Bill's Gamblin Hall and a kiss from Marie Osmond! 4/16-4/20 2012 (LONG!!)

Ok, so this is my first TR, so I'll appologize upfront if it's too long, too short, too much rambling, boring, ect...
I'll be breaking it up by each day there, and do my best to remember everything...
The players in this TR are myself, Dj, and my mom. We would be staying at Bill's Gamblin Hall in one of their suites booked by my host, and flying in from Pasco, Wa. We are strictly slot players.

Day 1 - 4/16/2012 - Monday

We drive from Yakima, Wa. to head to Pasco, Wa. to catch our 10a.m. flight... the drive is uneventfull, as is the flight. We flew out on Allegiant, and it was on time, and a very good price ($355 for flight, seat selection and 1 checked bag). The outgoing flight was at an awesome time ... the return flight... not so much , but more on that later.

We arrive in Vegas around noon, and head to baggage claim... our limo driver is there and waiting... we have a nice chat while waiting for the bag, and then finally head out and on our way to Bill's. We get there and head inside. I know lots of people say they like Bill's casino and atmosphere but don't care for the old time, Victorian, western-like rooms... and I agree that their regular rooms are a bit dated and small, but I think their suites are awesome, and although dated, just as good as some of the other higher priced ones on the strip. I'm gonna try and put some pictures of the room we had, so hopefully these show up here

Anyways, we check in (which is always super fast at Bill's) and head to the room. As you can hopefully see from the pictures, the room was HUGE!


Will continue in the next post...

 

Keep it going!!

 

Day 1 continued...

After unpacking, and freshening up a bit, we head downstairs to the player's club booth... I wanted to get my updated card (I was upgraded to Diamond ), and then we went to the Victorian Cafe in Bill's for lunch. We both like the food there, and wound up eating most of our meals there this trip... I still had points on my player's card from the last visit, so paid for lunch using those. We are not fancy eaters... I had their club sandwhich and my mom had a cheeseburger and we both had pepsi to drink - bill total was $26.

After lunch, we headed to the Flamingo so I could get my upgraded Total Rewards card there (went up to Diamond there also ), and to pick up our tickets to see Donny and Marie on Thursday.
While in Flamingo, we decide to play a little there... but the machines are not friendly... I loose a quick $200 in about 15 minutes

I go to find mom and see how she is doing and she is doing better than me... she is up $100 from a $20 buy-in. I sit and watch her for a bit, but get bored, so I head off to Margaritaville and try my luck there... I play a Wizard of Oz community type game - put a $100 in and get it up to a little over $400 and cash out ... now I'm up $100 and happy. But, like the rest of this trip, it doesn't last long.

I find mom, and we head back to Bill's. Both of us are ahead money wise at this point, but Bill's was not kind to either of us... I loose my $400 and she looses her $100 she was up, and we head to the Victorian Cafe again for dinner... we share a taco salad (they are huge) and each have a pepsi... bill is like $19 and I use points on my card to pay.

After dinner, we head back to the room to rest for awhile... we both nap for a few hours and then head back down to the casino in Bill's around midnight. My mom plays on a $20 for like 2 hours, while I continue to feed money in the machines with no wins in sight... I don't even really remember how much I lost that night for sure, but I think it was around another $400 ... we went back to the room around 3a.m. and went to sleep... 1st night's gambling was BAD. Maybe day 2 would be better....?

 

Day 2 - 4/17/2012 - Tuesday

We woke up around 8 a.m., but laid around for almost another hour before finally dragging out of bed and getting in the shower. After getting ready, we headed to O'Sheas and had breakfast at Burger King (see, not fancy at all ) and then headed back towards Bill's to take the overhead walkway to the Caesars Palace side of the street and continue on our way to the Fashion Show Mall.

We stopped to look at the waterfalls at the Mirage, but didn't go inside... continued on to Treasure Island and went inside there... we played a few machines in there, but no wins (again), and then finally made it to the mall. We had a Blizzard each from Dairy Queen, and walked around the mall. It is huge , and my first time being there. We didn't even go through the whole place... just way too big. My mom bought a pair of sandles and then we headed back towards Bill's... we went accross the street again on the way back and looked inside the Venetian and then stopped in Harrah's and played a little bit in there... again, winning nothing.

Next we stopped in Casino Royale and ate there. My mom got the foot long hotdog and I got a small pizza from Noble Roman's (I love their pizza ). We ate, and then played for a bit in Casino Royale. I had a bit of luck here, cashing out $250 on a $20 buy-in on the Breakfast At Tiffanys slot. After an hour or so, we headed back to Bill's... stopping on the way at one of those souvenir shops along the way, where I bought 5 different Vegas t-shirts for $5 each, and a Vegas hoodie for $10.

