Vegas More Family Friendly?

[filmfreak11]

I had a discussion with my urban studies professor and he suggests that Las Vegas markets to families more within the past 10 years. I would have to disagree. I think that idea was a '90s thing. Now it's returning to be more adult.

Star Trek is gone, might move to the local mall. MGM Grand is gone, planned for housing development? MGM's Wizard of Oz walk-through is gone (I was too scared to go in there as a kid). Although they do have a lion exhibit inside. New York I guess is the same. There's a Coca-cola and M&Ms museum (but they were built in the 90s, I'm sure) along with Gameworks. Treasure Island's fun has been dimenished to a more adult musical (does anyone wait for that show as much as the original??). Belligo water fountain. I think Mirage has the volcano upfront. Strasphere has moved on to I suppose more extreme attractions (no high roller coaster, but they have the other 2 new offerings). LUXOR got rid of their slow boat ride (apparently becoming more generic as a casino and less theme oriented). Circus-circus is still around (but also built years ago). Excaliber I don't know if they still have that wizard/dragon in the moat and not sure if the puppet show is still there. There are malls, pools, smaller family venues. Shows like David Copperfield. Tours like I think a ghost town and Grand Canyon. There's the HOOTERS resort (not sure if it's open, and that chain is considered "family-friendly"). I know I'm missing more, but that's not what I'm asking about.

Last time my family went to Vegas, we spent money on shows and attractions than my parents gambling.

My professor also went to the committee meeting in Vegas and apparently they've been focusing more on family marketing.

So what do you think? Has Vegas REALLY been marketing to families MORE in the past 10 years? Or the marketing is there, just the attractions have not been up to par? Is Vegas becoming more adult or familiy?

[kelkan]

I don't think the ads with what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas is very family oriented--

[caesarboxfan]

I think that the idea that Vegas is family friendly is a thing of the past. So many family attractions are disappearing from the Strip that it seems like it just wouldn't be as fun to take your kids anymore.

[PirateMunkee]

I don't want Vegas to be family oriented. There's a reason it's called Sin City. I want to go for some drunken debauchery and not have to worry about little kids being around. If Vegas was to become family oriented, they might as well just call it Disneyland.

[Parisi]

I would say from the early 90's to the end of the decade, Vegas was a family kind of town...

Circus Circus
Luxor
MGM
Mirage

They all opened with some kind of family element:

LUxor had the arcades and the boat ride
MGM had the big Wizard Of Oz show in the middle of the casino, and an amusement park in the back.
Mirage had the volcano, the tiger habitat and the dolphins.

Now a days hotels are trying to attract the college kids and the young adults (25-35yo), with the introduction of ultra lounges, and clubs

I definitely think Vegas goes through changes every few years and right now its in its young adult phase.

[Aladdin]

Several of the hotels had a run of including an entire themed shopping center. Caesars was the first, of course, and even added on. But not all those projects were successful, like with the Aladdin hotel which boasted an indoor rainstorm. Even with as many guests that visit LV, it still doesn't make financial sense for each major hotel to also have it's own shopping center. Then they started with building condos and timeshares in high rises on LV Blvd. With all the money, they have continually tried to one up each other, and keep reinventing What LV is over the decades.

It used to be the entertainers that were the primary draw, then obnoxious signage was a big attention getter, too. Each hotel has had to differentiate itself from all the others on the strip, through all the changes and fads. When I first visited in the 70's there weren't all the high rises either. Circus Circus even tried for the family market back then. Then the shows had to become more spectacular. Then as you mentioned, the themeing of the hotels became a must, and shows moved out into lobbies and even out in front of the hotels. Monorails have even become a little bit of a fad in LV.

Perhaps people in Vegas didn't go wild about rides because people in Vegas don't want to stand in line a wait, they want to get straight to the action.

[sediment]

Originally Posted by filmfreak11

I had a discussion with my urban studies professor and he suggests that Las Vegas markets to families more within the past 10 years. I would have to disagree. I think that idea was a '90s thing. Now it's returning to be more adult.
...
1. So what do you think?
2. Has Vegas REALLY been marketing to families MORE in the past 10 years?
3. Or the marketing is there, just the attractions have not been up to par?
4. Is Vegas becoming more adult or familiy?

1. I think "not families."
2. No. Slight caveat: The area has been working to have families MOVE to Vegas, but not as much to visit Vegas.
3. No, the marketing is not there. (IMO) Casinos discovered that people who were attracted to the shows and non-gambling-related attractions were generally not gambling near as much as the gamblers.
4. Adult. And rich adults, not poor ones.

I'm always amazed at the number of children in Vegas when I go. The inappropriate litter is enough to make my bringing my litter inappropriate. (Wow, that's a stretch for a play on words.)
Heck, I more often go to Vegas without my wife, going with friends, bachelor parties, and the like. I'm always amused at the number of couples in Vegas. They'll learn soon enough. (My concern: I'm way off a normal schedule when I'm there. Breakfast at noon, etc.)

One thing that is key: many of those kids that went in the 90's are grown up today. Long-range planning? Hmmm...

