Not one for shopping at the ritzy stores, but I've always liked the ambiance of the Venetian. The one thing we were here for was to take my daughter on the gondola ride. Don't expect to get on the ride right away. It was an hour wait for us at around 3:30 p.m. We walked around a bit to take in some of the free entertainment provided. The walking plants on stilts were our favorite. There is a small show with jugglers, princesses and jesters on stilts near the gondolas. It was a little cheesy for the adults, but my daughter seemed to be enjoying herself.
You have to get back into line 10 minutes before your scheduled ride time. The system they have works great as it was exactly 4:30 when we boarded our boat. Our gondolier Umberto was awesome and a very personable guy. He serenaded my daughter and even sang "Bella Note" for her at the end, making sure she understood the reference to the Disney movie. You could tell that he was really into his job (he's been doing it for over 10 years).
Sure, it's technically a boat ride in "fake" Venice, but being that I don't travel internationally, works great for me. I would say you should do the gondola rides at least once in your lifetime as it is 15 minutes of a little imaginary fun.