Back at Bill's, I decided to take advantage of the huge jetted tub in the room... and it was awesome especially after walking all day. After getting out of the tub, we ordered room service instead of going downstairs. We each ordered a dinner salad and shared an order of frech fries... bill came to $25, and I charged it to the room.

After eating, we decided to try our luck at Bill's casino again... but we both just lost, lost, lost I decided to take a break for a bit and try one of the drinks from the new Slush bar at Bill's... I had the Vegas Vice, which is Pina Colada slush, Strawberry slush, Rum, and something else I can't remember... but it was awesome. I am not a drinker, but wanted to try one, and after finishing all 16oz, I was feeling no pain and didn't mind trying the slots again... which of course was not a good idea . Just lost and lost and lost again... after about another two hours, we went back to the room and went to bed.

Maybe day 3 will be better...?

 

Day 3 - 4/18/2012 - Wednesday

I woke up at around 8 a.m. again... and DID NOT want to get out of bed. I don't know if I was hung over or a combination of that drink, and walking all over the day before, ect... but I didn't want to move . But then I thought... you're in Vegas! GET UP! So we got up, showered, and started out for day 3.

We headed to the Miricle Mile Mall, and had breakfast at Earl Of Sandwhich... it was awesome ... then played a little in Planet Hollywood... no wins . Then headed to Paris and played a little there... no wins . Then we headed to Ballys and played a little there... no wins.

Day 3 was sucking big time :Þ. So we decided to drop the gambling for awhile and got tickets from the Tix4Tonite booth to go thru the wax museum. We once again made our way up the strip to the Venetian and went thru the wax museum. We both enjoyed it, but I wouldn't pay to see it again.

We left there and headed back towards home base, but stopped in Casino Royale again for another pizza ... just as good as the first time. We played there a little, but again... no wins.

We stopped in Margaritaville again and played there for a bit, but of course... no wins. Then onto Flamingo again... and suprise, suprise... no wins. Day 3 was the worst. No wins anywhere we went... we even took the shuttle bus from Bill's to the Orleans and couldn't even win off strip...

We ate dinner at Victorian Cafe again, charging to the room, and then went back to the room. I got in the tub again and relaxed and then decided to go to bed a little earlier after the bad bad beating from the machines today.

Day 4 would be better...

 

Day 4 - 4/19/2012 - Thursday

This was our official last day in Vegas ... but tonight was gonna be fun because we had our Donny and Marie VIP meet & greet show to go to.

We had planned on just staying up all night Thursday since the limo was picking us up at 5:30 a.m. for our 7 a.m. flight, (see I told you the return flight time was terrible :Þ), and I was too nervous about over-sleeping and missing the plane... this in thought is a good idea... in reality it was not a good idea what-so-ever since I am no longer 21 ...

Anyways... we wake up around 9 a.m., and get ready and eat breakfast at Victorian Cafe... we both played a little at Bill's, but didn't want to spend a bunch early cause we were gonna be up all night... so we watched Big Elvis for a bit and then went back to the room to rest up for Donny and Marie.

We headed over to the Flamingo around 6:15 p.m. and I bought a tourbook program for them to sign, and we got in line for the show. They seated VIP ticket holders first, so we were the 1st ones inside. We were right next to the stage... so close, I could touch the stage with my foot . Awesome seats. Now, I was not a huge Donny and Marie fan... I liked some of their songs, but mostly Marie's solo stuff. So I didn't really know what to expect from this show.

The show started, and there they were... we were so close it was like they were performing just for us... right away, Marie made eye contact with me and smiled ... and like a little shy school boy, I quickly looked away and over to Donny ... then she came over to the side of the stage where we were sitting and looked me in the eye again and motioned with her finger for me to stand up!! I did, and she rubbed my bald head, smiled and winked at me!! The audience clapped and went wild and I sat back down... completely star-struck, lol.

More to come...

 

Day 4 continued...

The show continued and they sang and danced and joked around with each other... they sang together, then Marie did some solo songs (once again, making eye contact and winking ), then Donny did some solo songs... then they both came out again... and once again, Marie started making eye contact... she moved towards me, and again, motioned for me to stand up ... she leaned over and planted a big kiss on my bald head!!! Then they headed out into the audience and shook hands with a ton of people... and then the show was over...

