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We're bringing my new parents-in-law to Vegas for their first-ever visit. My blushing bride and I have been several times and we're disagreeing over the number-one must-see attraction. I say it's Bellagio's fountain show and she says it's Fremont Street Experience. What says Question of the Day?
Well, it depends on who you ask and where you look.
In a poll we ran a number of years ago, the Bellagio fountains were the hands-down individual winner, with 29% of the vote. They're also the top attraction currently listed on TripAdvisor. On the other hand, they come in at number 24 on Yelp. (Yelp is suspect; its number-two attraction is Area15 and number-four is the Omega Mart, which it calls Meow Wolf, like referring to the Big Shot ride as Strat Tower or Atomic Saloon Show as Spiegelworld.)
A quick search of the Vegas must-see attractions didn't turn up Fremont Street Experience at the top of any of the lists. On both TripAdvisor and Yelp, it was number 5.
Also, a lot of the lists name places in general. For example, the top attraction on several are the "Las Vegas Strip." Duh. Touropia.com lists Bellagio, the whole joint, at number 2, so the fountains are just a part of that. Touropia lists FSE at number 6.
Some lists are little more than affiliate-payment generators. One list we looked at had one of the many escape rooms at number 3. Sure it is.
In the end, for peace in the new nuptials (congrats, by the way; here's to a long happy life together), let's make them both number one. For folks who've never been to Vegas before, the whole spectacle is the number-one attraction, so like a hologram, any part contains the whole image.
Besides, there'll be two judges. Your mother-in-law might find the fountains best, while your father-in-law might be most wowed by FSE. Show them everything and let them decide what's number one.
For our money, we'd take them to the Welcome sign first. Nothing says you've finally made it to Fabulous Las Vegas than Betty Willis' iconic photo op.