Las Vegas/Grand Canyon over Memorial Day week?

[FLDVCFamily]

Is this a good time to go to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon? Also, which resort is best with kids? I can trade via II and RCI.

 

[presley]

It will be good, but can be hot. It won't be as hot as it is in August, though, and I did okay with that. It's a dry heat and doesn't feel as hot as humid areas do.

I've only stayed at 2 timeshares in Vegas. HGVC Flamingo and HGVC on the boulevard. I wouldn't recommend Flamingo. I just posted a review and you'll see why I don't recommend it especially for kids. The other one was pretty nice.

A couple I'd avoid because of reviews I've read: Marriott (had prostitutes coming and going all night in a trip report) and Shell (had streetwalkers in front of it in a trip report). Since you plan on doing day trips, like I did, don't bother with staying on the strip. The traffic and coming and going can get really bad sometimes. If your kids are young, you'll probably want to avoid all the nudity on the strip anyway.

 

[Ty1on]

It will be good, but can be hot. It won't be as hot as it is in August, though, and I did okay with that. It's a dry heat and doesn't feel as hot as humid areas do.

I've only stayed at 2 timeshares in Vegas. HGVC Flamingo and HGVC on the boulevard. I wouldn't recommend Flamingo. I just posted a review and you'll see why I don't recommend it especially for kids. The other one was pretty nice.

A couple I'd avoid because of reviews I've read: Marriott (had prostitutes coming and going all night in a trip report) and Shell (had streetwalkers in front of it in a trip report). Since you plan on doing day trips, like I did, don't bother with staying on the strip. The traffic and coming and going can get really bad sometimes. If your kids are young, you'll probably want to avoid all the nudity on the strip anyway.

Grand Canyon is actually perfect in late May, in the high 70s. Vegas averages around 90 in late May, which really doesn't feel bad. It's a dry heat

 

[FLDVCFamily]

Grand Canyon is actually perfect in late May, in the high 70s. Vegas averages around 90 in late May, which really doesn't feel bad. It's a dry heat

We're from FL, so heat doesn't deter us High 70's is borderline jacket weather:rofl:

 

[FLDVCFamily]

It will be good, but can be hot. It won't be as hot as it is in August, though, and I did okay with that. It's a dry heat and doesn't feel as hot as humid areas do.

I've only stayed at 2 timeshares in Vegas. HGVC Flamingo and HGVC on the boulevard. I wouldn't recommend Flamingo. I just posted a review and you'll see why I don't recommend it especially for kids. The other one was pretty nice.

A couple I'd avoid because of reviews I've read: Marriott (had prostitutes coming and going all night in a trip report) and Shell (had streetwalkers in front of it in a trip report). Since you plan on doing day trips, like I did, don't bother with staying on the strip. The traffic and coming and going can get really bad sometimes. If your kids are young, you'll probably want to avoid all the nudity on the strip anyway.

The nice Marriott timeshare had prostitutes coming and going?? Holy cow, glad I asked because that probably would have been my first choice. I don't care exactly where we stay with relation to the strip as we will mainly be doing daytrips, but I want something family-friendly so I feel OK taking my kids to the pools and stuff. I'm sure we will take them around the strip to see the different hotels one day, but we definitely don't need to stay on the strip.

 

[Luanne]

The nice Marriott timeshare had prostitutes coming and going?? Holy cow, glad I asked because that probably would have been my first choice. I don't care exactly where we stay with relation to the strip as we will mainly be doing daytrips, but I want something family-friendly so I feel OK taking my kids to the pools and stuff. I'm sure we will take them around the strip to see the different hotels one day, but we definitely don't need to stay on the strip.

We've stayed at the Marriott Grand Chateau twice. If there were prostitutes coming and going, we didn't notice them. Or maybe they were just nicely dressed, and well behaved. I'd stay there again. Loved the location, if you want to be on, or near, the strip. My kids are older, so really no issue.

 

[Passepartout]

Memorial Day week should be very nice there. Maybe a little hot, but everything is air conditioned, so it's just between buildings and car. If you go up to Mt. Charleston or down to Grand Canyon, it will be much cooler. For family, I'd suggest staying at Tahiti Village. Lazy river and all that. It's a bit away from the Strip and all it's craziness, but close enough that you can get there easily. Grandview would be another possibility. As to reports of prostitution, I'm not sure how much credibility I'd put to those, because prostitution is not legal in Clark County. Not that it doesn't happen, but should not be openly 'advertised'.

There is a lot for families to do any time.

Jim

 

[FLDVCFamily]

Memorial Day week should be very nice there. Maybe a little hot, but everything is air conditioned, so it's just between buildings and car. If you go up to Mt. Charleston or down to Grand Canyon, it will be much cooler. For family, I'd suggest staying at Tahiti Village. Lazy river and all that. It's a bit away from the Strip and all it's craziness, but close enough that you can get there easily. Grandview would be another possibility. As to reports of prostitution, I'm not sure how much credibility I'd put to those, because prostitution is not legal in Clark County. Not that it doesn't happen, but should not be openly 'advertised'.