We were told to stay in our seats for the meet and greet until everyone else was cleared out... after everyone was gone, an usher came and took the 30 or so of us to the Diamond lounge in the Flamingo. We each had a photo of Donny and of Marie for them to sign and were told they would only sign those and nothing else . There were two lines formed in the room, one for Donny and one for Marie. I had heard that only one of them comes to the meet and greet and you never know who it would be until that night, but both of them came on the night we were there.

We were in the line that Donny came to first... Not that it wasn't cool to meet Donny Osmond, but I wanted to be in Marie's line, lol. He got to us, and he shook my hand and shook my mom's hand... he signed his pictures for us and asked where we were from... then I asked him to sign my tourbook also, and he did . Then a photographer took our picture with him and he moved on to the next people...

Now, Marie was one person away from us, and all of a sudden I got so nervous, lol . I didn't get nervous when Donny came over, but she was a different story. I've liked her since the 70's, so it was weird seeing her so close. She finshed with the girl ahead of us and then turned towards us. She stopped and pointed at me and said, 'Whoaaaa... there he is! Come here!' ... she pulled me over to her and took the picture of herself out of my hand. She told me to bend down a little and she put the photo on my forehead where she had kissed it and made an imprint on the picture... then she signed it 'With a kiss, love Marie'. Then she said that we needed to take quite a few photos together , so we took one of us hugging, and then one of her pointing at my head and the lips that were still there... then one of me and her and mom together, then she took one with just her and mom... it was crazy fun :banana:... she was so nice and friendly and beautiful... she kept talking and talking ... and then finally the bodyguard told her she needed to move on to the next people ... and then it was over.

After we left the lounge we were told to go wait outside the showroom for the pictures that were taken... about 20 minutes later they came out and we got to go through the pictures... I had 11 to choose from and everyone else had 4 or 5, lol... they come in a folder of two for $45, so I picked out 4 that I wanted and bought two folders... some people would think spending almost $100 for pictures is nuts, but I would have paid more, lol... below are a few pics...

So after all that, I was pumped up and ready to win ... so we went back to Bill's and gambled some more only to win a whole lot of nothing . It was about 1 a.m. and we headed back to the room to pack up and get ready to leave... my mom laid on the bed and dosed off for an hour or so while I packed and then fought as hard as hell to stay awake by watching the crappy T.V. offerings at 3 a.m., lol. We headed back downstairs... I went and checked out and paid the bill since my host wasn't there that late/early... and around 5:30, the limo came and took us to the airport and we were on our way back home.

The next day my host called and told me he reversed the charges on my card for the food I paid for , and invited me back in September for tickets to see Rod Stewart ... so now another (hopefully luckier) trip is planned for September...

So that's the TR this time around... hope you all liked it.

 

Very nice report.
Glad you enjoyed yourself despite the losses.
Just look at it as paying for great memories.

 

Marie really liked you because you are sooo cute. You have a happy face with a great smile.

I really, really, enjoyed reading your trip report. I liked how you showed us how much you would pay for the food at Bill's Victoria restaurant. They have great prices for the restaurant.

The furniture in the room looks really old time. But... I didn't see any old
ghosts in the room.lol. Lucy

 

Thanks for the great report. So happy for you to meet someone you've admired for so long. Things like that are just unforgetable!!

 

Love the meet and greet pictures I have done many M&G with other artist and this one looked like it was amazing

 

worth paying for the show, now waiting for the next trip to recover your losses.

 

I really enjoyed your report. Sorry it wasn't a winning trip in the monetary sense, but Marie gave you memories of a lifetime. Thanks for the pictures of the room and of your M&G

 

Great report, well, except for the losses. Loved the pix, have to admit, I think Marie looks hotter now than back in the days. That suite did look huge. Thanks for posting!

 

great trip report.

Sorry about the losses. Most people, me included, only write up the winning trips. Thanks for reminding me about how it usually goes.

 

Thanks for taking the time to write up your trip report. Loved all the details and the daily breakdown...very easy read. Hope you have better luck on the slots next trip

 

Marie Osmond... I'd do her. Uh... Did I say that out loud? :wink

Nice report. It's good to hear the realistic downside of gambling instead of just the big wins. But getting a kiss from Marie Osmond = Winning trip, in my book.

 

love it! what a great trip! I had no idea Bills would have such nice rooms.

 

Those pictures with Marie are just fantastic. What a fun souvenir!
I have always liked her as well!

Thanks for sharing.

 

kiss

im there in september as well- i will give u a kiss. i can tell people i kissed someone who kissed marie osmond!