It's like Disneyland for adults and you will need Willy Wonka's golden ticket to gain entry.
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That's the Birdcage, the VIP exclusion zone in Flemington with invitation-only access to Mumm champagne and fancy bites to celebrate the Melbourne Cup.
Marquees that take months to build for a four-day party have been stocked with satisfying necessities. In this off-track competition, if elaborate tents had an ego they would taunt each other with "my house is bigger and better than your house".
With 10,000 bottles of Mumm champagne to be consumed, it's the race that pops the nation. Here is what you will find in Millionaires' Row.
Emirates
The English-themed Emirates marquee borrows its design from the Marble Hill villa and features a sit-down restaurant, an outdoor terrace with green turf and a pamper room called "The Sanctuary". The most popular room in the house is the bathroom with "fully equipped flushing toilets".
Adorned with Wedgwood and Royal Doulton fine china, three chandeliers sparkle over the custom-made carpet and wallpaper decorated with David Austin English rose.
The serene atmosphere is broken up by a row of stationary royal guards breaking into dance to the Spice Girls song Wannabe. On the subject of spice, the menu features Lancashire hotpot, fish pie and Eton mess.
Guests: Lady Kitty Spencer, Stephen Jones, Millie Mackintosh.
Myer
The department store has dived into spring with a "Super Botanica" theme brimming with flowers, fruit and vines. For peckish tummies, there's "The Botanist's Table", a seven-metre copper table with seats offering nectars, ginger cocktails, sashimi, raw kale salad "assemblages" and oyster bar with three Australian varieties.
Model Kris Smith said the "dining experience" offered healthy choices and for something naughty, the Bibelot gelato cart served his favourite flavour, pistachio. "That's where you'll find me if I go missing," Mr Smith said.
Guests: Jennifer Hawkins, Kris Smith, Lauren Phillips, Rachael Finch, Kate Peck, Alex Perry, Toni Maticevski.
Lexus
The Birdcage raises the sophistication level when the Lexus Design Pavilion does a "reveal" of the exterior and under a huge white sheet is the next wondrous installation of environmental artist Joost.
"The Nest" covering the structure used 100 kilometres of recycled wire and took more than 4000 hours to create. The pavilion was installed in July to get a start on the artistry.
Lexus has an upstairs/downstairs dining option. Upstairs, Attica restaurant by Ben Shewry features his crispy crab and saltbush lamb. Feeding famished race-goers is a different pace to a night of Attica theatre. "It's not like the pressure at Attica," Mr Shewry said. "We have a very short menu here."
At Lexus, he serves 44 customers a four-course meal in four sittings. At Attica, 60 people are mesmerised by 21 courses.
Downstairs at Lexus, anyone who has imbibed one flute too many will be immensely satisfied with the offerings of chef Dan Hong: cheeseburger spring rolls and chicken katsu bahn mi.
Guests: Emma Freedman, Francesca Packer Barham, Karl Stefanovic, Richard Wilkins.
Mumm
No one will go thirsty in the Mumm marquee and chilling out takes on a new meaning. Champagne saucers for the "Le cordon luge" cocktail are chilled with liquefied carbon dioxide to minus 12 degrees.
You can even eat champagne in the Mumm-flavoured macarons. An indulgence is Yasa caviar that can cost up to $4300 for a one-kilogram tin. The marquee has a "High altitude" theme that evokes the French alps by day and Europe's apres-ski nightclubs by night. It will pulsate with an elevated stage featuring rhythmic racy red performers La Folie Douce and explosions of confetti.
Guests: DJ David Guetta, Fashion Police's Melissa Rivers and Brad Goreski, Brody Jenner.
Swisse
Reflecting the Swisse Wellness foray into China, the marquee theme is "modern China" and has a red birdcage leading from the stairwell. There will be yum-cha hour at 3pm, superfood jelly shots and green-tea ice cream. A guaranteed feel-good ingredient is the smiling face of ambassador Ashley Hart. To rest weary legs, seating at the front of the marquee is ideal for people-watching.
Guests: Ricky Ponting, Lleyton and Bec Hewitt, Karen Martini, Liesel Jones.
Southern Cross Austereo
Stepping into the Birdcage for the first time, Southern Cross Austereo opted for an industrial theme and menu by Shane Delia. The chef will showcase the menu for his new venture Biggie Smalls and bring his winning smile to work every day.
Butter-roasted mini gnocchi, pumpkin, date, lemon and herb gremolata should keep Eddie McGuire happy. Along with the Biggie Smalls Turkish delight ice-cream sandwich.
Guests: Eddie McGuire, Fifi Box, Hamish and Andy, Mick Molloy, Jules Lund.
Lavazza
Lavazza is celebrating its 120th anniversary with coffee and more coffee. The marquee is designed and styled by Vogue Living editor-in-chief Neale Whitaker and a "cloudscape" wall and ceiling was painted by artist Vincent Fantauzzo.
Chef Adam D'Sylva, who is half Italian, will serve "Nonna's gnocchi" and TV identity Silvia Collocawill prepare coffee mini-tarts with chocolate ganache and raspberries. Social ambassador Emma Notarfrancesco, baristas and barmen from DOC in Carlton will demonstrate why Italians do it better.
Guests: Emma Notarfrancesco, Adam D'Sylva, Silvia Colloca.
