Trip Motivation
In September 2023, we visited Las Vegas, NV. Our football team Vanderbilt was playing UNLV and we thought it would be fun to make a long weekend of it and show the kids the sights. Ben and I had been a few times pre-kids and once when Carter was a baby. Read more to learn about what we did! We had a lot of fun!
Flying: BNA to LAS: 3.5 hrs
We purchased tickets for this September 2023 trip from Southwest Airlines for $300 RT/person. We had a companion pass for Ellie so she flew for free. You can also fly using Southwest points from Southwest credit cards or by transferring Chase points using the Chase portal. Read more about tips for airline trips here.
When traveling with layovers or to new cities, we always check the local airport website and the Priority Pass Lounge website prior to the trip. The Chase Sapphire Reserve card (in addition to others) comes with Priority Pass access. This card gets you access to various airport lounges. It is much more common internationally. In Nashville, there is a Minute Suites lounge in terminal D and . If you have a priority pass through Chase, you can also get a free meal at 400 degrees (Hot chicken)
Another perk you can get from several credit cards we have used is Global Entry/Pre-Check. This is always helpful for avoiding long lines and spending as little time as possible with others. After you activate your credit card, you’ll use it to pay for the Global Entry fee and get reimbursed immediately. If you want more on this particular benefit and how to use a credit card to receive it for free, check out our tips here.
Hotel Stays
We spent 1 night at the Excalibur Hotel and 3 nights at the Mandalay Beach hotel
We paid out of pocket a reasonable price of $70-$150 a night and used 23k Hyatt points for the expensive Saturday night that was going for $450. The relationship with MGM and Hyatt recently ended so this won’t work for future stays. We stayed during the MGM hack which caused several malfunctions including wifi, check-in procedures, player card info, and credit card acceptance. We weren’t overly inconvenienced although we’ll continue to monitor our credit cards. We didn’t get upgraded to any suites on this trip but all rooms were clean and convenient. When sleeping with kids, extra space to spread is always a great perk. I highly recommend staying on the strip to be close to the action for at least part of your stay.
Getting Around Vegas
We rented a car on our first day so that we could do a side-trip to Red Rock Canyon (see below) We returned the car and relied on walking, free trams, and lyfts for the remaining 3 days. There were 3 free trams we used. Mandalay bay to Exalibur. Park MGM to Bellagio and Mirage to Treasure Island. There is also a monorail on the other side of the strip but it is pricey.
We walked a ton. Even with the trams, we often had to zig-zag through hotels to get to them. We logged a whole bunch of steps. If you’re bringing little ones, highly recommend a carrier as strollers may be hard waiting for elevators and maneuvering drunks.
We also used Lyfts for several portions of our trip. It was pricier than I thought it would be for the distances we were going (1-2 miles away = $15) but still more economical that trying to rent a car for another day and figure out parking. Note that many areas have specific pick up areas that are usually well-marked.
Hotel Pools (and Beach!)
These days, its a priority to book hotels with good pools. Our kiddos love love love their pool time. At the Excalibur, there were several large pools, including one with a water slide (open weekends) We packed goggles and dive sticks and had a blast. At the Mandalay bay, there was a large wave pool (must be 48 in boooo), a lazy river, and multiple pools. We had a blast! My favorite kind of vacations involve pina coladas and sitter-vising. Virgin with cherries for the littles.
Exploring the Vegas Strip!
From the south side of the strip, we were able to take a tram between Mandalay Bay and Excalibur and walk to a few of the hotels nearby, including NYNY, MGM grand, Cosmo. We didn’t do any gambling at the casinos but enjoyed hopping and seeing the fun themes. Highlights included the Luxor pyramid, Excalibur castle, skyscrapers at NYNY, chandeliers at Cosmo, and extravagant decor at Caesars Palace and the Bellagio. We also stopped by the M&M and Coke store, which have some cool things to see. Further up the strip, the venetian has gondolas, the flamingo has (you guessed it) flamingos, and treasure island has some cool pirates areas.
Number One Must Do: Bellagio!
Bellagio is an absolute must-do. Even if you don’t do anything else on the strip, plan to drive and pay to park and explore this gorgeous hotel. The conservatory garden has continuously updated themes. When we visited, it was a cozy fall fairies theme. If you can, try to come in the evening when you can see the fountain show (after 3pm) They are themed to music and quintessential Vegas.
