The Excalibur is a huge castle connected
via walkway to New York New York and the Luxury. The immense structure
is bigger than Camelot, and can be just as magical if you're in
the mood. A huge hit with families and those who wish to be King
Arthur or Queen Guenevere for a day, the Excalibur really tries
to transport you to medieval times ( if medieval times had slot
machines). There are battlements, towers and even a fire breathing
dragon that rises out of the moat several times a night. Although
it's not as exciting as Treasure Island, the show held outside
the castle is worth seeing.
One of the main drawbacks of the Excalibur
besides a restaurant named Lance-a-Lotta Pasta, is the sheer size.
Since the Excalibur is one of the largest resort hotels in the world,
it can be a bit confusing trying to find your way around. Once you
get there, the rooms are large and the Excalibur has some of the
biggest bathrooms in Vegas. (insert your own "sitting on the
throne" joke here) The castle motif is continued in the rooms
as the wallpaper looks like interior of a castle, and the pictures
depict jousting knights or something along those lines. The Excalibur
is currently renovating many of it's rooms, but you can be sure
that the remodeling will not conflict with the theme. The hotel
might be too historically accurate because the hallways are often
dimly lit and a bit musty.
The main casino floor is large but otherwise
it's looks like the average casino. Occasionally there is a procession
of musicians and jesters that wind through the gaming tables. All
the performers are costumed in medieval clothing and provide
a pleasant and thankfully short distraction from gambling. (If you
get married in the Excalibur's wedding chapel, you can opt to get
dressed in medieval garb, and have your own procession through the
casino.) The sports book is a good place to check up on your bets.
Except on Sundays during football season, it's not too crowded.
There is a snack bar located next to the windows that has great
hot dogs. There's also a bar within staggering distance.
Above the main casino floor is an area
that looks like a medieval village. Most of the Excalibur's restaurants
and stores are located on this level. It can be fun place to linger
because there are jugglers, magicians and other performers that
conduct short free shows on the Village Jester's Stage throughout
the day. The automated walkway to the Luxor is located on this level.
If you should unfortunately be dubbed
Sir Lose-a-Lot, one can take a break in the Fantasy Faire located
on the lower level. It has state of the art video games and
simulator rides including Merlin's Magic Motion Theatre. One can
also see King's Arthur's Tournament, a "Medieval Times"
dinner show like the one seen in the movie "The Cable Guy."
It's a show involving horses jousting and pyrotechnics (it is
Las Vegas). HAH-ZAH!!