Final Note
* Gambling- if you're going to gamble, don't do it until your last day there. It'll keep you from going back for more even though you know the odds aren't in your favor. We know nothing about gambling, so we can't give you any other tips. Hotel TVs, however, have a gambling tutorial channel that you can watch.
*Buffets- We liked the Bellagio buffet the best. Be forewarned, you will get buffeted out by the 3rd day! Also, we recommend sticking to the newer hotels for meals. The older hotels have that "dingy" feeling to them which made the food less appealing. Sure, the prices were cheaper, but you get what you pay for. Buffets are about $9 for breakfast, $15 for lunch, and $20+ for dinner. The cheaper ones are $5 less. Eat breakfast at about 10:30 am. This way you will get the breakfast items AND then, at about 11 am , they will start putting the lunch items out. That way, you will get brunch for the breakfast price!
We definitely recommend champagne brunches which are only offered on the weekends.
*Off peak season- We went to LV during the second week of Dec. The weather was great, but still dry. We recommend buying water to keep in your hotel room as well as ample amounts of chapstick. The advantage to going during off peak season is that the lines are short and hotel rates and airfares are low. The worst part about off peak season is that most shows are DARK (not showing) because the performers are on vacation (Cirque du Soleil and Siegfried and Roy)! We were definitely disappointed.
*Where to Stay- Definitely stay at a 5 star or higher place for the experience. Also, stay on the strip in a central location, like the Bellagio or Aladdin area. Anything north of the Venetian is not worth it. You can get good deals from FUNJET vacations (www.funjet.com). Definitely do not stay at the Westward Ho (2 1/2) stars. There are Motel 6s, but if you're on that budget, you can also stay at the Stardust (4 1/2 stars). This place was renovated in 1997.
* Cesar's Palace-- we don't have any pics of this place, but their Moving Statue attraction is a must see (it's free) as well as their 3D show Race for Atlantis ($10). DO NOT mistake the latter show for another similar named 3D ride called Submarine race to Atlantis (something like that). It's located in the arcade and not worth it. We rode 3 of these in a row and got intensely nauseated.
*Mirage- has a dolphin and lion habitat, but since Siegried and Roy were not in town, we didn't see it. There is also a fake volcano in front of the hotel that erupts at night on the hour.
*Treasure Island- has a free pirate show in the front. Again , it was off peak season so we didn't see it!
* Star Trek Adventure- friends says we missed out by not going to this, but we were too nauseated from all the other rides to go off the strip to LV Hilton.
* MGM Grand- has an adventure park w/c was closed for you know what reason. Rides, by this time were a no-no since we were so nauseated anyway
Timeshares- about every block or in every information booth someone will be asking you first, how long you will be in LV and then if you're planning to see a show. These are your friendly timeshare people. In return for 90 min of your time, they will either offer you $50 of casino cash and a buffet or 2 tickets for a show featured in their casino. We actually went to a Hilton timeshare and opted for tickets to Jubilee since the shows we really wanted to see were DARK.
Shows- As mentioned above, we didn't get to see the shows we wanted to. Jubilee was your typical LV show complete with women and their large, feathered headgear. We actually enjoyed it! Shows change all the time so check out Vegas.com for up-to-date info. We also saw Carrot Top at the MGM Grand. Both shows get a 3 out of 4 stars.
Valet- all hotels except the aladdin offer free valet parking, however, you have to tip the driver $1-2 each time. We recommend walking if you're staying on the strip. One time, when we valet parked our car, the attendant ended up parking the car practically in front of the door. When we came out of the hotel, it almost seemed ridiculous to tip him for driving our car 10 feet. Also, sometimes you end up waiting forever for your car when you could have gotten it yourself. Self-parking, however might be a problem during peak season.
Transportation- We recommend renting a car from those cheap rent-a-car places like US rental. When you walk out of the airport, you'll see the familiar ALAMO or BUDGET signs, and then a smaller sign saying ALL OTHERS. That's where you go. Sure, you might not get to your rent-a-car location in 5 min, since the shuttle only comes every 20 min, but if you just wait 10-15 min more, you'll pay $50 or more less. Our rental car was a Chevy cavalier and surprisingly, not a wreck.
For the most part, we walked, but we used our car for going to hotels far down the strip, jaunts off the strip to the grocery store, and for traveling to Hoover Dam.
Taxis are available, but why pay for a short distance, but traffic infested trip?
Monorails are available for free between Mandalay Bay, Excalibur, and Luxor (there is also a walkway between these hotels), another between Cesar's and Mirage, and another between MGM Grand and Bally's.
ALL IN ALL- LV is a great place to vacation at for no more than a week. On the first day, we felt so overwhelmed with the amount of things to do that we practically burned ourselves out. Spread out your activities throughout the week and definitely do not ride all the rides in one day. Also, sleep late and wake up late (unless you want to jog or something) cuz none of the attractions are open till about 10 or 11 am. Finally, relax. Get a massage (from the hotel spa or your spouse if your on a budget) and soak in the tub. We were so thankful for the hot tub in our room!