If you like spectacle, that is quite literally the entire essence of Awakening. I love spectacle too.
Seems like Caesars Entertainment runs most of the shebang over here now according to tour guides.
Ironically the mayor of Vegas has been Oscar Goodman, and now his wife Carolyn, since before I moved here 20+ years ago. Oscar is famous for being a mob lawyer. Probably as close to a Bugsy type running the town as you can legally get.
Well…that was the golden days back then and why at every Louis Vuitton store do they have the same merchandise? If I am at the Grand Shoppes or the Palazzo or at Resorts World, I want fresh items. Vegas has clearly gone downhill.
the vast majority of the strip is basically owned by two entities.
To be fair, Moana sits right next to an aquarium themed to an IP: The Seas with Nemo and Friends. I think Remy fills the need for another ride in the World Showcase great. I wish all the pavilions had rides like Remy or the Grand Fiesta Tour. Oh, and while the Grand Fiesta Tour was not always themed as such, it has been for a long time. No one complains about it though! Duffy and other kid activities used to fill the World Showcase.This is an interesting conversation. It reminds me of an astute commentary I read from Joe Rohde on Las Vegas. He pointed out that Las Vegas and theme parks have important similarities, but also striking differences.
In Las Vegas the elements of the city are in competition with each other. Each part of Las Vegas is trying to catch your attention so you spend money and time at their venue. It's a clash of corporate titans trying to appeal to your attention. By contrast, well designed theme parks are designed to reinforce other parts of the experience. For example, Cinderella Castle is not in competition with Main Street USA. The two are designed to harmonize. Cinderella Castle would be a worse experience without Main Street USA and Main Street USA would be a worse experience without Cinderella Castle. A personal favorite example of this concept is the Matterhorn and Sleeping Beauty Castle. The two look like they're made to be together. Because they were! (Well, Matterhorn came later but still).
At the same time it would be foolhardy to dismiss the artistry and sophistication of casinos and other Vegas venues. Rohde himself expressed his admiration for Vegas. The art of grabbing attention and appealing to the senses is no trivial thing. It's easy to scoff at the casino, but it would be doing a disservice to the craft. They know exactly what they're doing and have mastered their vocation. And as the OP has noted, Vegas has remarkable and awe-inspiring sites, sounds, and tastes. It really is extraordinary!
It's not my cup of tea. I much prefer the curated theme park experience. However, I am not about to mock or belittle another form of spatial entertainment. To each their own!
On Epcot vs. Vegas I would make this observation. As originally developed, Epcot (or should I say EPCOT Center) was designed to blend together. Every pavilion was different, but each was part of a grander whole. Nothing makes this more clear than at night when all the pavilions of the nations light up in one grand vista! World Showcase and all of Epcot were one narrative. They were designed to help make people optimistic about the future and feel engaged in human story. By contrast, Vegas has no narrative or purpose. The parts of the whole are disjointed and completely unrelated.
In recent times, both Imagineering and management have lost the discipline and competence to maintain a story across the park. What connects Guardians of the Galaxy, the Moana fountain thing, and the rat ride? Epcot is becoming less and less coherent. So in a way Epcot is becoming more like Vegas. Not optimal. Not because Vegas is bad, but because Epcot was distinct and special.
Anyway, I'd like to thank the OP for the interesting prompt. Cheers!
Soon they will with Disney’s newest partner in PENN lol
I’m sure that’s true, but I didn’t say high rollers guarantee everyone in Vegas a VIP experience. Just that they subsidize room costs. Out of curiosity I looked up prices for MGM Skylofts in August and they’re about on par with what you’d pay for a standard room at the Polynesian. You get a lot more bang for your buck at a Vegas hotel, price wise.
Oh for sure, but again it's like comparing a NYC and phoenix hotel prices. It's kinda crazy how much Vegas hotel prices have gone up over the years, they used to be even more subsidized but I think online gambling and more states having it have made it that Vegas needs to pull people in for the food and partyingm.
I'm not sad and I feel special when I use the $20 trick when checking in at the front desk. It actually works and the upgrade is sweet.
Another reason I am thankful for Uni being "right next door".
*Bellagio is the best poop you will EVER have anywhere on the planet. The restrooms are like the throne room for royalty. Marble, crystal & gold as far as the eye can see. Full height divider doors garnished in ornate Venetian surrounds. So clean everything sparkles. Even the toilet water seems inviting. Indeed, it is that opulent.
Right?!? They used to be almost free. Or free. Then the prices skyrocketed. Buffet prices too.
Buffets are $35 a person... I think Disney charges on average $60 a person for less quality food buffets? Excluding Germany, I'd pay $60 for that place again.
We are at the Rio. It's super shabby. There was a guy with either a stab or gunshot wound on a dolly right outside of the elevators. (thats just Vegas tho)
