My family just got back from Vegas. We saw four shows in three days. Total damage? $847 for four people.

Could've been $1,200+ if we'd made the same mistakes on Night 3 and 4 that we made on Nights 1 and 2.

Here's every dumb thing we did wrong (with receipts), plus what we figured out that actually saved us serious money.

Mistake #1: We Assumed "Discounted Cirque du Soleil Tickets" Meant Real Savings

What happened: Saw an ad for "50% off Cirque KÀ tickets!" Jumped on it. Got super excited.

The reality: Those "discounted" seats? Row BB. That's not a typo. Row BB. We were so far back my 9-year-old asked if we could use binoculars.

Face value for those seats: $89. We paid $75. Congrats, we saved $14 to have a mediocre experience at a world-famous show.

What we learned: Cirque rarely offers meaningful discounts on good seats. When they do discount, it's usually:

• Obstructed view seats
• Last few rows of massive theaters
• Weird showtimes (like 5 PM on Tuesday)
• Maybe 10-15% off if you're lucky

The "50% off" deals? Almost always third-party resellers marking up bad seats then "discounting" from inflated prices.

Better strategy: If you want acrobatics and water choreography without the Cirque price tag, look at alternatives. We caught WOW The Vegas Spectacular on Night 3 - similar production quality, way better seats for our budget, and the performers are legit (Olympic gymnasts, international circus artists). Cost for 4 people: $280 vs. $560+ for comparable Cirque seats.

Mistake #2: Booking "Cheap Las Vegas Shows" Without Checking Total Cost

What we paid: $45 per ticket for a magic show. Seemed like a steal!

What it actually cost:

• Tickets: $45 × 4 = $180
• "Convenience fee": $8 per ticket = $32
• Parking at the venue: $25
• Real total: $237

That's $59.25 per person, not $45.

Meanwhile, some "expensive" shows include parking and have no booking fees if you buy direct. Do the math on the actual out-the-door cost.

Example from our trip:

• Show A: $65 ticket + $25 parking + $10 fees = $100 per person
• Show B: $70 ticket + free parking + no fees = $70 per person

Show B is cheaper despite the higher ticket price.

Pro tip: Shows at Rio (like WOW) offer free parking. That's $25-30 saved per visit. Over a 3-night trip seeing multiple shows? You're saving $75-100 just on parking.

Mistake #3: Ignoring Matinee Shows Las Vegas Because We Wanted "The Vegas Night Experience"

Our assumption: Evening shows = real Vegas. Afternoon shows = for old people and kids.

What we discovered: Matinee shows are identical productions with 25-35% lower prices.

Real example from our trip:

• Tuesday 7 PM comedy show: $68 per ticket
• Tuesday 4 PM magic show (Mac King): $35 per ticket

Same quality entertainment. Half the price. And guess what? Our kids weren't exhausted and cranky at the 4 PM show.

The matinee advantage nobody talks about: You see the show, kids are in bed by 9 PM, and you (the parents) have the evening free to actually enjoy adult Vegas. Win-win-win.

Weekend matinees at WOW run around 5 PM - early enough to still get dinner after, late enough it doesn't feel like a "kids' show."

Mistake #4: Waiting Too Long to Book (Then Panicking and Overpaying)

What we did: Didn't book anything before arriving. Day 1 in Vegas, everything good looked sold out. Panicked and overpaid for whatever we could find.

What we should have done: Book must-see shows ahead, stay flexible for everything else.

The smarter approach:

• 2 weeks before: Book one "this is why we came to Vegas" show
• Day of: Check for last-minute Las Vegas tickets on other shows

When last-minute actually works: We scored same-day tickets to three shows by checking between 3-4 PM. Box offices release held inventory (group sales that didn't materialize, VIP packages that didn't sell) in that window.

Called WOW at 3:30 PM on Thursday asking about that night's 7 PM show. Not only available - they had better seats than what was online that morning.

When last-minute doesn't work:

• Saturday night shows
• Major Cirque productions
• Celebrity headliners
• Sphere experiences

Mistake #5: Picking a "Vegas Variety Show" Based on Price Alone

What happened: Found a variety show for $39 per ticket. Booked it. Regretted it 20 minutes in.

The problem:

• Show was 65 minutes (not the "90 minutes" advertised)
• Acts felt like they were hired off Craigslist
• Half the audience left at intermission
• Kids were bored, adults were checking phones

What we learned: In Vegas, you get what you pay for with variety shows. The $39 show saved us $30 per person vs. better options. Was it worth being bored for an hour? Absolutely not.

Better variety show experience: Night 3, we tried WOW. Here's what $70-75 tickets got us:

• Full 90 minutes of entertainment
• 30+ performers (not 6 people doing multiple acts badly)
• Professional choreography
• Water effects we'd never seen before
• Kids AND adults actually engaged the whole time

Yeah, it cost $35 more per person than the cheap show. But we actually enjoyed it. Check their FAQ if you want specifics on what to expect.

