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Eiffel
Tower Experience Open daily, from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Admission is $9 for adults. Gondola
Rides at the Venetian Okay -- I admit, this attraction is pretty cheesy, and pretty expensive, considering the duration of the ride (about 10 minutes), but if you're going to throw yourself into the whole Vegas experience, then you gotta have a positive attitude and do the cheesy things (like taking the Fern Grotto boat ride in Kauai, where you actually sing Hukilau). You can opt to do the indoor ride where you are surrounded by the streets of Venice, or the outdoor ride, for a more authentic feel. I preferred the outdoor ride because I could smell the fresh air, and if I closed my eyes, I could actually imagine I was in Venice. Our gondolier had Hawaii ties, and he said sometimes he would sing a Hawaiian song instead of an Italian song to his riders, but he only did it on his indoor rides (I don't know if he was telling the truth, but he was a really nice guy). We took this ride in February, when it was still pretty cold, so we got a "private ride" without having to pay the "private ride" price. Hours of operation:
Cost:
In
Search of the Obelisk There may have been long lines when this attraction first opened, but not when we went -- thankfully (granted, school was still in session). If we did have to wait, I would not have been happy since the ride itself wasn't very good. We pretty much zipped through the "entertainment" part since there was no line, but even in passing, it wasn't very interesting. "Search" is a motion simulator (like the Star Wars ride at Disneyland), but the story was was pretty junk and the ride was ho-hum. Admission is $7.50 and hours of operation is daily, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Madame
Tussaud's Wax Museum The museum houses hundreds of wax models of athletes, musicians, actors, politicians and anyone famous. You can get up close and personal with them -- bring your camera (you're encouraged to take photos) and pose with the likes of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Madonna, Prince, Brad Pitt, Princess Diana, Bob Hope, Larry King, Benjamin Franklin and more! One thing you'll notice is that most of these people who look "larger than life" on screen are actually quite short, even by Hawaii standards! Jodie Foster? Short! Sylvester Stallone? Short! Prince, wearing high heel boots? Short, short, short! The museum is open daily, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Never pay full price for this attraction (general admission is a whopping $20.95 with discounts for seniors, students and children; kids under 5 are free) because you can always find discounts in those weekly Vegas tourists guides, including two-for-one's. Mandalay
Bay Shark Reef Watching the various sea life is a nice way to relax for a couple of hours, especially if you just lost some money. They have an awesome jelly fish exhibit and an interactive pool where you can touch manta rays and star fish. The Shark Reef is open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m., with the last admission at 10 p.m. Manhattan
Express Roller Coaster Cost is $12.95 per person, but you can purchase a second ride at the same time for an additional $6. All day passes are available. You must be at least 54 inches tall to ride this roller coaster. Hours of operation:
Siegfried
& Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat is very different from the white tiger exhibit. For starters, the cost to get in is $10 for adults and free for children 10 and under when accompanied by an adult. The Dolphin Habitat is a partly-guided tour and the Secret Garden is a self-guided tour. The Dolphin Habitat is an educational and research facility. Staff will guide you through the research facility where you can learn more about dolphins and watch them swim below the surface. After, viewers are on their own and can spend as long as they want, watching the dolphins in two large pools. This is the fun part since you can sit at the edge of the pools and the dolphins come quite close to you! They also perform tricks with their trainers and if you're not watching, a ball that they toss may hit your head! The Secret Garden is a completely self-guided tour. Upon entering, you are given an audio wand to learn about the different animals. You can see over a dozen different types of lions in the Secret Garden. It is awesome to see these animals so close, and you'll appreciate their size and grace. Siegfried and Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat is open on the weekdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on the weekends and major holidays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Speed
-- The Ride This ride is kinda fun, but it's also kinda short -- 45 seconds. Luckily for us, after the operator asked if anyone wanted to get out, he let us do this ride one more time. Admission is $10 with an all-day pass available. Hours of operation:
Stratosphere
Rides Big Shot: The original ride at the Stratosphere, Big Shot shoots riders up at a speed of 4G's. Starting off at a height of 921 feet high, they go up to 1,081 feet at 45 miles per hour. Coming down, they are traveling at a negative speed of 4G's. X Scream: With X Scream, riders start of on the platform of the tower and you tilt off of the tower like a see-saw . . . you're hanging from the tower at a height of 866 feet. People below look like ants! Insanity: You'll be swinging over the edge of the tower and seeing the views of Las Vegas with this ride! Check the Stratosphere website for hours of operation and costs.
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