{"id":233395,"date":"2024-06-17T22:06:49","date_gmt":"2024-06-17T22:06:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/17\/mgm-grands-hunger-games-attraction-closes-pivots-to-friends-experience\/"},"modified":"2025-06-25T17:16:50","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T17:16:50","slug":"mgm-grands-hunger-games-attraction-closes-pivots-to-friends-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/17\/mgm-grands-hunger-games-attraction-closes-pivots-to-friends-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"MGM Grand&#8217;s &#8220;Hunger Games&#8221; Attraction Closes, Pivots to &#8220;Friends Experience&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> [ad_1]<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"post-info-panel\">\n<div class=\"post-info-panel__author-holder\">\n<div class=\"post-info-panel__author-logo\">\n                                                                                                    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/all-about-us\"><br \/>\n                                                        <img alt=\"Scott Roeben\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/author-logo-lg-88x88.png\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/author-logo-lg-176x176.png 2x\" class=\"avatar avatar-88 photo\" height=\"88\" width=\"88\" decoding=\"async\"\/>                                                    <\/a>\n                                                                                            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/hunger-games-the-exhibition-to-close-at-mgm-grand\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">we foretold<\/a> back in January, 2024, the \u201cHunger Games\u201d attraction at MGM Grand has closed. What\u2019s next for the space has been announced: A \u201cFriends\u201d experience. Officially, \u201cThe Friends Experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Yes, those \u201cFriends.\u201d The sitcom\u2019s final episode aired on May 6, 2004, two decades ago. \u201cFriends\u201d is timeless, however, thanks to a little something called syndication.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s see what\u2019s in store for \u201cFriends\u201d fans, shan\u2019t we? Could the capitalization in this sentence BE any more predictable?<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_40643\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-40643\" style=\"width: 845px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-40643 size-post-thumbnail-crop-845xAUTO\" style=\"border: 1px solid #000000;\" alt=\"\" width=\"845\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/friends_experience1-845x563.jpg\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-40643\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">\u201cFriends\u201d was shot at Warner Bros. in Burbank, California. Stage 5 for the first season, Stage 24 for the rest. These folks aren\u2019t members of the cast because there\u2019s diversity. Yes, we said it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>If you\u2019d been paying attention to our Twitter feed, the announcement of the \u201cFriends Experience\u201d would not have been a surprise, as we shared a \u201cFriends\u201d-related post just prior to the announcement of the new attraction.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The one where Courtney Cox shared a photo of the cast of &#8220;Friends&#8221; on a flight to Vegas before they all became famous. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/TB0oOHUWav\">pic.twitter.com\/TB0oOHUWav<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Vital Vegas (@VitalVegas) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/VitalVegas\/status\/1800415561790447972?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">June 11, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Coincidence? Well, yes, but that doesn\u2019t fit our narrative of knowing everything in Las Vegas before it happens, so just play along.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHunger Games: The Exhibition\u201d opened on June 6, 2019, a decent run for Las Vegas given the fact there was no gambling involved.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHunger Games\u201d was operated by Victory Hill Exhibitions, part of Neon Global (formerly CityNeon Holdings).<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cFriends Experience\u201d is from Original X, a company that \u201ctransforms iconic stories and brands into memorable location-based entertainment, igniting imaginations and captivating audiences around the globe.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In layperson\u2019s terms, \u201csqueezing every last cent possible out of once-popular TV shows and movies.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The company also does \u201cThe Office Experience\u201d and \u201cHarry Potter, Magic at Play.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Think Madame Tussauds, but instead of creepy wax celebrities, there are sets and props.<\/p>\n<p>Today, we realized Tussauds doesn\u2019t have an apostrophe. Caesars Palace doesn\u2019t have one, either, presumably because we are all Caesars. Following that logic, we are all Tussauds.<\/p>\n<p>Anyway, the \u201cFriends Experience\u201d will debut at MGM Resorts later this year.<\/p>\n<p>The official description says the attraction \u201ctransports guests into the world of \u2018Friends\u2019 allowing fans to explore the show\u2019s iconic moments, behind-the-scenes content and photo opportunities within life-sized set recreations. Fans can become part of Ross and Rachel\u2019s iconic Las Vegas wedding scene bursting out into the chapel\u2019s lobby, kick back in Monica\u2019s apartment, or even dance around the legendary fountain featured in the opening credits.