Star Trek - The Experience!

[Jives]

If you are lucky enough to take a trip to las Vegas in the United States, I highly recommend that you stop by the las Vegas Hilton to check out Star Trek - The Experience.

It's the Mecca of Star Trek fans, I kid you not.

When you enter the building, you will see a gigantic model of the enterprise hanging from the ceiling. You buy a ticket ($20 US) and get in line. Get this: the line actually snakes through the Star Trek Museum, so as you are meandering along, you get to see all the original props and uniforms from all the movies and series. (I loved the original "salt and pepper" shaker medical scanner!) They have huge dioramas of many of the best known scenes.

Not to put too many spoilers in this, but next you step onto a transporter.

The air shimmers, then suddenly, you are in another room...completely! I figured at first that they just flash the lights then move the walls, but aside from how fast it occurs, and the fact that the lights don't go off...the floor was different too! Now, how did they do that?

You then find out that you have accidentally been transported to the actual Enterprise in the 24th century because the had a malfunction that "locked onto" you in your time frame. (ala "Mirror, Mirror")

You go running down the hallways to the bridge...it is HUGE! I don't know why, but I never expected it to be that big.

Then you take a turbo lift to the hanger.

That's when things get really great! The shuttle craft is a iMax simulator, but I've flown military simulators that weren't that convincing. I was sitting in the front row and I tried to look out sideways and back to see if I could get around the illusion, but the wrap around screens are near perfect, as is the motion simulator.

After a great close-up fly by of the Enterprise (ala "Star Trek - The Motion Picture) you are off to the really incredible part of the ride!

(No spoilers here)

Finally, after the crash, at the end of the ride...you end up in the single best Start Trek store on Earth. Real uniforms, weapons, jewelry, operational props, communicator-shaped cell phones, you name it.

Absolutely awesome.

[Paige Turner]

I'm reading between the lines here a bit, but… you enjoyed it, right?

[steve12553]

I went through the earlier version twice and both times it was outstanding. The best part about it was during the hour or so I was in line and on the "Experience" I didn't lose even a dollar in a slot machine or at a card table.

[Jives]

Originally Posted by Paige Turner

I'm reading between the lines here a bit, but… you enjoyed it, right?

To use a metaphor: "It was a long dive into a cold lake after a stressful, blistering hot summer day."

Refreshing and fun. I'm kind of a skeptic, (which says a lot after the strange Forest-Gump-like life I've led) but even I was willing to suspend disbelief after the transporter jump.

[kyektulu]

I would love to go there, sadly LA is not my holiday destination of choice, I am more of a countryside girl myself.
Maybe one day...

[Mark Robson]

I went to Vegas a few years back and stopped by this attraction. I was equally as stunned by the room switch. I still have no idea how they pulled that off so fast. It really was a technological masterpiece. I thought the whole display/ride was exceptionally well done - somthing that every true Star Trek fan would savour in their memory for a long, long time.

[Foxbat]

This sounds like fun. Vegas here I come (one day.... )

[Brown Rat]

About four years ago, I went on the ride with my mom, who is also a Star Trek fan. She was worried it would be a roller coaster, so I had to reassure her! We both loved it--had fun talking about the display items and the time-line while we waited in line, and then laughing together during the ride. Afterward, we had ice cream sundaes for dinner.