On-strip stuff to do

A few free options
Many of the casinos have some lure to get you in the door. Most have paid attractions, but usually also have free things you can check out, and that's what we're going to start with here. This is not meant to represent a complete list of all the free things you could do, but it does cover a lot of what we saw. Of course, some of these things may be subject to change, so keep in mind that this is all based on late October, 2002.

The puppet show at Excalibur
This is less a puppet show and more an emotionally scarring experience destined to give small children (and maybe some adults) perpetual nightmares for the rest of their lives. I'm not sure what it is - the dorky black lighting, the mediocre puppetry, the bizarre plotting, or the terrible music - but somehow all the separate elements come together to form one of the worst things I've ever seen, not just in Vegas, but anywhere.

Window shopping
Shopping in Vegas really can be viewed as an attraction, and who says you have to buy anything? Most casinos have shopping areas themed to match the casino. The shopping and dining district in Paris has a blue "sky" (several casinos have this), cobblestone streets, street performers, and a certain degree of believability. Caesar's Palace has a nifty shopping district with a cool fountain, a hokey animated statue show, and stores where you might actually be tempted to shop. Aladdin's mall has that same blue sky, but is actually kind of neat, and when we were there it was empty. Finally, the crown jewel of shopping on the strip has to be at the Venetian. It really is cool to stroll the canal, and the restaurant in the middle of the mall is one of the most convincing fake environments I've seen outside of Disney World. If you go, go at night so you can also enjoy the view of the Venetian exterior. It looks nice during the day, but it's a sight to behold when it's lit up at night.

The Lions at MGM Grand
MGM isn't the easiest of the casinos to navigate, but eventually you'll find the lions. There were three lions in their decent-sized enclosure, and while we were there trainers came in to feed and play with them. Your enjoyment of this will vary a lot - it's not that different or better than something you could see at a good zoo. We spent more time watching the lions than I thought we would, but we like animals.

White Tigers/Volcano at The Mirage
The White Tiger "exhibit" is pretty lame - a fairly small enclosure with one white tiger, who seems to mostly just sit. It's worth a look if you're there, but don't walk down here just to see that. The Volcano outside The Mirage is actually kind of cool, in a borderline kitschy sort of way. The special effects are better than we were expecting - if you suspend disbelief it does actually look like lava is erupting from the volcano, and you can feel the heat from the fire. It's short, and not a big deal, but worth waiting a few minutes for just to say that you've seen it.

Bellagio Fountains
Jaime says:
It's cool, but not so cool that I'd spend a whole night sitting and staring at it. The first song we heard was pretty cool, but Celine Dion? Give me a break. Maybe it's because we come from Minnesota and we see water all the time, it isn't that great. I suppose people from Vegas don't see water very much unless it's in the bathroom. I feel bad saying something bad about the Bellagio fountains, but I was expecting more. Maybe if you went expecting it to be stupid music like "This is My Song" by Elton John, you wouldn't be disappointed. Also, this gets really crowded, which further cuts in on the romantic potential. Whenever I look at the Bellagio fountains, I can't keep myself from thinking that the owner of the hotel is sleazy Andy Garcia. Thanks to Oceans Eleven, I can't disassociate the two.

Dave says:
I thought it was pretty cool and wasn't quite as disappointed as Jaime. While she was disappointed with the fountains themselves, I was more disappointed with the length of the performance. I thought it was going to be longer than just one song. And I do have to agree that the song selection seemed pretty odd. Our first night we heard something operatic and it was quite nice, but the two other times we saw the fountains they were playing Celine Dion and Elton John. Who picks this crap? With the right music, though, this is quite pretty.

M&M World/Coca-Cola World
Dave joked before going to Vegas that M&M World was what he was most excited to see. It's a good thing he was only kidding. It's bright, colorful and four-stories high, but M&M World IS A STORE! Do not be conned into thinking that M&M World is even as theme parky as the now-defunct Cereal Adventure at the Mall of America. It is just a store, and a pricey one at that.

As for the free 3D movie, we've blocked out the pre-show. It's the only way we can continue to function as adults. The M&M movie itself was mildly amusing, but it would have been funnier if they'd done more of a parody like the M&M movie posters they have scattered throughout the store. There was a lot of missed potential here.

Coca-Cola World next door is much the same, except everything is red and white instead of rainbow-colored. If you're going to GameWorks (which you should), you might want to check out the Coke and M&M stores, but don't go in expecting anything beyond novelty stores.

Gameworks (it's not free, but you can get a good deal)
If you haven't been to an arcade recently you may be surprised by how much the cost has gone up. People are playing racing games at $3 a pop instead of PacMan for just a quarter.

That's what makes the Midnight Madness special at Gameworks such a great deal. For the last two hours Gameworks is open, $15 gets you free run of the place. (Normally it's $20/hour.) Hours vary, but they were closing at midnight during the week we were there. Like everything else on the strip, it's busier but open later on the weekends. Go Sunday-Thursday night if possible.

You can play a wide variety of fun arcade games that you've seen at the mall but didn't want to pay three bucks to play. Newer videogame consoles and computers are capable of producing the same level of graphics these days, but arcades still have the advantage when it comes to interface. Arcade racing games involve you actually sitting down in a "car" of some sort and using a steering wheel and pedals to drive. These interfaces make it easy for anyone to play, regardless of your age or game experience.

Gimmick games have also become an arcade staple. Dance Dance Revolution involves you stepping on a foot pad in time to music being played. Virtual Arena has motion sensors that capture your kicks, punches and jumps and turn them into moves performed by your character in a fighting game.

Of course you might get addicted to a game that you can't play at home, but for those two hours you're there you have unlimited continues, so play to your heart's content. There's stuff here for non-Gen-Xers, too, from pool, air hockey and basketball shootouts to a classic games corner that includes oldies like Ms. Pac Man and Moon Patrol (and these games never had a wait). It's also surprisingly quiet in Gameworks, at least compared to the casinos, and it really starts to thin out towards the end of the night.

There is a bar and food service, but we didn't go there so we can't report on the quality. The menu was better than we expected, though - more like Applebee's than Chuck E. Cheese.

Gameworks is located near MGM Grand, in the basement level of the same complex that also houses M&M World, Coca-Cola World, and a movie theater.