Mohegan Sun Changes Wolf Den Seating

Within the past month Mohegan Sun has changed the seating in the Wolf Den. The Wolf Den offers an intimate venue of seating for several hundred patrons. There are no walls closing off the Wolf Den, and people frequently gather around the perimeter to hear the live bands. The Wolf Den offers free performances of some very good bands. Previously, the seating consisted of tables and chairs in a wood and leather theme consistent with the casino’s architecture. Typically the tables seated four to six patrons. That has been replaced with gray fabric chairs reminiscent of movie theater seats arranged in rows with cup holders in the arms. No more martinis 4U: they don’t fit in the cup holders. Same for traditional wine glasses. For those of you who frequent the Sun, what say ye?

Quote: BleedingChipsSlowly

Within the past month Mohegan Sun has changed the seating in the Wolf Den. The Wolf Den offers an intimate venue of seating for several hundred patrons. There are no walls closing off the Wolf Den, and people frequently gather around the perimeter to hear the live bands. The Wolf Den offers free performances of some very good bands. Previously, the seating consisted of tables and chairs in a wood and leather theme consistent with the casino’s architecture. Typically the tables seated four to six patrons. That has been replaced with gray fabric chairs reminiscent of movie theater seats arranged in rows with cup holders in the arms. No more martinis 4U: they don’t fit in the cup holders. Same for traditional wine glasses. For those of you who frequent the Sun, what say ye?

I'm one of those who gather around the perimeter as my wife likes to multitask by playing slots and watching the show. The twelve booths are still there. They are circular with a table in the middle and can comfortably seat six. Are they first come first served, reserved or something else? I've been invited to sit in them a few times but never thought about the arrangement.

The new seats are chintzy and look terribly out of place. I can't imagine what they were thinking. I guess you really do get what you pay for. :-)

Quote: 1BB

... The twelve booths are still there ... Are they first come first served, reserved or something else?

They are reserved, some more or less permanently for the same players. the staff holds them for 15 minutes after the show starts, after which the no-show seats are filled at the staff's discretion. The new seating is also a problem for the servers. They just can't attend to customers in the rows of seats without blocking people's view. With the previous seating you could just shift your chair, but not anymore! I've heard that people tend to order fewer drinks in the new seating. A LOT less. Hey, they don't need the money, right? My theory is they ordered seating for the soon-to-be-built movie theater *cough* and decided it would be a brilliant idea to use that seating in the interim. That's a stretch, I know, but it's hard to imagine a good reason for the change.

Quote: 1BB

...The new seats are chintzy and look terribly out of place. I can't imagine what they were thinking. ...

Well said: chintzy as in not tasteful or stylish. The seats aren't poor quality, they just clash horribly with the architectural design. Combined with the change in arrangement they have decimated the ambiance. Whoever lead the charge on this project has taste only in their mouth.

When they restocked the VIP lounges with house wine that tastes like it should be marketed in $5 gallon jugs I understood the cost saving measure. Hey, if you don't like it drink liquor or beer. Or buy good wine from a restaurant. When they constructed a barrier to turn the Sachem lounge into a one-entrance facility I think they did they best they could to keep the eyesore to a minimum. Perhaps they can't get the Italian marble anymore that was used for Wombi Rock. Now they are willing to sacrifice the incredible architecture of the place to save a nickle. Day-one employees are being dismissed if any bullshit reason can be found. A la Walmart, payroll reductions are being done by keeping two employees on part-time with no benefits or vacation time. I have seen this dance at companies I have worked for when the revenue stream starts to dry up. Perhaps it is time for me to find some other place to throw away money.

How do the new rules work on the BJ, Bacc, PGP, etc. tables? Is there no more need for a player/banker? If so, I wonder how it went unwinding all of those relationships.


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Quote: faarisuman

How do the new rules work on the BJ, Bacc, PGP, etc. tables? Is there no more need for a player/banker? If so, I wonder how it went unwinding all of those relationships.

You'll have to excuse me, faari, because I don't understand the question. Are you referring to Mohegan Sun? I can speak to the blackjack and say that the rules are still the same.

I was at Mohegan Sun over Christmas with the family. In the past, I would often poke my head into the Wolf's Den, but this is the first time that the four of us sat down. So I have no idea what the prior seating situation was.

When is the show? 8:00 to 10:00? We must have gotten there close to 9:00. I immediately noticed the stadium style seating on the dance floor and thought that was weird. Why not have small cocktail tables and regular chairs?

We sat in one of the round booths and although menus were already on the table (or put there when we sat down), it was a good 15 minutes before a waitress came by for our order. Only my wife ordered. We didn't get hassled for any sort of minimum drink order. She ordered a $7 item that had hot chocolate and some type of booze. I had a sip, and I thought it tasted just like the Hot Chocolate with Kalouha I had at the craps table the night before. For $1. OK, hers was about double the size...

On a plus note, the band was fantastic. I think the longest gap between songs was about 5 seconds. There was one guy, in his fifties or sixties, who was playing sax, trumpet and trombone as well as singing, who was almost non-stop dancing when he wasn't playing or singing. Very impressive. I used to play trumpet. I could see transitioning to trombone because they both use mouthpieces that you spit/sputter thru. But the sax is a reed type mouthpiece that requires a very different technique. During the final number he was playing all three, each for about 15 seconds, then switching in just a couple seconds, and playing the next instrument. Very impressive. I wish I would have gotten the band's name.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

... When is the show? 8:00 to 10:00?

It varies on the artist and weekday. Usually 7- or 8-pm. Sometimes noon shows, sometimes two night shows at 7- and 9-pm. [Edit: corrected times.]

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Why not have small cocktail tables and regular chairs?

See OP.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

We sat in one of the round booths ...

Heard the booths will also be removed, but that might be just a rumor.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

She ordered a $7 item that had hot chocolate and some type of booze.

Check with a host next time. If you reserve seating with a membership they may load some use-'em-or-loose-'em credits on your card, good only for service during that show.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

I wish I would have gotten the band's name.

You saw The Cartells. They are booked in the Wolf Den frequently.

Quote: BleedingChipsSlowly

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Why not have small cocktail tables and regular chairs?

See OP.

My point was I had that reaction to the seating independently of the comments in this thread.

Quote: BleedingChipsSlowly

Check with a host next time. If you reserve seating with a membership they may load some use-'em-or-loose-'em credits on your card, good only for service during that show.

I'll keep that in mind. At it happened, we were just randomly wandering around and entered the Wold Den around 9:00. We had no reservations. There was a good size crowd, but also some empty tables.

Quote: BleedingChipsSlowly

You saw The Cartells. They are booked in the Wolf Den frequently.

Yep. That's them. And it looks like some of the photos on their website were taken at the Wolf Den.

And that reminds me... During the last last few minutes of the show, the female singer was using her phone to take various pictures of the band members. That led me to think that this might have been a bunch of musicians from other bands who threw a group together for a one night gig (It WAS Christmas night after all). The photos on the website confirmed that it was the full group. So what's with her having her back to the audience, taking photos?

It reminded me of a story I once heard from Jerry Lewis. When he was getting started in show biz, after one of his performances, he asked for his father's opinion, which was "It was amateur." When asked to elaborate, his father said, "It was a good show, but at the end, you turned to the band to say something. You turned your back on your audience. That's amateur." I took that story as an inspiration for my own performance as a DJ and wedding officiant.