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_40644\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-40644\" style=\"width: 845px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazyload wp-image-40644 size-post-thumbnail-crop-845xAUTO\" style=\"border: 1px solid #000000;\" alt=\"\" width=\"845\" height=\"563\" src=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/friends_experience2-845x563.jpg\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-40644\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A friend: \u201cWhat did you do during your precious time in Vegas?\u201d Their friend: \u201cSat in a recliner and pretended to move a couch!\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The attraction has been in 24 cities, so this one is dubbed \u201cThe One in Las Vegas,\u201d also known as \u201cThe Only One That Matters.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The sets look spot-on, and we would absolutely take selfies in Monica\u2019s apartment or the Central Perk coffee shop or of ourself pretending to move that famous couch where Ross keeps shouting \u201cPivot!\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"arve\" data-mode=\"normal\" data-oembed=\"1\" data-provider=\"youtube\" id=\"arve-youtube-8w3wmqamoxq6670b3798d692105978560\" style=\"max-width:900px;\">\n<span class=\"arve-inner\"><br \/><span class=\"arve-embed arve-embed--has-aspect-ratio\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 500 \/ 281\"><br \/><span class=\"arve-ar\" style=\"padding-top:56.200000%\"\/><iframe loading=\"lazy\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen=\"\" class=\"arve-iframe fitvidsignore\" data-arve=\"arve-youtube-8w3wmqamoxq6670b3798d692105978560\" data-src-no-ap=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/8w3wmQAMoxQ?feature=oembed&amp;iv_load_policy=3&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;autohide=1&amp;playsinline=0&amp;autoplay=0\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"505.8\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-presentation allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\/embed\/8w3wmQAMoxQ?feature=oembed&amp;iv_load_policy=3&amp;modestbranding=1&amp;rel=0&amp;autohide=1&amp;playsinline=0&amp;autoplay=0\" width=\"900\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Still holds up, doesn\u2019t it, fellow kids? This was back when sitcoms were funny and people watched sitcoms.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s quite possible you have literally never heard of any of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.directv.com\/insider\/comedy-shows-directv\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">current crop of sitcoms<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>We sometimes see ads for \u201cGhosts\u201d when we\u2019re watching \u201cSurvivor,\u201d and the promos have never once given any indication there is any \u201ccom\u201d in that \u201csit\u201d whatsoever.<\/p>\n<p>Which is one of the reasons companies like Original X are revisiting \u201cFriends.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s hard to say what the appeal of this attraction will be, but nostalgia can make bank if done well.<\/p>\n<p>We have a soft spot for \u201cFriends,\u201d and we have a vague memory of having written a spec script for the show. Or maybe it was \u201cHome Improvement\u201d or \u201cMarried\u2026With Children.\u201d We definitely did <a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190218140753\/dribbleglass.com\/subpages\/seinfeld.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">an episode<\/a> of \u201cSeinfeld.\u201d Before you say it, we were no Larry David. It\u2019s worth noting, feedback was the main reason we didn\u2019t become a professional sitcom writer. That, and the total lack of interest in hiring us to be a professional sitcom writer.<\/p>\n<p>Bygones!<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re very excited to check out the \u201cFriends Experience.\u201d Anything to avoid having to see the terrible \u201cFriends: The Unauthorized Musical Parody\u201d stage show at the Orleans (originally at the now-shuttered theater at The D, this cringeworthy show shuttered it). It\u2019s weird they never used our review on their advertising: \u201cUnauthorized, uninspired and painfully unenjoyable. The only thing that could make this show worse is if Jennifer Aniston were in it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>We can predict one thing with certainty: There is a 24,000% chance the \u201cFriends Experience\u201d will have a gift shop featuring the frame around Monica\u2019s peephole. Which sounds dirtier than it really is.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFriends\u201d fans are encouraged to sign up for a ticket waitlist on the <a href=\"https:\/\/friendstheexperience.com\/Vegas\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">official Web site<\/a>, which seems a smidge optimistic, but whatever.<\/p>\n<p>In closing, a personal note: We miss you, Chandler. Where the hell is Madame Tussaud when you need her?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/>[ad_2]<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.casino.org\/vitalvegas\/mgm-grands-hunger-games-attraction-closes-pivots-to-friends-experience\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[ad_1] As we foretold back in January, 2024, the \u201cHunger Games\u201d attraction at MGM Grand has closed. What\u2019s next for the space has been announced:<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":233396,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[174],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233395"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=233395"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233395\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/233396"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=233395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=233395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michigandigitalnews.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=233395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}