Las Vegas with kids

[Justwingingit2005]

Hey

Always loved the idea of going to Vegas. Has anyone kids? Are we gonna be really limited what we can do?

Hi, I've been a few times with kids. It's just a different holiday to the vegas of getting drunk and gambling.

There's lots to do though for families, the shark reef at Mandalay bay was a favourite. There's a fantastic children science museum called the discovery centre. At a casino off the strip there's an aquarium that mermaids swim in. Also a an arcade a childcare/soft play at the red rock casino.

On the strip my kids loved the Bellagio fountains, the m&m store, the big wheel at the linq. Coca-cola shop. Theres also circus circus although we never went there.

We've had great times and my son absolutely loves it.

Personally I think there are much better places to take kids in the US. Vegas is brilliant for an adults holiday - could you go later / another time without your kids?

We went and took DD and she loved it and can’t wait to go back. Me and DH love vegas though and so she’s seen lots of videos and photos. There is LOADS to do. We recommend Omega Mart at area 15.

I suppose there are more child friendly places in the states but DD isn’t at all bothered by Disney, she loved the Vegas vibe, hotels and restaurants. We were there with lots of friends and family so DH went off to gamble while me and DD had room service or went to the pool but the three of us already plan to go back.

I live in the US and have been to Las Vegas probably around 20 times but we are only a couple hours away. It’s gone got a long weekend, like an extended party of night out. I certainly wouldn’t say that the fountains, a few aquariums and M and M World (each of which will hold their attention for what? 20 minutes? 30 tops) are worth flying 10+ hours for. So I wouldn’t come all the way here just for Las Vegas. If this part of a bigger trip
then it’s worth a slight detour for a few days.

And there is far more to the US than theme parks. Bring your children to our wonderful national parks where they will see animals they will never see in the UK except in a zoo, landscapes they don’t see anywhere else, stay on a real dude ranch and be cowboys for a few days, drive around and see the real America, let them experience a pow-wow, see the adobes…and this is just the west.

I think it’s very sad when someone says “there are other places in the US” and the response is “but we don’t like Disney”. Seriously, this is a beautiful county with a variety of natural beauty like you won’t find almost anywhere else on earth. If you’re flying all this way, at least make it worth it and don’t focus on things like a candy store (that they have in London anyway) or captive marine life in a glass box. Disney is so un-American that you can’t even say you’ve seen this country if all you see is Disney.

I took my dd when she was ten and she loved it. But I think it will depend on your kids.

We've had a great time there with DS (who was 5 when we went for the first time) but we live in the US so it wasn't a 10 hour hall for us. What about tagging it on to a California trip?

Our kids loved it when we went, they were 6 & 9.

We only did 2 nights there, we’d just done 3 nights in the Grand Canyon national park and were then doing a week at Disney.

We just did the cliche touristy things they’d seen in movies, so the fountains and M&M’s world, photo at the sign, we went in all the casinos to have a look and went to Shake Shack, White Castle etc.

We stayed at Circus Circus which was fab but didn’t go to the amusement park, just had a quick look in there.

I probably wouldn’t go just for Vegas, but definitely worth a stop there as part of a bigger trip!

I have been to Vegas many times and would highly recommend it for a short stay ( couple of nights) but in my opinion it’s not a place I would be stopping over with my 12 year old.

I would not take kids to Vegas. I just got back from there about a month ago. It's really not a kids' place and as PP have said, there are so many wonderful places here to take them to instead.

It's really not a kids' place

Well I live in Vegas with a kid, guess I better move lol.

That said, we dont spend a lot of time on the strip but there's still lots to do with kids there. How old are they? Things I would recommend are the Shark reef at Mandalay bay, discovery children's museum, most of the cirque du soleil shows are fine for kids 5+, omega mart/area 15 (havent been there with dd yet but enjoyed it with dh). Bellagio fountains and conservatory, the venetian shops with the canal etc. Tournament of kings. If they are older they might enjoy a drive out to red rock canyon and the scenic loop, or a hike. There are loads of other activities off the strip like trampoline parks and parks with playgrounds and splash pads if you hire a car.

@FromEden

Don’t take it personal as I live in London 20 minutes from Buckingham Palace and I’ve never done a tour of the palace or had afternoon tea in the palace gardens which you can now do.I also haven’t been in the Tower of London or on a booze cruise on the River Thames but I’ve been to Vegas and stayed at the Bellagio and played Poker at 4 am and had tequila shots at the bar at 5am so in my opinion if your visiting vegas as in staying at a Casino Resort Hotel then your not there for a family ( kids) holiday.

I was there a few months back with my 10 year old and she loved it, the pools and hotels are amazing, and we saw a couple of shows she loved, however it was part of a larger holiday, we picked up a car and drove around the national parks, and then flew onto Florida.
I think I wouldn't do it if I was only going to vegas

Im child free and pre covid went a lot.
People taking kids to vegas get a bad rap for pushing little ones along the strip late at night and being generally obnoxious.
Obviously this is one type of parent and most families are well out the way by night time having had a good time during the day.
There are a lot of family friendly attractions, free and expensive.

