friday (Yay)!! I was lucky enough to win this trip in a competition on Capital Radio. We are staying in the Wynn for 5 nights, we have a helicoptor trip around the Grand Canyon booked for the Saturday and we are booked in to see Cirque du Soleil "O" on the Sunday. (I'm not gloating, honest)!

Neither of us have been to Vegas before, I am looking forward to seeing the fountains at the Bellagio and I deffo want to go to the Outlets. But can you advise me places to eat in the vicinity, other things we should deffo see, casinos (not gamblers but fancy the slots). How do we get to the outlets? Anything else I might find useful???

Thank you for your time

The Peppermill is fairly funky, down the Strip.

And I have to say it, you lucky, lucky sausage on winning such a fab prize.:D

TangoBunny

The Secret Garden

anyone give me a rough idea of drink prices in the casino lounges......we never got to go to any last time as we had my daughter(16) with us
How much would we expect to pay for say a voddie and coke and a glass of beer

Cand

The Bellagio Fountains

newty428 wrote: »

I've been persuing this forum for a bit now and am hoping some of you kind people will be able to give me some sound advice!

Me and DH are off to Vegas next Friday (Yay)!! I was lucky enough to win this trip in a competition on Capital Radio. We are staying in the Wynn for 5 nights, we have a helicoptor trip around the Grand Canyon booked for the Saturday and we are booked in to see Cirque du Soleil "O" on the Sunday. (I'm not gloating, honest)!

Neither of us have been to Vegas before, I am looking forward to seeing the fountains at the Bellagio and I deffo want to go to the Outlets. But can you advise me places to eat in the vicinity, other things we should deffo see, casinos (not gamblers but fancy the slots). How do we get to the outlets? Anything else I might find useful???

Thank you for your time

Wow what a brilliant prize your so lucky you will have a brilliant time.

When we went to the outlet at the North of the strip we jumped in a taxi think it was about $20 ish each way not sure if that is a good price or not though the other guys on here would probably be more help with that.

I have also found quite a few useful coupons on the destinationcoupons website that I will be using when I go again in Sept, I tried to post the link to the site but it wont let me, as there is a good voucher on there for 11% off at Macys which is in the Fashion show mall over the road from the Wynn.