I know there is no way to compete with the other Halloween TRs going on, but maybe someone will get something useful out of this. We were going as 2 guys and due to that we really were going to try to avoid tables but still get in everywhere in reasonable time. Nothing truly great here, but since I am new, I figure may as throw up a TR.
Staying at TheHotel, Strip View. I cannot recommend these rooms enough, 2 TVs, a real separate bedroom, 1.5 baths and everything is top notch. Worked really well for us as when someone was sleeping it was easy enough to close the door and just chill on the couch without bothering them. Everyone will complain about where it is on the strip, but cabs are not bad, and the Mandalay property is decently laid out and easy to get around compared to some of the even bigger ones. I could easily see this as a room for 3 or 4 guys with no issues, 2 queen beds and couch or rollaway.
Arrive Mid Afternoon Wednesday….First time getting into Vegas non-stop and it is amazing how much better it feels, not that miserable traveling for 8 hours with a connection feeling. Get to the room and love it, unpack and need food. Mandalay buffet is closed until 4:45 and since we stayed at Luxor last time, hit up that Buffet. Horrible, do not go, everything is under construction and just much worse than last time. As we are leaving we go past the podium and get on the list for LAX. Already planning to go Friday for Deadmau5, but it is close and always good for a backup plan. Head back to room, planning to do Mix and EyeCandy and just have a low key night while getting used to the time difference with LAX in our back pocket if we want to go out. Head up to Mix, enjoy a few 2 for 1 drinks and a view of the strip. Great place, but packed with people for an IBM convention so around 1130 it is off to eyecandy. Same deal, all IBM people so after 1 drink it is time to walk across to LAX. Walk up to guest list line and in no cover under 5 minutes. Club is kind of dead but we still try to enjoy it, have a couple of heavy drinks. I think we end up leaving around 2 or 3 and calling it a night.
Thursday, Wake Up, Walk to the Vegas Sign (hadn’t seen it in my previous visits) and hit the Liquor store across from the hotel. Debated between Tao and Tryst most of the day, but too new here to feel comfortable meeting JC people and Tao was 80s night while Tryst was doing 7 Sins Halloween Party. Order Tickets through wanttickets for Tryst. Pregame in room until just before midnight and we are off to the Wynn. Stand in line for about 5 minutes just trying to make contact with someone to let them know we are on the list, get our admission slip and are in well before the line. Inside it is crazy, half and half in costumes or not. Spend some time on the inside; watch one of the costume contests, then head out by the waterfall. Talk to a bunch of great people, my friend heads off to the bathroom around 4 as it is winding down. Next thing I know he is talking to security so I figure he is leaving with or without me. I grab him and we are in a cab the driver goes through the normal “strip club pitch” I say I don’t think my friend will make it, and on cue he basically decides to take a nap on the minivan floor. Get him to the room and decide getting Gatorade will be good for him. Wander down to shop around 5am and on way back, somehow the door latch is now locked. Call his cell…nothing, room…nothing, Open the door a crack and yell…nothing. Most frustrating feeling in world is having the door be open for a crack and being able to hear snoring but not get in. Spend a lot of time wandering Mandalay, calling and texting every 15-20 mins. Went out to pool hoping it opens at 7, to grab a chair and sleep. Nope 9am. Keep trying to get his attention until 8:30 when he finally answers hotel phone.
Friday- Sleep most of the day given the previous night’s adventures. Grab some food and we were planning to do the Luxor bar crawl which started at 6. It was $15 for 4 bars, 2 free drinks $4 drink specials and entry into LAX at the end. Get to the start of it and it looks pretty sad so we just have a drink at the bar waiting to see if it gets better before getting the wrist bands. We decide to pass, head back over to the LAX podium to get on the list for Deadmau5, gamble a bit and head back to room to relax and enjoy some nice Fat Tuesday drinks. Get to LAX around 11:45 and try to get in, fire alarms are going off so they cannot let anyone in. Grab a round at the casino bar, jump back in guest list line and are one of the first few in as soon as alarms are off. Good times inside, the crowd was a lot of fun and had me wishing I had a table for the first time all trip really as the middle is just mobbed. Head out late, get some McDonalds from Luxor court and walk back to the room.
