# Las Vegas Help Needed!



## TaraHawk (Apr 14, 2014)

Hi! We are taking our son to Vegas to celebrate his 21st birthday! We are going May16-24,2014 and staying at The HGVC Flamingo. Our family of 5 are 25,21,15 and my husband and myself. We have never been to Vegas and realize our youngest daughter wont be able to some activities. I am thinking of going to Disneyland for a night with her. Any suggestions on a hotel that would be convenient to Disney, but not too expensive. Also our flight arrives late Friday, so we are looking for a hotel for a night. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated for hotels and activities for our family. Thanks, Loretta:whoopie:


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## DeniseM (Apr 14, 2014)

For both extra nights:  Priceline


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## TaraHawk (Apr 14, 2014)

*Vegas!*

Thanks for your quick response. Would you be able to suggest what area to bid? We just want something clean and safe. Not sure what locations would be best, thanks!


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## Passepartout (Apr 14, 2014)

I'm confused. Do you really want Las Vegas info, or S. Cal/Disney info? If Vegas, there are lots of non-gambling activities there. Like the shows. Red Rock Canyon, Hoover Dam, roller coasters at NYNY, botanical gardens. The pool complex at Flamingo is said to be great. Shopping at any of the malls on the Strip (Caesars, Fashion Show, Planet Hollywood) would entertain any teen.

For Disney, will you drive (4-5 hours) or fly? All the usual hotels are there, and there are shuttles (Anaheim Resort Transit) to Disneyland from them. Priceline is your friend.

Search tripadvisor 'anaheim, ca hotels'


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## ricoba (Apr 14, 2014)

To find our inventory for the night you need in Vegas, go to Vegas.com.  It will show you the hotels available and general info about them, location etc.  But their prices aren't the best.  You can usually get good deals from the hotels own website or by phoning directly.  Or as suggested Priceline or another site.

Since you are only needing a night, stay right on the Strip.  It will be easy and you can get anything from moderate to deluxe.

Now, Disneyland, again do a search on Expedia or chains sites Realize that Disneyland is about a 5 hour drive from Vegas, so give yourself time. etc.  To make it magical, stay at one of the Disney properties (Disneyland Hotel, Paradise Pier or Grand Californian) or you can stay off property.  We got a good deal at the Hilton a couple of years ago.  

We are fortunate to have a house in both areas and I am writing this from Vegas and head back to LA tonight and are very familiar with the road trip.  

Have fun!


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## TaraHawk (Apr 14, 2014)

Actually, I was looking for guidance at both locations. We live on the east coast (PA) and usually travel south to the Carolinas and Florida, so travelling out west is a new adventure for us. Our youngest daughter wants to go to Disneyland it is open 24 hours 1 day that week,so we can go all day and night!  Igot a great deal on a premium car for $210/ 8 days including all taxes and fees through Enterprise. Now I need some help with hotels. Thanks again, Loretta


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## PStreet1 (Apr 14, 2014)

You might as well bid for the strip.  Go to www.biddingfortravel.com and read the first post under Nevada, then Las Vegas.  The first post is always the hotels Priceline uses in a given city.  You won't know which hotel of the, for example, listed 4 star hotels you'll get if you bid for a 4 star, but you will get a 4* in that area.  Opps!  Just checked:  for Las Vegas, the hotel list is the 4th post.

However, you need to know that Las Vegas hotel rates climb dramatically on Friday and Saturday nights.  You also need to know about the resort fee.  Lots of the hotels have it, and it can be an extra $25.00 a night.  The third post on Bidding for travel's site for Las Vegas is about resort fees.  You'll want to avoid that if you can.

If you are renting a car for the whole time, you might check (not on Priceline) some of the local casinos; their rates are lower and the rooms are better than most hotels even though they are not what you'll find on the strip:  The Orleans, Sunset Station, Coast Casions, M,     I don't know if you'll find them on Priceline or not, but you can find out on Bidding for Travel.


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## presley (Apr 14, 2014)

TaraHawk said:


> Our youngest daughter wants to go to Disneyland it is open 24 hours 1 day that week,so we can go all day and night!


The 24hour day is very busy.  Get there early that day so you won't be turned away.  While it stays open for 24 hours, it can reach maximum capacity and they won't let more people in.  Best to arrive within the first couple hours.  Be prepared for extremely long lines for everything inside the park.


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## jancpa (Apr 14, 2014)

The 24 hour Disney party starts at 6 am May 23 and continues to 6 am May 24, 2014!!  Will this impact your Hilton check out time?


