Las Vegas thread and MSE guide 2009

stoneman

The Bellagio Fountains

tingtong wrote: »

He's busy having an argument with some Polish guy about Russian Visas, on another thread:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1668993

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

You gotta love him really!!

duchy

lindsey_toffee_girl wrote: »

Thanks, I am travelling with my parents though we are staying in a different hotel do you think that I would still be able to use my card to hold the deposit?

So long as you can be faffed going with them to check in before going to your own hotel-Yes.

lindsey_toffee_girl

The Bellagio Fountains

thanks for that I was so so worried I will apploy for a new credit card before we goand see if I can get one in my Mums name to if not I will do this, thanks

funkyfin2000

The Bellagio Fountains

hi guys!

Had a great forum meet with the guys mentioned above! Really nice to meet everyone and sorry I didn't get to say bye Luci as you dissapeared whilst I was at the bar!

We sat and stayed on until about 6pm watching Fat Elvis or Big Elvis which was really good fun!!!

Great Meet and Great People!

Rich

diggergraves

Hi there.

My wife and I are Vegas 'virgins' and we visit for the first time in 20
days. How excited are we?

I've posted on this forum to ask for any advice/tips/help on how to best
enjoy our stay. After reading loads on here there seems so much to do -
far too much to squeeze into 4 days/nights. May I ask what are the
'must-dos' for your first trip and what can we leave alone?

I imagine like most on here we'll become hooked and want to return if and
when we can afford to. I'm going out to celebrate my 40th. Can you
recommend the best eatery (on a budget) to enjoy a really special meal
please? And which buffets have to be done for quality/price to say 'I ate
at .....'? And the best shows?

We are staying at the Mandalay Bay which I've learnt is as south on the
strip as you go (closest to the airport). Is it as good a hotel as they
portray on their website? What is the best way to transfer from airport to
hotel and at what cost please? Wouldn't want to be taken on a magical
mystery tour being newbies. I've also heard as much as a good pair of
shoes is important for all the walking you do, the Mandalay is so far from
anywhere you'll be best to use their Monorail which is free I think for
staying guests, am I right?

Does the $20 trick still work at present? At the Mandalay, what type of
room should we be requesting if we're lucky enough to be offered an
upgrade? I tried to e-mail them to soften them up but could I find an
address? Do you know of a way to contact them via e-mail please?

We fly out on 27 May. Our stay incorporates a weekend which I've read are
busier but I'm not sure if the US bank holiday weekend (I think there is
one) will make it even more toppers. Anyone been in Vegas for that week?

As you can read I don't I have a lot to learn but I am a willing student
who just needs all you teachers out there to give me some study material.

Thank you ever so much for anyone who can help and enjoy your next trip out
there.

luci

The Bellagio Fountains

Hi Rich

I did ask Claire to say bye on my behalf as we really had to shoot. I thought we were leaving too early, but we really need every minute to get back to the Signature, get ready and get back to Caesars.

Wish we had arranged it for earlier.

ajmoney

c_l_a_i_r_e wrote: »

Have you considered changing one of your hotels (Ballys maybe) to a different location like ferf said. Maybe consider Mirage or TI further north strip, or MGM/NYNY further south? Theres some great rates for mirage floating about ($58 midweek) for example.

I've only just got round to checking this out With the exception of TI, the other hotels are almost double Ballys for our dates, are there any other hotel suggestions elsewhere on the strip?

ferf1223

The Bellagio Fountains

diggergraves - a lot of what you ask is really subjective, so you'll likely get a lot of differing replies.

diggergraves wrote: »

May I ask what are the 'must-dos' for your first trip and what can we leave alone?

For 4 nights, you'll probably be able to fill your time sticking to the strip just wandering around and checking out all the hotels and the various things they have to offer just by walking in the door (or standing outside). You might like an evening downtown as it's a different vibe and the casinos are all very close together. Not so much grandeur down there though.

diggergraves wrote:

Can you recommend the best eatery (on a budget) to enjoy a really special meal please?

