Vegas with Kids (11&12) week of Thanksgiving
 

Hi- I would love any suggestions or pointer for making our trip to Vegas go smoothly and want to be prepared and have fun! We will be in Vegas Nov. 23-28 (Tues-Sun) for Invitational National Youth Football Championships for 7th grade. We are flying in on America West and renting from Dollar. Any pointers on easiest pickup and drop off for car and what time we should be at airport for departure on the 28th? We are staying with the team at Circus Circus (not our choice!) Any pointers for checking in and out or there. We arrive at 3pm...so check in will be about 4pm. Any comments from anyone that has attended this football tournament in the past? Which buffet for Thanksgiving Dinner? What is the weather like around Thanksgiving? Does it rain much then? Any must sees for pre teen boys? Thank you for any information or comments.

Thanksgiving will be cold in Las Vegas and I don't know about rain.

Curious, if everything you all are doing is at the hotel, you don't really need a car.

Must sees for anyone in Vegas are the Fountains at The Bellagio and the Freemont Street Experience. I'm sure he will want to do the coaster at the top of the stratosphere.

Thank you GoTravel for your reply! I guess I should also say that my son will be playing 3 games in 5 days at different high schools around Vegas..up to 50 miles away. We do not know who or where we play until the morning of 24th. So we most definetly need a car. Other than staying at Circus Circus, the only other thing we have there is the Closing Ceromony and a free Adventure Dome Pass on Saturday night. We will not really have more tha a couple of hours at a time to sight see..we will have be practicing or playing a game everyday. I guess I am most concerned about congestion to and from the airport for flights and car rental over thankgiving weekend and everyone wanting to get home on Sunday. We fly in at 3pm and out at 11am. I hope we can see the Fountains, Freemont Street and for sure the rollercoaster. Any more suggestions about trick of the traveled and about navigating the airport would be appreciated.. Thanks again!

If you're not on a budget, you might want to consider the Circus Circus Steakhouse for Thanksgiving dinner. It's really the only good thing about that hotel.

Here is the easy-return route for your rental car. Right out of Circus Circus onto Las Vegas Blvd, left on Convention Center, right onto Paradise Road. Straight on Paradise to the airport. As you cross Tropicana Avenue, cautiously get immediately over into your right lane. 2nd right is Gus Guthrie, then first left to Dollar. This is quicker than following the airport signs for "car rental return".

What time is your return flight? You may need to get to the airport 3 hours in advance since that is one of the busiest travel days of the year. A 6am or 7am flight, maybe 90 minutes will suffice...but anything later you're in for a long wait.

clarkgriswold - Thank you for the car rental directions! Our departure time is 11:41 am. Anyone

sorry, just saw that your return flight is 11am. I think I would leave Circus Circus around 8am. It will take about 12 minutes to drive to Dollar, 5 minutes to do the return, and 5 minutes shuttle to the airport. Once you get through security, there are a few places to get a light breakfast.

Here are my directions on arrival, from Dollar to Circus Circus. Not the shortest or fastest route but definitely the easiest and least confusing.

Ask at Dollar for directions to Swenson street (very easy exit). Continue on Swenson for a couple of miles, it will "become" Joe E Brown Blvd. Continue to the light and turn left onto Sahara. Stay in the left lanes, you'll be turning left ahead on Las Vegas Blvd. Circus Circus is just up ahead on your right.

With that little time to see the sites, I would not waste any time at the Fremont Street Experience. It is not worth sitting in that traffic to go downtown. Also, downtown is not kid-friendly territory (kind of sleazy, old-Vegas).

The top of the Stratosphere is fun for kids. There are some arcades near the MGM and Excalibur has a carnival-like game area.

The last time we were in Las Vegas for Thanksgiving weekend it was cold and very, very windy. Dress warmly for those football games! Good Luck and have a great time.

Thanks to all of you for your responses. Just how cold does it get the end of November? Highs and Lows? Jacket weather? We are from upper northwest so it will still probably feel good to us. I would like to know what kind of whether to pack for? Could someone tell me about the Hawaiian Market Place? We love Hawaii and go every other year. Would this be worth checking out? If anyone has anymore advise or suggestions, Thank you! Or if anyone has been to the Youth National Football Championships and have advise..that would be great too..Thanks again to everyone.

Don't miss the buffet at Bellagio. Go before 3:30 to get the $16 price.

We are going to try the Steakhouse at Circus Circus for Dinner. What buffet would you suggest for Thanksgiving for the team. Do any of them do a really special job for the holiday? Thanks!

