Star Trek: The Experience (01-04-98 to 09-01-08) Memorial Thread

[Keith1701]

Where else can you get a view like this?

We went two years ago. What with lackluster post-DS9 TV Trek and lackluster Trek movies, the books were all I had to keep me excited about Star Trek. So I was surprised by what a rush I had at the Experience. We did the Latinum Experience, with both rides and the backstage tour. Both rides were a lot of fun, but the real revelation was the backstage tour.

There were only nine of us in all for the tour, plus Richard, the tour guide, which made for a reasonably sized group. The tour starts off slowly with a guided walk through the museum area, but before long we're in hallways we haven't been allowed in before (decorated with concept art and blueprints for the Experience) and taken behind the scenes of the Experience. Want to see how the transporter trip works? How the turbolift takes you to a completely different location? Want to explore the Enterprise bridge in detail? Want to watch a group of tourists go through one of the simulator rides... standing in the room with the simulators, but outside them, and out of sight of the tourists, watching the simulators rock, dive, and turn? Want to see the costume and makeup areas, and get your photograph taken on the Enterprise bridge and in a Borg regeneration console? All this and more, and it takes a couple of hours before you're completely done.

And yeah, Quark's was fun, and damn I wish I could go again, and hell, I'm wearing my STTE souvenir golf shirt right now (the blue UFP one).

I hoping to go before September 1 myself......

 

[kevjulian]

My wife and I have been every year for the last three years on our anniversary. This will be our last time on Aug 25th 2008. I'm glad I get to see it one last time. We ate dinner at Quark's every night and I topped it off with Warp Core Plasma (I'm going to miss those). I got a picture of my wife giving OOmox to a ferengi, we did bicep poses with Klingons and were assimilated by the borg. We will miss the experience.

 

[NovusInceptum]

I've never been... My parents went, though, even though they're not Trek fans...I persuaded them to go, and at least I got a TOS phaser out of it. I wish I had gone though.

 

[Rabittooth]

Kathy and I have never been either. We were hoping to take little Jaina when she was old enough. Damn shame. Would have been so awesome for us.

-Rabittooth

 

[GreenBlood]

I've been there once and it was the most amazing feeling I ever had. It was like walking into a place and feeling like this is where you belong. I felt so damned at home...and just soaking up the experience of being - well - sort of inside Star Trek. :-)

Well said. I felt the same way when I went to the ST Tour in Long Beach.
The Las Vegas Experience has always been on my 'bucket list', haven't been yet though. Never imagined it wud die b4 me.
(GreenBlood sheds a tear.)

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

I went there Christmas of last year. My brothers and i were all in Vegas over the holidays and we were to leave on the 26th, so i was hoping that they would be open on Christmas Day and i was so glad that they were. So my brother ended up paying for us. I guess it was his Christmas present to me. I had a total blast. We had lunch and drinks at Quark's. One of the Ferengi waiters stopped to talk to us. I had my picture taken with an Andorian. I had a Klingon refer to the Starship Enterprise as a garbage scow. It was the highlight of my trip to Vegas. Seeing all the memorabilias and the huge models of the ships (of which i had some pictures on my old phone) were just awesome. I can't believe it's gonna close. I gotta try to get down there before it closes.

Like a poster up-thread said, i felt like i truly belonged. I felt, for the first time, at home. Like i didn't HAVE to pretend to be there; i was actually there. I never had a greater feeling.

We will live long and prosper and we will never forget our experiences.

 

[Indysolo]

I went there in 2006 for the 40th anniversary convention. My fondest memory of The Experience was watching the Shatner roast at Quark's while enjoying a personal Warp Core Breach.

I also did the behind the scenes tour, which was fantastic.

I went back in January of this year. I didn't do the rides, but I did have dinner there and ran into sbk1234 in the gift shop! And I came home with 30 Roumlan Ales.

Neil

 

[sbk1234]

This has been my regular pilgrimage spot for every trip to Vegas for many years. I guess All good things really must come to an end. As for memories: Like all of us here, just the experience of living one of our life-long fantasies.
I dragged my non-fan father to the experience, who sat with jaw-dropped confusion while we dined at Quarks and I engaged in a discussion of Klingon politics with one of the Klingons.
I started pretending to push buttons on the shuttle. All of a sudden, a computer voice came on announcing auto-destruct has been activated. Then Riker's voice ordered it shut off, and told "them" to keep an eye on me, I might be a Klingon spy.

