Mirage volcano to erupt fewer times per night.
Poll
 | 16 votes (50%) | ||
| | 1 vote (3.12%) | ||
| | 13 votes (40.62%) | ||
| | 2 votes (6.25%) |
32 members have voted
http://lasvegassun.com/news/2015/jul/13/mirage-volcano-las-vegas-erupt-less-frequently/
ZCore13
Quote: RigondeauxI really like to see it when I'm casino hopping. Firstly, it's pretty cool. Bet secondly, it's a reminder of what a weird place Vegas is and what a weird life Vegas casino life is.
I'd rather the novelty BS go away and get back to just gambling.
Quote: IbeatyouracesAnyone know what kind of gas they use for it? That's where they'll save money.
http://www.spectraenergy.com/Natural-Gas-101/Natural-Gas-Facts/Fun-Facts-on-Natural-Gas/Quote:» Every hour on the hour in the evenings, a volcano erupts in front of the MGM Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas. It's fueled by pina colada-scented natural gas.
Quote: IbeatyouracesI'd rather the novelty BS go away and get back to just gambling.
Imagine how alien the strip, with it's grandiose blend of beauty and cheese, would seem to the majority of people to ever live. How fascinating it would be to people of the past and perhaps will be to people of the future. And here you are, right in the middle of it, coasting along in one of the richest countries ever by being good at games of chance that serve as the economic foundation for a city of over a million people in the middle of a dessert. Why not appreciate it?
"MGM spent $25 million in 2008 upgrading the volcano with more fire choreographed to a pounding drum-beat soundtrack. At the time, executives said the challenge continued to be getting the show's numerous watchers to walk inside the casino to spend money".
Quote: JohnnyQArticle goes on to say:
"MGM spent $25 million in 2008 upgrading the volcano with more fire choreographed to a pounding drum-beat soundtrack. At the time, executives said the challenge continued to be getting the show's numerous watchers to walk inside the casino to spend money".
Well, keep making the house edge higher on their games certainly won't help.
Quote: JohnnyQArticle goes on to say:
"MGM spent $25 million in 2008 upgrading the volcano with more fire choreographed to a pounding drum-beat soundtrack. At the time, executives said the challenge continued to be getting the show's numerous watchers to walk inside the casino to spend money".
I missed the volcano the last time I was there (years ago, and for a wedding) I hope to see it next time, soon - maybe not this year, this one's about booked up.
Quote: JohnnyQArticle goes on to say:
"MGM spent $25 million in 2008 upgrading the volcano with more fire choreographed to a pounding drum-beat soundtrack. At the time, executives said the challenge continued to be getting the show's numerous watchers to walk inside the casino to spend money".
I'm not a local, and haven't watched the volcano that many times, so I'm not sure where most people watch the show from. But isn't the best place to watch the volcano across the street by Chiptole? That's the place I usually am when I witness it going off. So if anything, people will go to Casino Royale or Harrah's after the show lol. I'm sure those two places are lamenting the decrease in frequency.
Quote: IbeatyouracesWell, keep making the house edge higher on their games certainly won't help.
Exactly, they need to bring back the 1990's. Let pit bosses be the BOSS. The bean counters got their extra percentage points and continue to lose the volume all the while diminishing the gambling customer's experience. Probably need to slow the machines down some as well. It is amazing how fast a person can lose a hundo. You couldn't if you tried in a coin dropper. Doesn't give enough time to rope the risk adverse consumer in. imo. Just fuels rejection to the experience. I wonder what would happen if a person went old school today?
Quote: SanchoPanzaHey, it happens to all of us as we grow older. Fewer eruptions per night, that is.
LOL :)
http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/poll.cfm
Quote: IbeatyouracesI'd rather the novelty BS go away and get back to just gambling.
Without the "novelty BS" most of us wouldn't bother leaving places like Aqueduct and Foxwoods to go to LV.
recall for a moment what a "time changing" event the opening of the Mirage was. the first mega resort, that guy had to make one million a day in his casino just to open the doors, an unheard of 'nut', but his casino made over two million the first day.Quote: Zcore13Probably a good move by them. Times change.
People swarmed to see the Mirage.... but they stayed at circus circus and motel six.... he got tired of that.
Now vegas no longer means just gambling, booze and a distraction for the wife or "wife". Now, its clubs, and wives, and kids, and booze and gambling and this and that....
.... in real estate they call it a properties "load'... it has nothing to do with weight, what it means is a building has a certain rentable amount of square feet and all the non-rentable Janitor closets, restrooms, atriums, have to carried by the rental area. Its the same thing.. only now casinos have ferris wheels and art shows and car museums to help.
Yes, times change. times were changed by the Mirage several times... and will continue to be.
