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irvinehusky

irvinehusky

New member
I'm planning to do the Las Vegas/Grand Canyon trip with my kids during their break.  Any tips on things to do on the cheaper side of the economic scale?  No 5 star things.  :P  Things to see, places to eat, etc.

Thank you for your help.
 
How old are the kids?

I would stay at either Circus Circus or Excalibur or Luxor(?) so you have access to their midways (but that can get expensive).

I would suggest a show but that could also be expensive, last time we went we saw Lion King which they loved.

Try this site:
http://www.lasvegaskids.net/
 
OMG, I was just about to make an identical post!

SoCal will be in L.V. @ the MGM Grand for spring break. TI meet-up!!  :) Be there or be square!

Irvinehusky, due to the recent bed bug issues over the last few years in Las Vegas, I recommend the hotel being one thing you allow yourself to spend what is necessary to get the best chances of having a peaceful night's sleep for you and the kids. It is true that no matter the price level, they are all at risk as bed bugs don't care if it's 5-star or not, however some hotels / casinos / resorts confront the issue head-on instead of just sweeping it under the rug, giving the customer a hard time. Originally, I had reservations @ Luxor. Once I read all the negative reviews on how they handle the complaints, I cancelled and booked MGM. If I was doing a couple's retreat, I would have booked the Wynn because they handle it the best way, imo. They have a special program with bug-sniffing dogs (I'm not kidding), regular inspections, etc. MGM also goes out of their way to treat the problem but is a more kid-friendly property which is why I chose that. I chose one of the newly remodeled 1-bedroom tower suits. I would rather spend more upfront than have the problems some customers have had with doctor's bills to treat the bites, some threw away all their clothes and luggage, some brought them home and they infested their own house. You get the picture.

I certainly hope the M&M World is still open because that was definitely on my list. MGM lazy river & wave pool, M&M, will be booking a show today - probably David Copperfield, the midway @ Circus Circus with mini golf, Bellagio fountains, and we are flying this time so they'll get a couple plan rides thrown in.

Edited: Added info.
 
4th graders and a 2nd grader.

We'll be staying at a really nice hotel but it's free since my sister bought a condo there. It's near Circus Circus so I'm sure we'll stop by there.  Might see one of the shows.

Might gamble a bit, after the kids go to sleep, so I might come back a Non-FCB.  Yeah, right.  :P

irvinehomeowner said:
How old are the kids?

I would stay at either Circus Circus or Excalibur or Luxor(?) so you have access to their midways (but that can get expensive).

I would suggest a show but that could also be expensive, last time we went we saw Lion King which they loved.

Try this site:
http://www.lasvegaskids.net/
Click to expand...
 
Btw, The Highroller Wheel @ the Linq just opened weeks ago. Bigger than the London Eye, bigger than Singapore's. The world's tallest observation wheel.

Personally, I don't think it's worth the price -- it'll run you around $100 for a family of 4, depending on the time of day. I'd rather spend that money on something else than standing in an extremely slow capsule with 36 of your closest friends and no bathroom breaks for the kids. But it is pretty cool to look at.

20111116_124242_bz16vegas.jpg


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEuxe2HYJG0
http://time.com/46733/worlds-tallest-observation-wheel-opens-in-las-vegas/
 
Thank you for the suggestion about bed bugs.  Yeah, that worries me too.  I'll be staying at a hotel that has a name that rhymes with "grump" and the owner can be one.  :P  Hope he takes care of the bugs or "he's fired".  :P  This one doesn't have a casino below so that's good for kids.  Not good for dad.  But maybe better so I don't lose my shirt.

SoCal said:
OMG, I was just about to make an identical post!

SoCal will be in L.V. @ the MGM Grand for spring break. TI meet-up!!  :) Be there or be square!