There is a lot for families to do any time.

Jim

I saw Tahiti Village when we were looking through the timeshare books, but I wasn't sure if it was nice or not. Sounds like it's worth a look. We love lazy rivers

Not sure where Mt. Charleston is so I'll look that up. We want to do Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam for sure, and also the Red Rock Canyon place sounds awesome and not very far away. Of course we'll also take the kids to any kid-friendly stuff on the strip, and we might book a show or 2 if they are early enough (and kid-friendly). My husband expressed hesitation to go there over a holiday week, but I didn't think that Memorial Day would be too bad as far as holidays go.

 

[SmithOp]

Vegas can be busy any time you go, its built for crowds. We went in early December once and it was packed with cowboys there to see the rodeo finals and fight fans.


Sent from my iPad using the strange new version of Tapatalk

 

[tompalm]

My husband expressed hesitation to go there over a holiday week, but I didn't think that Memorial Day would be too bad as far as holidays go.

The weekends in Vegas are way more busy than weekdays. If you can plan your Grand Canyon trip over the weekend, that would be best. Also avoid driving to Vegas on Friday night and away from Vegas on Sunday afternoon or night. It takes about five hours to get to Grand Canyon and there is lots to do for kids, so plan to spend a few nights there. Staying right outside the south gate at one of the hotels with free breakfast like the Holiday Inn might work best for the kids, unless they like camping or staying in cabins.

I agree staying away from the strip might work best at the timeshares mentioned above. Also, consider a few good shows for families, like Terry Fator or others.

 

[FLDVCFamily]

The weekends in Vegas are way more busy than weekdays. If you can plan your Grand Canyon trip over the weekend, that would be best. Also avoid driving to Vegas on Friday night and away from Vegas on Sunday afternoon or night. It takes about five hours to get to Grand Canyon and there is lots to do for kids, so plan to spend a few nights there. Staying right outside the south gate at one of the hotels with free breakfast like the Holiday Inn might work best for the kids, unless they like camping or staying in cabins.

I agree staying away from the strip might work best at the timeshares mentioned above. Also, consider a few good shows for families, like Terry Fator or others.

My husband mentioned doing a bus/helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon. A five hour drive probably won't work for us.

We were thinking maybe Cirque de Soleil for shows?

 

[Ty1on]

It will be good, but can be hot. It won't be as hot as it is in August, though, and I did okay with that. It's a dry heat and doesn't feel as hot as humid areas do.

I've only stayed at 2 timeshares in Vegas. HGVC Flamingo and HGVC on the boulevard. I wouldn't recommend Flamingo. I just posted a review and you'll see why I don't recommend it especially for kids. The other one was pretty nice.

A couple I'd avoid because of reviews I've read: Marriott (had prostitutes coming and going all night in a trip report) and Shell (had streetwalkers in front of it in a trip report). Since you plan on doing day trips, like I did, don't bother with staying on the strip. The traffic and coming and going can get really bad sometimes. If your kids are young, you'll probably want to avoid all the nudity on the strip anyway.

Prostitutes coming and going is a feature of resort guests ordering call girls, and I think you will find that wherever you stay. They mind their own business, they just want to get in, make their money and get out. The soliciting prostitutes hang out at casino bars, because that's where the action is for them.

As far as street hookers, some resorts are definitely worse than others.

 

[Fern Modena]

Mac King, a magician does a great afternoon show and loves children (forgot how old yours are). I liked it too, and I'm not a child.

If your family likes drumming and rhythm they might like Blue Man Group. More fun, at least for me, was Recycled Percussion. Everybody gets to choose a pot or pan and a drumstick from a big chest on their way in, and you are encouraged to play along with the show. I loved it, and so did everybody else. Plus, they are not very expensive, there are many deals on their tickets.

Cirque, on the other hand, is none of the above, at least for me.

Fern

My husband mentioned doing a bus/helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon. A five hour drive probably won't work for us.

We were thinking maybe Cirque de Soleil for shows?

 

[Luanne]

We were thinking maybe Cirque de Soleil for shows?

We are huge Cirque fans, ever since we saw the traveling show Alegria. My younger dd was 4 when we saw that show and she fell in love. We saw every traveling show for years, have seen three of the Las Vegas shows (Mystere, O and Love) and La Nouba in Orlando.

 

[Ty1on]

We are huge Cirque fans, ever since we saw the traveling show Alegria. My younger dd was 4 when we saw that show and she fell in love. We saw every traveling show for years, have seen three of the Las Vegas shows (Mystere, O and Love) and La Nouba in Orlando.

I agree. Cirque isn't wildly popular for no reason.

 

[Passepartout]

My husband mentioned doing a bus/helicopter tour of the Grand Canyon. A five hour drive probably won't work for us.

We were thinking maybe Cirque de Soleil for shows?

