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Mom & Me in Vegas - Let's pretend we're high rollers

Discussion in 'Vegas Trip Reports' started by Marilynfan, Oct 7, 2016.

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  1. Marilynfan

    Marilynfan High-Roller

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    My Trip Report

    This was my 10th trip to Vegas and my Mom’s first.

    Sunday Sept 25

    Flew Westjet out of Toronto evening flight arrived in Vegas 10:30pm. I had a companion voucher so I booked us in the Plus seats for the first time. OMG! I’m spoiled now. Lots of leg room, no one in the middle seat, free food and drinks! Luggage came off first and when flying home at McCarren got to use the TSA pre-check line. Great way to start the trip.

    I wanted to keep the High Roller feeling going so I arranged for a Presidential limo airport pickup. Driver was waiting at baggage claim with a sign. It was a good experience except we were dying for some water which according to the booking process online should have been included. However, the driver did not have any – only champagne which we didn’t touch as neither of us likes it. I was a little confused as I didn’t pay for the service that included it so wondered why it was offered instead of water. Oh well – my Mom was really impressed and surprised so the splurge was worth it.

    We arrived at Aria and my next surprise was telling my Mom not to worry about the lineup to check in at the front desk as we weren’t going there. I lead us into the Tower Suite lounge as I had upgraded to a Corner Suite. I had 2 nights comped in a regular room but I jumped on the email upgrade that came via email. She was thrilled and in awe of the free drinks/snacks – she finally got that water. She took advantage of the free coffee each morning too. The room was beautiful but the view left a lot to be desired. We were on the 7th floor with a Mountain (rooftop) view. I really didn’t care about the view that much since we’d get the best view in Vegas soon. This corner suite had a pole in the middle of the living room and there was no dining table. It had windows along the entire wall including the bedroom.

    We quickly unpacked and headed down to the Casino. After a slice of pizza at Five50 (love the gotham) we were ready to play some slots. My Mom was so excited over House of Cards and Game of Thrones. While I was drooling over the new Walking Dead slots with lots of Darryl :) We called it a night around 2am – which was 5am our time!!

    Monday Sept 26

    We used up a MyVegas reward for 2 breakfasts at Aria buffet. Food was great as usual. Then we headed to the pool for some rest, relaxation and beverages. Love the pool at Aria. We went back up to the room to get ready for our first free show of the trip. My Mom has been playing MyVegas for many years and unbeknownst to me was purchasing chips all that time. About a month before our trip she was contacted by a MyVegas host! With over 3 million in loyalty chips to spend the host created custom rewards for us (tickets to Michael Jackson One and O – plus some food and beverage credit at Aria).

    We took a Lyft to Mandalay Bay. For some reason the week we were there was 50% off all Lyft rides so that was even better. I’m happy to report that I had no problems getting a Lyft from Aria (and later at Cosmo) using only WIFI. I don’t have a data plan or cell service on my phone when I travel to the US so I was glad this worked without any snags and the WIFI was available in the area that you do the pickups. However, I did have problems connecting to Wifi at Mandalay Bay and later Excalibur so we had to take a cab back from those places. Anyway, the Michael Jackson show was fantastic and the seats were perfect. I loved it even more than Love but I am a fan of his music so I’m sure that makes me a little biased.

    Back at Aria we grabbed a late night bite at the Aria Café (was just ok), played the slots for a while and then called it a night.

    Tues Sept 27

    Gave the Aria Café another try for breakfast as we still had resort credit to use. Breakfast was much better and would recommend that. We headed over to the Cosmo around noon to check in. I had a 6pm checkout at Aria thanks to the VIP Host coordinator – so it was nice not being in any rush to move over to Cosmo in case the room was not ready.

    We were able to get our room right away – 2 Queen Terrace studio with fountain view on the 50th floor of the west tower. Personally, I prefer the East tower as it is closer to restaurants and the strip and I think the view is better. However, all of the 2 Queen rooms are located in the West tower so we didn’t have a choice. I love my Mom but I was ready to have my own bed LOL. I was comped the basic city room for the 3 nights (2 from a marketing offer and I used my 1 Sterling night) but had paid for the upgrade ahead of time. I wanted the view to be guaranteed so my Mom could experience it. She loved the balcony.

    Since Bellagio was a short walk we headed over there to pick up our Thunder from Down Under MyVegas tickets from the Box Office (since Aria doesn’t have one anymore). We had a look through the Conservatory – guess I shouldn’t be surprised that they reuse items as I have seen the talking tree before and played a few slots. The Batgirl and Catwoman slots were fun.

    Back to Aria to pack up and move our luggage over to Cosmo. Again it was nice to be able to take our time as we didn’t get out of there until around 5pm. I went down to the Tower Suite Lounge to check us out and then before leaving I had a look at the MGM app to see how my tier credits were looking. I knew I was only 17,000 away from Gold – which was a major factor in me squeezing our trip into the last week of Sept instead of later on. I was shocked to see I had made it already!!!! Whoo! Hoo! Off to the MLIFE desk to get my new gold card! I was excited because I know I’ll never hit it again – I had a fluke of a year where I got to Vegas 3 times – instead of the usual 1 trip.