Irvinehusky, due to the recent bed bug issues over the last few years in Las Vegas, I recommend the hotel being one thing you allow yourself to spend what is necessary to get the best chances of having a peaceful night's sleep for you and the kids. It is true that no matter the price level, they are all at risk as bed bugs don't care if it's 5-star or not, however some hotels / casinos / resorts confront the issue head-on instead of just sweeping it under the rug, giving the customer a hard time. Originally, I had reservations @ Luxor. Once I read all the negative reviews on how they handle the complaints, I cancelled and booked MGM. If I was doing a couple's retreat, I would have booked the Wynn because they handle it the best way, imo. They have a special program with bug-sniffing dogs (I'm not kidding), regular inspections, etc. MGM also goes out of their way to treat the problem but is a more kid-friendly property which is why I chose that. I chose one of the newly remodeled 1-bedroom tower suits. I would rather spend more upfront than have the problems some customers have had with doctor's bills to treat the bites, some threw away all their clothes and luggage, some brought them home and they infested their own house. You get the picture.

I certainly hope the M&M World is still open because that was definitely on my list. MGM lazy river & wave pool, M&M, will be booking a show today - probably David Copperfield, the midway @ Circus Circus with mini golf, Bellagio fountains, and we are flying this time so they'll get a couple plan rides thrown in.

Edited: Added info.
Click to expand...
 
I'm deathly afraid of heights so this is a pass.  :P  Same goes for that roller coaster on top of that hotel.

I don't have fond memories of the Grand Canyon tour I took with the wife and her family when we got married long ago.  I'm sure I'm not going anywhere near the edges. 

SoCal said:
Btw, The Highroller Wheel @ the Linq just opened weeks ago. Bigger than the London Eye, bigger than Singapore's. The world's tallest observation wheel.

Personally, I don't think it's worth the price -- it'll run you around $100 for a family of 4, depending on the time of day. I'd rather spend that money on something else than standing in an extremely slow capsule with 36 of your closest friends and no bathroom breaks for the kids. But it is pretty cool to look at.
Click to expand...
 
irvinehusky said:
4th graders and a 2nd grader.

Might gamble a bit, after the kids go to sleep, so I might come back a Non-FCB.  Yeah, right.  :P
Click to expand...

Same, same. 2nd & 5th.

I want to go take turns playing slots / babysitting in the room but my husband will not let me go to the casino alone. He thinks he will never see me again. (Yeah, okay! We are not going downtown to the shady parts of the strip.) He says only if I have somebody go with me... which brings me to my next point... MARTIN! I hope you're reading this. If you're going to visit your dad in LV on spring break, email me. We can chat for a bit @ the slots. Trojan, if you're free and will be in town anyway, can you babysit me for a little bit?  :) I don't know anybody else there.
 
irvinehusky said:
O.K. I'll have to keep my eyes open for a tall blonde lady then.  But I'm only doing this for IHO.  :P

Thank you for the suggestion about bed bugs.  Yeah, that worries me too.  I'll be staying at a hotel that has a name that rhymes with "grump" and the owner can be one.  :P  Hope he takes care of the bugs or "he's fired".  :P  This one doesn't have a casino below so that's good for kids.  Not good for dad.  But maybe better so I don't lose my shirt.
Click to expand...

Haha! Good try but I already know better. The "blue-eyed devil" is not Iho's preferred type. (*Cry*, *Fling self into volcano*)

Not going to stay at your sis's condo? I came *this close* to booking a condo @ MGM Signature. Good sized rooms, private pools, no smokey casinos to pass through.
 
irvinehusky said:
I don't have fond memories of the Grand Canyon tour I took with the wife and her family when we got married long ago.  I'm sure I'm not going anywhere near the edges.
Click to expand...

Are you doing a group tour from LV to GC? I was thinking about doing a group tour from LV to the Hoover Dam but read some reviews for 1 company that basically said it was a ong drive then 15 minutes at the Dam, 30 minutes at McDonald's, and back on the bus. Oooof. Didn't have enough time to continue researching it. Maybe next time.

 
No, I'm not going to pass up two nights of free stay in the Grump Hotel.  :P  So, yes I am going to stay at her condo. These are condos for sale inside the Grump Hotel.  Hopefully, they'll mistake me for a FCB and give me free things.  But our Irvine Hillbilly looks might give us away. :P

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eyp3r4bG1Kg&list=TLbAIWjzwou7bkKGOJkTfFlPMjqslLLF3J

SoCal said:
irvinehusky said:
O.K. I'll have to keep my eyes open for a tall blonde lady then.  But I'm only doing this for IHO.  :P

Thank you for the suggestion about bed bugs.  Yeah, that worries me too.  I'll be staying at a hotel that has a name that rhymes with "grump" and the owner can be one.  :P  Hope he takes care of the bugs or "he's fired".  :P  This one doesn't have a casino below so that's good for kids.  Not good for dad.  But maybe better so I don't lose my shirt.
Click to expand...

