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Trip planning - how careful are you?

Discussion in 'Misc. Vegas Chat' started by EastCoastVegasFan!, Aug 19, 2019.

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  1. pressitagain

    pressitagain VIP Whale

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    Fly in. Cab to hotel....yadda, yadda, yadda....cab back to airport. Fly out.

    It’s a getaway from my daily crap over here. I eat when I feel like it. I gamble when I feel like it. I hit the ....

    Why do I want to plan anything?
     
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  2. DanTheMagicMan

    DanTheMagicMan Tourist

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    I have quite a few things I'd like to accomplish on this upcoming trip, so I've put together a tentative itinerary. It's nothing we'll have to follow religiously, but it at least lists all the things we'd like to do in the order that makes the most sense while sitting at my desk two weeks out. :) Once we get there, it might get tweaked here and there.

    I will say that I was pretty proud of myself this time because I sometimes plan my whole day around wherever I'm going to eat. But this time I did the opposite, planned meals close to the things at meal times.

    I've also "jotted down" a few notes along the way that I'll have on my phone. There are quite a few things I'd like to accomplish at the rewards desk and I'm hoping to do it all in one trip. So I've made sure to do that as well as make some notes about preferred room location and things like that for when we check in. I don't always think of those things on the spot, so it helps to take notes.
     
    Last edited: Aug 19, 2019
    10TH TRIP TO VEGAS!
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  3. skylines

    skylines Tourist

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    For as much as I think about my upcoming trips, you'd think I'd arrive with more of a plan. Instead it's just thinking about all the things I could do and seeing what happens when I get there.
     
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  4. deansrobinson

    deansrobinson VIP Whale

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    Vegas has become mindless. Just show up.
     
  5. TrewBrew

    TrewBrew I may be right, I may be Crazy.

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    The "plan" includes scheduling one excursion, one show and one spa day, all per the Vegas Trip Agreement (VTA) made by MrsBrew with (a) little input from me. Other than that we have an "idea" of other things we want to do.
     
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  6. Nevyn

    Nevyn VIP Whale

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    No need to be careful.

    The point of the planning is to get the bare bones in. Aside from anything with a reservation or ticket, everything is adaptable to circumstance.

    In fact, part of the point of mapping it out is it gives you a sense if all the stuff you'd thought of doing would be too much or leave you running around.
     
  7. TKO

    TKO High-Roller

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    Since we go 8 days/7 nights, we create 2 lists. One is where we will eat twice a day. The second list is casinos we will hit each day of our trip.
    Saves us from the where do you want go and what do you want to eat discussions. For US, we really hate the I'm hungry where do you want to eat which can lead to price or menu disappointment.

    I do the research prior to making up the eating lists. About 1/3 are buffets which can offer different specials and prices on different days. Maybe 75% involve coupons, comps, or player points and our eating list helps us insure we get to use them. Maybe 1/4 are places we really want to be sure to eat. Our list makes sure that happens.

    The reason for the list of daily casinos is that our eating is generally tied into the casino we are at during eating time. For example, we just have to have the deep dish pizza at Chicago Brewing while enjoying a 22 ounce All Nighter and playing bar vp. There aren't many bar seats, so when we place it on our eating list, it's never during Fri/Sat night or big sporting events. Another example would be don't schedule Magnolias BOGO to use Friday or Saturday. Since we stay Downtown, MSS is a good place to schedule Friday & Saturday night eating since it is frequently the least crowded casino.
     
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  8. Calder

    Calder VIP Whale

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    I'm a packing list spreadsheet guy. But as Ken wrote, it's now pretty automatic, even down to the clothing.

    Our only 'musts' are a hockey game, and a coupon run [primarily downtown].

    You may not have meant it that way, but:
    strikes me as the antithesis of vacationing.
     
  9. NotFromConcentrate

    NotFromConcentrate It’s a Cassowary :)

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    As many of you know, I'm a spreadsheeter all the way. Columns for each day, rows broken down by chunks of ten rows or so for each of morning/afternoon/evening. There's also colour-coding involved. It's also on Google Sheets, so that I can easily access it from both my computer and phone at any time.

    For my style of travel it's necessary, both because I stay at multiple hotels in a given trip (presenting important logistical considerations for and in between each stretch), and because my Vegas trips are more built around sightseeing than gambling. So when it comes to finding opportunities for certain activities to be combined or laid out in a certain way, the spreadsheet really helps, especially when it comes to tracking dependencies.

    For instance, say there's a thing that only happens on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. I'll put a block in my sheet spanning two columns that says "EITHER of these two nights, do thing". Then, when it comes to making a separate plan on either the Tuesday or the Wednesday, the possibility of thing can be accounted for in that plan. Say I was planning on having dinner at this certain place on the Tuesday and it happens to be close to thing... now I have a firm date for thing, and my Wednesday is wide open.
     
