Viva Las Vegas with Kids

When Chris and I was 40 we decided that rather than getting each other a big present we would book a Holiday as a gift, Chris decided he wanted a surprise so gave me a list of 5 places in the world he would like to go, I cant remember exactly what places were on that list but one of them was the grand canyon. So I decided I would book Las Vegas so he could visit the Grand Canyon.

It was a big decision to book Vegas as lots of people advised us not to take the boys, however I knew they would love it. They are not the sorts of boys that would want to spend two weeks round a pool, they like to explore and be active.

Another huge decision was where to stay; I wanted a really good hotel, and one that we would love but also have something for the Boys. I chose the MGM Grand as it has a huge pool complex and lazy river, the Lions that live in the hotel and the quality.  I definitely made the right choice, the hotel was huge, in fact vast. 

The flight was 11 hours long, we flew with Virgin Atlantic so the flight was comfortable. I booked this as a package and got a great deal. However next time I will book separately, use my air miles to fly business class, I think on a flight this long the luxury would improve the experience. (Virgin also run an air miles programme) The boys watched films throughout most of the journey and rummaged through their holiday survival kits, and both at one stage had a sleep. I was sat next to Joe, as he is great at multi tasking he is able to do most things and talk at the same time, so this gave my ears a rest.

We were lucky enough to be upgraded to a suite, to be honest we needed it as we were able to chill out at night after our meal, the boys after such active days were exhausted at night.

The Lions in the hotel were just stunning, so chilled out; they loved their keepers and were changed every few days so they had a good balance of living on a ranch and at the MGM. We visited at feeding time every day.

The Fountains at the Bellagio

The restaurants and food were fantastic a huge choice from Wolfgang pucks to Rain Forrest cafe and lots in-between.  We soon realised, that although everywhere you went people were fantastic with the boys, Vegas is not geared for families. There are not many restaurants that serve Children's meals, in fact hardly any. We learnt very quickly to order 1 meal with 2 plates and all the restaurants were happy with this, as the portions were huge. The pool complex was huge, we especially loved the lazy river. Every day after exploring we couldn't wait to sit by, or float round the lazy river with a cold drink. 

Out and about, There was so much to see, before we traveled I bought the DK Eyewitness Travel Guide,Las Vegas, this has lots of tips on where to go, which hotels have attractions etc,

Mini Eiffel Tower at Paris

We visited 

The fountains of the Bellagio, and as it was Oct the Bellagio also had an autumn display which was spectacular.

The streets of Venice of the Venetian that even has its own sky.

The Pirate show of the Treasure Island, I can't believe they hold a show of such scale on the street.

The Top of the Stratosphere, It was Jack's Birthday and he wanted to go on the ride at the top, Chris took him on, we had no idea they were going to dangle them off the top of one of the highest buildings in Vegas.

The Fair at Circus, Circus

Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage

Fremont Street, this is the old Vegas it is 40 Minutes on a bus from the Strip, NEVER AGAIN it was awful this was the one place in Vegas I felt unsafe. It did have a tunnel of lights over it that was nice to look at but it was scary.

The Grand Canyon, I will blog separately about this once of a lifetime experience.

Pros of visiting Vegas with Kids!

They will love the atmosphere, there is so much for children to see and experience. 

If you choose the right hotel the pools are amazing.

They have some of the best shops in the world.

Every Hotel has an attraction and Jack and Joe enjoyed every single experience.

The Grand Canyon, I cannot imagine experiencing this with only half of my family.

Autumn Display at Bellagio

Cons of Visiting Vegas with Kids!

The flight is long you need to be prepared.

It is very hot; can your kids stand the heat?

You cannot stop to look in Casinos you must keep walking with children, or security arrive pretty quickly.

You cannot go in a bar for a drink; children can only go in restaurants.

Would I take the Boys again? Yes but we want to experience the adults perspective first so will be taking a short trip on our own in the next couple of years.