Fountains of Bellagio Water Show

The Bellagio Water Show is undoubtedly one of the most romanticized and iconic experiences that come to mind when travelers think about visiting Las Vegas, Nevada. If you’re unsure of what the water show is exactly, it’s a gigantic fountain – Fountain of Bellagio – that offers a unique performance every half hour. The fountain is made of a series of spouts that appear to dance to the music accompanying it. Plus, a colorful light illuminates the show. Not only is it synonymous with Las Vegas, but it is absolutely free for anyone to enjoy.

Scheduling details

If you’re worried that you won’t be able to see Fountains of Bellagio, that’s highly unlikely. Performances run regularly every day of the week. Even if you’re among a larger crowd, the fountain is more than a thousand feet wide and can shoot water up to 460 feet in the air! The magnitude of the fountains nearly guarantees that you’ll be able to see the famed Bellagio Water Show in some capacity.

If the idea of standing in a crowd to catch the performance doesn’t appeal, there are other ways of enjoying the show if you’re willing to pay. The Bellagio hotel offers rooms with views of the fountains as well as a number of dining options whose tables offer wondrous views of the recital. For a cool $250,000 YOU can be a part of the performance in operating the controls and determining the dance sequence of the fountains. [As of 2017 this is still the case.] But, don’t worry — that hefty price tag comes with champagne (allegedly the equivalent of forty bottles worth.)

How It All Went Down

As you might know from other posts, I visited Las Vegas for the first time with my best friend, Amanda. Seeing the famed Fountains of Bellagio was at the top of her list. By crook or by hook, in her view, it was absolutely imperative that we see this magical performance. She added it to our itinerary and I think she even memorized the schedule of the performances.

We arrived early and waited in eager anticipation, happy to have gotten spots front and center of the fountains. Contentedly, we took photos of the outside of the hotel and awaited for the spectacle to begin. The fountain began bubbling slowly as light, airy, music began to play over the speaker system. Then the performance picked up. For a few short minutes, the water seemed to come to life as it shot high into the air, moved in perfect timing to the music, and swirled, leaped, and glided across the pool. The water at times seemed to shoot impossibly high in the air, to an awe-inspiring degree even. The scale of the massive fountains is truly astounding. You might even catch a little mist from the show, which is welcoming on a hot night.

After about four minutes, the performance of the infamous Fountains of Bellagio seemed to come to an end. The dense crowd of people around us began to walk off, smiling in delight from the free performance. I can’t even write this next scene without bursting out with laughter.

GREAT expectations

While everyone around us may have left wearing smiles, Amanda stood in front of the fountains with her mouth agape and horrified eyes. Apparently, she had been left largely underwhelmed by the show and its short length. Then, she insisted that there had to be more to the performance. I knew that there wasn’t and stifled a torrent of giggles that were desperate to escape my throat. Poor Amanda had been waiting months for the Fountains of Bellagio only to realize that as dazzling as it was, the performance was a short, free, display and nothing more. “I can’t believe that was it! That was the whole thing?!” her disappointment was the point of both her dismay in conversations and my hysterical laughter for quite some time.

In conclusion, I absolutely would recommend making time for the Bellagio Water Show, however… be sure to temper your expectations. Also, are you even best friends if you don’t laugh at and with each other?