Star Trek: The Experience

[Geekyfanboy]

Yeah it's a great place... ST Exp is the only reason I go to Vegas.. I can spend the entire weekend at the Hilton. A day of Star Trek then a day of gambling in the space casino.

[jedijeff]

Vegas is one of those places for me where after I few Days I have had my fill of it, and vow never to return for a long time. The shortly after I return, I start wishing I could go back again. ;). The Star Trek Experience is great, I wish they could make it even larger then it is. Will be sad to see it go if it does. Someone should make a huge Geek themed Casino, just for all us Geeks out there. ;)

[moyer777]

Well for me it was one of the most fun places to be ever.  It is a place that celebrates all of the series and helps you immerse yourself into a futuristic and hopeful environment.  VERY COOL.  I hope it doesn't close before I get to see it again.

[Bryancd]

I agree, Jeff. I'm in Vegas a lot, have a lage client there and it's only a 50 min flight, but it get's old real fast. The Experience is great, but you can see it all in about 3 hours.

[Geekyfanboy]

Really.. I can do the weekend at Star Trek the Experience.. I ride both rides about five times then eat lunch/dinner at Quarks then check out the timeline/props they have, walk through the promenade and stores. I like to check out every detail. And in between down time I can gamble in the space casino. So much fun.

[moyer777]

I found that I could be there for HOURS!  We went one day ALL day, and then I went back a couple of days later and spent four more hours.  There are so many things to look at and hear.  Very fun.

[iceman]

very cool

[Geekyfanboy]

Future of 'Star Trek: The Experience' In Doubt  May 2, 2008
by Anthony Pascale , Filed under: Conventions/Events, Trek Franchise , trackback

Since opening in early 1998, Star Trek The Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton has been the premiere live Star Trek attraction in the world. With its Trek-themed restaurant, museum, shops and rides, it plays hosts to thousands of tourists and Trekkies every year. However, the current contract is up and it looks like 2008 may be the last year for Star Trek The Experience.

The contract between CBS and Cedar Fair (current owners of The Experience) ends December 31st, and a spokesperson for Cedar Fair tells TrekMovie "there are currently no plans to renew" it. Talks are still ongoing and, although Cedar Fair is said to be happy with recent results from The The Experience due to effective cost-reductions, the attendance has been in decline for years (even after the introduction of the 'Borg Invasion 4D' ride in 2004). The only ray of hope right now is that the new Star Trek feature film in 2009 may show promise of increased attendance. A final decision on The Experience is expected by the end of May.

Another possible lifeline for The Experience could be for Cedar Fair to sell it to another company and for there to be a new deal struck with CBS (and the Hilton). Cedar Fair took over The Experience, when it purchased Paramount Parks from Viacom in 2006.

If Star Trek The Experience is to close, then the current contract calls for them to entirely vacate their current location in the Hilton Hotel by December 31st, 2008. Since Cedar Fair will need time to dismantle the attraction, TrekMovie is told The Experience would likely close to visitors in September or October (if the contract isn't renewed). At that time, all the genuine props and many of the replicas would be returned to CBS. It hasn't been decided what would be done with the Star Trek related replicas owned by Cedar Fair, but it is possible they would be auctioned off.

A closure of the Experience would also have an impact on the annual official Creation Star Trek Convention, which has been held at the Las Vegas Hilton since the Experience opened there. Creation CEO Gary Berman tells TrekMovie that they would continue to hold the convention in Vegas (as they did for a decade before The Experience opened), but Creation would consider moving to a different hotel. Berman would be interested in getting a location closer to 'the strip,' but would want to ensure the new hotel offered fans prices as reasonable as those of the Hilton. If you want to be sure to see The Experience one last time (or first time), this year's convention may be a good choice.

So far CBS (the Star Trek license holder) has refused any comment regarding the future of Star Trek The Experience. As the story develops TrekMovie will provide updates.

