New Years Eve: Talk me into (or out of) it!

Having grown up in the suburbs of New York City a part of me has always been intrigued by NYE in Times Square, but another part of me (the part that hates bitter cold weather, hates being stuck in shoulder to shoulder crowds for 12 hours without anywhere to pee, and hates ultra-crowded trains out of the city) has always prevented me from doing it.

But it seems that Vegas might be an interesting alternative to New Years Eve. It seems like it's as busy but more spread out and with more to do, and double-digit temperatures is a nice bonus!

Who has done it? What did you think about it? Would you do it again? Given the higher cost of airfare and hotels, is it worth the trip?

 

IMHO not worth it. Did it once a few years ago. Overpriced and overcrowded. Thought it would be cool to do once. It wasn't. YMMV

 

Did it. Very, very crowded.

I would say everyone should do it once. I would do it again, but wife hates the crowds.

If you do a search on "years" maybe?.... you will find lots of threads on this. I would say the high majority say do it. Like just about everything, some folks hate it.

 

Overpriced and overcrowded. Welp. That does it for me!

I was actually checking out pricing on rooms and saw the cost for New Years and mentally decided to not bother.

 

I was comped downtown for NYE one year. Hit an $8,000 jackpot in the first hour and it went downhill from there.

Tribute-palooza was entertaining.

Never done a "Strip" NYE, may do it this year.

 

Did it just last New Years. Not going again. It's an experience for sure, but if you don't like feeling like a canned sardine then better not go.

 

I was there to ring in 2017...it was my first time for NYE and I enjoyed it. Probably the thing that convinced me to do it most was a comp at Mirage.
We went to the Maroon 5 concert on Dec 31 then walked down the Strip from Mandalay Bay to the intersection in front of Planet Hollywood/Bellagio/Cosmo which is where the wall of people was too thick to go any further. It was a great spot to be as the fireworks came off the roof of Planet Hollywood and we had a great view of this. It was cool to walk down the middle of the Strip as it was all closed to traffic for NYE.
However, once the fireworks were over and people started to try to move it got packed... like extremely packed. Like I couldn't lift my arm to scratch my head kinda packed. We just went with the flow of the crowd being pushed a few steps every few minutes until we made it to the sidewalk and through the fence near Paris to get off the Strip.
I would definitely go back as the energy was awesome... I just wouldn't stand in the middle of the Strip again haha

 

This is good to know. Maybe I'll be better off going for some other big weekend that isn't NYE.

Thanks to all for your responses!

 

I'd give it a shot at least once!
(Of course I'm game for any excuse to escape Wisconsin's winter for a little while!)

RICHARD

 

If I could see it from my room, maybe. Here's what seemed like a good idea: Thanksgiving in Vegas to escape the family. Want to know a very bad idea? Trying to leave Las Vegas on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Every flight booked, fares tripled in price. So while you debate the Vegas NYE experience don't forget about getting there and getting home.

 

I've done both. Times Square back in the 80's when you could bring booze. I was a teen back then, but that didn't stop me. For Vegas it was downtown, I stayed at the Nugget. That was in 2002. Both times were awesome, but Vegas was much better. Nicer weather and not packed like sardines. Would I do Vegas again, in a heartbeat. Times Square hell no.

 

I've done NYC and Vegas (just this last new years). You should do it. If you have specific questions, let me know...

 

Best of luck to you if you decide to go. We took a group of 12 for 2015 & once was certainly enough. We had free rooms / comps for food / NYE party at Flamingo...so why not experience NYE in LV???? It was more crowded that I could have even imagined....slots were definitely tighter than normal & the lines to get in anywhere were long....even being Diamond & able to jump in the express lines. LV Blvd from Flamingo down past PH was shoulder to shoulder with people pushing & drunks being obnoxious....
Would never consider going again....

 

I had to be dragged, kicking and screaming, to Vegas on NYE '15-'16. I'm not a fan of the mosh-pit-like crowds that I expected. But it really wasn't that bad, at least indoors. I actually had a really good time. And the days leading up to, and following, NYE were no worse than a usual busy-ish Vegas weekend.

(I was at Cosmo and didn't leave the property from dinner time on NYE until the next morning...don't know if things are/were significantly different elsewhere)

 

What about tables - were they also packed?

 

Oh yes...even in the daytime with minimums raised because of the crowds....saw this at every casino we visited...

 

Well, I love Vegas at any time and I like the Christmas to New Year's window because I can spend a week in Vegas post Christmas without having to take a lot of time off. Yes, it is crowded but I think you just have to decide to stay on property or some place in the 8 pm to 1 am window on NYE, except to go outside to see the fireworks. If you are okay with that then it's fine. I think it is kind of fun to bring in the new year with strangers who love Vegas and it's fun getting a W2G on January 1 or January 2. I had a great NYE with a VIP party but the rooms do get more expensive. I had a comped room the entire time but the room I would normally have any other time of year I couldn't get for NYE because much bigger players were in town. I was still, however, able to stay on the property and enjoyed the my trip very much. The holiday decorations at all of the hotels are great as well.

In addition to the above, there are also a lot of headliners in town during the days leading up to NYE as well as on January 1.

 

There is only ONE night like New Years. The rest of the year is Vegas. Some less busy, some real busy. But, there is still only one New Years.

 

I love NYE in Vegas.
Go almost every year.Yes, it is busy but so are all the holiday weekends,major conventions,fights etc.
Been on the Strip a couple times but avoid it these days from evening on 12/31 to morning of 1/1.
Have been going to Casino parties for a few years and they are the best parties of the year.
Every hotel has many options for different parties.
It is definitely worth trying once.

 

we go every year and love it! Great casino parties and headliner shows. Saw Bruno Mars this year. Already planning for 2017!