Haha! Good try but I already know better. The "blue-eyed devil" is not Iho's preferred type. (*Cry*, *Fling self into volcano*)

Not going to stay at your sis's condo? I came *this close* to booking a condo @ MGM Signature. Good sized rooms, private pools, no smokey casinos to pass through.
Click to expand...
 
SoCal said:
irvinehusky said:
4th graders and a 2nd grader.

Might gamble a bit, after the kids go to sleep, so I might come back a Non-FCB.  Yeah, right.  :P
Click to expand...

Same, same. 2nd & 5th.

I want to go take turns playing slots / babysitting in the room but my husband will not let me go to the casino alone. He thinks he will never see me again. (Yeah, okay! We are not going downtown to the shady parts of the strip.) He says only if I have somebody go with me... which brings me to my next point... MARTIN! I hope you're reading this. If you're going to visit your dad in LV on spring break, email me. We can chat for a bit @ the slots. Trojan, if you're free and will be in town anyway, can you babysit me for a little bit?  :) I don't know anybody else there.
Click to expand...
 
No, not doing the tour this time around.  It was kind of nice since it was run by one of the Indian tribes and they took you by bus into places where you couldn't privately.  I can't remember where it was from but was fairly far away but the actual tour was at least four hours so we got to walk and see a lot of things.

SoCal said:
irvinehusky said:
I don't have fond memories of the Grand Canyon tour I took with the wife and her family when we got married long ago.  I'm sure I'm not going anywhere near the edges.
Click to expand...

Are you doing a group tour from LV to GC? I was thinking about doing a group tour from LV to the Hoover Dam but read some reviews for 1 company that basically said it was a ong drive then 15 minutes at the Dam, 30 minutes at McDonald's, and back on the bus. Oooof. Didn't have enough time to continue researching it. Maybe next time.
Click to expand...
 
If you want to visit different pools with your kids, most of the properties allow non-hotel guests access, usually around $10/pp. Of all the hotels on the Strip, these are note-worthy:

Mandalay Bay: lazy river, large wave pool, sandy beach.

MGM Grand: Quarter-mile long wave pool, pool with waterfalls, wave pool, squirting fountains. (Swim-up blackjack just added.)

Tropicana: Usually has one main water slide with smaller slides joining lagoon to lagoon, HOWEVER, I called them and discovered their slide is under construction with no anticipated reopening date! They do not admit this on their website. They still advertise it.

Golden Nugget: Shark tank with water slide running through it.

* Note: Most hotels on the Strip do not open all of their pools until May / late spring or early summer.

AVOID with kids:

Hard Rock on Sundays: Rehab Pool Party. The wildest party on the strip. Out of control.

 
OMG! TI meet up time - I will be Vegas too.. Staying in the fake of what I want sketch in real life, and basically eating, shopping.. We did the tour of Hoover dam on all our previous trips (drove on our own), and probably will do it this time as well. I want to take a tour of grand canyon since we are there for almost a week. Haven't booked anything.

SoCal, don't miss Sugar Factory.. you will like it!

One thing I will avoid: Circus Circus.

 
Cubic Zirconia said:
SoCal, don't miss Sugar Factory.. you will like it!
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I'm down for that. The menu & pics look uh-mazing!! I plan to eat like an unchaperoned child at a birthday party.

I've been dieting really hard recently to mitigate upcoming vacation damage, down 5 lbs., hope to lose 5 more before leaving. 


 
USCTrojanCPA said:
irvinehusky said:
Just curious.  Why?  The kids won't want to go anywhere else after you get there?  :P

Cubic Zirconia said:
One thing I will avoid: Circus Circus.
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Cuz it's old and ghetto.  Go for the rides at the top of the Stratosphere Casino. 
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Jesus. My 7 year old would never forgive me if I did that to him. He would crap his drawers.

Stratosphere-Thrill-Rides.jpg


stratosphereRoof.jpg
 
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