I was snooping around the shops when I ran into INDYSOLO. I asked a Borg to take a picture, then handed him the camera and he took one of the two of us.

and now for warm fuzzies:
I took my son who was about 6 at the time. He sat next to me on the shuttle and told me he would be Jake, and I would be Capt. Sisko. To share such a love with my son was wonderful. I'm sorry I won't be able to do the same with my younger daughters.

and for all three, I bought each a Star Trek stuffed animal when they were in the womb. My special gift to each.

 

[Keith1701]

On my first visit to the Experience, I remember the Klingon ride being pretty cool, but I also thought that Picard must have one of the strangest family trees in the galaxy, considering how many times that attraction operates per day. I got my first Star Trek tie at the gift shop, and I liked looking at the tribble toys. There was some fantastic artwork for sale, but it was out of my price range then and probably now as well. The best part of the visit was probably Deanna Troi's Ultimate Sundae at Quark's. It had the cookies, ice cream, fudge, and a couple of other trimmings, and every bite was exquisite.

I can't wait to go there in two weeks for the last time. I've now seen all the episodes, so I can appreciate a few more things this time around, and it will be my first time on the Borg side.

I hope that I get out to Vegas before 09-01-08, I really hate to see it close.

 

[siskokid888]

I have a buddy that lives in Vegas and I visit him yearly, so I was at the Experience at least once a year since it opened. The rides were fun, and, as cynical as I am, I still got a chill walking onto the bridge of the Enterprise D. Bought a bunch of shirts and pins for me and my kid. The highlight for me was always sitting at Quark's with a Warp Core Breach (I'm an experienced drinker, so they had little effect on me) and talking Trek with the people there. It was like being able to talk Baseball at a game, or discuss art at the Met. Here I was able to intelligently discuss another of my interests with knowledgable people that were similarly interested. I hit on the Vulcan chick, trying to get her to meet me for dinner - saying "seriously, let me know when you get off work, I'll pick you up and take you to dinner". She would not break character, and finally raised an eyebrow and said "Sir, are you delusional?" I fell off my chair laughing. It was always a good time there, and it will be missed.

 

[Dieks]

Every January I make a pilgrimage to Vegas with a friend to attend the CES. It wasn't an official trip until I popped over to the Trek Experience. My favorite memory has to a recent one. This past year Suzie Plakson was there signing autographs for about three hours. I happened to be there when no one else was and enjoyed a delightful and lengthy conversation with my favorite Klingon. She's a neat lady.

My second best memory was taking the "Behind the Scenes" tour and meeting all the great people who are responsible for the Experience experience. You guys are great. It was wonderful for a geek like me to see how everything worked.

Farewell TE! And thanks!

 

[freak]

I have never been but have heard that it's pretty awesome. I'm not sure if I'll go before the closure but would love to see Borg Invasion 3D.. I'll bet if I ever did go, I'd burst into tears at seeing the Enterprise D or the original Enterprise set.

 

[T'Cal]

Eleven years ago, a friend of mine and I brought our then 6-year old sons to the Experience. My son was very, very into Trek especially TNG. When we went on the Klingon Encounter, he stood in front of me proudly wearing his red Starfleet uniform shirt (still have it; it's a high quality one). Anyway, we were in the turbolift when it started shaking, the lights began flashing, and Riker and LaForge were speaking over the Comm System. I had my arms over his shoulders with my hands on his chest and I could feel his heart pounding with excitement. He looked up at me and whispered, "Dad, this is so real!" The next day we missed a flight back home due to weather causing me to miss an important day at work, which caused me a whole lot of grief. But that moment on the turbolift made it all worthwhile.

My wife and I go there most every spring and I brought my two sons there for the 40th anniverary convention two years ago. We met the Okudas and Jeffery Coombs, all of whom were great people. Last month, my wife and I celebrated our 20th anniverary by driving all four of our kids (the aforementioned son is now 17 and 6'3"!) to Las Vegas and renewing our vows on the Bridge of the Enterprise at STTE. The staff couldn't have been nicer nor more accommodating. We were given the run of the place and allowed to take photos and video throughout. Afterward, we had a great dinner at Quark's. A great friend I've known since third grade joined us for the entire event and even kindly picked up the dinner tab.

If you are a true fan, you must go at least once before it closes. It truly is a Star Trek experience. My family and I will mourn its passing with many, many fond memories. I really hope that another Experience opens either on the strip in Vegas or somewhere near Orlando.

