Top 10 Family Guy On A Budget Places
February 28, 2008
If you have to bring the kids along to Las Vegas, then let’s face it: your “Sin City” days are over…for a while. Try to keep the little ones from accepting the “business cards” being slapped and handed out at every corner.
You’re probably also on a fairly strict budget, which is a problem since Vegas is specifically designed to drain every penny it can from you. The following details the top free or cheap places you can safely take the kids without completely emptying your wallet.
1. Grand Casino Tour, organized by you. This is 2-3 straight days of walking that will have the kids begging to go back to the hotel and sleep, which frees up casino time for you. Plus they get to see all kinds of cool stuff and get lots of exercise. You’ll see the Sphinx, the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, the fountains at the Bellagio, and volcano. Just remember, everything is farther away and more expensive than it looks. And stay as far away as you can from the Stratosphere; it’s very, very cool and very, very expensive. Minimum out of pocket expense (for single dad and kid): $0 plus food (eat towards the center/north side of the strip for cheaper eats and grownup beverages) and cab fare if you have a weak moment.
2. The World’s Largest Permanent Circus at Circus-Circus. Every half-hour between 11 and 11, the circus rolls through for free. Find it, love it until the kids complain they can’t take the music any more. While you’re there, if you have the change, check out the Adventuredome, an indoor theme park that offers 19 rides. It’s $15 per kid, $25 per adult for an all-day pass, which is better than $4-$7 per ride a la cart. Minimum out-of-pocket expense: $0-$40
3. MGM Grand’s Lion Habitat. Kids love lions and these lions are free. Your only cost is walking, which you’ll do a lot of in Vegas, so carefully plan your visits. Tip: MGM Grand, New York New York, Circus-Circus, Excalibur, and Luxor are all on the Disney Land-esque side of town, so watch your wallet. Minimum out-of-pocket expense for Lion Habitat: $0 plus whatever else you’re talked into.
4. Fremont Street Experience. Just like the name implies, Fremont Street is free, and comes with more stimulation than your little tyke is prepared to handle. 12.5 million lights overhead playing a different visual experience every hour with 550,000 watt sound system you’d have in your house if your wife would let you. There’s usually some kind of outdoor free show, too. Minimum out-of-pocket expense: $0 plus migraine medicine.
5. FAO Schwartz at The Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace. The greatest toy store on Earth because it’s free to go in and play with the toys, just like in the movie “Big.” All you need is sheer will-power to avoid buying anything, which will be nearly impossible. Minimum out-of-pocket expense: $0 plus whatever he or she can’t live without.
6. Exotic Cars Showroom at Caesar’s Palace. After you’ve finished teasing your kid with all the toys at FAO Schwartz, make him feel better by taking him to see the coolest daggone cars on Earth. Admission $5. Minimum out-of-pocket expense: $10.
7. Fall of Atlantis and Festival Fountains at Caesar’s Forum Shops. After checking out the cars, check out what how Atlantis was lost in theatrical interpretation, where history repeats itself every hour on the hour. Watch very pretty people in scant mythical garb recount the story for nothing. Minimum out-of-pocket expense: $0 plus an insult to your intelligence.
8. Masquerade Village at the Rio. What kid doesn’t love a parade? What grown man doesn’t love Carnival? Excellent, now we have a consensus and it won’t cost a thing. Unless you want to put on a costume and be in the parade, which will cost you $13. Minimum out-of-pocket expense: $0-$26, if your kid’s as much of a ham as you are.
9. Sirens of Treasure Island. Pirates. Gorgeous women. Swashbuckling. Every hour-and-a-half. All for free. Minimum out-of-pocket expense: $0 plus a picture with one of the Sirens, if you can get one.
10. Tour the Ethel M Chocolate Factory. It’s a little off the strip and will cost you cab fare or car rental, but it’s a free tour of chocolate factory with free samples. While you’re wandering around off the strip, drop by the Cheyenne Campus of the Community College of Southern Nevada, which is where they keep the local planetarium; $6 adults, $4 kids under 12. Minimum out-of-pocket expense: $20 cab fare plus $10 admission plus the chocolate you know you’re going to have to buy.
Total cost for all that fun per parent and kid: $106. Not bad at all. ($40 if you’re extra cheap and have amazingly cruel will power.)
Bonus tip: The Coney Island Emporium (voted best arcade) at New York New York is a trick. Free to enter, totally expensive to stay on a token-by-token basis. You’d be better off at Gameworks Las Vegas, near the MGM Grand, where you can buy an all-day pass for $35 to play some state-of-the-art games.
Bonus tip 2: There are tons of coupons that make things free or 2-for-1. Find them.