    After settling in to Cosmo we grabbed a Lyft to the Venetian and went to the Wax Museum thanks to MyVegas. Had so much fun. It really is a riot if you go with someone who has fun posing. We were laughing so hard we were crying later that night in bed looking back through the photos. My tip is to try to be there around 7:30pm as it closes at 8pm but they don’t rush you through. I’ve done this twice and we basically had the place to ourselves.

    We walked over to Bellagio to use up my BOGO MyVegas dinner buffet. While I went to the MLIFE desk to load it on my card my Mom sat down at the closest machine (88 Fortunes) to rest. She decided to throw in $20 and was going to cash it out when I came back but I told her to keep playing it. She ends up hitting some kind of bonus where you have to keep picking until you get 3 of a kind (mini, major, grand prize). So she has 2 majors and 2 grands and picks the 3rd major – BOOM $1188 dollars!!!! She was so excited and I was so happy for her. Can you believe how close to a hand pay that was? Being from Canada they would have taken 30%. The kicker was if she had picked the other grand it would have been $11,000!
    We continued on to the buffet which was fantastic. Crazy how it is still busy at 9:30pm. It was fun to show off to my Mom and skip the line with my mlife card. We walked back to Cosmo and ended the night playing some slots and drinking raspberry lemondrops.

    Wed Sept 28

    We got up and headed over to Crystals as I decided to take my Mom on the tram over to Monte Carlo on our journey down to NYNY. She had seen the tram out our window at Aria so I figured why not go on it. It was a short ride and we exited Monte Carlo by the T-Mobile Arena as she wanted to see it. So we walked past there and up through the Park.

    We stopped in to Nine Fine Irishmen and used her BOGO MyVegas reward which was really just a $35 voucher. Fantastic value and the food was very good. Our bill came to $3.55 plus tip! We looked around the shops and Hersey store and then headed back to Cosmo.

    After a little relaxing on the balcony we took a Lyft to Luxor for the Titanic exhibit. My Mom really liked this and I’m sure she would have spent more time than we did looking around at everything but we needed to get next door to Excalibur for Thunder from Down Under. We had a half hour to spare when we arrived so we played at the closest slots and the cocktail waitress was fast – got 2 drinks in LOL.

    Somehow our Table 29 MyVegas seats were upgraded to a booth located dead center but behind all the tables at the front – perfect for us. It was close enough to see the action but not have to be a part of it. The guys were good looking and of course with bodies to die for. There was a 95 year old woman celebrating her birthday who got a lap dance on stage. She was the highlight of the show. We had a great time.
    We cabbed it back to Cosmo and grabbed a slice of pizza at secret pizza place. We finished off the night playing slots and having some drinks. To my surprise my Mom was always right there with me to the end. In fact one night I was the one that was ready to call it a night around 2:30pm while she was still going strong on the Big Bang Slots LOL.

    Thurs Sept 29

    I had promised to take my Mom over to the Miracle Miles shops so she could buy some Skechers. So we got up and hit Eggslut on the way. It was around 10:30am and there was a bit of a line but it moved really quick and was so worth it!! Believe the hype – it was the best thing I ate all week. I had the sausage and egg sandwich – YUM. Forgot to tell my mom that the yoke is runny so she takes her first bite and ends up with yoke all over the counter and down her arm LOL.

    We wandered around Miracle Miles and bought some souveniers. I checked out my favourite store Tatyana. Have to admit the selection in there has not been good on my last 2 trips so didn’t end up buying a dress this time. Right outside this store they have a rain storm show that was going to start in 20 minutes so we got some ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s and sat down to watch. It was really nothing special and not worth making a special trip for.

    On our way back through Cosmo I stopped at the Monogram store. I was pleasantly surprised. On my 2 previous trips to Cosmo the only cosmo branded stuff they sold was a couple different hats. This time the store was full of branded clothing (T-shirts, sleepwear, golf shirts, cups, etc). I bought a purple T-shirt that said “Meet me under the Chandelier – The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas” then of course later I had to pose in front of the bar with the shirt on LOL. It is my favourite Vegas shirt!!

    Back in the room I decided it was time to just chill on the balcony while my Mom went and checked out the Bamboo pool. She reported that it was crowded and small and she sure missed the Aria pool which had been her favourite.

    We walked over to Bellagio for our final show O. Again, the seats were incredible her MyVegas host did a fantastic job. The show was really good and the set was amazing to see. There was definitely some really talented acrobats. However, I’m just not a fan of clowns so would have liked to skip those scenes. My Mom loved it though and that is the main thing as it was the show she really wanted to see.

