Let's Go to the Stadium
Las Vegas Christmas 2020
December 27-30, 2020
Disclaimer: This year has been such a mess, for everyone, and has really messed with our plans. Not just with work, school and life but with our travel plans as well. We had SO MUCH planned for this year. We originally had 4 cruises planned for 2020, including FINALLY getting our kids on Royal Caribbean ships. We were able to go on ONE cruise in 2020 in February on the Enchantment of the Seas. But our April cruise on Liberty of the Seas and our summer cruise got cancelled. We also had to cancel our Thanksgiving cruise on Adventure of the Seas. Most of our travel this year came from in-state venues like Great Wolf Lodge and South Padre Island.
I've been itching to go to Vegas so much lately. Perhaps even more than cruising... I know, it is crazy but I have just wanted to feel that "Vegas Vibe" again! On the 3rd day of our Christmas Break I decided to log into Orbitz and look for a trip. I was BLOWN away! The prices and deals were SO GOOD! We're talking flight and 2-3 nights of hotel rooms for less than $100 PER PERSON! I studied for a bit and then saw a deal for the Bellagio- flights (DFW), 2 nights at Bellagio for $181 per person. That was it... I pushed confirm shortly after that. We later discovered that we had earned enough loyalty points in a game we play on our phones to get a free night at The Mirage. This was a trip booked 72 hours before we boarded the plane and it was PERFECT!
With all the changes due to COVID, I am going to try and share as much of our trip as possible! It is not cruising and even with the MAJOR deal we found, this trip will cost about the same as a short cruise (Like our Enchantment of the Seas in February), but we LOVED every minute of it!
Day 1- December 27th
We spent Christmas with my side of the family in Arp, TX so we decided to fly out of DFW instead of Houston. We got into the airport in enough time to grab some lunch and drinks before we boarded the plane. We flew on American Airlines and our Dreamliner plane was about 95% full. However, my husband, Chris, (who is large and tall) was able to switch to a new seat for more space and legroom. I, on the other hand, was on the inside set of 3 seats and had a dog at my feet... It was weird! The DFW airport and the LAS airport were both busier than I expected during COVID; however, it is the week between Christmas and New Years so I am sure many were traveling. Despite all the COVID details and precautions, this was a very EASY flight and travel day! (I forgot how much I like American Airlines... free carry on bags and TVs with games, music and movies! It was AWESOME.)
Our plane has arrived and we are READY! 
We are on board and now we wait 3 hours... See you soon Las Vegas!
The plane was... FULL! I was shocked!
Once we arrived we got an UBER to take us to Bellagio and it quick and easy! In fact, the driver was WAITING for us when we got to the pick up area! It was $15 plus a very generous tip! The Strip at 8PM on a Sunday, was not near as busy as it has been in the past trips. But still lively and people were out and about! The city didn't look different at first glance.
We have arrived! Let's get this party started! Check- In at Bellagio
Our check in at the Bellagio was quick and painless. They checked our temperature and we were on our way to our room in no time. However, I didn't expect to have to scan our room key to get the elevator to work and dropped one of our room key's into the elevator shaft! That was a first!
Our original room was on the 18th floor and facing SW towards the pool. It was a very nice room but we just dumped our stuff and went down to the casino
The entrance to the Bellagio is SO MAGICAL. I swear every time I walk in and just look up and stare and act like I have never seen this before! I love this! 
Our bathroom at The Bellagio. 
This was VERY spacious and clean cut! 
This shower was my favorite part! 
A view from our original room on the 18th floor. You can barely see the pool area and the Conservatory area of The Bellagio. We went back down to the casino and started playing Blackjack. The tables were $15/$25/ $50/ $100 minimums. I was very shocked The Bellagio had a $15 table on a weekend. The last few times we’ve been to Vegas, The Bellagio only had $25 minimums as their lowest tables (even during the day) so this was a pleasant surprise! Of course these were all VERY full since only 3 can play at a time due to COVID! In fact, there were "lines" to get a spot at the tables. We waited for 20-30 minutes for a spot to open but then went to the Stadium Blackjack near the guest elevators. This is a neat game if you have never played. It is a LIVE dealer but machines. We were up $$$ in no time. We felt GREAT about the trip thus far!
Dinner at Noodles
We made last minute dinner reservations at Noodles inside Bellagio. We had to wait about 30 minutes for a table. The state of Nevada has 25% capacity at ALL restaurants and you need a reservation EVERYWHERE! We were LUCKY to get in due to some cancelled reservations! We got in at the very last call for the evening (10:45PM) but the food and service were OUTSTANDING! They did require masks AT ALL TIMES, in fact the manager/ host was adamant about it and asked us to put then back up in-between drinks, but it did not bother us! The food was FABULOUS and the portions were HUGE! Definitely worth the cost and we would eat there again!
The menu at Noodles.
The prices were actually pretty reasonable for The Bellagio.
And the portions were HUGE! 
The Vegetable Spring Rolls. 
The "Hor Fun" beef. This was SO GOOD and filling! The Bellagio Conservatory
After dinner we decided to walk off our food and check out the always gorgeous Bellagio Conservatory. It was all decked out for Christmas and it did not disappoint. It had a massive live Christmas tree, countless flowers and plants that included several polar bears, a dog and a horse and carriage in the center of display. My favorite part was the Red Cardinal display. Tip- Remember, this is a completely FREE entertainment venue and no matter what time of year, it NEVER DISAPPOINTS!
This was such a magical area of Las Vegas! Even though Christmas was over, this was just PERFECT! 
It is hard to believe ALL of this is made with REAL flowers! 
Inside the Carriage! 
This was such a great way to start our trip in Las Vegas! Well done Bellagio! Check out our walk through the Conservatory!
A Class Act
We gambled for a few more hours then went to our room for the night. As we got ready for bed we noticed a very sticky, honey like substance on the bar area under the TV and on the remote and nightstand. I don't know what it was but it was really gross. Then the TV would not turn on or change channels. I had already showered by the time we noticed this but I called the front desk to ask for housekeeping/ maintenance but they offered me a new room instead. It was after 1:30AM so I was shocked and just happy to have a TV to fall asleep to. In fact, the guest service guy changed our room and key cards and everything RIGHT THERE ON THE PHONE! It was so cool!
We got to our new room on the 9th floor and realized it was a FOUNTAIN VIEW room. This was a great upgrade from our Resort King room. It had 2 beds but we didn't care! The view was worth it all!
WOW... This view is phenomenal. I think we stayed up almost another hour just staring out the window! We LOVE Vegas! I am still shocked at the customer service by the Bellagio. I never asked for this upgrade and honestly never even thought of a new room, let alone a VIEW, I just wanted it cleaned up! They acted like a class act and treated us like Royalty, which we didn’t deserve! They have gained new customers for life!
Thanks for following along... Day 2 coming up!
GOD IS GOOD... ALL THE TIME!
Click on a previous trip to Las Vegas for more tips and tricks:
Near Ceasers...
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