Re: your question about TI vs Aladdin, I'd rate them as kind of even overall in terms of quality and service. Aladdin's basic rooms have better bathrooms, however.

The period between Thanksgiving and Christmas can yield some of the best prices of the year. But the best deals tend to go away as you get closer to Christmas Day. Also, the nights you want are weekend nights, which are always higher than weekday nights. For example, the Aladdin promotion called "Cearly" still shows $49 rooms on Dec 20/21/22. So, if you're flexible on your dates...