ST Experience to close? Is this true? Options

[Captain Rhetoric]

Star Trek Experience to Close?

I read several just like this. Does anyone know more details as to whether the experience will get renewed? I love that place. I am also planning to go to the convention this year in August, but will definitely go if it is to be the last year. I know this has been rumored to happen before, as well as the hotel being demolished, so I am not panicked, just curious for info.

[kujhawker]

I have heard rumors since 2006 that it was going to close. One of the rumors was the Hilton itself was going to close so it could be imploded with a new hotel in its place. It will be interesting if this is true if the experience finds another home or it is shuttered for a while. I would think with a movie coming up in a year they would want it somewhere.

[sabarwolf]

When we were there in January, somebody in out Behind the Scenes tour group asked about this rumor, and as I recall there was no plans then to shut it down, especially given light that the new movie was in the works and the attraction is still bringing in the guests.

[wheresthomas77]

Here is the scoop as I know it. VEGAS resident & one of my cast works @ the Experiance. Anyways.... she told me that its up in the air. They have a lease do soon & it looked GOOD with the moving in Decemeber, but now, not so good with the movie in the Summer time. So, that is what I know from the horse's mouth so to speak and I might have another source with more info since another actor knows the Director @ the Hilton for the park so I'll see what he knows.

[Steven (with a V)]

It's offical...she's gone. and I must say this is the dumbest move they could make. They said it wasn't producing a lot of money, so they closed it. However, they have NOTHING to replace it. What truely disgusts me is that a demolition crew was hired to destroy the large overhead models. Yes you read it right, not store, but destroy. Luckily some fans came along, and were able to save the connie.

Now I completely agree with one man, who gives the BEST idea to save it in another location...Here is his vid.

SAVE THE EXPERIENCE!

And for those who want to go tripping down memory lane....

Klingon Encounter

[AlphaJenn]

It's true that the models were to be destroyed, as it would cost (I think this is what I heard) $2 MILLION dollars just to remove them from the ceiling intact. So, it's just easier to destroy them.

Sigh... Sure wish I could have gotten that Enterprise-E and it's display case. Darn security!

But, as to what is going to replace (sniff!) the Experience? Would you believe...

Michael Freaking Jackson!

OMFGD!

Sigh, CBS/Paramount really does hate us.

Sigh...

Jenn

[DHillMSP]

But, as to what is going to replace (sniff!) the Experience? Would you believe...

Michael Freaking Jackson!

OMFGD!

Sigh, CBS/Paramount really does hate us.

Sigh...

Jenn

No. The Great Ones do. Or they at least have a perverse sense of...irony...humor?

[kujhawker]

Well at least the Hilton is keeping with the themes of Aline Creaturs form other planets.

[SPT]

Well at least the Hilton is keeping with the themes of Aline Creaturs form other planets.

[Rob_C]

They're adding a Michael Jackson Theme Park to the Las Vegas Hilton??

[Theo Gary]

They're adding a Michael Jackson Theme Park to the Las Vegas Hilton??

And children are welcome.

[DHillMSP]

And children are welcome.

That's part of the problem.

That and the monkeys.

[entlim]

It's offical...she's gone. and I must say this is the dumbest move they could make. They said it wasn't producing a lot of money, so they closed it. However, they have NOTHING to replace it. What truely disgusts me is that a demolition crew was hired to destroy the large overhead models. Yes you read it right, not store, but destroy. Luckily some fans came along, and were able to save the connie.

Now I completely agree with one man, who gives the BEST idea to save it in another location...Here is his vid.

SAVE THE EXPERIENCE!

And for those who want to go tripping down memory lane....

Klingon Encounter

Notice how since CBS got the rights to the frachise, the Trek related stuff is all for profit?

Startrek.com fired it's web staff in January, and since no proper updates are done

now this.

money , Money,MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank God Fan sites do good stuff like here( Phase2 , Exeter etc......)

This post has been edited by entlim: Sep 18 2008, 03:36 AM

[kujhawker]

Notice how since CBS got the rights to the frachise, the Trek related stuff is all for profit?

Startrek.com fired it's web staff in January, and since no proper updates are done

now this.

money , Money,MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank God Fan sites do good stuff like here( Phase2 , Exeter etc......)

I am still suprised that Startrek.com hasn't really done anything since they fired there staff. No news updates since then. You would think with a new film coming out in less than a year they would use their main site as a way to help promote the film.

[Captain Hunter]

Y'know, before we start bashing CBS over the demise of the Experience, let's remember that they were not responsible for it shutting down. The lease was up, and Hilton pushed the price for renewal up so high that Cedar Park (who owned the Experience) couldn't afford to keep it. CBS had nothing to do with the decision.

