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R.I.P. Star Trek: The Experience

Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:10 am
by tubadave
Its decade-long run at the Las Vegas Hilton is over on September 1, 2008.


http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008/07 ... exper.html

http://www.startrekexp.com/

http://www.memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Sta ... Experience


I finally made it out to see it for the first time this past February, and came back again in May (flying for free + friend who had a free hotel room = yay!) to do everything again, including the behind-the-scenes tour. I think I'm going to try to sneak out there briefly at least once more before it closes.

CBS is looking for a new home for the The Experience. Hopefully, the new Star Trek movie coming out next year with reinvigorate the franchise and make it possible for things like ST:TE to flourish once again.

Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:16 am
by SportsFan68
That's too bad. I'm really glad Skoop took me over there when a bunch of us were in Las Vegas for Moonshot -- The Experience.

Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 10:02 am
by ladysoleil
I'm really bummed about this.

My wedding cocktail hour in Vegas was at the Experience. We had a great time there, and I'll miss it. I was hoping for one last visit, but I can't squeeze it in.

edited: can't get the pic to display, but here's the link:

http://pics.livejournal.com/ladysoleil/pic/0001h0yz

Re: R.I.P. Star Trek: The Experience

Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 10:04 am
by earendel
tubadave wrote:Its decade-long run at the Las Vegas Hilton is over on September 1, 2008.


http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008/07 ... exper.html

http://www.startrekexp.com/

http://www.memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Sta ... Experience


I finally made it out to see it for the first time this past February, and came back again in May (flying for free + friend who had a free hotel room = yay!) to do everything again, including the behind-the-scenes tour. I think I'm going to try to sneak out there briefly at least once more before it closes.

CBS is looking for a new home for the The Experience. Hopefully, the new Star Trek movie coming out next year with reinvigorate the franchise and make it possible for things like ST:TE to flourish once again.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! First BAM Play It! and now this. I haven't had a chance to go to this and I have so wanted to for a long time. Looks like I'll never get the opportunity.

Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 3:07 pm
by Buffacuse
I wouldn't necessarily bet on the new movie helping anything come back--or even that it will be released. Word is that it is a mess and could be delayed yet again or even killed.

Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 8:10 pm
by Snaxx
I went there in late January, the week before the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, there were very few people there.





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Re: R.I.P. Star Trek: The Experience

Posted: Tue Jul 08, 2008 9:26 pm
by SportsFan68
tubadave wrote:Its decade-long run at the Las Vegas Hilton is over on September 1, 2008.
They should at least wait until September 8.

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 1:01 pm
by lilclyde54
I stayed at the Hilton a couple of times when playing their $1,000,000 blackjack tournament. I didn't make the Experience but had a great time in the ST themed casino and Quark's Bar. Sorry to see it go.

Re: R.I.P. Star Trek: The Experience

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 1:48 pm
by mcd1400de
SportsFan68 wrote:
tubadave wrote:Its decade-long run at the Las Vegas Hilton is over on September 1, 2008.
They should at least wait until September 8.
That would be more appropriate, I agree.


Now that you mention it, I am curious -- how many other people here besides me actually watched that very first episode of ST:TOS?

Re: R.I.P. Star Trek: The Experience

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 2:12 pm
by gsabc
mcd1400de wrote:Now that you mention it, I am curious -- how many other people here besides me actually watched that very first episode of ST:TOS?
Not I. It was on too late at night for me at the time. Since I also served as the family TV Guide back then, I probably didn't realize it existed for a while, nor did my Dad, the original SF fan in the family. I know I watched some first-run episodes, but I don't know which ones or even which season.

Sad to say, I did watch most first-run "Lost in Space" episodes, mainly because it was on earlier in the evening.

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 2:22 pm
by gsn309
Sorry to hear it's closing. Glad I finally got to see it just this past May. It's a cool attraction whether or not you're a Trek fan (and I am one!). Getting "beamed" onto the ship (and no spoilers as to when or how!) is definitely a highlight!

Funny question about watching orginal Trek. I am --sadly -- old enough to remember watching ONE episode on NBC (and it was a summer rerun probably in late July or early August in 1999). My family was vacationing in Maine and The Lights of Zetar (sp?) was on.. I was a small kid then and that episode, with the disembodied lights and that decompression chamber and the possessed woman, scared the bejesus out of me! It's funny to think about it now, though!

Re: R.I.P. Star Trek: The Experience

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 2:23 pm
by Ritterskoop
gsabc wrote:
mcd1400de wrote:Now that you mention it, I am curious -- how many other people here besides me actually watched that very first episode of ST:TOS?
Not I. It was on too late at night for me at the time. Since I also served as the family TV Guide back then, I probably didn't realize it existed for a while, nor did my Dad, the original SF fan in the family. I know I watched some first-run episodes, but I don't know which ones or even which season.

Sad to say, I did watch most first-run "Lost in Space" episodes, mainly because it was on earlier in the evening.
I was too little to watch the first episode.

I did watch Lost in Space when I was five.

