A Big Start with Flying Rides, Sweet Stops & an Early Night

This post is Day 1 of our 4 Days in Las Vegas with Kids itinerary.

Because of a major flight delay, we arrived in Las Vegas much later than planned the night before. After renting our car, checking into the Bellagio, and grabbing late-night takeout, we kept expectations low and called it a night.

Morning: Bellagio -> Park MGM

A tram plan that didn’t quite work

We planned to take the ARIA Express Tram from the Bellagio to Park MGM early in the morning. What we missed was the start time. The tram didn’t begin running until 8:00 AM. We ran through the other options we had at our disposal: walk to the Park MGM or get our car out of the garage and drive it down to the Park MGM. Both options added a lot more walking and rushing for not too much of an earlier arrival time. So instead of rushing, we pivoted.

Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens

While we waited for the tram to open, we wandered through the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. It was calm, colorful, and a great way to ease into the day after travel.

Once the tram opened, we headed back and rode over to Park MGM.

Breakfast at Eataly in the Park MGM

We stopped at Eataly for breakfast and grabbed a high-top table. We mobile-ordered from All’Italia and picked up coffee from Café Lavazza. The food was good, though portions were small for the price. That said, we had a lot of eating planned later in the trip, so it didn’t bother us much. For a quick, convenient breakfast near Park MGM, this worked well.

FlyOver Las Vegas

The main reason for our early start was our 9:00 AM tickets to FlyOver Las Vegas, located right across the street from Eataly near the Hard Rock Cafe. If you’ve done Soarin’ at Disney, the concept is similar — but the visuals here are sharper and the experience feels more intense. We loved it so much that we took advantage of a same-day deal and booked a second show.

Two FlyOver Experiences + Mocktails

We watched:

• Windborne: Call of the Canadian Rockies
• Wonders of the American West

Both were impressive, but the Canadian Rockies experience immediately caused me to add several places to my future travel list. Between shows, we stopped at the Lost Cactus Bar located within FlyOver. The kids had mocktails, and everyone appreciated the break.

Walking the Strip and Classic Stops

M&M Store & Coca-Cola Store

After FlyOver, we walked to the nearby M&M Store and Coca-Cola Store Las Vegas. The M&M Store wasn’t on my original itinerary, but once the kids spotted the characters, that plan was over. At the Coca-Cola Store, we sampled sodas from around the world. Some were surprisingly good. Others were memorable for very different reasons.

Monorail to Caesars Palace

From there, we made our way to the MGM Grand Monorail Station and rode north to the Flamingo/Caesars Palace stop.

Caesars Palace & Fall of Atlantis

We walked through the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace and found our way to the Fall of Atlantis Show.

I pictured the kids being completely absorbed by the show. They were more interested in climbing around the fountain area, but I still enjoyed the dramatic storytelling.

Teatime in Wonderland at Electric Playhouse

One of the highlights of the entire trip was Teatime in Wonderland at the Electric Playhouse. This two-hour immersive dining experience turned us into characters inside a digital wonderland. Think growing and shrinking rooms, interactive visuals, themed treats, and a lot of food. And I mean a lot.

We brought leftovers back to the Bellagio, which felt like a win.

Afternoon Reset and Dinner

Back to the Bellagio

By the time we finished Teatime in Wonderland, it was close to 3:00 PM. I had more planned for the afternoon, but everyone was clearly ready for a break. We headed back to the Bellagio and scrapped the rest of the schedule in favor of downtime. No regrets.

Casual Dinner at Proper Eats Food Hall (ARIA)

Later, we walked to Proper Eats Food Hall at ARIA Resort & Casino. I had originally planned to eat here later in the week, but switching it to Day 1 worked better. We were still adjusting to travel and wanted something low-key.

The Original (Unfinished) Evening Plan

For anyone with more energy, this was our original plan after Teatime in Wonderland:

• Walk to the LINQ Promenade
• DreamBox 360
• Minus5 Ice Bar
• High Roller Observation Wheel
• Dinner at Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips

We never ended up visiting the LINQ Promenade at all, but there’s always next time.

Day 1 Takeaway

Day 1 was about starting strong without overdoing it. We mixed immersive experiences with walking breaks and gave ourselves permission to stop early. For a first full day in Las Vegas with kids, this balance worked really well.

If you liked this post, maybe you would like these posts from Hawaii Girl Travels:

Day 2 – Las Vegas with Kids Itinerary: Gardens, Disney Magic, and Medieval Mayhem

Check out Destinations to see all the other places I’ve talked about.