Archive for the ‘lasvegas’ Category

Mystere by Cirque du Soliel

Sunday, June 14th, 2009

Review by Anne Larison

Mystere Want to know how to make your money last longer in Las Vegas? Get away from those slot machines and tables for a few hours and see a show.

On my recent business trip to Las Vegas I tore myself away from the gambling for a few hours to see Mystere by Cirque du Soliel.

This was my second Cirque show; the first being La Nouba in Downtown Disney at Disney World in Florida. The Cirque du Soliel shows are each unique with different acts, performers, music and themes. So if you have seen one Cirque show you definitely have not seen them all.

Mystere has an international cast of performers featuring dancers, singers, musicians and champion-caliber acrobats. It is hard to explain in a few words what the theme of Mystere is, but without giving anything away there is a very large baby involved…

The dancing, acrobatics and feats of strength are amazing and it is very funny too. Our seats were in section 101 of this horse-shoe shaped theater. We were located in the front section at the end of the half circle. These were very good seats and we were close to the action. The best seats are in the middle section because it was difficult to see some of the performers who ended up over our shoulders, as the performers use all parts of the theater.

Here is a tip – there is several instances of audience participation – especially for the folks in the seats front and center. Also, there is a ‘clown’ who starts picking on arriving guests as they enter the theater. Be prepared as you may become part of the show!

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Disney’s Lion King In Las Vegas

Monday, May 25th, 2009

by Anne Larison

lking “What’s a Warthog Doing in Las Vegas?”

This was the subject line of an email I received back in March ’09. The answer to this question is that a Broadway-caliber musical was set to open in May at the Mandalay Bay Theater – Disney Presents The Lion King.

I was thrilled since I had a business trip planned for May in Las Vegas. The preview performances began May 5th with the official opening of the show scheduled for May 15. My mom, a sister and myself were able to snag tickets for one of the preview performances on Friday, May 8. All I can say is – amazing!

I had previously seen The Lion King when the Broadway show traveled to Denver a few years ago and I knew that it was worth seeing again (and again). My mom and sister had never seen it. The music, the scenery, the costumes, and the performances are first class.

This show appeals to adults as well as children. If you have only seen the animated movie classic, I hope you someday have a change to see the stage musical. The costumes and manner in which they portray the animals will delight and amuse you. Everything about the show is exciting.

Here is a tip – we arrived at Mandalay Bay early to pick up our tickets from Will Call. If you do purchase your tickets online, get there a few hours early, to actually pick them up from Will Call. The Will Call line was extremely long closer to the start of the performance.

Another tip – the House of Blues restaurant is located in the Mandalay Bay. We found a Happy Hour special from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.. They have special drinks and appetizers for only $5.00! We shared three appetizers and wouldn’t have been able to get a meal for that low price most anywhere else along the strip. It was very yummy!

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Luxury Travel Expo In Las Vegas

Saturday, December 20th, 2008

luxury by Tim Larison

For the past three years I have attended the Luxury Travel Expo at the Mandalay Bay Conference Center in Las Vegas.  This event, held in early December, is one of the biggest travel “trade” shows around.  Every year I marvel at how many different travel suppliers and destinations are represented on the huge trade show floor.  It is a challenge to manuever around the many travel agents in attendance, too (the photo above is of the trade show floor).

No travel agent has been everywhere and that is certainly true for me.  That’s why I feel a trade show like this is very important to attend.  I enjoy talking to many different suppliers represented to see if their business philosophy and passion for travel matches ours.  At this year’s conference one of the many suppliers I connected with was Moo Bishop from Thomson Family Adventures - we will now work with this company to plan “adventure” travel trips for our clients (click here to read an interview we did with Moo about their adventure trips)

In the travel business, like many other businesses, I often find “who you know” is just as important as “what you know”.  Attending an event like the Luxury Travel Expo increases  the number and quality of relationships we have with others in the travel community.  And it is always fun to visit Las Vegas, too!

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Fab Four Show in Las Vegas

Sunday, December 7th, 2008

Fab Four by Tim Larison

I was in Las Vegas last week and saw a fun show - Fab Four Live at the V Theatre in the Planet Hollywood shopping mall.  The V Theatre is a simple one - when I entered I thought it looked more like a warehouse than a Vegas showroom.  Soon though an Ed Sullivan look-a-like appeared from behind the curtain and introduced the “Fab Four” just like the real Ed Sullivan did back in 1964 on his TV show.

The vocals were very good as the band played many familiar Beatles songs through a non-stop 75 minute show.  I sat next to a gentleman from Tampa who said “the concierge at my resort said to close your eyes, and these guys will sound just like the Beatles.”  He was right!

Songs for the early Beatles era were performed in addition to selections from the Sgt Pepper’ Lonely Hearts Club Band album.  I especially enjoyed the John Lennon tribute towards the end of the show.  The Lennon “look a like” stepped out of character for a minute and gave a sincere tribute to Lennon followed by a performance of “Let It Be”.  

With many Las Vegas shows pricing at over $100/ticket the Fab Four Live concert is a good value (general admission at $50/ticket as of December 2008).  If you enjoy the music of the Beatles I recommend this show!

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Las Vegas room rates dropping

Thursday, July 17th, 2008

According to this survey in the Las Vegas Advisor newsletter, Las Vegas room rates are lower than they have been in five years.  An article in the NY Times reports Las Vegas casino revenue is down 5.1% from the same time last year.  It seems the high air and gas prices have taken their toll on Las Vegas.

 This is good news for Las Vegas vacationers!  With all travel affected by the higher fuel costs a trip to Las Vegas is still a great bargain.  We found Vegas to be a fun family destination to visit, too! (read our fall 07 trip report).  Anne and her Mom and sisters had a fun Vegas girls weekend getaway earlier this year. If you have cut back on your travel plans this year a vacation to Las Vegas may still be a viable low cost alternative.

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