Las Vegas, Nevada

From Egypt to Islands

The quality of this day was questionable at best. I did some really fun activities, interspersed with disbelief and discomfort. Where to begin?

Once I arrived at the Luxor, I headed straight for their IMAX Theater. Luxor has two formats -- simulation ride and movie, I purchase admission to Reboot (a ride) and Deep Sea 3D (a movie).

I first saw the Reboot ride. Although the name does not conjure any specific image about its content, I knew exactly what it was after watching the previews. In the mid-90s, there was a network cartoon called Reboot. The show took place inside a computer and follows the heroes as they battle a computer virus. This series was revolutionary as it was the first computer generated cartoon (predating Toy Story). This ride, using a simulation chamber, continued following the heroes on a new adventure.

Afterwards I went into the Deep Sea 3D. It has been a long time since last experiencing a 3D movie, and I have to say the technology has improved dramatically. Long gone are the days of red and blue image filters. I still had glasses, but I think it used some form of polarized light. The images looked as if they were right in front of me, almost like I could reach out and grab a jellyfish or shark. It was an incredible experience.

Above was the good part of my day. After leaving the Luxor, I headed toward the Bellagio for the fountains rhythmic display. Like heading toward the Luxor, my return trip was fraught with traffic delays. Traffic had not gotten any better.

I finally arrived in time to catch part of the fountain performance. I then moved north to watch the Mirage volcano erupt. Finally I went to Treasure Island saw the sirens perform.

There were several problems with the sirens performance; 1) The crowd was too large, 2) The crowd did not disperse in an orderly fashion once the performance was complete, 3) The performance was not all that spectacular, and 4) The content was probably not appropriate for children.

The size of the crowd meant if you did not arrive about an hour and a half early, you were relegated to the back. I arrived one hour prior and I could barely see the actors. This size of the crowd made it difficult to leave once completed because there was no organization. Treasure Island should coordinate this event better.

The performance was not all that spectacular as the actors lip synched to songs and dialog. It also contained mostly sexual innuendoes despite having an audience containing children.

After this long day, I just want to sleep. I must have walked five miles today. Two more days left.

posted by Peter Rilling @ 1:15 AM