Saturday July 24, 2004

Viva Las Vegas, Part Trois

In this third and final installment, here's the scoop on three of my favorite Vegas attractions.

The last time we visited "Everything Coca-Cola", maybe four years ago, we had a blast. The third floor of the building featured Coca-Cola products from all over the world, which you could sample to your heart's content from twenty-some free dispensers. Some of the beverages were totally unlike what we drink here in the US -- it was a real eye-opener. My favorite part, however, was this sort of Rube Goldberg fountain contraption on the fourth floor that shot soda water in a huge arc, landing it in a cup which contained just the right amount of syrup (Coke's secret sauce) to produce the perfect, freshly mixed drink. It was amazing -- the best thing I ever tasted. I became so enamored of Coke on that trip, I started drinking it by the bucket at home. I couldn't get enough. Then I checked the scale... and eventually switched to the (nasty-tasting, battery-acid-lite) diet version. It just wasn't the same. And neither was "Everything Coca-Cola" this time around. The top two floors of the attraction were closed down (permanently, as far I can can tell -- I couldn't even find a good URL to link to), leaving only the retail store on the first two floors. Yawn. They did offer one international sampler at the soda fountain on the second floor, but it wasn't the same. Not even close. This one's off my list for our next visit. (You might have better luck visiting the World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta. I think they feature the stuff their Las Vegas location no longer does.)

On the other hand, M&M World was even better than I remembered it from last time. In addition to a great retail facility (M&M's don't come in quite as many colors as Crayola Crayons, but they're close), on the fourth floor, they have an exhibit on the M&M NASCAR Racing Team, and also offer for sale the most garish and wonderful logo jackets. (What you see here in twill, they offer in leather.) But the third floor is the real treat. A 3-D (more on this shortly) movie featuring both live actors and cartoon candies in search of the "M" one of them lost in a poker match. They really did a nice job on this -- the kind of thing anyone would enjoy, from toddlers to grandparents. Even my teenagers got a kick out of it. Step back for a bit, and think about all this company has made, brand-wise, from some candy-coated chocolates -- to the point where the candies star in movies, and a $350 leather jacket seems like quite a desirable souvenir -- and you have to give them credit. This one's a keeper for the next visit, to be sure.

Star Trek: The Experience is for me, though, the pinnacle of Vegas attractions. In addition to a great retail facility with every sort of Star Trek merchandise you can imagine, and the tasty Quark's Bar and Restaurant (they're particularly proud of the Holy Rings of Betazed and the Flaming Ribs of Targ), and, in their museum section, the largest collection of Star Trek paraphernalia in the world, they now feature two interactive adventures.

"Klingon Encounter" has been around for a few years; this was my third trip through. Under the pretext of being rescued from Klingon kidnappers hoping to take Jean-Luc Picard out of the picture by absconding with one of his ancestors (you, or one of your fellow tourists!), you get a very cool virtual roller coaster ride that starts out in a wormhole and winds up in an elevator shaft at the Las Vegas Hilton (which hosts the attraction as a permanent exhibit). Very much fun, very realistic pitching and yawing -- so if you get motion sick or don't do roller coasters, maybe this is not the thing for you. They still barf in the 23rd Century.

The piece de resistance, however, is the new "Borg Invasion 4D", the next generation (no pun intended :) in virtual, interactive experiences. The 3D aspect is provided, as it is in the M&M movie, via the same old 3D glasses we remember from the B-movies of yore (or more recently, Spy Kids 3-D). The fourth D is... em... tactile, and I don't want to tell you much more than that for fear of ruining the surprise. Suffice it to say that at one point in the movie, everyone on the bridge (oh alright, in the theater) was screaming. I was neither the loudest nor the least loud, but I was right in there with them. (To be fair to the M&M folks, they also include some tactile elements in their movie, so I suppose they could append the 4D moniker as well, if they chose to. But I would much rather face a room full of hostile fat-pills than one Borg with his... eye... on me, and the Star Trek adventure conveys the tension brilliantly.)

One ticket gets you admission to the museum and both adventures -- but it's a $30 ticket, so this isn't exactly one of those 'free' Vegas attractions you hear so much about. For a Trekkie, however, it is a pilgrimmage you must make, and more than once. For spouses and children of Trekkies, it is the perfect way to show your love for him or her, and you will endear yourself to them forever.

Finally, one other adventure we experienced without intending to: the Las Vegas Strip Trolley. Avoid it. It's hot, crowded, SLOW, and offers 4D elements you really have no interest in encountering, such as lack of oxygen, sweaty tourists packed in like sausages, and in our case, a conductor who thought her Frau Farbissina-like screams of instruction were funny, but they were really only painful.

For another take on your own Vegas Vacation, check out USAToday's Good bets for fun in Las Vegas.

(2004-07-24 12:25:10.0) Permalink