DISTANCE: 2 miles (3.2km) for the afternoon tour plus 2 miles (3km) for the dinner show
TIME: Around 4 hours (tour only)
START/END: Circus Circus
POINTS TO NOTE: For this route, take the bus (CAT route 108; free for five-year-olds and under), a taxi or drive. Reservations are recommended at the Buy tickets up to 60 days in advance for the Tournament of Kings show.
For a few years in the 1990s, Vegas tried to promote itself as a family destination. Though it never amounted to serious competition for Orlando in Florida, it did draw a lot of parents with kids in tow, and often acted as a gateway for trips to the Grand Canyon and other Southwestern vacation hot spots.
There was just one problem. By law, children aren’t allowed to gamble: casinos rake in a lot more money than rollercoasters, so image shapers did an abrupt U-turn to revive the old Sin City image with their now-familiar “What happens in Vegas...” pitch. Still, kids love the lights and over-the-top spectacle, and the amusement rides on offer just keep getting better and better.
Circus Circus
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Circus Circus
Start the day with breakfast at the child-friendly Circus Circus 1 [map] (2880 Las Vegas Boulevard South; tel: 702-734-0410; www. circuscircus.com; for more information, click here), at the Circus Buffet, see 1.
Ride at the Adventuredome
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Adventuredome
At around 10am, head for Circus Circus’s Adventuredome (summer: daily 10am–midnight). This domed complex is said to be America’s largest indoor amusement park, though at 5 acres (2 hectares) it isn’t as big as it sounds like it should be and the rides slot together like puzzle pieces to make the most of the space. Rides include thrill rides such as the Canyon Blaster – a double loop, double corkscrew rollercoaster (riders must be at least 4ft or 122cm tall) – and the El Loco, where riders ascend 90ft (27 meters) before dropping over and under to experience 1.5 vertical-Gs. There are also bumper cars, a swinging pirate ship, and tame junior rides to keep the little ones happy.
Horse game in the Adventuredome
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Circus acts and midway
Also at Circus Circus are performances by trapeze artists, tightrope walkers and other daredevils (daily 11am–midnight; free); extraordinarily, these take place at regular intervals high above the casino floor, with a safety net to protect the slot machine players from falling performers. The best vantage point for watching both the circus acts and the gamblers is from the mezzanine, much of which serves as a carnival-style midway with ball-throwing games and other feats of skill you can play to win stuffed toys and similar prizes. The midway also has a number of child-oriented shops such as Nothing But Clowns, Sweet Tooth, and Circus Kids.
Lunch
At around 12.30pm, it is time to move on from Circus Circus by walking along Riviera Boulevard to cross the Strip. Keep on walking (if it is just too hot, or the kids are too hungry, hop in a cab) for one block, until you reach the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino 2 [map] (3000 Paradise Road; tel: 888-796-3564; www.westgatedestinations.com), home to Sid’s Café, see 2, which is our recommendation for lunch.
Alternatively, you can continue along the Strip (catch the CAT route 108) to the MGM Grand (3799 Las Vegas Boulevard South; tel: 702-891-1111; www.mgmgrand.com; for more information, click here), and then have lunch at the hotel’s Rainforest Café (for more information, click here) if you prefer a more natural kind of theme, although it’sa bit of a detour.
Magicians
Las Vegas has even more magicians than Elvis impersonators. A family favorite (and easy on the wallet) is Mac King, who performs afternoon shows at Harrah’s (3475 Las Vegas Boulevard South; tel: 702-369-5222; Tue–Sat 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm). Quirky and comical, King is best known for his “amazing goldfish trick,” catching live fish over the heads of the audience on a fishing line baited with Fig Newtons.
Some of the less traditional Las Vegas magic acts are less suitable for children: Penn and Teller’s show at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino is billed as family-friendly, though moms of younger kids may not appreciate the spurting blood illusions.
Spiderman at Madame Tussauds
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Waxworks
In the mid-afternoon, head back to the Strip along Riviera Boulevard, and bus down it to the Venetian 3 [map] (3377 Las Vegas Boulevard South; tel: 702-862-7800; www.venetian.com; for more information, click here or click here) for Madame Tussaud’s Interactive Attraction (daily 10am–10pm). This pricy museum contains more than 300 life-sized, uncannily realistic wax figures of celebrities and historical figures, from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln to the Dalai Lama, Julia Roberts, and Britney Spears. It is “interactive” because you are invited not only to touch the figures, but also have your photograph taken, posing with Siegfried & Roy and their famous white tiger, singing along with Elvis Presley or playing golf with Tiger Woods. It’s educational, too – after a certain fashion.
Alternatively, or in addition to the waxworks, you may want to see if you can take a gondola ride (Sun–Thu 10am–11pm, Fri–Sat 10am–midnight) along the hotel’s “Grand Canal.” Reservations must be made in person, on the same day only.
Evening show
Our recommended show for the evening is the Tournament of Kings at Excalibur 4 [map] (3850 Las Vegas Boulevard South; tel: 702-597-7600; shows Wed–Mon 6pm, 8.30pm; for more information, click here), which is further down the Strip (just past the MGM Grand). There are two showings a night (except Tue), so, depending on whether you want to go for the early or late one, you can either head directly there or you can fit in a short rest at your hotel beforehand.
Tournament of Kings
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Tournament of Kings
This 75-minute dinner extravaganza features nonstop action, with jousting knights, swordfights, horse races, pyrotechnics, and general uproar, as audiences cheer their combatants on, based on which area of the hall they are sitting in.
The medieval theme carries over to the tasty banquet fare, served just before the show starts. Starting with “dragon’s blood” (tomato soup), you also get a whole roast Cornish game hen with potato, vegetables, non-alcoholic beverages and dessert. But you don’t get silverware. In true Dark Ages fashion, you dine with your fingers.
Hotel options
Both Circus Circus and Excalibur are excellent choices if you are visiting Las Vegas with children. Children under the age of 12 and accompanied by an adult stay for free at Excalibur and Circus Circus. Needless to say, those who aren’t visiting with kids may prefer to stay somewhere else, where the average age of guests is rather higher!
Food and Drink
1 Circus Buffet
Circus Circus, 2880 Las Vegas Boulevard South; tel: 702-734-0410; Mon–Fri 7am–2pm, 4.30–10pm; Sat–Sun 7am–4pm, 4.30–10pm; $
This is one of the largest and lowest-priced all-you-can-eat buffets on the Strip and its long waiting line moves fairly fast. While it has been upgraded recently, some locals still avoid it because of its questionable quality in the past. The food is aimed specifically at children’s tastes – crunchy, gooey, greasy, and syrupy sweet.
2 Sid’s Café
Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino, 3000 Paradise Road; tel: 888-796-4564; Sun–Thu 7–10pm, Fri–Sat 7–midnight; $–$$
Sid’s Café offers a creative approach to home-style cooking, as well as attentive service and large plates of freshly prepared food. Menu options include appetizers, salads, diverse entrées, delicious burgers and desserts. Try the Elvis Sandwich in the very resort he once called home in Las Vegas. Visit Sid’s Cafe and experience what it’s like to be treated like a high roller!