Star Trek Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton

[CaptainKit]

I finally got there and went through it yesterday. Unfortunately, I only had allowed three hours before my departure, so I had to rush through it.

It is very expensive but also an awesome experience. I did both rides (Klingon Encounter and Borg 4D) and did the behind the scenes tour. Altogether it cost something like $65 per person for all of that. You can easily allow four plus hours to do everything and go back and do a ride again if you want or take your time with the museum exhibits.

The Klingon Encounter, although aging, is still great fun if you haven't done it. You really get the feel of being transported and flown in a shuttle craft.

The Borg ride had 3D film with live action actors. The experience of being assimilated is a hoot but not the least big scary.

All in all, for a Trek lover, it was great fun but not sure I would do it again.

 

[Ro_Laren]

Lucky! I would love to go there one day!

 

[CaptainKit]

Ro, I bet you didn't know that your picture was there in the Star Trek museum part of the "Experience." Yes, you are there in the time line.

There is your picture and a blurb about how you were assigned to go after the Maquis but then joined them or something like that. I whizzed through the timeline much too quickly but I remember your picture. It was a nice head shot.

 

[sbk1234]

I've been several times. It's like a holy pilgrimage for me, every time I go to Vegas. Of course, I like it. I'm a Trek fan. But what surprises me is that everyone I've ever talked to, including the non-fans (some of whom openly distain anything even remotely connected with sci-fi) all really like it.
Face it. There are so few places where we can go to become a part of our fantasy like this. I hope it stays open a long time.

 

[CaptainKit]

sbk1234 said:
I've been several times. It's like a holy pilgrimage for me, every time I go to Vegas. Of course, I like it. I'm a Trek fan. But what surprises me is that everyone I've ever talked to, including the non-fans (some of whom openly distain anything even remotely connected with sci-fi) all really like it.
Face it. There are so few places where we can go to become a part of our fantasy like this. I hope it stays open a long time.

As much as I love the Borg and Voyager (my favorite series), I liked the Klingon Encounter better than the Borg Invasion 4D. The Klingon Encounter had the experience of being in a turbo lift, of being transported and of course, that wild shuttle ride. That was kick ass!

The Borg Invasion was cute but didn't quite have the impact of the Klingon Encounter. The shuttle ride was fun and the 3D film was great (the Doctor was his usual hilarious self) but I'd rate that an 8 and the Klingon Encounter a 10. Also, the behind the scenes tour was really great (also a 10) because you got to see how they put together those two rides and also where the actors get made up, how the technology worked, etc. That was really awesome.

I would definitely go back again the next time in Vegas, which won't be anytime soon, and I would allow most of the day for the Star Trek Experience so I could look at every picture and blurb in the museum and not feel rushed. I would have liked to have studied the costume displays more and gotten a chance to look at every phaser rather than just kind of eyeball them while running to the next ride because I was playing beat the clock.

All in all it was a very enjoyable experience.

 

[NCC621]

Has anyone heard if there's any truth to the rumor that the Star Trek Experience may be closed next year? (I hope not.)

 

[MattJC]

When I had my hotel room reserved for next year's Vegas convention, I asked if it was closing down and the lady I talked to said it wasn't. That could change though.

 

[Therin of Andor]

NCC621 said:
Has anyone heard if there's any truth to the rumor that the Star Trek Experience may be closed next year? (I hope not.)

The contract will be up for renewal late 2008. They'll probably try to get a short extension and then hold out to see whether Star Trek XI is a blockbuster or not.

 

[Duane]

And went for the first time last January and loved it. For me, the Klingon Encounter was far better than the Borg Invasion, but both are fun. The "behind the scenes" tour costs a lot more but it is definitely recommended. We had a fantastic guide who had been working there for years. He said the number of staff employed there has fallen drastically (I don't remember the numbers) and I sorta got the feeling he thought it might be closed at some point. that would be a sad day.

If you are a huge fan, plan to stay most of a day there.

 

[1001001]

We've been three times over the years.

It's a lot of fun. The backstage tour was very cool.

Too bad you didn't have time for a Warp Core Breach at Quark's. That's the icing on the cake.