Quote: JohnnyQArticle goes on to say:
"MGM spent $25 million in 2008 upgrading the volcano with more fire choreographed to a pounding drum-beat soundtrack. At the time, executives said the challenge continued to be getting the show's numerous watchers to walk inside the casino to spend money".
If the trend is away from gaming and more towards shows, then using outdoor gimmicks to get people inside the casino to spend money doesn't seem to make too much sense any more. The Bellagio fountains, presumably like Caesar's fountains before them, are more an icon than something to draw people inside. Mirage could shut the volcano down entirely except, say, at midnight on New Year's Eve (now there's an idea) and I doubt that many people would notice, much less care.
This is pretty much how I felt when I first visited Vegas about 10 years ago:
"Oh, look outside, there's the TI pirate show!"
"Oh, look inside, there isn't a single 8/5 Jacks or Better machine that takes anything less than a dollar per credit."
"Where's the tram to the Mirage?"
- Spectacle
- A chance to see the sun and feel dry air during the 6 months of cold drizzle here at home
- Top end hotels for middle range prices
- Better games and odds than I get at home
- Nice atmosphere in the casino vs. a depressing sea of oldsters smoking and dropping their SS checks
- "Free" booze while gambling
- Variety of stuff to see and do
The scaling back of the volcano is another step in the slow decline of a certain type of Vegas marketing: we will provide you with free / low cost spectacle and entertainment and a good gamble, in return you will blow a wad of cash in our casinos. They are replacing that with clubs, high end restaurants, luxury shopping, etc.. I heard recently that the clubs now bring in more cash on the strip than gambling. The volcano doesn't really fit in with the "rich person fantasy" version of Vegas.
Quote: ThatDonGuy
This is pretty much how I felt when I first visited Vegas about 10 years ago:
"Oh, look outside, there's the TI pirate show!"
"Oh, look inside, there isn't a single 8/5 Jacks or Better machine that takes anything less than a dollar per credit."
"Where's the tram to the Mirage?"
Actually, isn't TI one of only 2 places currently on the Strip with 25 cent or 50 cent 9/6 Jacks or Better. From VPFREE2 for TI:
99.54% JoB 1-2-3-4-6-9-25-50-800
(3) 50¢, $1, $2, $5 1 Play Slant near slot club ($15 coin-in per pt.)
(6) 50¢, $1, $2, $5, $10 1 Play Slant outside high limit room ($15 coin-in per pt.)
Quote: JohnnyQArticle goes on to say:
At the time, executives said the challenge continued to be getting the show's numerous watchers to walk inside the casino to spend money".
Can I quote myself ?
And to those Executives, I say "duh".
Do Something. Put your MBA diploma to work ! Pass out 2 for 1 drink coupons, 20 % off overpriced gift store crap coupons, free coke/pepsi with the purchase of a sandwich at Kuhanaville, 20 % off unsold seats to Mystere, 20 % off buffet, etc, etc, etc. Anything to get the watchers to walk inside the casino to spend money.
Quote: Toes14I've been to Vegas 4-5x since it was there and every single time it's been shut down due to problems or overhauls. Since I'll be there in less than two weeks, it's due.
Seems like it is working fine to me.
My opinion is the volcano is probably good for Vegas in general but not specifically for the Mirage. The kind of walk-in traffic it is likely to get is probably not profitable traffic. However, it is one of those Vegas things that sets it apart from the numerous other places with legalized gambling. You don't see an erupting volcano at the Pechanga, do you?
However, I think dropping it to 2 or 3 eruptions per night is too few. If it was twice an hour before, make it once every 60 or 90 minutes.
That's why all the fancy stuff at Wynncore is inside. You have to eat at that expensive restaurant in Wynn to watch the fountain-light-show-thingy there.
Quote: WizardSeems like it is working fine to me.
My opinion is the volcano is probably good for Vegas in general but not specifically for the Mirage. The kind of walk-in traffic it is likely to get is probably not profitable traffic. However, it is one of those Vegas things that sets it apart from the numerous other places with legalized gambling. You don't see an erupting volcano at the Pechanga, do you?
However, I think dropping it to 2 or 3 eruptions per night is too few. If it was twice an hour before, make it once every 60 or 90 minutes.
I think you are absolutely right.
I always thought how expensive it is to put on a free show like this and the benefits it has for Mirage.
We are talking about a team of artist performing dangerous stunts. The insurance coverage for them must cost a pretty penny.
Last time I could feel the fiery heat in my face and I was standing 3 row behind.
Quote: ams288It took Steve Wynn three tries before he realized that big spectacles out front don't equal foot traffic inside the casino (Volcano, Pirate Show, Fountains).
That's why all the fancy stuff at Wynncore is inside. You have to eat at that expensive restaurant in Wynn to watch the fountain-light-show-thingy there.
