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Vegas Star Trek Experience Closing Down
Leebert writes "Star Trek: The Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton is closing its doors today after the attraction owner and the hotel could not work out a renewed lease deal. In its 10-year tenure, more than 3 million people have visited the Trek themed exhibit. 'Trekkies are incensed. They've scrawled reminiscences about the exhibit on the walls inside, and they're calling Cedar Fair and the hotel to complain. But their online rumor that the space the exhibit occupies will become a theater for pop star Michael Jackson is unfounded, Sternberg said. He said nothing's decided.'"
Seems to me a great opportunity to pack it up and move it to the Science Fiction Museum in Seattle.
-- I really need to bleed off some of this
I found the musueum exhibit at The San Diego Air & Space Museum to be far more rewarding. I spent hours at the San Diego exhibit, looking at the detail at which items were presented. Set reproductions, models from the show, props and costumes. It was fantastic.
The vegas experience was something I walked through and felt like I was being shuffled through like cattle - there are people lining up, looking over you, and many don't even want to be there.
I hear that the San Diego exhibit was part of a much larger exhibit that was broken up - I wish I could have seen the original.
I went there once: when I was in vegas, saw both the exhibits. It was really neat to be on the bridge and the shuttle craft. I was caught pushing the buttons and was jokingly yelled at by the "Lieutenant"for messing with the gravity systems. All the star trek memorabilia was worth seeing and I had a cup of something blue in the Quark bar afterwards where I spoke with a bomber pilot (no kidding) who was a member of the Canadian air force. I'm still not sure if he was part of the exhibit. In and all, sad to see it go... Was great to read the Wil Wheaton's rememberances after attending the exhibit shortly after it opened, which is why I decided to check it out.
I, for one, am going to miss the Warp Core Breach drink at "Quarks" bar/restaurant after the show/ride.
Dry ice in a drink the size of a fishbowl! Make it *_hic_*... Make it *_hic_*... Engage.
The Klingon, Ferengi, and Borg actors made for some better than average atmosphere.
[annecdote] friend of mine knew how to speak some "klingon" and got into it with one of those staff actors at the bar. received a head butt and mock beat-down for his trouble.[/annecdote].
Good times.
A lot of the sudden scene shift are a case of changing the lighting under the floor so the floor appears to have changed, and at the same time they drop in or drop away walls that suddenly cause the entire surrounding to change. You don't go anywhere, but everything you see moves. And they shuttle you between multiple sets while they reset the previous ones, that's why you're never in one place for too long. The lights of course go out in the brief interval where the walls are dropping.
But if you're not expecting it, it's very involving. You don't have time to question what you're seeing, which makes it so much more realistic.
The canned video conversations between picard etc and the on-set actors was fairly well done but still looked a little artificial imho.
The only part I didn't care for were the klingons trying to make idle chat with me. I know they were just doing their acting jobs but it seemed a bit corny.
I work for the Department of Redundancy Department.
I went to the exhibit last February with a good friend of mine (and fellow Trekkie). While I did find it to be a bit overpriced (I believe the tickets were $50.00 each), it was well worth it. The rides were entertaining, and the memorabilia very cool. However the best part by far was "Quarks Bar". I had myself more then few Warp Core Breaches (complete with dry ice!). I would avoid the Romulan Ale however, it tastes like Bud Light, with blue food coloring.
"Flee at once, all is discovered."