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## Luanne (Apr 14, 2014)

I took my younger dd to Las Vegas for the first time when she was 15.  We went back again as a family and both dds were under 21.  They both had a great time.  There was plenty for them to do.  We saw some shows, walked around on the strip, went out to Hoover Dam.  They rode the roller coaster at New York.


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## Karen G (Apr 14, 2014)

Right next to the Flamingo HGVC is the new High Roller observation wheel (the tallest in the world) and it has just opened. I think your whole family would enjoy it.  There are lots of places that your 15-year old will be able to see in Las Vegas. Hope your family has a great time while you're here.


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## TaraHawk (Apr 14, 2014)

*Thanks!*

Thanks for all your suggestions for our trip. I am really looking forward to experiencing Vegas and also Disneyland. We visit Disneyworld for 2 weeks every summer and the kids come with a friend or two during the   Vacation. I am excited to visit Disneyland after so many visits to the World. My son, a junior at Penn State is looking forward to gambling (he has a. System:rofl! I am going to start bidding for our room for the first night. And thank you for suggestions to do with my 15 year old, I was afraid there wouldn't be a lot for her but I am sure she will enjoy herself! Thanks again Tuggers!


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## DeniseM (Apr 14, 2014)

To stay on the safe side, don't go below 4 Star when you bid on Priceline.  That way you can be sure to get a good quality property.  3 Star is usually also OK, but I'd try for 4 Star first.


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## Luanne (Apr 14, 2014)

TaraHawk said:


> Thanks for all your suggestions for our trip. I am really looking forward to experiencing Vegas and also Disneyland. We visit Disneyworld for 2 weeks every summer and the kids come with a friend or two during the   Vacation. I am excited to visit Disneyland after so many visits to the World. My son, a junior at Penn State is looking forward to gambling (he has a. System:rofl! I am going to start bidding for our room for the first night. And thank you for suggestions to do with my 15 year old, I was afraid there wouldn't be a lot for her but I am sure she will enjoy herself! Thanks again Tuggers!



The only thing your 15 year old will need to be careful about is NOT setting foot on the casino floor.  Most resorts pretty much make you walk through the casino areas to get anywhere, but there is usually a pathway.  When my younger dd and I were there the first time we were in Bellagio and I went to one of the cashiers to get change.  She followed my and got reprimanded by one of the floor attendants. 

Enjoy Disneyland.  I grew up in southern California and spent a lot of time there.  I prefer it to Disney World.


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## Fern Modena (Apr 14, 2014)

Since you have a rental car it is no problem, but if you want to stay on "The Strip" rates will be high, very high, if at all available for one night only on a weekend. 

As has been mentioned, you should plan to stay at one of the outlying hotel/casinos.I've just checked, and the going rate at many of the local casinos is $150. or more plus the junk fees (taxes, resort fees), which can run more than $25. extra. south Point and Sunset Station fall in this category. The M and Green Valley Ranch are higher, as is Orleans. Palace Station is less, but IMHO it is a dump. I wouldn't eat there for sure.

Also, maximum occupancy in the hotels is 4 people, 2 queen or king beds, so you will have a problem there. 

You need to study Priceline bids _right now_ and make a bid, if you don't change your mind about the extra day.

Fern


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## VegasBella (Apr 15, 2014)

I live in Vegas. Plenty if us locals manage to entertain our under-21 kids just fine  here are some good options for tourists:
- Circus Circus Adventuredome and rides on top of the Stratosphere
- shopping at the malls on the Strip
- galleries and museums
- free and ticketed shows (many are not age restricted but some are) 
- wet n wild or cowabunga water parks

As far as Disneyland goes, I've only been once. I would never return on a busy day. But that's just me. 



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## T_R_Oglodyte (Apr 15, 2014)

DeniseM said:


> To stay on the safe side, don't go below 4 Star when you bid on Priceline.  That way you can be sure to get a good quality property.  3 Star is usually also OK, but I'd try for 4 Star first.



I support the Priceline bidding suggestion.  When I had a client in Las Vegas and used to travel there several times each year, I had excellent success using Priceline.  I regularly stayed in the Bellagio for about $100/night, Treasure Island and the Mirage for less than $60.

To be successful using Priceline, here are a some important tips.

First, know how to do immediate free rebids on Priceline by adding new zones to your bid that don't have the hotels in the category level you are bidding for.  This is explained at www.biddingfortravel.com.

Second, review the bid history reports at www.biddingfortravel.com and www.betterbidding.com so that you can get an idea of what to expect.

