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Hi everyone! I know there was a lot of general Las Vegas Area Attractions discussions in the Adventuredome Discussion Thread so I figured i would make one here for general discussion.

 

I decided to take a trip out to Primm to get lotto tickets, I called Buffalo Bill’s and they said Desperado was open, but upon arrival it was closed and never opened.

 

First off, the casino was very empty and slot machines are few and far between. People were playing but it wasn’t very busy at all. So I decided to walk around the property a bit and it’s really sad to see this place falling apart. I remember it in its hay day when it was crazy busy and people were all around!

 

Walking up to Desperado the sign said closed on the stairs and employees said it wouldn’t open today. The train was sitting in the station and I saw maintenance walking around. At this point I just gave up since the operating hours are only from 12pm to 5pm, they weren’t gonna open it up for just an hour.

 

I walked outside to where Turbo Drop once stood and you can tell they just tore the ride out as parts were strung about. They gave no mercy lol.

 

Then I walked over to the log flume, at the ticket booth, was a sign that was printed and said “Closed for Refurbishment”, but you can tell no work is being done on the ride. The control panel had a paper on it saying “DANGER this ride is deemed UNSAFE”. So no go there either.

 

So the only attractions open were the Frog Hopper and MaxFlight coaster simulator. Oh, and the Monorail that isn’t a monorail.

 

Disappointing trip, but if I win the lotto, it’ll be worth it!

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Old Turbo Drop Signage

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The abondoned looking Log Flume

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What’s left of Turbo Drop

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Closed.

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DANGER UNSAFE

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Seems like such a waste. Primm looks awesome from satellite views, with those giant resorts and even a little monorail connecting everything. Almost seems too big to fail. If they had gotten a few more resorts with some added attractions, I wonder if they would have made it. Perhaps Buffalo Bill's screwed up by not focusing MORE on rides.

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It was amazing until the recession and ownership changes. When Buffalo Bill's opened, there was even a railroad that visited all three hotels and wound inside and outside of Buffalo Bill's, but that was short lived. I remember going to Buffalo Bill's opening weekend and Desperado had a 2 hour wait and they were running all three trains. The property was super busy and extremely popular.

 

Here is some history of Primm:

 

Primm is name for Gary Primm, who was a good friend of Kirk Kerkorian (they developed New York New York together, Buffalo Bill's is a lot like New York New York)

 

Whiskey Pete's was the first resort built in in 1977, The second casino Primadonna, opened in 1990 and the last casino, Buffalo Bill's opened in 1994. The Fashion Outlets Mall opened in 1998.

 

In 1999 MGM Resorts (Then MGM Grand Inc.) acquired Primmadonna Resorts and changed the name to Primm Valley Resorts, and Primadonna was renamed Primm Valley Resort & Casino. During the time MGM owned the resorts, there was a shuttle bus to Primm and the shopping center, it helped people out there, everyone loved coupons!!

 

In 2007, MGM Resorts sold Prim Valley Resorts to Herbst Gaming (Excluding the Primm Valley Golf Course, which MGM still owns today). Primadonna was renamed Terrible's Resort & Casino.

 

In 2009 Herbst Gaming filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy (Attributing to the Recession).

 

In 2010 Herbst Gaming emerged from Chapter 11 Bankruptcy with new owners.

 

In 2011, Herbst Gaming was renamed Affinity Gaming, (Terrible's Resort & Casino was renamed back to Primm Valley Resort & Casino) who still owns Primm Valley Resorts today.

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poor Buffalo Bill's. I used to take the casino bus there a lot with a bunch of seniors. it was a day turn around bus. cost 10 bucks and got a free buffet from Buffalo Bill's. I'd get a day pass and ride all the rides all day. lol

 

the train was cool, and i'd ride sometimes, but i had really no need to go to the other casinos.

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Back about 6 years ago, we too took the free shuttle from Vegas strip to Primm for a day trip (that also did a quick stop at Hoover Dam, and the Ethyl M chocolate factory/cactus gardens before heading out there to drop us for the afternoon).

 

I clearly remember the shuttle driver taking us to the corner of the attached mall parking lot, and telling us we had just crossed State lines, and went to 3 States in that quick turn around.

 

Desperado wasn't open the day we were there, but we got a free buffet coupon (had to go to the casino next door, as the food in Buffalo Bill's wasn't open), neither was the monorail. I think we looked at the flume, but didn't ride it (it was a shooting flume ride, right?).

 

the friends we went with didn't want to gamble, so they went to the theater there and watched Avengers a couple of times, while we played slots - and came out way ahead too! (think they were paying out during the week to get word of mouth spreading, I suppose).

 

shame the properties seem to be in such poor shape now

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What a shame! I've perused recent online reviews of Buffalo Bills, and it seems like a dead mall vibe is setting in. A lot of the negative comments remind me of aging hotels in Atlantic City. Even with Desperado's dated transitions, it's still quite large and iconic; I always thought that it, the flume, and the S&S tower were worth a novelty drive.

 

I love that the hotel carpet goes right up to the edge of the flume trough -- if I had silly money, that's exactly the kind of nonsense I would build at home.

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Yeah it was the shooting log flume, when the guns and targets worked, it was a great attraction! Great addition to what would really just be a leisurely log flume with one drop. It was still a fun ride!

