Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
MEET THE BORGS (AND KLINGONS AND
FERENGIS AND . . . )
There's an alternate universe out there, and I'm not talking about fourth dimen-
sion. I'm referring to the world of Trekkers. It's their ardor and love for this jump-
suit-happy sci-fi series that has underwritten five TV shows, nine films, and
the seriously popular
Star Trek: The Experience
(in the Las Vegas Hilton, 3000
Paradise Rd.;
%
888/GO-BOLDLY or 702/732
-
3111; www.startrekexp.com; tour
$
32 with ride admission,
$
40 without; hours vary; AE, DC, MC, V).
While I do
think you need to be somewhat Trek-savvy to enjoy the attraction itself (see my
review on p. 145), the backstage tour, surprisingly, has a broader appeal. That's
largely because it's one of the only attractions of this scope in the world that actu-
ally allows visitors backstage and reveals its secrets. Meaning you'll not learn about
the lives of the costumed staff but get to tour the ride when the lights have
stopped flashing and the smoke effects are turned off. You'll see it bald and naked
as a newborn Klingon. It's a fascinating study in compulsive fandom—this ride
was created for all those folks who buy and sell “floor plans” for the U.S.S.
Enterprise
on eBay. Every detail revealed on the shows—and I mean every detail—
is re-created here.
How obsessive does it get? As you're going through, the guide will point out
all of the codes inscribed on the fake computer models, the same exact codes that
were on the original set, even though they would have been too small to read off
a television screen. (My favorite: GNDN, which was an inside joke standing for
Goes Nowhere Does Nothing.) You'll tour corridors and other rooms that were
never seen on any of the series but, as your guide will explain, would have had to
be on the ship in order for it to fly (these spaces are also noted on those eBay blue-
prints). You'll stand under the Borg Invasion ride and watch it with a load full of
passengers, your guide explaining the light tricks being played on those inside and
the workings of the powerful pistons that bob the ride up and down, forward and
back in a remarkably varied repertory of lurches. The original Star Fleet actors
were guinea pigs for the ride before it opened and had to ride it over and over as
the engineers and designers worked out all of the movements (it took 500 hr. of
programming to get it right). If you're not feeling sorry for those poor actors after
that, you will once you've tweaked their seriously heavy prosthetic make-up and
learned about their 10-hour long shifts. Don't feel too badly for these folks,
though; it's a coveted job, and many are just as devoted to
Star Trek
as the people
who tour the place.
Tours are given about four times a day and require advance reservations (call
the number above for more information). Each tour is unique; the expert and
enthusiastic guides tailor them to the interests of the groups they're leading. So
don't be shy about asking questions; you'll get a much better tour that way. I
should warn you that you'll be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement before
you start, so if you're planning on starting your own
Star Trek
theme park . . . well,
you've been warned. And if you hear of me being thrown in the clink, it's proba-
bly because I've given away too many secrets in this review!
KEEPING FISH ALIVE IN THE DESERT
Remember those three gold fish you had in a tank with a little bubbler in gram-
mar school? The Forum Shops at Caesars (in the same area as the moving statues