[Professortango]

Yeah, I used to love Vegas as a teen. It was adult Disneyland. Themed hotels with rides and not afraid to throw a little thrill in there. Now that I can legally go to Vegas, it bores me. Every themed Casino has been remodeling themselves into the same generic thing, attractions are ripped out, enviormental entertainment has been reduced to pole dancers and themed dealers. I like to gamble a little bit, I also like to go dancing, but I also like doing low key stuff inbetween. Now, Vegas has cut those low-key options in half. We went from adult Disneyland to adult DCA. Cheap shot, but I'm a cheap guy.

[niklj]

I just went to Vegas with my family this summer and trust me, it has definitely become LESS kid-friendly. I went a lot in the '90s and it was really fun. There was Treasure Island with its pirate theme and pirate show (which is now renamed TI, the pirate theme essentially removed from its remodeled premises, and the pirate battle show replaced with a show where the sailors enter a "21st century party" with the sirens). There was Circus Circus which is now a really gross, dark shadow of its former self (and there are rumors it's going to be sold and destructed). There was Excalibur with its fun medieval theme where in the place of the wizard above the castle is an ad for a bar and for a show called "Thunder From Down Under". I don't think I need to elaborate on what that show is.

There are people crawling all over the streets handing out nasty advertisements and cards and people throw those on the streets so the floor is essentially littered with girls, girls, girls. I had to shield my poor younger siblings' eyes and tell them not to look at the floor.

I might go back when I'm 21 but for now...yeah. There's nothing for kids there anymore.

[filmfreak11]

Originally Posted by sediment

The area has been working to have families MOVE to Vegas, but not as much to visit Vegas.
3. No, the marketing is not there. (IMO) Casinos discovered that people who were attracted to the shows and non-gambling-related attractions were generally not gambling near as much as the gamblers.

One thing that is key: many of those kids that went in the 90's are grown up today. Long-range planning? Hmmm...

You have a good point since this was sort of an urban studies topic. So maybe my prof. meant MARKETING families to LIVE there, not VISIT there. He did say I was in the perspective of a "tourist". I didn't understand that, maybe until now.

Yeah, "what happens in vegas, stays in vegas" not family. My dad also mentioned the people gambling vs non-gambling attractions.

Hmm... '90s kids in today's Vegas...

Yeah, Cesar's palace with the shopping center, living statues, and Atlantis IMAX3D.

There's a bar ad in the castle?? Haha. I think I heard of it, but forgot. I think they still have the tournament, never been. Do they still have the fire-breathing dragon??

I think screamscape mentioned a full version of broadway's lion king show would come to vegas in either mandaly bay or mirage.

[disneytim]

Originally Posted by filmfreak11

You have a good point since this was sort of an urban studies topic. So maybe my prof. meant MARKETING families to LIVE there, not VISIT there. He did say I was in the perspective of a "tourist". I didn't understand that, maybe until now.

Las Vegas doesn't need to "market" itself to attract families to move here. It's been the fastest growing metropolitan area in the US for most of the last 25 years. The growth of the resort industry during that time has meant plenty of jobs, plus Southern Nevada has a reasonable cost of living (much lower than California). Add to that no state income tax (God bless tourists) and Nevada doesn't have to market to anyone to attract new residents. We've taken a hit over the last year and a half with the housing crunch and the current economic crisis, but we're still better off than a lot of other states--except for our idiot Governor, but that's a whole other story.

For people who don't live here, it's hard to separate tourist Las Vegas from residential Las Vegas. Everyone who lives here doesn't work in a hotel and we don't all gamble every day. The Strip and Downtown are where the tourists go. Very few people I know who don't work for hotels go to the Strip regularly and some haven't been there in years.

As far as Las Vegas being more "family friendly" for tourists, that concept started dying out in the 90s. It was an interesting notion, but as others have pointed out, an awful lot of people simply want Las Vegas to be "Sin City." That's why the "What happens here, stays here" ad campaign was so ridiculously successful worldwide.

If memory serves me correct, families with children make up less than 10% of our visitor volume, which is close to 40,000,000 total visitors per year. That doesn't come across as particularly family friendly. We're in an economic crunch right now, but once we're past it, Las Vegas will keep thriving as an adult haven--and I don't see anything wrong with that.

[Rex Dopey24]

Originally Posted by PirateMunkee

I don't want Vegas to be family oriented. There's a reason it's called Sin City. I want to go for some drunken debauchery and not have to worry about little kids being around. If Vegas was to become family oriented, they might as well just call it Disneyland.

you are just awesome. i would love to go to las vegas and gamble like crazy.

[aimster]

Originally Posted by Parisi

I would say from the early 90's to the end of the decade, Vegas was a family kind of town...

Circus Circus
Luxor
MGM
Mirage

They all opened with some kind of family element:

Circus Circus was there well before the 90's. I visited Vegas in 1985 and 1989 and Circus Circus was already a well-established hotel/casino. Back then they were the ONLY hotel/casino that offered something for the kiddies to do (free circus acts and carnival-style games for prizes). I was just a kid back then, so it was nice for something for me to do... but I wanted to hit the slots!

[disneytim]

Circus Circus opened in 1968.

[Goover]

Until they get all of the nearly pornographic cards off of the streets and side-walks I won't even begin to think of Vegas as being appropriate to bring any kid to.