Third, check what the demand is for hotel rooms on the night(s) you are looking for. I would go to the on-line reservations calendar for one of the major strip properties, I don't remember which one, that showed one month at time their reservation rate for a basic room.  You will see the prices for the identical room fluctuating in response to demand. If you are looking for a room in a high-demand period, you are going to pay more no matter where you stay.  Often much, much more.  OTOH, if you are looking for a room when demand is slack, your chances of scoring a bargain are excellent.


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## tompalm (Apr 16, 2014)

VegasBella said:


> I live in Vegas. Plenty if us locals manage to entertain our under-21 kids just fine  here are some good options for tourists:
> - Circus Circus Adventuredome and rides on top of the Stratosphere
> - shopping at the malls on the Strip
> - galleries and museums
> ...



I concur with the above 100%.  We went to Disney about six months ago and got a three day pass.  The weekends are so crowded that I wish we would have not gone and not used that third day.  The lines to the good rides were 90 minutes or longer on the weekend, while the same rides on weekdays are 30 minutes.  The drive across the desert and 24 hours at Disney will take a full day to recover from.  Don't plan on being back in Vegas one day later.  

Make a plan to go to Orlando next year and see everything that Disney has to offer.  It is a lot better than Disney in LA.  Enjoy the week in Vegas.  There is plenty to do for everyone.  If you want to get away, go see the Hoover Dam, the Grand Canyon, Zion, Valleys of Fire or Red Rock Canyon.  Don't waste time driving to LA.

Regarding where to stay, check RCI or II last minutes getaways and see if they have a deal for a week.  The price in the casinos go way up on the weekend, so maybe stay in a hotel or rent a two bedroom timeshare for a week from an owner on TUG.


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## Luanne (Apr 16, 2014)

tompalm said:


> Make a plan to go to Orlando next year and see everything that Disney has to offer.  It is a lot better than Disney in LA.



To each his/her own.  First of all Disney is NOT in LA, it is in Anaheim.....huge difference.   Second, I've been to both and much prefer Disneyland in Anaheim.  Also I really do not care for Florida at all.


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## tompalm (Apr 16, 2014)

Luanne said:


> To each his/her own.  First of all Disney is NOT in LA, it is in Anaheim.....huge difference.   Second, I've been to both and much prefer Disneyland in Anaheim.  Also I really do not care for Florida at all.



Nobody said anything about seeing LA or Florida. The subject was Disney. I think you missed that. And yes, Anaheim is about 30 minutes closer drive to Vegas than LA is. It is still a long drive for one day at the park.


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## VegasBella (Apr 16, 2014)

Luanne said:


> Disney is NOT in LA, it is in Anaheim.....huge difference.



Haha, huge difference between Clark County, Nevada and Orange County, California too! Odd to title a thread about Disneyland as "Vegas help."

It's at least a 4 hour drive; I plan on it taking six when I do it (which is frequently) due to potential traffic and bathroom/snack breaks. 

A significant portion of the drive is through the desert so make sure the car is 100% and bring a spare tire, coolant, water to drink, charged cell phone. You do not want to be stranded out there.

You can fly but it will take just as long factoring in the time it takes for shuttles and security etc. 

There are buses from Vegas to Southern Ca. That's a pretty good option. Inexpensive and Eco-friendly. Count on it taking five or more hours. 

Whatever you do, do not drive to So Cal on Sunday afternoon or evening. Likewise, do not drive to Vegas Friday night. The traffic at those times is horrendous. Best to go opposite the So Cal residents.



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## Luanne (Apr 16, 2014)

tompalm said:


> Nobody said anything about seeing LA or Florida. The subject was Disney. I think you missed that. And yes, Anaheim is about 30 minutes closer drive to Vegas than LA is. It is still a long drive for one day at the park.



I understand that.  What I meant is another reason *I* prefer Disneyland in Anaheim, CA is that I don't like Florida.  And I sure wouldn't drive from Las Vegas to Anaheim for one day at the parks


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## Passepartout (Apr 16, 2014)

Me either. The 15 y.o. would find something interesting to do in Vegas.


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## Luanne (Apr 16, 2014)

Passepartout said:


> Me either. The 15 y.o. would find something interesting to do in Vegas.



Yep.  As I said in my first post both of my dds were under 21 their first trips to Las Vegas.  They found plenty to keep them busy.  Even on this last trip (about a week ago) the only "over 21" activity my younger dd participated in was ordering an alcoholic beverage at dinner.


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