    [TENTATIVE Late Jul/Early Aug] Vegas by way of Chicago/Elko/Reno!
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  10. yoyoseven

    yoyoseven Grizzled Vereran

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    Yeah, I'm pretty much the exact opposite of that. The only things I really plan are what time to pick up the car at the rental center on arrival day, and what time to drop it off on departure day. To each his own.
     
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  11. spdandpwr

    spdandpwr VIP Whale

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    I put times on my to do list so I can stay on track...this gives me room to ensure I don't over book. AND, it allows me to sub activities in. I also put the estimated costs with doing the activity. Here's an example:

    10AM - Arrive at Encore - $20 (for the sandwich)
    1030AM - Unpack bags / change into bathing suit
    1100AM - Head to Goodies on Demand for quick bite - $50
    1120AM - Head to Encore pool, grab drinks, and order lunch - $200
    400PM - Head back to the room, shower, nap
    600PM - Get ready for dinner
    630PM - Head to casino and gamble
    800PM - Dinner at Sinatra - $400
    1100PM - Drinks at East Side Lounge - $100
    1200PM - Gamble
    230AM - Head to Cromwell for AH Club - $500
    400AM - Head to Sapphire Nightclub and get roofied - $2500
    730AM - Check out of Hospital
    800AM - Go home and Nap
     
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  12. spdandpwr

    spdandpwr VIP Whale

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    By the way, all of this is in an Excel with separate columns for price, time, day, etc. It's great because it keeps everyone organized and (again) allows people to do their own thing if they don't want to take part of certain activities. I almost always stay true to it and it never feels overwhelming
     
  13. BadKarma

    BadKarma Vegas Degenerate - Still Royal Flushless

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    The only thing I plan, or do carefully, is to make darn sure my flights are for the correct days.
    Also comp nights at various casino's are scheduled properly and on the correct dates.

    Otherwise everything is just wing-it!!
     
  14. SMG

    SMG VIP Whale

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    I have a spreadsheet, but it's mainly for planning/comparing prices, etc. and to keep track of my reservations and expenses. The only events that are planned are shows/concerts, since I usually buy advance tickets. Also, any board meets that I plan to attend.

    I have a rather long "to do" list, but it's just a list and nothing is organized by day/time. I wing-it most of the time, so I just look at my list and see what I feel like doing that particular day when I wake up each morning or while I'm having breakfast.

    I also use the "Notes" app on iPhone to keep a daily diary, so I can remember what I've done each day for when it comes time to write up my trip reports. LOL
     
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  15. LV2GAMBLE

    LV2GAMBLE Certified LOW Roller

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    I no longer have a 'list' per se because I've seen the shows I wanted (so far), did the things I've wanted. But, usually each trip I like to eat at one new-to-me restaurant. :feedme: Sometimes I may have one picked out, other times not. But, at times there are a handful of ones I'd like to go to, and if I hit just ONE of them, then I've accomplished something :lock:
     
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  16. kkinwi

    kkinwi VIP Whale

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    Besides the flights as listed above, I try to plan my gambling days to maximize future comps. So no flitting around from spot to spot....CET on X day, Golden Nugget on Y day, etc.
     
  17. UnicornTX

    UnicornTX High-Roller

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    I planned a few times along time ago but it all got set aside once we arrived so I gave up with planning. After numerous trips without planning we finally committed to one dinner reservation. I literally had to pull my husband off a winning craps table at the OLD O’Sheas to go get ready for dinner. When we got back to the room (Venetian) we had a phone message (before we all had cell phones) they had a fire in the kitchen at Delmonicos and our reservation was cancelled. We ended up eating at The Range at Harrah’s.

    Since then, I keep a list of where we could go or what to see IF we’re in the area. We do have ONE dinner reservation at Joe’s Seafood at CP for our upcoming 7 night trip. Otherwise, it’s whatever and wherever in Vegas.
     
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  18. Astribling

    Astribling Alice In Casinoland

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    I usually have a huge list of things I WANT to do, and at least half don't get done. The only thing that are firm plans are if if I want to see a specific show, or a dinner reservation somewhere. Other than that, I know what I would like to do, and then see how it goes. I'm usually at a VP machine or table, and skip whatever it was I originally wanted to do. LOL
     
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  19. UnicornTX

    UnicornTX High-Roller

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    I appreciate the fact that you schedule your activities because it makes for an awesome trip report. You get a lot accomplished! Sure enjoyed meeting you last year and I hope our paths cross again in Las Vegas.
     
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  20. vegasqc

    vegasqc VIP Whale

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    Beside the obvious stuff like flights and hotel, i buy tickets for headliner show well in advance, i also plan when i will buy my buffet of buffet pass to avoid weekend surcharge, also plan when i will use my 3 free myvegas buffet.

    The other meals/shows, and stuff like shopping/pool/gambling/sightseeing i dont plan anymore
     
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