 

[T'Cal]

My wife and I have been every year for the last three years on our anniversary. This will be our last time on Aug 25th 2008. I'm glad I get to see it one last time. We ate dinner at Quark's every night and I topped it off with Warp Core Plasma (I'm going to miss those). I got a picture of my wife giving OOmox to a ferengi, we did bicep poses with Klingons and were assimilated by the borg. We will miss the experience.

Do the vow renewal! The woman who performed ours was very sweet and she did a wonderful job. She was one of the women from TOS' A Piece of the Action so she was quite serious about her affection for her job at the Experience. The vows she performed were anything but hokey or silly. They were warm, sincere, and engaging. Do it!

 

[star]

I can't believe it's closing. I went for the first and only time two summers ago and I'm doubly glad I did. I loved the actor who played the Klingon that would walk through the lines spewing insults. He was hilarious. We ran into him again at the gift shop (where I got some earrings) and I just had to get a picture with him.

Man. I don't gamble, so there's no reason to visit Vegas again. Bummer.

 

[Amy Sisson]

I hit on the Vulcan chick, trying to get her to meet me for dinner - saying "seriously, let me know when you get off work, I'll pick you up and take you to dinner". She would not break character, and finally raised an eyebrow and said "Sir, are you delusional?" I fell off my chair laughing. It was always a good time there, and it will be missed.

That is too funny! I guess when they audition for Vulcans, eyebrow-raising skills are a requirement!

Looks like we might be able to make one last pilgrimmage in August.... Turns out I have just enough frequent flier miles to get there. My husband was there years ago (before Borg 4-D invasion) and I went a few months ago to the book signing by Dayton Ward & Kevin Dilmore, but we've never been together. No time like the present!

 

[Saul]

I went there in Nov 99 I think. Had a great time. When I went to Quark's I got a free drink for mentioning that fact. The Ferengi there gave me a drink saying I was getting 2 for the prive of 1 deal. I was going to say I was stuck in a temperal causality loop if anyone had recognised me.

Loved the shuttle ride. On my second go two louder trek fans were complaining why they couldn't fire Phasers. They quickly shut up when they were told their DNA wasn't encoded to the shuttle buttons.

Klingons looked really mean. I wanted to slap my chest and say Qapla but they looked pissed at me so I didn't.

Always wanted to go back and check out Borg 4D. I'll miss it. Closest thing to getting on Trek.

 

[Biggshow]

Bumping this back to the first page in case people want to keep adding to it. Here's another fun moment.

The actor who played Bleeg, one of the first Ferengi at the station, was moving to parts unknown (well, Vancouver) and on his last day set up the following scenario. Somehow Bleeg had been convinced to put all of his assets into Corbomite futures. All day he was so happy because he'd heard that a new mother lode had just been discovered. He and the other characters played this up all day. Finally, after a rousing game of Trekardy (usually trotted out during Convention week), someone broke it to Bleeg that Corbomite was a non-existent substance so he was now broke. Despondent, he apparently threw himself into a plasma conduit. Liquidator Quan then proceeded to auction his desicated remains (I still have a capsule). At the end of the auction, someone who looked remarkably like Bleeg but with a big white Mark Twain mustache () ran in a stole the proceedings. Several long time regulars knew it was Bleeg's last day and had shown up. We were all laughing our collective butts off. I turned to one of our regulars and said, "God, this is one of the reasons I love these guys." Apparently Bleeg (or at least his "Starfleet Liaison Officer") will be there closing day.

 

[My2tailwaggers]

Hello,
The first time I went to the Experience, I was by myself, as my husband was golfing (and is not a Trek fan). It didnt matter that I was alone.. .I loved it! Heck, I just love the feeling of being enveloped in all Star Trek! I did get my husband to dinner at Quarks (and he liked it!).. and a friend of mine and I went back last year. We are both going to the convention this August and it will be her first time in the Star Trek Experience. I am excited for her! I will miss it and Vegas just wont be the same. I will make sure I have my share of Chatica's Death Ray's (my favorite!) while I am there.
Deb

 

[Finn]

Six years ago (can't believe it has been that long), I stopped in Vegas on my way to Arizona. I checked out the Experience. It was neat. I didn't buy anything. It wasn't exactly cheap and I didn't have that much spending money in these days anyway.