[Bryancd]

I have been there twice and it is fun, but it's not that great. It's not innovative enough beyond the two live shows. The museum is ok, the two shows are lot's of fun, Quarks is lame and the gift shop is a rip off.

[Geekyfanboy]

I 100% disagree with Bryan.. if you are a true Star Trek fan you'll love it. It's the only place on Earth like it.. The rides are the closest thing you'll get to actually being on a ship. The museum is cool, the timeline is awesome and Quarks is a great place for lunch or dinner. The gift shops are pricey but they have some really cool one of a kind stuff.

[Rico]

I really need to get there this year.

[moyer777]

If I had the money I would go every year.  It makes me sad to think of it not being there anymore.  I have been three times and LOVED every minute of it.  The rides were simply awesome, the museum was great and the timeline was very cool.  I loved the characters roaming about.  I also did the behind the scenes tour and it was AMAZING!  Totally worth the money.  The atmosphere is simply incredible, they have trek stuff playing on big screens and cool sounds, Quarks had excellent food and the gift shops although pricey, were very fun to look at.   Maybe I can figure a way out to go see it one last time. 

It is so worth a die hard trekkie's efforts to see it.

[Bryancd]

Wow, guys, easy, we can have different opinions and I take exception at the idea that if you don't think it's all that you are not a "true Star Trek fan". The two rides are very good, but the museum is filled with prop replicas, very few real items, QUARKS is an expensive TGIF, and the Gift Shop items are a joke. If you want to see quality prop replica items, check out the RPF for some amazing stuff at have that cost. Kenny, none of that stuff is "one of a kind", trust me. Yes. it's fun, yes it's worth seeing, but I think they could do SO much better. That's my issue. Part of my problem is that I am SUCH a critical fan of things like props that the museum looks like crap to me, as does the gift shop.


If they were serious about making this a more premiere attraction, they would have been at the Christie's auction buying REAL screen used items to display instead os seeing Paul Allen scoop up the best items for his Sci-Fi. Now THAT is a true Star Trek and Star Wars fan Mecca. You can actually see the TMP and TNG Enterprise in all her glory!

[jedijeff]

Part of me is sad to see it go, but the other part thinks if someone else does it, with a new take, and maybe even bigger, then that would be cool The rides are awesome, and going through the museum is really cool as well. I only ate at Quarks the once, and after I just had an all you could eat buffet, so I was really full, so did not have much to eat. I guess part of me was hoping for more in the restaurant, but probably what I want cannot be done. I was just hoping they might simulate some of the Star Trek food, to least give me the impression that I was eating something from the Trek Universe. If I do get a chance to go again before it closes, then I will make sure to eat at Quarks for a proper Lunch or Supper. The gift shop had a few things, but I guess part of me was wishing for more. The last time I went, a lot of the merchandise looked like it had been sitting there for a really long time. The first time my Brother went, he brought me back a really cool Ferengi Rules of Acquisition T-Shirt, and he got him self a cool communicator key chain. But the both times I went, I never really saw anything like that in the gift shop. The prices on some of the stuff were really high as well on things that should not be such as books and DVDs. I did get myself a Mirror Universe NX-01 the last time, which was something I could not find easily where I live. Also, the Actors walking around were great, the first time we went we had a Klingon badgering us the whole time, and I always have a smile about that and the things he was teasing us about.

[Jen]

I haven't gone yet, and probably won't see it before she shuts down, but several people who used to work at the corporate level for Cedar Fair, Paramount Parks and Star Trek The Experience, work at our company now. Cedar Fair took over Paramount Parks (and it's properties which includes Star Trek The Experience). Our co-workers told Angela and I that the new owners do not care about Star Trek or its fans—they're embarrassed by it and this is why it has not been updated and the contract was not extended. A very sad fact, but perhaps it is for the best. It would never be given the attention it deserves by the new owners. Maybe someone will create a new attraction one day... a theme park would be nice. It's not like Star Trek has a shortage of fans or anything.