Saturday-College Football in the Morning, Had already bought the VIP wristband for the Palms after going for killer costumes last year, so we were set for the night. Gambled enough during the day to keep getting good hotel rates in the future, Went to Fleur De Lys for an early dinner and it was great, if you are at Mandalay and want to splurge on a meal, this was worth it. Got the $50 restaurant.com certificate for $4 thanks to here and it worked so easily. Watched the end of the late college games, started drinking in the room and getting ready to go out. Got to the palms around 11:30, no line at the wristband table and we were in the pool door of Rain within minutes. Did a tour of Rain again to regain bearings for later and found a spot to hang out near the center bar. Hung out until Oakenfold started, watched a good 30 minutes or so, then decided we wanted to make full use of the wristband. Went to ghostbar, skipping a short line, managed to get a few seats outside and enjoy the weather, the drinks and the costumes. Time is started to get away but after a few drinks we are back off again heading to Moon. Get a spot on the rail upstairs and just take it all in for a while before making our way back downstairs into the crowd. While in Moon we got the benefit of the time change, headed back to Rain for the end of Oakenfold and just enjoying the night and the good vibe in all of the clubs. It has been said countless times that I have read, but the wristband is great. Leaving Palms the cab line is ridiculous so we grab a limo on the cheap and head back.
Sunday-Wake up on about 4 hours sleep, the Ravens game is on in the hotel room so this is a major plus for us. No need to move or fight the sportsbook crowd. We get the sound of our game and the Ravens win, good start to our last day. The weather has finally broken from the cold and wind so I hit up the pool for a bit to see if it is worth all of the hype. It is not bad and I am sure it is great in the summer. Not sure if we are feeling up to going out after 4 hard nights but we head up to CP and Bellagio to wander around and at least be in position to do Pure/Bank if we feel like it. By the time 10:30 rolls around we decide to just keep walking from casino to casino instead as we are not really up for another night of clubs with the flight in the morning.
Fly out Monday, Realizing I didn’t get to In-n-out at all makes me sad but overall a fun trip. Wouldn’t have done LAX twice but Wednesday was really more of convenience and Friday was planned for the show. Will definitely want to replace with XS or Tao or one of the new places next time. But overall it was a great time for only 2 guys and with a little planning we didn’t wait. Next time, more people, tables and all that good stuff, for now just living through the lucky people on here getting to go until I get to go back.
Staying at TheHotel, Strip View. I cannot recommend these rooms enough, 2 TVs, a real separate bedroom, 1.5 baths and everything is top notch. Worked really well for us as when someone was sleeping it was easy enough to close the door and just chill on the couch without bothering them. Everyone will complain about where it is on the strip, but cabs are not bad, and the Mandalay property is decently laid out and easy to get around compared to some of the even bigger ones. I could easily see this as a room for 3 or 4 guys with no issues, 2 queen beds and couch or rollaway.
Arrive Mid Afternoon Wednesday….First time getting into Vegas non-stop and it is amazing how much better it feels, not that miserable traveling for 8 hours with a connection feeling. Get to the room and love it, unpack and need food. Mandalay buffet is closed until 4:45 and since we stayed at Luxor last time, hit up that Buffet. Horrible, do not go, everything is under construction and just much worse than last time. As we are leaving we go past the podium and get on the list for LAX. Already planning to go Friday for Deadmau5, but it is close and always good for a backup plan. Head back to room, planning to do Mix and EyeCandy and just have a low key night while getting used to the time difference with LAX in our back pocket if we want to go out. Head up to Mix, enjoy a few 2 for 1 drinks and a view of the strip. Great place, but packed with people for an IBM convention so around 1130 it is off to eyecandy. Same deal, all IBM people so after 1 drink it is time to walk across to LAX. Walk up to guest list line and in no cover under 5 minutes. Club is kind of dead but we still try to enjoy it, have a couple of heavy drinks. I think we end up leaving around 2 or 3 and calling it a night.