Mistake #6: Not Researching Comedy Shows Vegas Tonight Options

What we assumed: Comedy clubs are all basically the same. Just show up.

What we learned the hard way:

Vegas comedy reality:

• Some clubs have 2-drink minimums ($20+ per person)
• Age restrictions vary (18+, 21+, or family-friendly)
• Showtime matters (early shows = cleaner material, late shows = blue)
• Headliner quality varies wildly

Our mistake: Showed up to a comedy club at 7:30 PM on Saturday. $55 per ticket. Headliner was... okay. But we'd been charged for VIP seating we didn't request ($20 extra per seat). Total surprise: $80 per person.

Better approach:

• Call ahead and ask total cost including minimums
• Verify age restrictions if bringing kids/teens
• Check who's actually headlining (rotating acts vary in quality)
• Look for afternoon comedy (Mac King at 3 PM = $35, family-friendly, consistently good)

Mistake #7: Booking Shows Without Checking Venue Size

The expensive lesson: We paid $95 each for a "premium" show in a 1,900-seat theater. Our "premium" seats were row M. Sounds close, right?

Nope. In a 1,900-seat venue, row M is middle-of-the-pack. Performers looked like action figures. Facial expressions? Forget it.

What we figured out: Smaller venues mean every seat is actually good.

Venue size comparison:

• Massive theater (1,800+ seats): Even "good" seats feel far away
• Mid-size (800-1,200 seats): Front sections are great, back sections are meh
• Intimate (400-600 seats): Back row is maybe 60-75 feet from stage

WOW's theater holds around 400 people. We sat in what they called "standard seating" (not even their premium tier) and were close enough to see everything clearly. No binoculars needed.

The real cost of "cheap seats": Better to pay $70 for a great seat in a small theater than $90 for a terrible seat in a massive one.

What We'd Do Differently (Our Actual Vegas Show Strategy Now)

After wasting $340+ on mistakes, here's the game plan for next time:

Before we arrive:

1. Book ONE must-see show in advance (our bucket list item)
2. Research 4-5 backup options with good reviews
3. Set a realistic budget including parking and fees
4. Screenshot prices to compare later

Day 1 in Vegas:

1. Check hotel concierge for same-day deals
2. Between 3-4 PM, call box offices for tonight's shows
3. Compare TOTAL cost (tickets + parking + fees)
4. Book if the deal is right, wait if not

General rules we follow now:

• One matinee, one evening show = best value
• Avoid "discounted Cirque" unless it's legitimately good seats
• Factor in parking costs (free parking saves $50-75 per trip)
• Smaller venues usually mean better experiences
• Last-minute works for variety/comedy, not for Cirque/headliners

Our top pick for families: WOW at Rio checked every box - professional production, reasonable pricing, free parking, same-day availability, and that intimate theater where cheap seats don't exist. Would absolutely see it again.

The Bottom Line

Vegas shows can cost anywhere from $35 to $300+ per person. The expensive shows aren't always better. The cheap shows aren't always good deals.

Total spent: $847 for 4 people, 4 shows If we'd been smarter from Day 1: $510 for same number of shows, better experiences

That's $337 we basically lit on fire by not doing 20 minutes of research.

Learn from our mistakes. Your wallet will thank you.

Start planning: Check show options, read real reviews, and understand total costs before you book. And if you're looking for las vegas family shows that don't require a second mortgage, you've got options - you just need to know where to look.

Quick Reference: Vegas Show Booking Checklist

Before booking ANY show:

• [ ] Calculate TOTAL cost (ticket + parking + fees)
• [ ] Check venue size (under 600 seats = better sight lines)
• [ ] Verify age restrictions if bringing kids
• [ ] Read recent reviews (not just star ratings)
• [ ] Compare matinee vs evening pricing
• [ ] Confirm showtime works with your schedule

For last-minute bookings:

• [ ] Check between 3-4 PM for same-day releases
• [ ] Call box office directly (avoid online fees)
• [ ] Ask about any same-day promotions
• [ ] Verify parking situation

For Cirque specifically:

• [ ] Understand "discounts" usually mean bad seats
• [ ] Consider alternatives with similar acrobatics
• [ ] If booking Cirque, prioritize seat quality over price

For variety shows:

• [ ] Verify actual runtime (not advertised time)
• [ ] Check performer credentials
• [ ] Look for shows with 15+ performers
• [ ] Read multiple recent reviews

Red flags to avoid:

• "50% off premium shows" (usually scams)
• Third-party resellers with no refund policy
• Shows with suspiciously few reviews
• Venues that won't disclose total costs upfront

‍