 

There was a period of time that Buffalo Bill’s was operating with weekends only operations, the entire property would shut down during the week. I hope they do something to turn it around.

 

I plan on adding a lot of content about Vegas attractions that are no longer here, gone, some forgotten, but I haven’t forgotten!

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poor Buffalo Bill's. I used to take the casino bus there a lot with a bunch of seniors. it was a day turn around bus. cost 10 bucks and got a free buffet from Buffalo Bill's. I'd get a day pass and ride all the rides all day. lol

 

the train was cool, and i'd ride sometimes, but i had really no need to go to the other casinos.

 

Wow, I used to do something like that during the 90s. There was a bus pickup stop near the Lantern Development Center at the 57 & 60 freeways. I would call the Bingo numbers on the bus for the old people and they would give me their coaster coupons out of our special fun book. Now I see a lot of buses headed toward Pechanga as I don't think people want to travel as far to play slots.

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I think that the development of the Premium Outlets South and the Charleston Premium Outlets really hurt the Primm area as well. The Primm Outlets used to be the best outlet mall in the Vegas area and tons of people were bused out there from Vegas every day. Now that Vegas has two great outlet malls in town, there's really no reason for people to go to the Primm Outlets. I also think that the Silverton and the South Point hurt the Primm hotels as they gave travelers lower-priced hotel options that are nicer and closer to the Strip.

 

 

I haven't ridden Desperado in years and I've been meaning to stop by and ride it again. My issue is that the operating scheduled isn't very consistent, so I don't want to drive an hour for it to be closed.

Edited by VegasBaby
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I remember opening year of Desperado and that ride scared the crap out of me. I thought I was going to be thrown out of the restraints but also sucker punched by Mike Tyson with how that thing beat the crap out of you. I loved the Log Flume when the guns worked. When they didn't, it was a waste of money. I also did the Turbo Drop too so that was fun.

 

I still think the best roller coaster ride ever in Vegas was Speed at Nascar Cafe. I'm still a little bummed that the ride closed and I think it's still wasting away in some abandoned lot.

 

I also remember a simulator ride at Luxor where you went in an elevator first for a portion of the simulator while standing up, and then into an actual "Star Tours" type vehicle for the rest of it. I thought it was the coolest simulator at the time that I rode it which i think might have been the late 1990's.

 

This will be an awesome thread! I have always loved Vegas and every time I go there, I find different things to do. I look forward to what this thread has coming....

 

Jimmy "Did you win the lotto" Bo

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I also did the Turbo Drop too so that was fun.

A neat fact is that this Turbo Drop was the prototype from Logan, Utah"

 

I think it's still wasting away in some abandoned lot.

Yup, still rotting away across from Mandalay Bay.

 

I also remember a simulator ride at Luxor where you went in an elevator first for a portion of the simulator while standing up, and then into an actual "Star Tours" type vehicle for the rest of it.

Yes!! In Search of The Obelisk, an IMAX RideFilm that is now the Jabbawockeez Theatre, will definitely be doing a spot on that in the near future, as well as the old Nile River flume that was once inside of Luxor.

 

Jimmy "Did you win the lotto" Bo

Not yet, but I have a few more drawings to go, until 9/12/18!

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Desperado was smooth when it was new. the drop tower wasn't built until later. i liked how they took your picture at the very top. also, the light guns weren't part of opening on the flume if i remember correctly. because although i know they had the guns, i've actually never rode it with them, but have ridden the flume a lot.

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I also remember a simulator ride at Luxor where you went in an elevator first for a portion of the simulator while standing up, and then into an actual "Star Tours" type vehicle for the rest of it. I thought it was the coolest simulator at the time that I rode it which i think might have been the late 1990's.

 

 

don't forget the boat ride around the perimeter of the casino. lol

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Yes!! In Search of The Obelisk, an IMAX RideFilm that is now the Jabbawockeez Theatre, will definitely be doing a spot on that in the near future, as well as the old Nile River flume that was once inside of Luxor.

 

Back in 2001 I used to race R/C cars in the junkyard near Pahrump hwy and Jones.... and I used to drive past the old boats from the nile river rotting out in the desert every weekend

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Yes!! In Search of The Obelisk, an IMAX RideFilm that is now the Jabbawockeez Theatre, will definitely be doing a spot on that in the near future, as well as the old Nile River flume that was once inside of Luxor.

 

Somewhere there's an old VHS called "The Making of Luxor" or something that showed the grand opening of Luxor, and some behind the scenes and brief POVs of the three stage Obelisk attraction. The simulator was stage 1, but then there was "Luxor Live" which was a weird talk show style projection show, and "Theatre of Time" which was the IMAX movie that closed up the story. I have that VHS somewhere. If I could ever find it, it would be one to convert to DVD if possible for sure.

 

I do remember the simulator outliving the other two by a few years. Luxor Live became Carrot Top's theatre if I'm not mistaken. The IMAX theatre showed conventional IMAX movies for a while but then even that died out.

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one of my favorites was the star trek experience. i loved the transporter part. really great theming throughout.

 

that was at the old Las Vegas Hilton.

 

even tho a different hotel now, last time I was out there, you could still clearly see the outline of insignia on the outside of the building.

 

and this is still my desktop on my home computer (from Quark's bar/entrance)

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