Las Vegas - Star Trek - The Experience

Las Vegas - Star Trek - The Experience

The Star Trek Experience inside the Las Vegas Hilton is one of the more unusual 'rides' a visitor can take anywhere, even taking Disneyland into account. While Disneyland offers many a thrilling ride these days, few actually involve live actors that interact with the 'traveler' during the ride. This is performance art at its best.

Before the actors appear, visitors have a chance to visit the museum housing a ton of Star Trek memorabilia, both new and from the actual shows. You'll see costumes, weapons, communicators and a host of Borg, Klingons and Ferengi. Then enter the hallway leading to one of two rides.

The Experience offers two shows - the 'Klingon Encounter' and the 'Borg Invasion 4-D'.

Klingon Encounter

Enter the ride for the 'Klingon Encounter' and find yourself 'accidentally' beamed aboard the Starship Enterprise, along with about 25 others, just as it's about to be attacked by Klingons. Your atoms will be safely disassembled and reconstructed to end on the transporter pad inside the ship.

Move to the bridge and enter the world of the flagship of the fleet. You'll quickly discover that Captain Picard has gone missing. Watch as the crew search desperately for their leader, while they try to protect their new guests. You'll get close up views of all the advanced technology of a 25th century spaceship like the communication station, the tactical-weapons display and the famed captain's chair.

Board the shuttlecraft to escape the doomed ship just in time. Unfortunately, the Klingons will be on your tail in no time and you can't outrun them. Not to worry, the Enterprise will rescue you in the nick of time.

Borg Invasion 4-D

Taking an alternate path through space-time, you may be warped onto the ship USS Voyager as the Borg are about to attack. Here you'll be trapped behind a visual display where you'll see the Borg Queen taunt you that 'it is futile to resist'. You'll be assimilated and become her slave. Not a bad fate, some would argue.

But never fear. Admiral Katheryn Janeway will come to your rescue just in time. Through her courage and quick thinking, she'll make sure that you retain your identity, 'as long as the human spirit exists'.

You'll experience the famed turbolift, but watch out for that 'accidental' free-fall drop that happens when the ship suffers a blow from a quantum torpedo. Don't worry, the engineer will have the lights back on long before the warp core is breached.

Still, there are those pesky Borg drones above you on the catwalk to be dealt with. But before you can say 'assimilate' a phaser rifle takes one out and you're safe... for the moment. Regrettably, your protector has been snatched by the other drones, who have adapted their protective shields to ward off further attacks.

But you escape at the last second into the vessel that will transport you safely back to your own time and place. As you dock, you get one last thrill as your chair rocks and prods you. The ride home is a little bumpy.

Freed from the confines of the escape ship, you enter the Deep Space Nine Promenade where you can visit Quark's Bar. Take the opportunity to have a green drink and enjoy the ambiance. It's been a tiring trip through a trillion miles, five centuries ahead and back. Relax. You're safe now.