Highly recommend going to Springs Preserve, especially if you can go when they have an event on, they've had bird of prey displays and talks on geology etc when I've been. https://www.springspreserve.org

Most attractions will have discounts available somewhere, tix4tonight for cheap show tickets also do attraction discounts, so book through them if you don't find another discount in advance. Never pay full price for Titanic or Marvel etc. There are tourist passes too which make sense if you're going to a lot. Eg https://gocity.com/las-vegas/en-us/products/all-inclusive?utmmedium=affiliate&utmmsource=partnerize&utmcampaign=gocity&utmmadcampaigngroup=gocity&utmpublisher=clickmantis&utmmreferrer=&utmcontent=True+Content&utmmcreative=0

It's always worth going to a national park, red rock is closest, I like Valley of Fire best, it's like being on a sci fi film set.

There is of course the seedy side. There are women wearing nipple tassels and men in mankinis hustling for tips, there are prostitutes everywhere, a lot of beggars(both real and criminal gangs), since weed was legalised that's everywhere too even though it's only legal to use at home.
Pools close early and can be insanely crowded.

I should add the two times we went were for two weeks at a time. We stayed off the strip and hired a car. It was winter so it was harder work soo f things whereas when it's warm you can chill by the pool like anywhere else. We would often go out to the strip in the evening to see the lights.

We did a few day trips as well to the hoover dam, Grand Canyon west , Death Valley. The springs reserve is nice as well. Then there's the parks and soft plays etc. don't forget it's a massive city and cities have kids too!!

Don't! It's a tacky adult playground and we got told off for pausing to listen to a band playing in the hotel/casino we were staying in (shaped like a castle with family rooms!) because kids aren't allowed in the communal areas unless walking through (which you have to because there's no other route but past the noisy slots). It's expensive these days too I'm told. However it does make a base to then ho onto tour the sw - Grand Canyon, Zion, Death Valley etc but I would suggest staying in different places because the distances are long by British standards

@BritWifeInUSA

Completely agree. Zion is a (American) short drive and so much nicer than vegas or Disneyland!)

Should add we had torrential rain too

I’ve done it with a 7 and 10 year old as part of a bigger trip and it’s a no from me. It was too hot, we somehow blagged an upgrade so got sun beds around the pool but it was just too hot and the pool too cold (Venetian). We liked the fountains at the bellagio but the crowds and heat made just walking a bit of a nightmare. Their favourite thing was the executive bar/restaurant with sweets. You could to trampoline parks, etc. But you can do that at home. We went to Grand Canyon which was amazing but we wouldn’t do vegas with kids again.

We've booked to go this summer as part of a bigger trip. I've been before adults only so know what we are going to. We also have friends who did it at Easter with kids and they loved it (tweens and teens).

I'd say it's definitely doable, but it's effectively a city break without the culture. A nice contrast is to hike in the surrounding National park when weather not too hot or visit Grand Canyon.

We will be using it to get over jet lag - the abundance of facilities and attractions open all hours really helps with that.

I'm a bit baffled by @avamiah - it's possible to gamble and do tequila shots into the early hours in London too. It's not the only option when you visit a place, ditto Vegas.

The hotels will be strict about not having kids on the casino floor and equally in late bars and clubs (just like anywhere else).

It's not set up for kids but you can carve a child friendly trip out of it for sure.

Is there still a water park in Vegas? I seem to remember visiting a Wet and Wild when I was there (many years ago)

Is there still a water park in Vegas? I seem to remember visiting a Wet and Wild when I was there (many years ago

Yes , there are two - wet and wild and cowabunga bay

How old are your DC OP?

I have taken mine aged 12 and 14. We did 2 nights and that was just about right - and we had a blast! It was part of a US tour so we had lots of culture but needed to experience Vegas!

What I have learned over the years is that people have a line of acceptability with everything. You will have posters on here telling you its highly appropriate straight through to ones like myself that think it's fine.

Vegas itself is the most bizarre, wired, fantastic place. Yes, there are sights that you want see at home; women (and men) in g-strings on the strips getting their photos taken with tourists, stag and hen parties/homeless/drug users etc but I guess its how as a parent you choose to deal with this, and the age of your DC of course.

We stayed on the strip, ate burgers and the most fantastic crazy shakes at The Venitian, visited the Heart Attack Grill (for lunch), walked for miles and shopped until we dropped. My DS spent hours looking at muscle cars showing off on the strip.

Keep your wits about you and have fun!

I experienced Vegas for one night. Truly awful. We stayed at a non casino hotel. USA has so much more to offer for a holiday than here. Hot, sweaty dump full of gamblers. We saw it and fled. Agree with others. So much more is out there!

I've never been with the kids but we are fairly "PG" rated people so I would say it's possible to have fun.
I recommend a coffee shop called "the coffee cup" on the way to the Hoover Dam, which is also worth a visit.
There was also a really fun pinball place but it was way away from the main strip so you'd need a car.

We’ve decided against stopping in Vegas on our California trip this summer.

How do you explain all the hookers, drugs, drunk people, gambling etc to children? Sure there are child-friendly activities but the vibe of the strip is still very adult. As PP’s have said there are loads better things to do with kids in the US than Vegas.