Thursday, Wake Up, Walk to the Vegas Sign (hadn’t seen it in my previous visits) and hit the Liquor store across from the hotel. Debated between Tao and Tryst most of the day, but too new here to feel comfortable meeting JC people and Tao was 80s night while Tryst was doing 7 Sins Halloween Party. Order Tickets through wanttickets for Tryst. Pregame in room until just before midnight and we are off to the Wynn. Stand in line for about 5 minutes just trying to make contact with someone to let them know we are on the list, get our admission slip and are in well before the line. Inside it is crazy, half and half in costumes or not. Spend some time on the inside; watch one of the costume contests, then head out by the waterfall. Talk to a bunch of great people, my friend heads off to the bathroom around 4 as it is winding down. Next thing I know he is talking to security so I figure he is leaving with or without me. I grab him and we are in a cab the driver goes through the normal “strip club pitch” I say I don’t think my friend will make it, and on cue he basically decides to take a nap on the minivan floor. Get him to the room and decide getting Gatorade will be good for him. Wander down to shop around 5am and on way back, somehow the door latch is now locked. Call his cell…nothing, room…nothing, Open the door a crack and yell…nothing. Most frustrating feeling in world is having the door be open for a crack and being able to hear snoring but not get in. Spend a lot of time wandering Mandalay, calling and texting every 15-20 mins. Went out to pool hoping it opens at 7, to grab a chair and sleep. Nope 9am. Keep trying to get his attention until 8:30 when he finally answers hotel phone.
Friday- Sleep most of the day given the previous night’s adventures. Grab some food and we were planning to do the Luxor bar crawl which started at 6. It was $15 for 4 bars, 2 free drinks $4 drink specials and entry into LAX at the end. Get to the start of it and it looks pretty sad so we just have a drink at the bar waiting to see if it gets better before getting the wrist bands. We decide to pass, head back over to the LAX podium to get on the list for Deadmau5, gamble a bit and head back to room to relax and enjoy some nice Fat Tuesday drinks. Get to LAX around 11:45 and try to get in, fire alarms are going off so they cannot let anyone in. Grab a round at the casino bar, jump back in guest list line and are one of the first few in as soon as alarms are off. Good times inside, the crowd was a lot of fun and had me wishing I had a table for the first time all trip really as the middle is just mobbed. Head out late, get some McDonalds from Luxor court and walk back to the room.
Saturday-College Football in the Morning, Had already bought the VIP wristband for the Palms after going for killer costumes last year, so we were set for the night. Gambled enough during the day to keep getting good hotel rates in the future, Went to Fleur De Lys for an early dinner and it was great, if you are at Mandalay and want to splurge on a meal, this was worth it. Got the $50 restaurant.com certificate for $4 thanks to here and it worked so easily. Watched the end of the late college games, started drinking in the room and getting ready to go out. Got to the palms around 11:30, no line at the wristband table and we were in the pool door of Rain within minutes. Did a tour of Rain again to regain bearings for later and found a spot to hang out near the center bar. Hung out until Oakenfold started, watched a good 30 minutes or so, then decided we wanted to make full use of the wristband. Went to ghostbar, skipping a short line, managed to get a few seats outside and enjoy the weather, the drinks and the costumes. Time is started to get away but after a few drinks we are back off again heading to Moon. Get a spot on the rail upstairs and just take it all in for a while before making our way back downstairs into the crowd. While in Moon we got the benefit of the time change, headed back to Rain for the end of Oakenfold and just enjoying the night and the good vibe in all of the clubs. It has been said countless times that I have read, but the wristband is great. Leaving Palms the cab line is ridiculous so we grab a limo on the cheap and head back.
Sunday-Wake up on about 4 hours sleep, the Ravens game is on in the hotel room so this is a major plus for us. No need to move or fight the sportsbook crowd. We get the sound of our game and the Ravens win, good start to our last day. The weather has finally broken from the cold and wind so I hit up the pool for a bit to see if it is worth all of the hype. It is not bad and I am sure it is great in the summer. Not sure if we are feeling up to going out after 4 hard nights but we head up to CP and Bellagio to wander around and at least be in position to do Pure/Bank if we feel like it. By the time 10:30 rolls around we decide to just keep walking from casino to casino instead as we are not really up for another night of clubs with the flight in the morning.
Fly out Monday, Realizing I didn’t get to In-n-out at all makes me sad but overall a fun trip. Wouldn’t have done LAX twice but Wednesday was really more of convenience and Friday was planned for the show. Will definitely want to replace with XS or Tao or one of the new places next time. But overall it was a great time for only 2 guys and with a little planning we didn’t wait. Next time, more people, tables and all that good stuff, for now just living through the lucky people on here getting to go until I get to go back.
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