Las Vegas podcast #242 includes:
- 48 Hours opener
- Stratosphere announces SkyJump details
- Golden Gate increases shrimp cocktail prices
- Lady Gaga rumors
- Venetian and Palazzo offer handheld gambling
- Smokin’ Hot Aces opens
- Planet Hollywood offers premiere experience
- Harrah’s offers Total Experiences
- BestofVegas LuxBus deals
- Harrah’s hates resort fees
- Listener calls about Vegas magic shows, Palazzo, Golden Gate, Dos Caminos, RM Seafood, Joel Robuchon, Treasure Island, Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show and more
- Listener Greg’s blog, Chicken-Fried Caviar
- Call us at (702) 866-9494
Five Hundy By Midnight 1/9/10 (65:40 min, 60.3 MB)
Thanks for another great podcast . heading to vegas thurs. Man this midwest weather sucks. Steel Panther is on my list to do Now. thanks for the heads up. Happy New Year All.
Off topic: “Burt Wolf: Travels & Traditions” – He was in Vegas, at the Rio, comparing the Carnival at Rio with other one’s around the world. Sitting at the bar, he was looking into the camera… and drinking water. Who drinks water in Vegas?
Regarding Resort Fees
I was exploring the Treasure Island website and found that they do charge a $20 per night Resort Fee. However, they will credit you $20 on a future visit. Seems like an interesting way to ease the pain of the Resort Fee.
Haven’t listened to the podcast yet, but saw the LuxBus and thought I’d mention that we used the bus in November 2008.
We had a few days in Disneyland before moving to Las Vegas. We were going to fly, but then I saw the LuxBus website.
We paid $64 each one way, it looks cheaper if you book through Best of Vegas. We were picked up on a small shuttle bus from our Anaheim hotel and taken to the main departure point.
The service on board was really good, drinks and snacks are avilable, and there was a fairly recent film playing, with just enough commentary from the onboard staff letting you know what you could see outside.
The only downpoint was the website said beer & wine were available, but we didn’t get any. I told my husband it was because we were on the 8:30am bus but he wasn’t happy – on his way to Vegas without beer. Luckily we stopped in Barstow for an early lunch stop, I got back on the coach with a six pack, and a happy husband.
Be aware that unless it’s changed there are only 3 drop off/pick up points in Las vegas. We were staying at TI so got off the bus at the Riviera. Managed to share a limo with 5 other people at a cost of $7 each so worked out really well, and I’d use the bus again.
Tom in SoCal,
Thanks so much for the shout out and I am really looking forward to checking out Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack. I do have to agree that the Dean from The Plaza show was lack luster (and anyone who knows me, knows that no one will EVER be as great as Dino) and if you close your eyes when the Sinatra impersonator was on, you would swear it was Frank Sinatra. However, from what I can tell watching the videos for Sandy Hackett”s Rat Pack show, it looks like the show we saw at the Plaza (The Rat Pack is Back). So, I’m planning on going to both shows next time just to see what/if there are differences…because I can. I did want to know what you thought of Sandy doing Joey? I truly loved the Joey from the Plaza and when I show anyone the photo of all of us with the cast, everyone says how much he looks exactly like Joey Bishop. I do plan on going back to the Plaza if George Levine is still there (I had called in to the show about him. He was the head usher @ the Sands when The Rat Pack performed and now works the show at the Plaza. Next to getting married, it was one of the best moments of my life meeting that man and shaking his hand. He is simply wonderful and I highly suggest anyone who wants to meet a part of vintage Vegas, go shake his hand. Like I’ve told so many, “I shook the hand of the man that shook Sinatra’s hand”.) Also, from what I can find it looks like the random female performer may be Sandy’s wife. Not that there’s any specific connection or purpose, other than she’s married to Sandy. Which sounds very disappointing that they would stray from a formula that obviously works. I would have liked to see a Rat Pack Show at Venetian, because they really could have marketed that seeing as how The Sands used to be there, but we all know that is not how Vegas works. Thanks again Tom, and Tim & Michele for another great show.
That lady sounded way too unimpressed for someone on a flight with Flavor Flav.
Regarding using farm animals in magic- Yep, Penn and Teller are ontop of that already. Penn’s New Years goal- ““So this year, I resolve to vanish a cow dressed as an elephant surrounded by audience members live on stage at the Penn & Teller theater.—
“We’re going to dress up a cow to look like “Elsie, the Rare, Pigmy, Spotted, African Elephant” and vanish her in the P&T show.”
You can hear him talk about it in this video- http://crackle.com/c/Penn_Says/Elephant_Cow/2480511/
Should the listeners of Five Hundy were to sponser me I would be willing to do SkyJump and report on it extensively including stills and video.
Michele said that the new ride at the Strat is “An opportunity to poop your pants”. Coincidentally, that’s also the ad slogan for the new Depends Undergarments giveaway promotion at Sam’s Town.
I’m in for $5 for Troy’s jump. $15 if we can strap a webcam to him, pointed back at his face. A la The Amazing Race.
(wearing a Five Hundy By Midnight T-shirt of course)
Does the sponsership include dry cleaning ?
Interesting email from Boyd Gaming today. Logging onto their B Connected site you can now get win/loss statments of your play by year, over the last few years.
Personally think this is a great idea, have checked mine out and all looks reasonably what I expected. Hopefully it wont disuade me too much from gambling this year!
Does anyone know if any other reward sites gives this type of information ?
Total Rewards at Harrah’s and Players Club at MGM Mirage both make win/loss statements available online too.
Dang, how did I miss them ? Oh well, lots of new little toys to play with tonight then. Thanks!
I will do whatever Tim and Michele want as far as imaging and pimping the site.
I will pay for my own drycleaning.
Judging from Marathon girl’s call, it is far more dangerous to run in the Las Vegas R&R Marathon, which I was planning on doing in ’10, than any sort of Stratosphere ride. How many times were bodily functions mentioned in this episode, anyway?
Looking forward to go o vegas this summer.
In regard to Planet Hollywood’s Premiere experience and Harrah’s Total Experience packages it looks like they offer these deals off of their standard room rates which are generally way higher than what any person who does the slightest amount of digging for promo codes or hotel discounts could get even if they were not getting a gambler’s rate.
When clicking through on the on the Planet Hollywood Premiere Experience link they are quoting $199 per night for Feb 1-Feb 4 Mon-Thursday.
By checking any one of the Hotel Promo Code Websites – say this one-
http://www.planethollywoodresort.com/ags_krave_package.php you can get it for $78. per night for the same dates.
So buyer beware
Where I wrote $199 per night it should have read $119