Surprising Creatures and Familiar ‘Fishies’ at Mandalay Bay’s Aquarium

The variety of interesting animals makes up for the elusive amenities

Family Restrooms: No
Diaper Changing Stations: Yes
Lactation Space: No
Stroller-Friendly: Yes
Overall Child-Friendly: Yes
Time Spent: Roughly 2 hours

Wildlife might be hard to spot in an arid, urban place like Las Vegas. But at the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay, you’ll encounter animals both familiar and peculiar. I was tempted to review the aquarium on its own, rather than lumping it in with the less baby-friendly Mandalay Bay Resort, where it’s located. But, since you can’t extricate one from the other, a side-by-side review makes the most sense.  With everything taken into account, this stop on our family trip clocks in at #5 in my ranking of baby-friendly spots in Las Vegas.

As long as you plan diaper changes and feedings carefully, the Aquarium at Mandalay Bay is a stop you don’t want to miss. It’s family-friendly, with a surprising variety of creatures. The trouble we ran into during our trip in May of 2023 involved finding a changing table outside the aquarium and a lack of family restrooms and lactation spaces. Planning ahead will help you avoid these obstacles.

Since our family of three was traveling with a group of extended family, all with different priorities, we almost skipped this stop. But I’m so glad we didn’t. Our 10-month-old daughter loved every minute, and it definitely exceeded my expectations. We encountered surprises ranging from a Komodo Dragon to an octopus to a tank of piranhas, along with plenty of familiar favorites, like tropical fish, sharks, and turtles. 

Our family, parents and baby alike, could stare at the octopus tank for hours. We were thrilled to find one at the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay!

Our daughter has grown to love “fishies” and aquariums. We made a point of visiting several before she turned one, and her passion even inspired us to throw her an undersea-themed birthday party. It would be hard to pick favorites among the aquariums we visited, but this one stood out in terms of its unique animals and its size relative to its context. We expected a quick walkthrough with the basics, but that was not the case. At the same time, it wasn’t too big to manage. 

This is another spot where we appreciated our Infantino Flip 4-in-1 Convertible Baby Carrier. A stroller would work fine (we brought ours along to stow our diaper bag and my pumping supplies), but our daughter appreciated the opportunity to see the animals up close. She’s been known to reach out and try to grab the fish! 

I’m an animal lover, and I have a special place in my heart for creepy crawlies, including reptiles of all kinds. This giant Komodo Dragon was my favorite animal encounter at the Shark Reef and Aquarium at Mandalay Bay Resort.

All of that said, we never did find a diaper changing station outside the aquarium — and we regrettably passed up our chance to use that one. This changing table is located en route inside the aquarium. A helpful employee actually pulled us aside to let us know about it. At the time, we didn’t need it. But, knowing what I know now, I would recommend taking the opportunity, especially if you plan to spend more time at the resort beyond the aquarium.

To be fair, we did not check every restroom on site. I didn’t have this blog in mind yet, and we didn’t want to waste our time ducking in and out of restrooms. After checking a few, we moved on to the next stop.

Before we left, I called the resort and confirmed that there aren’t any family restrooms or public lactation spaces at Mandalay Bay. We planned around this disappointing circumstance, and I didn’t try to pump while we were there. For this reason, I didn’t get a close look at the restrooms with this purpose in mind.

Next door, the Luxor does have a family restroom, although it was closed when we visited. Luxor also has changing stations in at least some of the men’s and women’s restrooms. If the Luxor is the next stop on your list, it might be worth waiting.

All-in-all, if you come to Mandalay Bay prepared and stay for a short time, this Vegas stop is both doable and lovable. Scope out your favorite animal, and take the opportunity to let your little one discover theirs.