Sarcasm detector on now:
Yeah you're probably right. Steve Wynn doesn't know anything about running a casino.
Sarcasm off.
Quote: vendman1Sarcasm detector on now:
Yeah you're probably right. Steve Wynn doesn't know anything about running a casino.
Sarcasm off.
Steve Wynn is on record saying the Bellagio fountains are his biggest mistake.
Quote: ams288Steve Wynn is on record saying the Bellagio fountains are his biggest mistake.
I can't confirm or deny that, but could picture him saying that. He also has a similar fountain show outside the Wynn Macau, but much smaller. A nice thing about the Macau version is you can get close enough to feel the mist, which is welcome on a hot humid summer day.
Quote: jml24I live in WA where casino gambling is available but not pervasive. Vegas has many things that attract me to spend my gambling dollar there rather than locally:
- Spectacle
- A chance to see the sun and feel dry air during the 6 months of cold drizzle here at home
- Top end hotels for middle range prices
- Better games and odds than I get at home
- Nice atmosphere in the casino vs. a depressing sea of oldsters smoking and dropping their SS checks
- "Free" booze while gambling
- Variety of stuff to see and do
The scaling back of the volcano is another step in the slow decline of a certain type of Vegas marketing: we will provide you with free / low cost spectacle and entertainment and a good gamble, in return you will blow a wad of cash in our casinos. They are replacing that with clubs, high end restaurants, luxury shopping, etc.. I heard recently that the clubs now bring in more cash on the strip than gambling. The volcano doesn't really fit in with the "rich person fantasy" version of Vegas.
This. Every large city has high-end clubs and music acts. Most have top show acts coming thru as well, whether Broadway shows or concerts.
Vegas is about the kitsch, the spectacle, the one-upmanship between casinos, the sexy-sinner-neon-fun of it. All mixed in with great gaming. No other place like it IMO.
If the gaming revenue is declining, (as opposed to the other revenue climbing from underwritten loss-leaders to a profit point), I think Vegas should look to put in the best games anywhere, and then advertise the hell out of it. "We have spectacle, glamour, great food, drinks, shows, all in one place...and better gaming than anywhere in the world!" They have so much invested in their permanent facilities, and such a huge climb in non-Vegas competition the last 20 years, that they should say screw competing with each other; work together to treat the rest of the world like a farm club and they're the major leagues.
They used to be able to do this implicitly. Now they have to make that point again and again, and more importantly, it has to be the truth. They're going exactly the wrong direction with shaving all the odds. They need to offer the best odds and loosest machines and let the volume and the HE do the work. Then the internet and word-of-mouth does the rest.
Quote: WizardSeems like it is working fine to me.
My opinion is the volcano is probably good for Vegas in general but not specifically for the Mirage. The kind of walk-in traffic it is likely to get is probably not profitable traffic.
Yeah, I always thought the casinos had kind of a silent contract with each other on these things. They make a collective effort to make Vegas attractive, then compete over exactly where the customers go after they get here. And it does help in that it is one reason people know about The Mirage and think of it fairly well.
Quote: jml24
The scaling back of the volcano is another step in the slow decline of a certain type of Vegas marketing: we will provide you with free / low cost spectacle and entertainment and a good gamble, in return you will blow a wad of cash in our casinos. They are replacing that with clubs, high end restaurants, luxury shopping, etc.. I heard recently that the clubs now bring in more cash on the strip than gambling. The volcano doesn't really fit in with the "rich person fantasy" version of Vegas.
This is very accurate. I don't think we should go too far with the "rich person fantasy" thing though. That should be more of an added dimension to vegas that compliments the others. If nothing else, the people who eat at Guy Savoy and go to the expensive clubs enjoy looking down on those who see Carrot Top and eat deep fried twinkies.
Full Story at TheStreet
Quote: GialmereThere seems to be a movement to preserve the Mirage volcano by having it declared a historical landmark. This would force the new Hard Rock project to build around the famous Strip attraction. I understand the sentiment but it seems unlikely to happen.
Full Story at TheStreet
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Only in Las Vegas would something 30 years old be considered historic.
Quote: GialmereThere seems to be a movement to preserve the Mirage volcano by having it declared a historical landmark. This would force the new Hard Rock project to build around the famous Strip attraction. I understand the sentiment but it seems unlikely to happen.
Full Story at TheStreet
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A landmark in Vegas! The place that takes pride in tearing down the past!
People that want to make these landmarks seldom want to pay for the upkeep or pay the owner who wants to be rid of them.
It was a nice attraction, but it made the strip a "street" attraction that people saw then moved on. I wonder the "capture rate" of strip casinos. Or how many people who enter actually place a wager?