    We stopped at The Henry back at Cosmo for a final meal. The food was really good here I’ll have to come back again. The last night we gave it a final go on the slots and Brittney was really good to me and my Mom had another smaller win on IronMan. We ended the night by taking a couple of drinks up to the room and sat on the balcony enjoying the lights for one last time. It was a really late night (around 3am) considering we had to catch our flight the next morning but we made it home with no issues.

    My Mom told me anytime I wanted to go back just to let her know. What a fantastic trip! Viva Las Vegas!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 17, 2019
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  2. Kobra2848

    Kobra2848 VIP Whale

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    Nice report and a great win for your mom.

    Mark
     
  3. sybgal

    sybgal VIP Whale

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    Great report! Love all the pics. :) Sounds like your Mom had a great 1st trip & you both have wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing with us.
     
  4. TIMSPEED

    TIMSPEED Money’s on the way, with CashNetUSA

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    nice report!
    I'm super envious of those of you who can do a sun-Thur trip...
     
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  5. 93 Octane

    93 Octane Chief Bottle Washer

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    Great TR sounds like both of you had a blast, some of my fondest memories were spent with Dad in Vegas..Cheers!
     
  6. Sdebruyne

    Sdebruyne Low-Roller

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    Sounds like a fun mother/daughter trip. I'm going with my daughter in a couple weeks and hope we have just as much fun. And I would be thrilled with a jackpot like that! Thanks for sharing.
     
  7. Marilynfan

    Marilynfan High-Roller

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    I've never done a weekend in Vegas. It is busy enough for me on Thursdays I can't imagine what a Saturday would be like LOL. Truthfully, the best part is that I get home around 9pm on Friday night and then I still have the weekend to recover before going back to work on Monday :)
     
  8. Niteshade

    Niteshade VIP Whale

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    Great report - so happy you and you Mom
    had such a great time! Thanks for sharing.
     
  9. the nuts

    the nuts VIP Whale

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    Great pics, but I could have done without the money shot!
     
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  10. jENBEAU

    jENBEAU VIP Whale

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    It seems you had a great time! I also learned something: I never heard of a MyVegas host! Grab all the freebies whilst in Vegas...good for you!
     
  11. k3roro

    k3roro Tourist

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    Me and my brother are taking mom to Vegas (her first time) as well for Christmas, my dad promised to go with her when he retires but couldn't due to his medical condition so me and my brother are going to fulfill his promise!

    Everything is booked except the hotel. Looks like you guys had fun!
     
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  12. TIMSPEED

    TIMSPEED Money’s on the way, with CashNetUSA

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    daayum...I'm the exact opposite...I can't afford to take off work AND spend money..so I am relagated to only going on long weekends.
     
  13. pleasemum

    pleasemum High-Roller

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    Wonderful report and pics!! Heading to Vegas in a week from Toronto and your trip sounds a lot like mine....Aria first then Cosmo!! Glad your mom had a wonderful time.
     
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  14. Multifarious5

    Multifarious5 VIP Whale

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    Congrats on a GREAT trip with your mom. I am so tickled she had as CLOSE as you can get to a hand-pay without the paperwork!!!!! I am also glad to read I am not thy only one that found it addicting. It was a bit embarrassing to admit, but its fun, and when that game is ON, it's ON.

    Loved the report and pics and I am glad you both had a blast!
     
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  15. Onmyown32

    Onmyown32 Low-Roller

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    Awesome!!! I'm taking my mom to Vegas in January our first trip alone together ever. I can't wait!!!
     
  16. Char1

    Char1 VIP Whale

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    Congrats to your mom, enjoyed your TR and pics.
     
  17. WHU66

    WHU66 High-Roller

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    Awesome report and pics, thanks for sharing. Great level of detail and sounds like you had an amazing time creating fantastic memories with your mum!
     
  18. Kkirk777

    Kkirk777 Tourist

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    Really nice job! Love your photos. I never thought to go into the wax museum but now thinking twice, as those pictures are awesome. Taking my mom next week and looking forward to getting one of those shirts Thanks for the report!
     
  19. Marilynfan

    Marilynfan High-Roller

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    My Mom was surprised that you could touch and pose with the wax figures she really wasn't that keen on it beforehand but it turned out to be one of the best things we did. We took some REALLY FUNNY photos that I will treasure and look at whenever I need a laugh. Glad she was such a good sport. I just had to promise never to post them online LOL.

    Some tips for fun photos in case you need ideas:
    -Katy Perry stand behind her and spin the "tassles"
    -Pretend you are pushing the wrecking ball that Miley is swinging on
    -Lay on the couch in the hangover room passed out or act like Tyson has punched you
    -Get in the police car and hang out the window with a bottle from the hangover room (this was a favourite LOL)
     
    Last edited: Oct 8, 2016
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  20. Marilynfan

    Marilynfan High-Roller

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    Ah, I totally understand that then. I would do the same in that situation.
     
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