See a Show, Concert, or Sporting Event
There are definitely lots of choices when it comes to things to do. We chose to see Cirque de Soleil Mystere mostly because tickets were cheap. 😛 And by cheap, I mean cheaper than the other cirque shows. We paid $300 for 4 tickets (Kids were half off). Those fees will get you! Ben and I had never seen a show and it felt like a vegas must-do. The acrobatics were incredible. I found myself gasping and holding my seat when they jumped and trapezed. Super amazing. There was a weird comedy bit with a baby that I don’t understand but it didn’t ruin the show or anything, just felt weird. Other options we looked at were Mac comedy, Shin Lim magic, and other cirque shows. I think next time we come back, O will be our show of choice.
We also saw a college football game at the new Allegiant Stadium. And by new, it was brand spanking new. Before the raiders even played their first home game. The stadium was gorgeous and shiny and new. The game was exciting even though we lost and Ellie was just happy for snacks and swag. On our future vegas list is seeing a hockey game sometime!
Downtown Area
When my Hawaii family visits, they enjoy this of Vegas and it is a little more laidback. The downtown area/fremont street area felt a little dirtier than the strip area. Ellie got a necklace gift from a chippendale and Carter asked questions about whether someone had died. Good times.
We spent a morning walking down the area and seeing the freemont lights above on the large screen and watched people zipline above us. We also visited the container park playground with giant structures and praying mantis. In this area, there’s also a children’s museum and some other sights such a neon museum and mob museum.
Side Trip: Red Rock Canyon
This was a super fun highlight of our trip. About 30 minutes from the strip, we hiked some gorgeous mountains. We stopped by the front visitor area for some maps and recommendations. Don’t forget to pack water. There are hikes ranging from a short 5 minutes from the parking to big hours long rock climbing adventures. We stopped at Calico I, Lost Creek Waterfall. We spent about 3 hours and could have spent longer.
Nearby the canyon, the red rock casino resort would be a cool place to stay on a future visit. I knew from research that they had a drop-off kids playroom which would give Ben and I some time to gamble. The kids had a blast in the climbing room and arcade and Ben and I lost $20 at craps. Still super fun. There’s lots to eat and see including a bowling alley and theater. If you’re looking for a non-strip alternative, this would be a good spot!
Eat, Eat, Eat!
We definitely felt some sticker shock when eating out. About 20% higher than prices we were used to. We tried to balance out what we were doing but definitely spent more than planned. Some tips for saving money: Try to make a grocery stop for snacks, breakfast items, hotel beers. Also try to look for happy hours, share meals, and look for food courts!
Breakfasts: We usually feel the grumpiest about overpaying for breakfast because at home, we frequently just do cereal or granola and out the door. We kept things cheap for this meal by choosing cafes and sharing a muffin or donuts and getting coffee. We supplemented with grocery store fruit and granola bars. On one of the days, we splurged on crepes at NYNY.
Lunch: Highly recommend searching out food courts in the hotels. This doesn’t necessarily mean fast food. We saw options such as Bobby Flay Burgers, Hawaiian food (in downtown area), Ramen, Mediterranean, Mac and cheese, Hattie Bs hot chicken! (a Nashville staple), and more. At the Cosmo, we did have one fancy sit down lunch at a Mexican restaurant in the Cosmo hotel. Looking back, it felt pretty overpriced and we probably wouldn’t do this again.
Dinners: We looked into doing some buffets but couldn’t quite justify the cost. We did do an AYCE Korean BBQ and the kids immediately asked why we don’t have one in Nashville. Asking the good questions. We also did pizza near Mystere and Ramen at our hotel (Mandalay)
Final Thoughts
Many people question why one would take kids to Vegas. Its definitely a different trip with and without kids and you need to plan out where to go. The kids saw a few naked show girls but didn’t really question or comment. We walked quickly through casino floors and talked to the kids a little about how some adults get addicted to shiny screen time and playing games of luck that try to trick you into losing control of logical decision-making. Carter asked why signs for gentlemen clubs had pictures of ladies and Ellie taught us that she knew how to read the word sex trafficking. So not brushing it off that Vegas may be scary if you’re not a parent ready to answer questions in an age appropriate way.
Our kids remember Vegas as a fun bright city with lots of cool activities. Highs and lows as described by the kids: Highs: Pool time, all you can eat edamame (at Korean buffet), pina coladas, moving walkways, Lows: Vanderbilt losing, too much walking, parents always saying no to spending money.