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 3:10 pm
by tanstaafl2
Unfortunate but 10 years was a pretty good run. I always made a point of going there when I was in Vegas. Somewhere, probably on my home computer, I have proof of my attendance thanks to a cheesy picture of my head photoshoped into a cast picture of ST:TOS. I shall have to see if I can find it and post it for the amusement of all.

I am sure it was on too late for me to see the original series when it first came out although I really don't remember. As best as I can remember I did see a the few first run episodes of the original series towards the end.

Sorry to hear the new movie is having problems. One of the few movies I was considering going to see at a theatre rather than wait for it on DVD or PPV.

Re: R.I.P. Star Trek: The Experience

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 3:59 pm
by mcd1400de
gsabc wrote:
mcd1400de wrote:Now that you mention it, I am curious -- how many other people here besides me actually watched that very first episode of ST:TOS?
Not I. It was on too late at night for me at the time. Since I also served as the family TV Guide back then, I probably didn't realize it existed for a while, nor did my Dad, the original SF fan in the family. I know I watched some first-run episodes, but I don't know which ones or even which season.

Sad to say, I did watch most first-run "Lost in Space" episodes, mainly because it was on earlier in the evening.
Two of my most vivid (literally) childhood memories happened on successive nights in Sept. '66, and they involved LIS and the premiere of ST:TOS. I was not quite 8 at the time.


Star Trek came on at 8:30 in the Eastern time zone -- normally my bedtime, but it was the first week of school, and we only had half-days. So my dad, the original SF fan in my family as well, let me stay up to watch it with him that first night (we both liked it so much, he let me continue to stay up late on subsequent Thursdays.... woo hoo!).

IIRC, unlike most episodes, which usually start on the bridge, "The Man Trap" began with a brief clip of the Enterprise entering orbit to a captain's log VO. No big deal there. However, that was followed by an empty shot of the planet's surface.... into which suddenly, people were materializing out of nowhere. I'd seen spaceships and planets before, but a transporter beam? THAT was new, and completely awesome. I was hooked instantly, literally within the first few seconds.


Lost in Space, which began a year earlier, was on Wednesday nights at 7:30 (so I got to stay up for it). The LIS fans among us may recall that at the end of every episode in the first two seasons, they would show the teaser from the following episode, complete with freeze frame and "tune in next week" graphics, etc.

So the Wed. night prior to the ST premiere, we were watching a rerun of what turned out to be the finale of season one, which was shot in black and white. That episode ended, and they went to commercial as usual.

Except that when they returned two minutes later -- it was no longer in B/W! The teaser was from the first episode of season 2, when they switched to full color. Now THAT was beyond cool. It was like when Dorothy opened the door to her house, and saw Oz... except if the part in Kansas had lasted a whole year.


And yes, I still remember both of those moments with utter clarity, to this day. (I'm a sad case, I know.)

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 4:30 pm
by Ritterskoop
Huh. I guess when I was five I did not realize there were such things as reruns. That's how I saw Lost in Space, after school in Phoenix in 1972.

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:05 pm
by tanstaafl2
tanstaafl2 wrote:Unfortunate but 10 years was a pretty good run. I always made a point of going there when I was in Vegas. Somewhere, probably on my home computer, I have proof of my attendance thanks to a cheesy picture of my head photoshoped into a cast picture of ST:TOS. I shall have to see if I can find it and post it for the amusement of all.
In Memoriam: Stardate 01.19.03

Image

Chekov never looked so good! At least I assume that was supposed to be Pavel.

Although I really wanted to be Bones...

Re: R.I.P. Star Trek: The Experience

Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:20 pm
by SportsFan68
mcd1400de wrote:
SportsFan68 wrote:
tubadave wrote:Its decade-long run at the Las Vegas Hilton is over on September 1, 2008.
They should at least wait until September 8.
That would be more appropriate, I agree.


Now that you mention it, I am curious -- how many other people here besides me actually watched that very first episode of ST:TOS?
I was too young to watch it on a school night, but fortunately we were allowed to stay up late on Fridays and Saturdays. The local affiliate put it on Saturday nights after NBC's Saturday Night at the Movies (drum roll and flashing lights to wake everybody up whenever a commercial came on). So I watched it, all right, but on September 10.

Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 1:41 pm
by Robyn
This is so sad - it's really fun there. Our family was in attendance for the "Maiden Voyage" (opening day) when our kids were younger. We have been back several times, and did the backstage tour, which was very neat. I hope tehy do find a new home for the exhibit and rides.

Re: R.I.P. Star Trek: The Experience

Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 1:56 pm
by themanintheseersuckersuit
mcd1400de wrote:
SportsFan68 wrote:
tubadave wrote:Its decade-long run at the Las Vegas Hilton is over on September 1, 2008.
They should at least wait until September 8.
That would be more appropriate, I agree.


Now that you mention it, I am curious -- how many other people here besides me actually watched that very first episode of ST:TOS?
I was 12 years old, a science fiction fan and a guy, I saw the first episode and every other one that first season.