Eleven Acres, Eight Pools, and the Only Wave Pool on the Strip
Here’s how to actually do it — day pass access, hours, and the times of day and week worth going.
Day Passes From ~$30
Via ResortPass. Prices climb to $60+ on peak summer weekends. Book ahead — walk-up availability is not reliable.
Weekdays, or Before 9:45am
Saturday afternoons fill fast. Arriving early is the difference between picking your spot and walking laps for a lounger.
The Only Wave Pool on the Strip
1.6 million gallons, waves 2–4 feet. Plus a lazy river at 3mph and 2,700 tons of real imported sand.
Consider Just Staying Here
3–4 people at $30–60 each already approaches the cost of a weekday room — which gets you the pool all trip, not one afternoon. Check rates →
The Mandalay Bay pool complex sprawls across 11 acres with eight distinct pools — a wave pool (the only one on the Strip), two lagoons, a lazy river, and the pools at both the Moorea and Delano Beach Clubs. There are 2,700 tons of white sand on the ground here. Not decorative sand. Actual beach.
The wave pool holds 1.6 million gallons and throws waves of roughly two to four feet. The lazy river runs at a steady three miles an hour. And the curved tower above all of it turns into something else entirely once it lights up after dark.
Eleven acres, from a room window. This is the only way to see the whole thing at once.
If you’re weighing up the hotel itself rather than just the pool, start with my full Mandalay Bay hotel review — the room, the bathroom, the tram to Allegiant Stadium, and the two things that genuinely fell short.
What I Actually Did Here With My Kids
About ten years ago I brought my two kids here for a full day on a non-guest day pass. The wave pool was the entire point as far as they were concerned — they’d have stayed in it until they were told to leave. I spent most of that day in the shade near the lazy river, which is the trade every parent here makes, and the right one.
The only wave pool on the Strip. Two to four feet, and 1.6 million gallons behind it.
It was a complete Las Vegas day without going anywhere. That’s the thing about this complex that doesn’t come across in photos: you don’t have to leave it.
Three miles an hour, and the shaded half of the complex.
Right after sunset, while the sky is still deep blue and the tower lights have just come on, there’s about twenty minutes where this place looks like nowhere else. If you’re taking one photo here, take it then.
Moorea Beach Club — The Adults-Only Pool
Moorea is 21+, sits on the upper level, and charges separate admission even if you’re a hotel guest. It’s topless-optional, and no recording devices of any kind are allowed — that rule is enforced.
General admission opens at 1pm, and if you’ve reserved a daybed or cabana you need to check in by then. It runs Thursday through Monday, 11am to 6pm, seasonally from around mid-March through the fall. In winter it stays open with the pool heated and fire pits going. Expect resort pricing: roughly $14 for a cocktail, $20 for a burger.
Day Pass Access for Non-Guests
You do not have to be a hotel guest to use the Mandalay Bay pool. Day passes go through ResortPass, which is the most reliable way to book one. Pricing starts around $30 and climbs with demand — peak summer weekends run $60 or higher. Cabanas start around $375.
Real imported sand, which is the part people don’t believe until they see it.
Availability is genuinely limited. Book ahead. Turning up and hoping for a walk-up is not a plan.
The main complex runs late March through October. Moorea stays open year-round.
Or Just Stay Here
Worth doing the arithmetic before you buy day passes. If there are three or four of you at $30 to $60 a head, you’re already at the cost of a room on a weekday — and a room gets you the pool for the whole stay rather than one afternoon, plus somewhere to put your bags and get out of the sun. It’s worth checking what a room actually costs for your dates before you decide.
It also takes Best Pool Complex and Best for Families in my Las Vegas hotel awards, where I compare sixteen Strip hotels I’ve actually stayed at.
Parking at Mandalay Bay
Use the Frank Sinatra Drive self-parking on the western side of the property rather than arriving from the Strip — it’s a far easier approach and a shorter walk. If you’d rather skip parking altogether, the indoor walkway from Luxor drops you in without ever going outside.
What to Bring
Sunscreen, an empty or still-sealed water bottle, and a card. Outside food and drink are not allowed, and unopened water is the only exception. No recording devices at Moorea.
Get here early or pay for shade. Weekdays are fine most of the day. On a weekend, arriving before about 9:45 is the difference between picking your spot and walking laps looking for a lounger. If you can’t get here early, reserve a cabana rather than gambling on it — they come with complimentary non-alcoholic drinks, which takes some of the sting out.
While You’re There: What Else Is at Mandalay Bay
Shark Reef Aquarium has around 2,000 animals and a walk-through tunnel, and it’s a solid two hours if you do it properly — a good option for the hottest part of the afternoon. Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil is in the theatre on site and it’s one of the shows locals actually recommend.
If You Want the Full Vegas Pool Party Experience
This complex can be two completely different places. Quiet swimming in the evening, or the loud version. If you want the loud version, a Las Vegas VIP pool crawl with a party bus, express entry and drinks is the way people usually do it.
Make the Most of Your Trip Beyond the Strip
If you’re building a few days around this, the desert is closer than people expect. See our full Las Vegas day trips guide for the honest comparison, including the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, and Valley of Fire.
Where It Sits on the Strip
Mandalay Bay anchors the south end of the Strip, about ten minutes from Luxor through the indoor walkway. It slots naturally into a south-Strip stay with Luxor, Excalibur, New York-New York and MGM, and it’s the closest resort cluster to the airport — useful on both ends of a trip.
Why It Still Gets Me After 20 Years
Other properties have better-looking pools. Bellagio’s is more elegant and the Cosmopolitan’s has a better view. What Mandalay Bay has is scale and options and a view that changes completely depending on what time of day you’re standing there.
You can do a wave pool with kids in the morning, a lazy river in the afternoon and an adults-only deck in the evening without leaving the property. Nowhere else on the Strip lets you do that.
Mandalay Bay Pool: Common Questions
Can you use the Mandalay Bay pool if you’re not staying there?
Yes. Non-guests get in through ResortPass day passes, which start around $30 and climb past $60 on peak summer weekends. Availability is limited, so book ahead rather than relying on walking up.
What are the Mandalay Bay pool hours?
The main complex runs late March through October, with the wave pool and lazy river operating seasonally inside that window. Moorea Beach Club runs Thursday through Monday, 11am to 6pm, and stays open year-round because it’s heated through winter.
Does Mandalay Bay have a wave pool?
It does, and it’s the only one on the Las Vegas Strip. It holds 1.6 million gallons and generates waves of roughly two to four feet.
Does Mandalay Bay have a lazy river?
Yes, running at a steady three miles an hour with palm canopy overhead for shade. It’s the shaded half of the complex and the better spot if you’re supervising rather than swimming.
When is the best time to go to the Mandalay Bay pool?
Weekdays, or before about 9:45am on a weekend. Saturday afternoons fill up, and arriving early is the difference between a good day and queuing for a lounger.
Can you bring your own food and drink?
No. Outside food and drink are prohibited, with unopened water bottles the only exception.
Check Mandalay Bay Rates
If a few of you are going, staying here often beats buying day passes separately.