Get yourself an 'Entertainer' family book and maybe a fine dining too as soon as you land!! this is a huge book full of buy one get one frees. Your money is made back just from going to a waterpark as there are 3 buyone get one frees in the book.
Also has BOGOF for all Mall eaterys, the Aquarium at Dubai Mall etc and so much more.
Only use coloured roof taxis as they are metered, hotels will try and get you to use theirs and some are ok and fair but others will rip you off as tourists as they are not metered.
Some things to do are
Water parks, atlantis or wild wadi (i think wild wadi is far better)
Dinner watching the Dubai fountains is a must, better than vegas bellagio ones
If you go up Burj Khalifi, book beforehand as it is only 100dhs compared to 400dhs just turning up!
Creek trip
Captain Jacks little cruise from Dubai Marina
Dubai mall for fountains, Aquarium (use entertainer and its BOGOF to use the underwater zoo above aqauarium and a boat trip on top of the aquarium)
Ice skating at Dubai MAll
Ski dubai which now has real penguins at Mall of the Emirates
Ibn Battuta Mall is unique, all one level with different decorated 'country areas' India court, china court etc.
Gold class cinema experience
Karama for 'designer bags'
Gold souk, gold and diamon park, spice souk etc.. DO NOT buy from souk in madinat the prices are tourist prices as in the hotel and not a proper souk so you will pay 10 X's as much.
helicopter over dubai
I personally wouldnt bother with a High tea, especially at Burj Al Arab, its gaudy, overpriced and boring!!
I would go to a dubai institution known as Friday Brunch, every hotel offers this and is a 4 hour drinking and food extravaganza!
Obviously vary hugely in price, but i would go for the best which is the Al Qasr, you are given a map to go round as its that big, set over the 3 resturants of which you can use any, loads of outdoor cooking stations, waiter at your side filling you constabtly with non stop champagne, drink stations of every kind imnaginable and everyfood, thinks its 470-500dhs now, about £85 and worth every penny. Live band, your next to the burj al arab and waterways all around you.
Or the Mina a Salam which is hotel next door (part of same group as al qasr and madinat though) is exactly the same as above, tiny bit smaller but same amount as food i feel, and their is a BOGOF in the entertainer so u can save a fortune.
Alternatively the Fairmont is excellent, but more pricey or Yulamba and then every hotel varies from 100dhs up to 500-600dhs for champagne ones.
Some great resturants are
Frankies (in entertainer) marco pierre white and detorris resturant and its excellent we eat here all the time - well parents lived in dubai 8 years and i go allot.lol
The beach bar and grill - one and only also great hotel to stay in
Table 9 - used to be ramseys but taken over by the young chefs and is excellent
The Grand Grill - Habttoor grand
The Grill room - Sheraton
Panchanga - Hilton
West 14th - the palm
Pregos - Media Rotata
Left bank, |Rivington grill, noodle room, meat company all at madinat
Al Hambra, MJS steakhouse - at Al qasr (where the brunch is)
The Tepanyaki at the Rotana down JBR.
Will update with others as i think of them. hope this helps.