Aria's Wonderland NYE Party 2016! We're All Mad Here!

This is my third consecutive year going to Aria's private NYE party for their gamblers. This year I didn't get the invitation when it first went out because they made the criteria higher to qualify for the comped party. Fortunately around the end of November enough high level gamblers had declined that it opened up some seats for us mid-high level gamblers and my host called and invited me to attend with a guest. My friend SDguy was in a similar position and got the invite the next day too and accepted.

I love Aria's NYE party. This year the food and entertainment was just as great as in past years but MGM Resorts has started to save money where they can so there was no mention of unlimited Cristal Champagne as in the past.

The welcome gift this year the expresso cups was not as nice as in years past, but hey it's free if you don't count the gambling losses for the year, LOL! As in years past the party would start at 8pm with cocktails and entertainment and then move into a large ballroom for the main entertainment and dinner.

The next day on January 1st, there would be bars and food all day in another ballroom with the college games playing.

I put together a slide show and a few videos of the entertainment in the below video if you want to view the party.

If you prefer to read instead of seeing a slideshow and video, here you go but there are some extra photos in the slideshow!

My friend Gwen (yourstarla) was my guest for the party and SDguy's guest was Nate.

Going down the escalator and walking into the party was a long and wide hallway area which had entertainment, many bars with themed cocktails and other libations including Dom Perignon Champagne and photo op stations.

The bars and photo op stations would be available until midnight with the party closing down around 1am. There were also a couple stations where the ladies could get false eyelashes, hair clips and other fun items to wear.

There were many drink stations set up with the usual librations and also featuring a themed cocktail for the night with a name appropriate for the Wonderland theme.

As Gwen, Brian, Nate and I walked around admiring all the different acts I ran into Yani who is a fan of this blog and her husband Jack from LA! Was great to meet them both and I hope you two had a wonderful NYE!

SDGuy and I have met Linda from Pasadena at last year's NYE party and also saw her this year for a nice chat.

As we were going around and doing the different photo ops, Donna from Huntsville, Alabama recognized me from the blog. Always a pleasure to meet someone fun and nice and hopefully Donna we'll see each other again in Vegas!

The main ballroom opened at 9pm and continued the Wonderland theme.

The menu for the evening:

This year instead of Cristal they were pouring Perrier-Jouet for champagne at the tables but I'm all smiles because I found the bar station that had the Dom Perignon and that's what I continued to drink.

Citrus Shrimp with Hackleback Caviar, Cocktail Sauce, Horseradish Sorbet, Cucumber and Tomato Water Gelee'. The Shrimp were great but the stand out was the delicious Horseradish Sorbet, spicy and sweet!

Our main course was Filet Mignon and King Crab with Béarnaise Sauce, Potato Pave, and Spinach.

The dessert an Edible Garden of Wonderful was awesome and this photo does not do it justice. It was beautiful and tasted great!

Later in the four corners of the ballroom displays dropped from the ceiling and they had cotton candy on them.

I had lemongrass flavored cotton candy and it was good, Gwen said her caramel salted cotton candy was very good too. There were may other flavors and the cones had colorful led lights in them that could be turned on.

The entertainment during Aria's NYE parties never takes a break!

During the last couple hours of the party the staff circulated with lots of party favors. Nate looks cute with a rabbit nose! They handed out colorful lighted gloves, angel wings that lit up, sparkling leis, etc...

Gwen looks adorable with rabbit ears, and whiskers!

The entrance to the Hookahs that were on a outside patio but nary a caterpiller in sight!

Outside on the patio there were several comfortable Hookah stations set up with about 8 different types of flavors. I did try a couple of the Hookahs and after coughing a bit enjoyed the strawberry one.

There were bowls of sealed tips for the Hookahs so everyone had their own individual tip to use. There were also two attendants there to refill the Hookahs and answer any questions. Photos of them in the slideshow.

Our group loves a photo op!

SDguy and his selfie stick, LOL!

The sign says wrong way, is there every a right way in Wonderland?

Gwen with her bored pose!

If you can't win at Chess just hit them over the head with the pieces!

Back to the party, where I found out Nate was such a good dancer that we had both women and men trying to steal him from us!

Hugs and kisses after the countdown and 2016 begins!

The entertainment went on for about 30 minutes more after the countdown to NYE and after that we left to get our gamble on!

It was a great party, we all had a blast! If I'm invited to the Aria NYE party for 2017, I'll be there!