Austin - Does the Bellagio buffet have a special theme or is it all types of food. I have heard that the Excalibar is also excellent. Is that true?

Kids, unless they are "foodies", often don't find the Bellagio buffet worth the long long wait in line. Not sure how the lines are on Thanksgiving, we ate early one year at Boulder Station and the food was fine, as we were leaving the line was getting very long.

The Orleans and the Rio usually have food that really appeals to all ages. Both are off the strip but are pretty popular so I'm not sure about Thanksgiving lines. Not sure what your budget is, but you might check with William B's Steakhouse in the sTardust to see what they offer for Thanksgiving. It's a short walk from Circus Circus. Grand Luxe Cafe at the Venetian might be another place to check with, they may even have a private area for a large group.

Might also check with Maggiano's Little Italy, they offer special kids prices. They're in the Fashion Show Mall which is a short walk from Circus Circus. They're taking reservations which would be nice, and they serve family-style with big huge platters of everything passed around. The menu for the Thanksgiving dinner is online at maggianos.com

IMHO, Fremont Street is a must see for your family. It is definately kid friendly for kids of that age. It is a spectacular show and free of charge to boot! Great food can definitely be had at the Venetian's Grand Lux Cafe. The Pirate/Siren Show is over the top fun that your boys will enjoy. I am a southern CA native who has always taken my 2 teen daughters and now 2 little boys (2 & 4) to LV. Never had a problem at the Venetian where we stay so Circus Circus should be fine. The M&M store is a definate cool place as well as the arcade experience at MGM. Have Fun!

My boys did not enjoy the Sirens of T.I at the Mirage at all. The wait was long and the show was "Lame" according to them. They did like Red Rock Canyon, the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay, tasting soft drinks from around the world in the huge Coke Bottle building, and the arcade at Excalibur. The fountains at Bellagio only thrilled them once. They liked the Freemont St. Experience.

Sahara Hotel is easy to get to from Circus Circus...not sure if they take reservations but the Nascar Cafe at the Sahara would probably be a hit with the kids.

The bell desk at the hotel will be helpful with directions to the high schools...and the gift shop should have a local map for sale. If you get out anywhere near Rainbow and the 95, visit the Las Vegas Mini Grand Prix. This go-cart race track is always a hit with young boys. There is also a Scandia Family Fun Center in Vegas, but the bumper boats and rides are geared towards smaller kids, maybe 4-7 years.

Riggsie, weather will be anywhere from the 50's to the low 60's. You'll need jackets. A traditional Thanksgiving meal will be expensive on holiday if you want to dine in a finer strip restaurant, around $35 and up per person. Buffets will also be a lot more expensive and will be themed for turkey day ~:> but will offer many choices. The Excalibur buffet is a bust. There is a gigantic salad station (they want you to fill up on that first) and not as many entree choices as you will find at other Buffets. My recommendations in order are Bellagio, Paris, Mirage, and Aladdin. All of these restaurants are $$$-$$$$. Less expensive would be the Luxor or Monte Carlo. I think the kids would like the Luxor and Paris. Count on 45 minutes to go through the security screening in the airport. Lines can be loooong. Have a great trip!

Wow - thanks to everyone for your information. I feel less nervous already. If any of you who answered or anyone new, think of anything else or here any news that I may need to know please post a reply. Thanks again for the great tips.

Many LV hotel shopping malls have fun and free happenings, as mentioned above. I used to stay at MGM Grand and kids of all ages love it--arcade, fast-food food court, etc. Would add Caesars' Shops, at back, with the free rumbling Atlantis show. It's been a few yrs--hope it's still there. It's at the back of the mall, nr Cheesecake Factory. Also, there was movie next to it (for this you have to pay) where you put on 3-D glasses, which got so-so reviews from the kids. Have heard shops/sidewalk shows at malls at Venetian and Aladdin are great fun too. Circus Circus has an amusement park within it. Five yrs ago it was fun for my kids; it had an old-fashioned feel to it (some would say dumpy, lol) Maybe it's been somewhat refurbished? Just walking down the Strip is great fun. Kids love the M&M Factory store, nr New York New York. I thought the buffet at Excalibur was perfectly adequate, with reasonable cost, and since not one of the top-rated ones, almost no line.
Interesting how LV has transformed itself, over the last 8 yrs or so, into a family-friendly place, though some are still appalled that anyone would take kids there You'll have a great time.
Good luck at the tournament!!!!

