Gardens, Disney Magic, and Medieval Mayhem

For Day 2 of our Las Vegas with Kids Itinerary, we combined a calm morning, immersive animation, a surprisingly entertaining museum stop, and one of the loudest – and most entertaining – dinner shows on the Strip.

This was also the day we started using our rental car. For the first half of the day, we relied heavily on walking and trams. In the afternoon, we shifted to driving. That decision was influenced by two things. First, the locations we wanted to visit were farther apart. Second, we had free parking at MGM properties thanks to a newly opened credit card. Because of that, our choice to drive, walk, or use public transportation often came down to whether our next stop was at an MGM property.

I’ll go into more detail about why we decided to rent a car — and when it made sense to use it — in a separate post.

Morning: A Calm Start at the Bellagio

Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens

Our hotel room was located near the Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. While we had already seen the gardens the day before, we also noticed how quickly the crowds built as the day went on. Since our breakfast plans were at Sadelle’s, located beside the Bellagio Conservatory, we decided to stop in again on Day 2. It felt like our best chance to experience the space quietly, with very few people around.

Seeing the gardens early, before the Strip fully woke up, was absolutely worth it.

Breakfast at Sadelle’s

When it was time for our reservations, we headed on into Sadelle’s. The space felt refined but welcoming. I’ll be honest – I originally made a reservation here largely because I wanted to order the very Instagrammable bagel tower. In the end, my six-year-old son was the only one who ordered it, but no one was disappointed. Everything we ate was delicious, and overlooking the Conservatory made for a calm, unhurried start to the day.

Like most things with trip planning, I was a little obsessive about reservations. Our original plan was to eat at Sadelle’s on the morning we flew into Las Vegas. When our flight was delayed by more than 12 hours, that plan obviously fell apart. Luckily, I was able to modify our reservation for two days later at the last minute. Choosing an early morning time helped, and it ended up working out better than our original plan.

As are most things when it comes to trip planning, I was a little obsessive when it came to making reservations at Sadelle’s and I made my reservations as soon as I could. Our original plans included having our brunch there on the morning that we flew into Las Vegas. However, since our flight was delayed by over 12 hours, we would have missed those reservations. I was able to modify our reservations for 2 days later (although it helped that I wanted an early morning seating) at the last minute, which was nice.

Disney Immersive Experience

Getting There from the Bellagio

To reach the Disney Immersive Experience, we followed signs to the ARIA Express Tram near the Bellagio Spa Tower. The short ride dropped us at the Shops at Crystals, where we headed up to Level 3.

Inside the Disney Immersive Experience

The Disney Immersive Experience was one of the biggest highlights of the day. The visuals wrapped around the room and pulled you into classic Disney movies. It felt nostalgic and magical without being overwhelming. While the Disney Immersive Experience was a timed exhibit that is no longer at Las Vegas, they seem to bring in other interesting immersive exhibits in the same location from time to time.

We booked the premium family package, which included light-up cushions, wristbands, and a Disney animation print. Honestly, it wasn’t worth it. Just get the basic tickets and you’ll be fine.

Lunch at Momofuku (The Cosmopolitan)

After the Disney experience, we followed the indoor connector through ARIA into The Cosmopolitan in order to get to our lunch at Momofuku. My husband and I have been obsessed with David Chang for over a decade, but I wasn’t sure if the kids were going to like it, but they both found dishes they thought were pretty good!

Afternoon: South Strip Experiences

After lunch, we took the tram back to Bellagio and picked up the car for the afternoon portion of the day.

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Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition (Luxor)

We parked at Excalibur, since that’s where our evening would end, and walked over to the Luxor. I’ll admit it — visiting the Titanic exhibit was not something I wanted to do. Don’t get me wrong, I spent a good chunk of my life completely obsessed with the Titanic. That obsession led me to see this exhibit three times already, including once in Las Vegas. I figured three times was enough. I was also convinced my very energetic kids would find it boring.

But while planning this trip, I watched a lot of YouTube videos — often with the kids watching alongside me. The Titanic exhibit came up repeatedly in family-friendly recommendations, and both kids kept asking to see it. So we went. Again. And surprisingly, it ended up being a lot of fun.

At the start of the exhibition, each visitor is given a passenger ticket and finds out at the end whether their passenger survived or not. The kids immediately committed to the premise. We stayed in character the entire time and cracked each other up as we moved through the exhibit.

By the end, there had been only one “casualty” among the four of us. Mine. Rest in peace, Annie Clemmer Funk!

MaxFlight & Fun Dungeon (Excalibur)

Back at Excalibur, we stopped at MaxFlight Simulator. The virtual roller coaster was short but intense and a big hit with the kids… and the kids at heart.

Next door, the Fun Dungeon provided exactly the energy release we needed. Games, noise, and a bit of chaos. There was also an Orange Julius counter that made me giddy with happiness.

Tournament of Kings Dinner Show

Where to sit

I had been to Tournament of Kings several times before, but I had never really thought about where I was sitting. This time, however, the internet had opinions — strong opinions — about the best section. The overwhelming consensus was the Dragon Section, where you don’t cheer for a knight. You cheer against them. In other words, you’re the villains. When I bought our tickets just under three months in advance, the Dragon Section was already the most full. That felt promising. And as it turns out, being a villain is very fun. Having no knight to cheer for somehow made the entire experience even funnier. The energy in the arena was loud and enthusiastic, with fire effects, sword fighting, and nonstop cheering from every direction.

What to Eat

Dinner was served medieval-style, with no utensils. The standard meal is roast chicken and potatoes, with a vegetarian option (pasta with marinara sauce) and a kids’ meal option (chicken tenders) available, but you need to email ahead to request either option. I emailed in advance to ask for a vegetarian meal for my 11-year-old and a kids’ meal for my 6-year-old. Both were very happy with their meals. Forks were provided with the vegetarian option, which was a relief. We had brought a plastic fork just in case.

Back to the Bellagio

After a full day of gardens, animation, history, and medieval mayhem, we called it a night and drove back to the Bellagio.

Day 2 Takeaway

This day balanced calm and chaos in the best way. Starting slowly and ending loudly made everything in between more enjoyable.

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

Day 1 – Las Vegas with Kids Itinerary: A Big Start with Flying Rides, Sweet Stops & an Early Night

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