My vote is Mon Ami Gabi on the patio...you can't reserve patio seats, but go about an hour before you want to eat and sign in on the list - they'll give you a buzzer to alert you when your table is ready. Check the first page of this thread for the link to the discussion on MAG.

diggergraves wrote:

And which buffets have to be done for quality/price to say 'I ate at .....'?

Probably Spice Market at Planet Hollywood or Carnival World at Rio...we like Paris for breakfast, others disagree...we also loved Wynn, but it's expensive and we probably wouldn't have even tried it if it wasn't free for earning points on their players card.

diggergraves wrote:

And the best shows?

Very subjective. My vote - Love. General consensus of late seems to be Terry Fator...but very, very subjective. Discounts to both are available, along with many others.

diggergraves wrote:

What is the best way to transfer from airport to hotel and at what cost please? Wouldn't want to be taken on a magical mystery tour being newbies.

Take a taxi, tell them not to take the tunnel. Cost probably $12ish?

diggergraves wrote:

the Mandalay is so far from anywhere you'll be best to use their Monorail which is free I think for staying guests, am I right?

Their monorail is free for everyone (as opposed to the one from MGM to Sahara) - but only goes as far as Excalibur (2 properties up the strip)...from there you're a pedestrian bridge away from Tropicana and New York New York, and from either of those to MGM and points northwards...you will walk loads in Vegas so yes, comfy shoes are a must - and 2 pairs of comfy shoes are a good idea.

diggergraves wrote:

Does the $20 trick still work at present? At the Mandalay, what type of room should we be requesting if we're lucky enough to be offered an upgrade?

http://www.frontdesktip.com/las-vegas/mandalay-bay/

c_l_a_i_r_e

The Bellagio Fountains

Hi Digger, here are my thoughts on a few things you have asked if i can remember them all

For us the best buffet is the Wynn, others that seem to be rated highly by people are Bellagio and Spice market at Planet Hollywood.

For must do's make sure you go see the Bellagio fountains, and generally just wander along the strip taking in all the hotels. The obvious attractions are the volcano at mirage, Sirens show at TI and gondolas at Venetian. Have a look at the poll at the top of this page and you'll see for example what attractions people here have rated as their favourite. With 4 days you cannot possibly come close to experiencing everything so just go with the flow and see as much as you can.

For a special meal it really is dependent on budget. Two of my favourites (which are quite reasonably priced as well) are Olives at Bellagio and Mon Ami Gabi at Paris. We usually lunch at MAG and have dinner at Olives, and request to sit on the patio for both. You can only request the patio on arrival and can't reserve in advance so get there earlier than you plan to eat if you chose either of these options.

Since you're staying at MB go check out the Burger Bar there, great burgers and a great atmosphere to spend a few hours eating and drinking.

MB is a lovely hotel with a great pool, and the casino is my joint favourite on the strip. Yes its location can be an issue for some but don't be too concerned about this. There is a tram which runs between there, Luxor and Exalibur and is free for everyone to use not just guests. Take tram to Excal, cross over the walkway to NYNY and then head up the strip from there. The monorail is a separate thing, you pay to ride that and the closest station is behind the MGM.

As far as shows go its really hard to advise someone as its such an individual thing. My personal favourites would be Jersey Boys and O but have a look at what is showing at each hotel and see what takes your fancy. Also have a look at https://www.smartervegas.com to see what shows are offering discounts as well.

The $20 trick can work for some yes. Personally i'd just smile and politely ask if any complimentary upgrades were available and then tip if there were. If you want to see what the room upgrades are go to the MB website and check out the room types.

And last but not least read the first post of this thread. A lot of effort went into it and it will provide you with a great overview of vegas and point you in the right direction for anything else you need to know.

Hope you have a great trip, i'm sure you'll be back planning your second one very soon:D

c_l_a_i_r_e

The Bellagio Fountains

ajmoney wrote: »

I've only just got round to checking this out With the exception of TI, the other hotels are almost double Ballys for our dates, are there any other hotel suggestions elsewhere on the strip?

What are the exact dates and what rate have you found Ballys for?