Las Vegas decided to ditch the family friendly theme a few years ago, and came up with the new slogun "what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas". LV is now more like the old LV. Entertainment (show) prices have gone way up and it's not such a cheap place to visit anymore. You will see more open pornography (butt floss and skin) in advertising. However, since you will be in LV over a holiday there will be more people with families. I'm a northwestern lv resident, hope this info has been helpful.

The bellagio buffet was wonderful. There is EVERYTHING, from fish, chicken, beef, pasta, asian, shushi, breads, desserts. The BEST in LV. IMHO. For $16 it can't be beat. I hear it's goes up by about $10 after 3:30.

I second Fremont St. for the family. The light show is worth it.

But alas, as someone else mentioned, LV is trying to lose the family friendly status. YOu might be a bit embarassed with the kids there at that age, just depends on your relationship with them. If I brought my 14 year old daughter, I think we'd laugh at a lot of it.

According to the Weather Channel's monthly forecast for Las Vegas the day temperature during your stay will be around 63 and around 43 in the evening.

Vegas openly abandoned the family-friendly theme about 4 years ago. It was a money losing attempt to get parents to come to LV. But they didn't gamble as much once there.
Vegas is now boldly pushing the adult theme envelope. More strip bars, more upscale nude shows at the resorts, a push within government to loosen restrictions on prostitution, etc.
7th grade boys will likely be keenly aware of the differences between LV and their home towns, but they won't likely share these perceptions with parents.

As for the Fremont St debate, it's a reasonable one-time-only attraction, but most kids will not be 'wowed' by it compared with a visit to Disney, etc. Still, a look at old downtown LV is worthwhile, if only for 15 minutes. Downtown is dying steadily, and it could even be a relic within 10-12 years.

A special trip to Excalibur? No way. The food is terrible, the theme very cheesy. Too many other more worthwhile stops.
For kids, stop into New York New York to look at the theme inside and go to the Coney Island arcade area, or even a roller coaster ride (it's one of the few indoor-outdoor coasters in the world).
Some kids will get a kick out of Luxor, to see the world's largest atrium, and there's an arcade there as well.
Venetian is a must see for its classic over the top Vegas theming.
For the dollar, kids will get more value out of the Spice Market buffet (lower level at Aladdin) than Bellagio. Those 2 buffets are always rated among the top 3-4 in the city. Aladdin's is cheaper and easier to get into, and has at least as much variety.

**A trip to the top of Stratosphere is a must for kids. The rides up there (roller coaster is so-so, Big Shot well worth the $$, XScream: you have to judge for yourself) are very memorable for kids that age. The line can be 2 hours long to get to the elevator to the observation deck, so pick a non-peak time.

Oh yes, night time temps around Thanksgiving commonly get into the high 30's. You must bring appropriate clothing.

Thanks for all your replies and great advise and information. Please keep the info. coming and for you locals if you think of anymore advice, please reply.
I am definetly printing this thread off before we leave.

Here are a couple of pointers or my personnel opinion. First bring clorox wipes with you to eht hotel I stayed there 5 years ago and it was filthy. I lived in Vegas for 20 years and always knew that hotel was on the decline but I did not think it would be that bad. After I complained about the cleanliness of my room they moved me to one that was the same. The remote has some sort of goop on it, toilet was yuk!

Second be careful walking up and down the strip as far as pornography is concerned. When I took my kids to do some shopping at the Ceasars Forum in the toy place, my 6 year old handed me a bunch of cards he found on the ground that had naked ladies on them. That was hard to explain. We ONLY go to Vegas to shop and visit family, it can be fun if you are careful. It is a adult playground. Remember in the Stephen King movie "The Stand" Satan lived in Vegas. That always killed me. Good luck!

The Bellagio buffet is excellent. There is no theme, but an excellent variety of food. The Grand Lux Cafe at the Venetian is a good place to eat with desserts to die for. I think your kids will enjoy just walking the strip. We enjoyed the wax museum at the Venetian. If you have time for a show, your kids might enjoy Lance Burton at the Monte Carlo. Enjoy your time in Las Vegas.

CaliNurse, the Las Vegas CVB & Chamber of Commerce openly admitted the "Vegas For Families" marketing push was a disaster and have long since abandonded this push.

They stopped about 5 years ago after pressure from the casino owners. Parents don't gamble when they have kids in tow.

I can't imagine why any "youth" conference would be held in LV, for all the reasons mentioned above, but I suspect it's for the parents/chaperones!

We were in Las Vegas a few years ago on Thanksgiving weekend. The weather was very mild. Last December, it was cool during the day, cold at night. We very much enjoyed the buffet at Ballys.