Tips for Attending Money in the Bank at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas

Whether one's taste runs towards stuntman spot-fests, wild multi-team tag matches or bouts between cool little guys and unwelcome big guys (twice!), WWE Money in the Bank -- happening on June 19 at 5 p.m. PDT -- has something for every wrestling fan.

Being that the show is nearly two weeks away, now is not the time to preview the card.

But, being that the show is happening in Las Vegas, now is the perfect time to preview a last-minute trip to watch the show live.

The live WWE experience is so far superior to the televised experience that there is no comparison. Who cares if you miss the commentary? You get chanting and little kids and long merchandise lines and lots and lots of overpriced beer (or food, if drinking isn't your thing).

It's the summer, the kids are out of school.  If you have been thinking about getting away for a day or two and you're a WWE fan who hasn't planned his (or her) getaway yet, this is the show to do it for.

SummerSlam will be a bigger show, but the tickets are high, hotels in New York are high and it's too darned hot in New York in August.  Las Vegas is an indoor town, so you'll barely feel the 110° heat.

If that pitch worked and you're ready to slap down that credit card and make a WWE/Vegas weekend happen, here are some tips from someone who's made many trips to Las Vegas for many events.

Fly, Don't Drive*

If you are nineteen and broke, then drive.  That's what the asterisk is for.  A kid with a car and a sense of adventure is a great thing, and a drive to Vegas for Money in the Bank is a great way to use both.

(Unfortunately for you broke nineteen year-olds out there, the Money in the Bank ticket site shows that the entire upper bowl of the arena is sold out.  Keep checking back, though, because extra tickets sometimes become available closer to the show.)

For those of you who are gainfully employed in a job that could in any way be described as part of a "career", I suggest you fly.  The Las Vegas airport is gigantic, but it is extremely efficient.  You may find line lines in the terminal or at security or when waiting for a cab, but they keep things moving.

And speaking of cabs...

Use Uber

Uber is a smartphone app that allows you to "call" a ride to pick you up and take you to your destination.  Uber has options for cheap rides with UberX (I rode a Toyota Camry and a Honda Civic to and from court today), rides for large parties with UberXL or, my personal Las Vegas favorite, UberSelect.  With 'Select', you ride in a nicer car (leather seats, higher end car model, etc.) for right around triple the price of UberX.  Since rides tend to be short in Vegas, I find that 'Select' is a nice way to splurge.

Stay on the South Side of the Strip

The T-Mobile Arena, where Money in the Bank is being held, is on the south side of the Strip.  Hotels nearby include MGM Grand, New York/New York, Monte Carlo, Excalibur and Tropicana, among others.

Las Vegas' "touristy" areas are relatively closely packed, so staying further from the arena is no great sin.  Heck, I even just mentioned Uber, which will allow you to go from hotel to arena to after-party without too much trouble.

I recommend the south side of The Strip anyway because you're going for a short weekend and it's going to be HOT.  Save your walk up The Strip or your exploring of all of the different resorts for another trip.  This is a WWE trip, WWE is running on the south side of The Strip and it'll be much easier to just stay in that general area all weekend.

Arrive Early and Check Out 'The Park' Before the PPV

Let's start by laying out the geography, courtesy of Google Maps, Paintbrush and my sloppy handwriting:

See how close The Park is to the arena?  And it's got shade and good food and bars and shade (shade is very important to me).  

Assuming that you're not in the broke nineteen year-old demographic (and, hey, I have nothing against broke nineteen year-olds; I once was one), getting outside to hang with fellow WWE fans before a big pay-per-view will be worth the expense.

Now, on to the actual show...

I must preface all of this by saying that I have yet to attend an event at T-Mobile Arena.  My first will be UFC 200, and that doesn't happen until July 9.

I have, however, followed and studied T-Mobile Arena carefully.  I don't know why, but sports stadiums have always fascinated me and T-Mobile Arena is no exception.  I followed its financing and planning and construction and seating design and just about anything else having to do with it.  

So, based purely on my studies of T-Mobile Arena...

Avoid Obstructed View Seats

The following sections have no clear view of the TitanTron:

3

18

101-120 (That's ALL of the 100 level "Party Deck" sections)

201-203

225-227

I know that obstructed view tickets are cheap.  But, unless you are a broke nineteen year-old, you'll want to get the full WWE pay-per-view experience.  That means seeing the full entrance and the TitanTron.

Buy Tickets in the Lower Bowl

Now I'm really taking away your affordable options.  I'm basically telling you to pay $150 per ticket, plus fees, to attend the show.  

I really hate to do that.  But I have to.  Here's why:

-The upper bowl has plastic seats.  

Plastic seats are less comfortable than the padded seats that populate T-Mobile Arena's lower bowl.

-The upper bowl is very steep.  

Unless you are in the first row or two, you will be so high above the ring that you might feel removed from the action.  

-The upper bowl concourse is above the seats.  (Aaargh!  Why do so many new arenas do this?!?)

When the concourse is at the top of the upper bowl, that means that people in the first couple of rows 

have to climb down dozens of very steep steps to get to their seats.  Look at some of the T-Mobile Arena's reviews on Yelp.  Over and over reviewers commented on how perilous it is to have to climb down dozens of steep steps to get to your seat.  

(If it seems like I'm irrationally frustrated by upper bowl concourses being placed above the seats, it's because I'm a Milwaukee Bucks season ticket holder and their new arena is going to have the same design flaw.)

Spend the Extra $25, Get Access to the 'Club'

The official Money in the Bank ticket site, at the moment I write this, has two tickets in section 8, row P for $350, including fees.  Those are great seats with a great view.  You'd be angled at the ring and the TitanTron would be only a few degrees to your left.

If you spend $400 for two tickets (including fees), however, you can get into section 16, row U.  Higher row, not exactly facing the ring and the view of the TitanTron is a tad awkward.  

But...

Tickets in section 16 get you access to the 'Club'.  The Bud Light Lounge, to be exact.  Tickets in section 15 also get you into the Bud Light Lounge, and tickets in sections 5 and 6 come with access to the Jack Daniel's Lounge.

I've been to many sporting events and I've sat in many good and bad seats, and I can assure you that, in modern arenas, the Club is worth $25 per seat.  The Club comes with its own separate bar, it comes with wider seats and, most importantly, bathrooms that are only available to Club ticket holders.  

Bathrooms and shade, folks.  You can tell I'm becoming an old man.

For those of you that decide to make the trip to Las Vegas, Enjoy!  I will be watching from Todd Martin's house, and I will be jealous.  (Even if you are a broke nineteen year-old.)