:thumbsup:

 

[Ro_Laren]

CaptainKit said:
Ro, I bet you didn't know that your picture was there in the Star Trek museum part of the "Experience." Yes, you are there in the time line.

There is your picture and a blurb about how you were assigned to go after the Maquis but then joined them or something like that. I whizzed through the timeline much too quickly but I remember your picture. It was a nice head shot.

LOL!!! I am famous!!!!

 

[1001001]

Therin of Andor said:

NCC621 said:
Has anyone heard if there's any truth to the rumor that the Star Trek Experience may be closed next year? (I hope not.)

The contract will be up for renewal late 2008. They'll probably try to get a short extension and then hold out to see whether Star Trek XI is a blockbuster or not.

If so, they'll have to remodel the timeline museum to include the events in ST XI.

 

[nerfherder]

I made my first pilgrimage to The Experience this summer. Very impressive! I loved both rides, though I agree that the Klingon ride was better. The shuttle ride was a hoot, the actors maintained their roles commendably, and having an opportunity to stand on the bridge of the Enterprise D (even a recreation) brought me to Trekophilial ecstasy. Sitting at the bar, too, drinking those weird cocktails and talking Trek trivia with people I'd never met before - man, for the first time in ages, it felt good to be a Trekkie again.

 

[Guartho]

I loved it. Unfortunately Dad and I went right before they started doing the backstage tours. Oh the pain.... terrible pain.

 

[CaptainKit]

Therin of Andor said:

NCC621 said:
Has anyone heard if there's any truth to the rumor that the Star Trek Experience may be closed next year? (I hope not.)

The contract will be up for renewal late 2008. They'll probably try to get a short extension and then hold out to see whether Star Trek XI is a blockbuster or not.

It is very obvious that the Star Trek Experience was very expensive to build and it must be expensive to maintain, even with a skeleton "crew." If the film is a hit, it brings Star Trek back into current relevance and more than just Trek fans will want to go see it.

If the film is not a hit, I guess it just depends on how attendance holds up. When it opened at 11:30 a.m., there was a long line of people waiting to get in (on a Monday), but don't know how that continues throughout the day and evening or what weekend attendance is. It's all about the bottom line, isn't it. If people support it, they'll keep it up and running, if not, not.

As a Trek fan, I can say that it would be a real downer if the Experience was closed. Knowing it's there and I could go back some day is kind of comforting. If it does close, then I'm really glad I got to finally go through it, even though I was pressed for time.

 

[sbk1234]

^^^I've gone a number of times, all times of the year. I've never had that long of a wait. While that's nice when you want to get in, I hope it doesn't mean that the experience is on the endangered species list.

 

[Chuck102A]

I've gone three times within the last six years and enjoyed it everytime. Last year I did the behind the scenes tour and it was fasinating. It was cool to be able to walk around the E-D bridge and have my picture taken in the captains chair. I agree with everyone else, the Klingon Encounter ride is the better of the two.

 

[Captain Randy Hall]

NCC621 said:
Has anyone heard if there's any truth to the rumor that the Star Trek Experience may be closed next year? (I hope not.)

That rumor has been around for at least the past decade, but every time I've been there, the lines have been long and the merchandise has been terrific (if a bit expensive).

The last rumor I heard was that they were thinking of adding a Classic Trek "ride" to go with Trek XI. I love the Klingon encounter just for the shuttle ride and wasn't wowed by the Borg 4D, though it did have some nice effects (if you weren't sitting down, at least).

Let me recommend it to everyone passing through Vegas. It's one of the few things you can do without putting coins in a slot machine.

 

[Supervisor 194]

The Warp Core Breach at Quark's alone is worth it. So is grinning like an idiot and getting tongue-tied like a high schooler around the hot Klingon lady.

 

[T'Cal]

I've been there numerous times and always experience The Experience, as it were. My hope is that STXI will be a big hit and Paramount will update parts of it. Maybe they could add a ride based on the new movie or change the theme from DS9 and Quark's to 23rd century Starfleet Command and the officers' mess hall. Or maybe it could be Starfleet Academy and the students' cafeteria. The timeline and the museum need to be kept current with canon as it evolves to bring in new customers and bring back past ones.