Gameday at Michelob ULTRA Arena: How to Do Las Vegas Aces Home Games and Tickets Right

If you roll into Mandalay Bay 20 minutes before tip, you will pay more for parking, spend the first quarter in a security line, and miss warmups. Home nights for the Las Vegas Aces work best when you treat them like the locals do: buy parking ahead of time, know the bag rule, and use the arena’s interior routes so you never step into the heat.

Where you’re actually going and how to move inside the building

The Aces play their home schedule at Michelob ULTRA Arena inside Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South. For basketball the building seats about 12,000, so it is big enough to feel like a true arena but small enough that even end-zone uppers see the action well. If you are used to stadium tailgates, reset your expectations. You are parking at a Strip megaresort and walking indoors through casino corridors, shops, and a dedicated arena hallway.

The shortest route from Mandalay Bay’s self-park garage is the casino-level path past landmarks you can spot quickly: Citizens Kitchen + Bar, then KUMI, then STRIPSTEAK, and finally a right turn at Starbucks down the long hallway to the arena entrance. This is the same path the team publishes for guests coming from either the front desk or the garage, and it keeps you in air-conditioning the entire way. If you prefer to minimize steps, choose the Mandalay Bay garage and avoid weaving through Mandalay Place and Luxor.

Security at Michelob ULTRA Arena uses a strict small-bag policy: only personal bags up to 9 x 5 x 2 inches are permitted, and they do not have to be clear. Medical and diaper bags are reviewed case by case, and outside food and drink are not allowed. There are paid lockers just outside the main entrance if you misjudge the bag size and need to stow something before you scan in.

Two small extras to know that seasoned locals use: the arena runs a Designated Driver sign-up inside the main lobby near the Suite entrance from doors open until tip, and tickets are mobile-first. The team specifically recommends the AXS app for entry. If you truly do not use a smartphone, the credit card used for purchase can serve as your entry ID at the scanner, but printed “souvenir” tickets do not scan for access.

How much does parking cost near Michelob ULTRA Arena?

On Aces game nights, Mandalay Bay and its sister properties use event pricing with a simple pattern: the pay-on-arrival rate is higher than the pre-paid rate. The team’s arena page links you to pre-pay options and notes that the cheaper pre-paid prices are available only if you buy them by the end of the day before the game. Buy late, and you pay the higher gate price at the garage kiosk.

Prepaying saves real money and time. On Aces nights the $25 pre-paid rate at Mandalay Bay or Luxor is a straight discount from the $30 gate price, and Excalibur’s pre-paid $15 undercuts its weekday and weekend gate rates too. The catch is timing: to lock that pre-paid price you must buy parking by the end of the day before the game, not an hour before you leave the house.

Regular, non-event self-parking rates at MGM’s Strip properties are $20 per 24 hours Monday–Thursday and $25 per 24 hours Friday–Sunday. Nevada residents get up to 3 hours free with a valid Nevada driver’s license at the exit gate, but that local perk is specifically suspended during special events. Aces home games are treated as events, so plan on the event pricing above.

Exiting tip: the Mandalay Bay garage empties to Frank Sinatra Drive, the back-of-house street that runs parallel to Las Vegas Boulevard. If you park on a level where you can use stairs rather than elevators and head straight to Frank Sinatra Drive, you will beat a good chunk of the postgame gridlock that piles up on the Strip side.

Tickets without the runaround: season, single-game, and premium

Everything official runs through the team and AXS. The simplest move is to buy single-game seats in the AXS app and keep them there until you walk up to the turnstile. Transferring tickets to friends also works in-app, and transfers mean each person can scan their own seat from their own phone. If you cannot use a smartphone, the card used to purchase the tickets can be presented for entry at the reader, which is the recommended non-phone workaround baked into AXS’s Mobile ID system.

If you are chasing season seats, the Aces have used a $25 per-seat waitlist deposit that holds your place. If the team cannot convert your deposit into a season ticket within two years, you can apply the deposit toward single-game seats instead. While the club does not publish a universal season-ticket price grid, be realistic about demand spikes. Marquee opponents and weekend games sell faster and drive face-value and premium options to move first, while midweek opponents and earlier tip times tend to be easier to land at standard pricing.

Groups and suites are their own lanes. The club runs interest forms for groups and for premium products like VIP tables, courtside, and suites. If your group is price-sensitive, ask about weekday games and upper bowl blocks, which are more available and often paired with promotions. If your group is focused on access rather than cost, note that courtside packages are sold as premium products that include in-seat service and other add-ons, not just the seat itself.

What changes if the Aces play a “special” home date at T-Mobile Arena?

Most Aces home games are at Michelob ULTRA Arena. In recent seasons, a few high-demand dates have shifted across the street to T-Mobile Arena. If your ticket lists T-Mobile Arena, two things change for you.

First, the parking plan moves upstream. For T-Mobile Arena events, MGM restricts parking at Park MGM, New York-New York, and the ARIA Event Garage to pre-paid parking only through its event portal. Do not assume your Mandalay Bay pre-paid pass covers a T-Mobile event. Buy the correct pre-paid garage for the T-Mobile event you are attending, otherwise you will be waved elsewhere at arrival.

Second, the bag logistics move outdoors. T-Mobile uses the same small-bag rule as Michelob ULTRA Arena, allowing only 9 x 5 x 2 inch personal bags. If you show up with something larger, there is a paid bag check on Toshiba Plaza with locker pricing that starts at $20, opening when arena doors open and closing 45 minutes after the event. That is a reliable safety valve, but it adds both time and cost. Plan ahead and keep your pockets light.

