Our Coco Bongo experience was overall quite negative, the worst part being trying to leave at the end. My boyfriend and I are generally not "bar people" but decided to check out Coco Bongo as we did want to experience some of the infamous Cancun nightlife, and we do like to dance and watch a good show. We bought tickets in advance from our tour representative at our hotel for 40$ US each and were told we'd not only be saving 20$ each but this would save us from having to wait in the long line-up outside. Not true. Once we arrived at Coco Bongo around 10:30 pm we encountered a long line up. We inquired at one of the sales booths if we had to wait in the line if we had pre-purchased tickets and were told yes. We also asked a security personnel who told us the same thing. We ended up waiting in the line-up for about an hour and a half. So beware if you buy tickets in advance no matter what you are told you will probably have to wait in this long line UNLESS you are a group of attractive females (which my boyfriend is not). If this is the case, a "security" person will approach you, give you VIP wristbands and usher you right inside where you will given drinks and propped up to dance on the main stage for all the male patrons to oggle at. We witnessed this happen several times during our long wait in the line, although I guess this is pretty much expected at any such club. We were not offered any drinks during our wait nor was there entertainment as others have mentioned in their reviews, but oh well- we kept ourselves entertained.
Finally, we make it inside and again there is a long line. I am already feeling a bit stifled at this point as the inside is a fairly enclosed space and I do get mild claustrophobia sometimes from being in large crowds (but not enough that I have had to previously avoid clubs). After some more waiting we are finally pushed along the line through security and into the main “dancing” area. By this point I am feeling pretty gross due to not only the number of people but the fact that staff are constantly literally pushing you into the crowd to fill up the empty spaces. My boyfriend and I weasel our way into a standing spot near the bottom and try to just enjoy the show and music, which for the most part is very good. We both liked the mix of old and new tunes as well as the balloons, confetti and other things falling from the sky. The dancing/show is interspersed between about five minute intervals filled with music; definitely a unique concept, but hard to enjoy when you are constantly being pushed, trampled and moved around by the crowds. I also liked how the entertainment was all around you, and although it was mostly cheesy lip-synching and out-dated Beetlejuice impersonations, there were also acrobats who performed on swings right above the crowd and enough variety to please most people’s preferences. The entertainers obviously work very hard with constant costume changes and non-stop performances throughout the night. The crowd was really into it and everyone sang and cheered along, and we did get to dance a little bit when some space opened up. A server also came by a few times to take drink orders although we were not there to get drunk so I cannot really comment on the bar service overall, but no complaints in that regard.
I left the crowd to use the washroom, which was indeed quite clean, and upon returning we were this time ushered up to the top balcony. I definitely recommend trying to get up on a balcony as the crowds are slightly less pushy up top, but this is hard because you pretty much have to go wherever the staff people tell you to go when they are ushering people around. Unfortunately on the balcony you do not get to be under the balloon/confetti explosions from the sky, but you can still dance and enjoy the show. Good luck getting a table or seat though as there aren’t many.
After about an hour I just wasn’t feeling it and we decided to leave. Now came the absolute worst part of the whole experience. We made our way downstairs and headed towards the way we came in, thinking that that would probably be the way to get out as well. We could not find an exit so asked a security person where to go. He seemed polite and told us to head a certain way, but upon going that way there was no exit. So we asked a different staff member, who told us a different way where we came to a door but I believe we were told it was staff only or for some reason couldn’t leave through it, so we finally asked another staff member who told us that the exit was down through the main area and to the left. In other words, right through the mass of people trying to get in and the biggest mass of people dancing in the centre. It really did feel, like another reviewer commented upon, that it was some sort of mind game where they did not want people to leave. We ended up tailing behind some other people trying to get out and literally fighting and pushing our way through the crowd. It should NOT be this difficult to get out of a club, particularly one filled with thousands of people- it just screams fire trap. I really was beginning to have a panic attack thinking I would never get out and what would happen if there were a fire. I could not believe a place designed to hold so many people could have so few exits and not only that, but have the only exit accessible only by having to push your way through the most crowded area. After screaming at people to move, pushing people forcefully and yelling we finally made it to a door marked Emergency Exit. I don’t even know if this was the real exit but I think the guy at the door saw my frantic face- either way, he let us out and we were in the mall area outside and could breathe again. Even my boyfriend who is not claustrophobic at all said he was near to having a panic attack trying to get out.
All in all, the horrendous experience leaving the club and the overall execution of the place ruined the otherwise entertaining concept. I could see how this club could get good reviews from people who love big crowds, drinking, college-aged boys who enjoy watching intoxicated girls expose themselves on tables and groups of girls who are given special treatment for dressing provocatively. Certainly the entertainment itself deserves accolades. However, we wished we had researched it a bit more beforehand and known that despite the focus on entertainment Coco Bongo is still your typical overcrowded, pushy nightclub and we would have saved quite a few dollars by going to a less crowded club or taking in a sit-down show instead. Definitely avoid if you are not into the clubbing and drinking scene. The entertainment alone is not worth the stress and skuzzy atmosphere.
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