CBS aren't the bad guys.

[AlphaJenn]

That is true, in this instance CBS wasn't the bad guy. Straight down, it was the owner of the Las Vegas Hilton.

I did write up a review of the whole weekend and I've got a TON of photos and lots of video from that weekend... Especially of the final 'decommissioning' ceremony (of which you can find lots of videos on YouTube of this, but I have NOT included any of my video yet to YouTube). I promised Richard from Trekkie Central an article, so look for the next issue to contain my review of the final weekend plus photos!

If anyone wants a copy of the final decommissioning ceremony, let me know. Mind you, I'm still working on how to transfer it to DVD without using multiple DVDs!

Cheers all,

Jenn

[capell]

Y'know, before we start bashing CBS over the demise of the Experience, let's remember that they were not responsible for it shutting down. The lease was up, and Hilton pushed the price for renewal up so high that Cedar Park (who owned the Experience) couldn't afford to keep it. CBS had nothing to do with the decision.

CBS aren't the bad guys.

More importantly, the Hilton was really getting screwed by the original contract. The information I got said that they were supposed to pick up all the operating expenses, and the then-Paramount Parks got all the proceeds from the rides and shops.

See, the Hilton was counting on the same thing they count on for Manilow and every other act they bring in. That people would come to the hotel (butts in seats pays the bills, after all), and that they'd spend time in the hotel's casinos spending money. Most of the time, that works really well - and in fact, the Experience did contribute to that a little from the casual fans and the Vegas visitors that wanted to check out something that could, at the time, only be found there.

Unfortunately for the Hilton - the plan backfired for us hard-core Trekkies. Statistically speaking, we're really intelligent - intelligent enough to avoid the serious gambling that the Hilton was hoping we'd spend our money on. At best, we probably blow 20 or 30 bucks on the nickel slots - hardly sufficient to power the unit we just spend an hour in front of while waiting to meet up with our group to go on the rides.

Most of us are also wise with money, and tend not to spend three times what we need to spend on a hotel just because it's conveniently located 10 floors above Trek Mecca. We'll go down to the Motel 6 near the MGM grand or the Sahara during the off season, save ourselves a wad of dough, and then - much to the consternation of the Hilton - go and spend all that saved money on Trek stuff, even finding a way to avoid the casino floors entirely if at all possible. And that's if we even bother to spend more than a day in Vegas. After all, from LA, San Diego, and Phoenix, it's a cannonball run. We can hop in the car, hit the Hilton, do the rides, grab lunch at Quarks, do the rides once more, and be back home by 9 that night.

So, in a way, we were the ones doing the screw-job this time. The Hilton may have gotten greedy with their request for the renewal - but I can't really blame them for wanting a piece of the Trek XI pie.

-Jonathan

[DHillMSP]

So, in a way, we were the ones doing the screw-job this time. The Hilton may have gotten greedy with their request for the renewal - but I can't really blame them for wanting a piece of the Trek XI pie.

-Jonathan

Agreed.

But...Michael Jackson....

Makes me wanna cry. His legal bills or no.

[kujhawker]

More importantly, the Hilton was really getting screwed by the original contract. The information I got said that they were supposed to pick up all the operating expenses, and the then-Paramount Parks got all the proceeds from the rides and shops.

See, the Hilton was counting on the same thing they count on for Manilow and every other act they bring in. That people would come to the hotel (butts in seats pays the bills, after all), and that they'd spend time in the hotel's casinos spending money. Most of the time, that works really well - and in fact, the Experience did contribute to that a little from the casual fans and the Vegas visitors that wanted to check out something that could, at the time, only be found there.

-Jonathan

I did not know that about the arrangement of the deal, so can understand Hiltons point of view.

I think that at to do with when that deal originally came into place it was just a time things where transition in Vegas. I remember reading that a few years ago became the first time non-gaming revenues out did gaming revenues at Las Vegas resorts. That gambling wasn't the biggest money drawer, that the hotels, restaurants, shops, and attraction where bringing in the money. You could see this by the rising prices in staying, and eating, and the increase in the type of things offered in Vegas.

Even things like shows are money makers nowdays rather than a thing to get butts in seats. Something like "O" brings in huge revenue for the hotel. From my understanding they have revenue sharing for that show.

It is kind of sad to think that the Experience could have stayed if the deal was renegotiated.

[sffilk]

I went to Star Trek: The Experience once, in 200, I think it was. I was able to get a good deal to stay at the Las Vegas Hilton for $80/night for 2 nights, and got a good price on the whole experience. When all was said and done, between air fare, hotel, food, shuttle, etc., it probably cost me about $400-450. Maybe it's me, but I don't think that's too pricey. Still, I mourn the fact that it is gone and won't be coming back.