Las Vegas just isn’t my cup of tea. I don’t really enjoy noise, crowds, partying, or gambling. I know, I’m a stick in the mud. But, my husband loves it and my kids were super super excited about the idea. So, I booked an extra long stay. The only RV park on the strip is Circus Circus. There are options off strip and in neighboring towns. We really wanted to be able to take a break from driving and not have to deal with the hassle of parking in the city each day. So, we reserved at Circus Circus.
If you’ve been to Vegas, you probably know that Circus Circus doesn’t exactly equate to the other resorts on the Strip. People don’t consider it a luxury resort by any means. It is known for being inexpensive and more family friendly. It won’t break the bank. But, it won’t exactly wow you either.
We were totally fine with that scenario. Our rig is very comfortable. So, we just need a place to park it and plug it in to feel at home. Circus Circus also has a nice pool and a couple waterslides included in the RV park price. So, that’s a nice bonus. There are free circus acts throughout the day. The performers are very talented. My kids loved the arcade there as well. It’s called the Midway. There’s video games, claw machines, air hockey, and lots of carnival style games as well. They were thrilled to win stuffed animals, candy, and little toys. They dubbed it the “kiddie casino” and had a blast there.
Driving into the the RV park was very challenging. We have a big rig. Signage was confusing, there’s very very tight turns, and leaving was very difficult as well. I think it’s better suited for smaller RVs even though they advertise that they are big rig friendly. The sites are long but getting in and out of them is extremely tight if someone is parked adjacent to you.
Circus Circus also has an indoor theme park on property. Adventure Dome at Circus Circus has roller coasters, a pirate ship ride, a carousel, bumper cars, a 4D theater, and more. Like most Vegas attractions, it’s a little pricey. An all-day wristband for 48″ tall and over is $60. Little ones that don’t meet the height requirement, cost $30.
The location of Circus Circus is near the Strat and the Fashion Show Mall on the North end of the Strip. I enjoyed walking to Ross and the mall to do a little shopping and get chair massages. There’s also a Walgreens nearby which is convenient. There are plenty of dining options nearby as well.
This brings me to one of the negatives of Circus Circus Hotel and Casino. The food options here are terrible. The fast food area is filthy. Literally, every single garbage can was overflowing and trash was piled on the floor. All of the tables needed to be cleaned and the floors were very very dirty. We witnessed an employee scream and curse at a customer. They were out of the items we asked for and were generally rude.
The employees in the Midway area were very friendly and helpful. But, the food was outrageously priced and not very good quality (old hot dogs on rollers, microwaved pizza, etc.) After trying the fast food options here and leaving frustrated and honestly disgusted with the lack of cleanliness, I wasn’t willing to try the Mexican restaurant, steakhouse, or buffet on the property. Circus Circus just generally made me feel like I needed to wash my hands.
Another issue we had, was the lack of security around the grounds. The property is gated but, the gate isn’t locked and it was rare to see a security guard actually in the booth. At one point, a tree branch fell on the fence and knocked part of it down. Homeless people would move in at night. Several times, we heard someone try the handle on our rig to see if the door was locked. The registration desk clerk made it very clear not leave bicycles or other items outside unlocked. It generally felt like a very sketchy area at night. I wasn’t comfortable there with my kids and didn’t feel especially safe after dark.
Another big issue was that we kept losing power. This happened three times during our stay. The first two times, it took hours for the problem to be fixed. Once, we were moved to another site, which was very inconvenient. But, we had an electric powered refrigerator and freezer full of food. The lack of AC in the desert in August was brutal as well. So, you do what you have to do. The third time, they offered to move us to a hotel room without charge. But, that didn’t solve the issue of a rapidly warming fridge, the very real possibility of someone breaking in to our unattended rig, and the fact that we didn’t want a room in the hotel, even if it was free. If the the parts of the hotel we had seen, were any indication of the cleanliness of the rooms, we were going to need hazmat suits to sleep there. I was genuinely worried about bedbugs.
In the end, we decided to leave Las Vegas early. Circus Circus made things right with the bill. But, we won’t stay there again. We don’t really require a lot from an RV park. We need to be safe, have hookups, and be able to maneuver our rig around without damage. Unfortunately, they didn’t really measure up with any of these expectations.
If you are traveling by RV to Las Vegas with kids, I would recommend checking out the entertainment at Circus Circus. But, dine somewhere else and definitely chose a different RV park.