There are fixed-wing airplane tours of the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas. Shorter time frame than a bus, less expensive than helicopter. They still aren't cheap, but you'll only need to do it once.

Cirque shows are unique and over-the-top, but they are not cheap. Figure $100 per seat.

 

[Luanne]

You can get lower priced tickets for Cirque show, especially some of the older ones like Mystere (which is my favorite one in Las Vegas). If you sign up online for the free Cirque Club they often offer discounts.

 

[tompalm]

There are fixed-wing airplane tours of the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas. Shorter time frame than a bus, less expensive than helicopter. They still aren't cheap, but you'll only need to do it once.

Cirque shows are unique and over-the-top, but they are not cheap. Figure $100 per seat.

Concur that the fix wing airplane ride in a twin engine Cessena is the way to go if flying because a helicopter will be very expensive and take a lot longer. They don't allow low level flights any longer over the Grand Canyon, so you will not see as much. For five people, your money can be better spent on other trips like driving to Zion Natioal Park that is three hours each way. If that is too far, drive to Valley of Fire State Park about one hour north, exit the east gate and drive home down Lake Mead. Also see Red Rock and a few other places already mentioned in this post. Spend the Grand Canyon Airplane money on a boat ride, rafting or seeing shows.

 

[FLDVCFamily]

Is there a better way to see the grand canyon than staying in Vegas then? We are coming from FL, would be coming for a week, and really don't know the area well. We also have 2 young kids ages 9 and 6 so we weren't sure that the grand canyon was enough to fill a week even if we could find a trade closer.

 

[Ty1on]

Is there a better way to see the grand canyon than staying in Vegas then? We are coming from FL, would be coming for a week, and really don't know the area well. We also have 2 young kids ages 9 and 6 so we weren't sure that the grand canyon was enough to fill a week even if we could find a trade closer.

Flagstaff is a great place to stay, and closer to GC. It is also 40(?) minutes from breathtaking Sedona and many other highly regarded natural locations.

 

[Luanne]

Flagstaff is a great place to stay, and closer to GC. It is also 40(?) minutes from breathtaking Sedona and many other highly regarded natural locations.

If your intent is to see the Grand Canyon, then I agree with would be a better spot to stay.

Or you could even stay in Sedona. That would be a longer drive to the Grand Canyon, but closer than Las Vegas.

We took a trip a couple of years ago where we based ourselves in Sedona, then took a couple of nights and stayed in the Grand Canyon. Well worth it.

 

[presley]

Another option since you may want 2 different locations in the week (Vegas and a closer to Grand Canyon) would be to do a direct trade with a points owner who owns in a system that has both locations. You own DVC, which is the most coveted exchange for most people. You could book a DVC for them and they could book as many days in each location that you want. Comparison wise, they will come out ahead, as you pay higher MFs than most other timeshare owners, but you'll save on the exchange fee and you'd have the benefit of being able to split up your time.

If you decide to do that, make sure you research all the resorts thoroughly before doing the trade. You'll want to make sure you aren't doing a tremendous trade down.

 

[Ron98GT]

It will be good, but can be hot. It won't be as hot as it is in August, though, and I did okay with that. It's a dry heat and doesn't feel as hot as humid areas do.

I've only stayed at 2 timeshares in Vegas. HGVC Flamingo and HGVC on the boulevard. I wouldn't recommend Flamingo. I just posted a review and you'll see why I don't recommend it especially for kids. The other one was pretty nice.

A couple I'd avoid because of reviews I've read: Marriott (had prostitutes coming and going all night in a trip report) and Shell (had streetwalkers in front of it in a trip report). Since you plan on doing day trips, like I did, don't bother with staying on the strip. The traffic and coming and going can get really bad sometimes. If your kids are young, you'll probably want to avoid all the nudity on the strip anyway.

The Marriott Grand Chateau? Where did you read this? I've never read anything like this and I've never seen it myself.

Can you site the source of the negative/hooker trip review please.

BTW, prostitution within Clark County is illegal. Prostitution is legal over the hump in Pahrump. And dressing trashy, like a prostitute, is common evening wear on the Strip and at the clubs.

 

[presley]

Can you site the source of the negative/hooker trip review please.

It was a report by Chriskre, but I don't remember if it was in the forums or in the reviews or even if it was on this site. You can message her and ask her for a link.

Legality doesn't matter. Prostitution is illegal in San Diego, but I could show you several places that are well known for prostitution, although I prefer to avoid those areas.

 

[deemarket]

As said already, if your priority in the Grand Canyon, then staying in Sedona (2 1/2 hours drive) or Flagstaff ( 1 3/4 hrs) would be a better fit. You would fly into Phoenix and drive to Sedona(120 miles 2/1/4 hrs) or Flagstaff (147 miles 2/12 hrs). You will find plenty to do in and around Sedona and Flagstaff. With II there are 9 resorts in Sedona but none in Flagstaff (might be a Wyndham). Others will have to comment on RCI because I don't use them.

Have a great trip.