Everything else feels familiar. T-Mobile Arena door times vary by event, just like they can at Michelob ULTRA Arena, and the venue also expects mobile ticketing for entry. If you are trying to decide whether to park at Mandalay Bay and walk, count on a 20 to 25 minute walk to T-Mobile from Mandalay Bay using interior routes and Toshiba Plaza, or simply buy the pre-paid garage attached to T-Mobile and keep the walk under five minutes.

Skip the car: Strip tram, Deuce bus, and rideshare that actually work

If you are staying at Luxor or Excalibur, the free elevated Mandalay Bay–Luxor–Excalibur tram is often the least-stress option. It runs daily from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. If your game runs long and you spill out after midnight, plan to walk the resort corridors instead of banking on a ride back up the line. On a weekday night with a 7 p.m. tip, the tram is perfect for pregame and often still running when you head home.

Bus riders have an easy route: the RTC’s Strip service, the Deuce, serves the south Strip near Mandalay Bay and Luxor, runs 24/7, and uses fixed-price passes that cover a lot of ground. The 2‑hour pass is $6, the 24‑hour pass is $8, and a 3‑day pass is $20. You can buy on the vehicle, at select machines, or in the rideRTC, Transit, or Uber apps. If your night includes dinner, the game, and a quick nightcap, the 24‑hour pass is the cleanest way to move without watching the clock.

Rideshare at Mandalay Bay is straightforward if you know where to stand. The resort’s rideshare drop-off is at the main porte cochère on the front drive. The designated pick-up after events is south of the hotel lobby, down the escalator at beach level. That location clears the casino floor and gives drivers a staging area that moves faster than trying to flag a car at the busier main doors.

One more transportation wrinkle that trips up visitors: MGM Resorts gives up to 3 hours of complimentary self‑parking to Nevada residents with a valid local driver’s license, but that perk is suspended during special events. If you are a local heading to an Aces home game, do not count on the locals-free window to apply. If you want a discount without guesswork, the team’s pre-paid event parking is the predictable play.

Timing your arrival, security, and the little things that save time

Door times vary by event, but the rhythm is fairly consistent: arrive 60–90 minutes before tip and you can watch warmups, get through a lighter security window, and pick a concession without a line. If you sprint to the arena right at tip, you will find a longer queue at the metal detectors and your entire group will stack up at the single busiest concession window on your concourse. That is how people wind up missing half the first quarter.

Security is efficient if you play by the rules. Respect the 9 x 5 x 2 inch personal bag limit, skip the outside food and drinks, and hold your phone with the AXS app open as you approach the scanner. If your friend does not use a smartphone, make sure the card they used to buy their seat is in their pocket for entry. If someone in your group needs to check a bag at T-Mobile Arena on a special game night, budget for the locker fee that starts at $20 and remember that bag-check closes 45 minutes after the event ends.

Where to eat pregame if you want to keep it simple? You are steps from dozens of options. The team itself points fans to Slice of Vegas in the Shoppes at Mandalay Place, which is close enough to the arena lobby that you can keep an eye on your watch and not cut it close. If you would rather shop than snack, the Aces Team Shop operates at the team’s headquarters at 1415 Raiders Way, Suite 110, Henderson, typically with Saturday hours of 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. during the season, plus a full online store; on game days you will also find official merchandise stands inside the arena concourse.

Quick takeaways for getting in and out cleanly

• Park smarter: pre-pay by the day before the game to get $25 at Mandalay Bay or Luxor instead of $30 at the gate, or go budget with Excalibur at $15 pre-paid.
• Bag rule is tight: personal bags only up to 9 x 5 x 2 inches. Medical and diaper exceptions are inspected, and no outside food or drink is allowed.
• Tickets live in the AXS app; if you do not use a smartphone, bring the credit card used to buy the seats and scan that.
• NV locals do get 3 free hours of self-park at MGM garages, but not during special events like Aces games.
• At T‑Mobile Arena, plan for pre-paid parking at Park MGM, New York-New York, or the ARIA Event Garage, and know that bag check lockers on Toshiba Plaza start at $20.
• The Mandalay Bay tram runs 10 a.m. to 12 a.m.. After midnight you are walking, so plan footwear accordingly.
• RTC’s Deuce bus is 24/7 with a $8 24‑hour pass and a $20 3‑day pass, a useful fallback if rideshare surge hits.

Reader Q&A

Do I really need to buy parking ahead of time for an Aces game?

You do not have to, but it is the easier and cheaper route. On home-game nights, Mandalay Bay and Luxor are $30 at the gate but $25 if you pre-pay by the day before, and Excalibur drops to $15 pre-paid. Pre-paying also avoids the slowest line at exit, since you skip the on-site payment step.

What bag can I bring into Michelob ULTRA Arena?

Only small personal bags up to 9 x 5 x 2 inches are allowed, and they do not have to be clear. Medical and diaper bags are handled individually at inspection. If you are at a special home date in T‑Mobile Arena and bring something larger, Toshiba Plaza has paid lockers that start at $20.

Are Aces tickets mobile-only?

The team uses AXS Mobile ID and recommends the AXS app for entry and transfers. If you cannot use a smartphone, you can scan in with the credit card used for purchase. Printed commemorative tickets are not valid for entry.

I’m local. Can I still get the 3 free hours of self-parking?

Yes at MGM garages in general, but not during special events. Aces home games are treated as events, so plan on the arena’s event pricing or use the team’s pre-paid parking to save compared to the gate.

The cleanest plan is still the simplest: pick your night, pre-pay the right garage, and keep your tickets in AXS. If you are deciding between convenience and savings, Mandalay Bay’s garage wins on time, and Excalibur wins on price.

Published: September 25, 2026 · Reviewed by the Hey Las Vegas editorial team