When you first enter the tower area, you wait in line ( I waited on a Tuesday night 30 min) to get your picture taken on a green screen and to go through a metal detector. Ladies - be ready to hand over your purse to the security worker(?) they actually look into your purse. Gents - take everything out of your pockets and your belt. They won't let you through until the metal detector doesn't beep. I kept beeping as I was making my way through the metal detector and the security worker made me stretch out my hands and passed a wand over me...
After getting your picture taken, you go upstairs to the elevators. From here I waited a good 15 minutes for an elevator to go up the tower. A staff member will count 10 guests into the elevator at a time. (Total wait time to reach the top of the tower - 45 min).
I reached the inner observation deck area, with the slanted windows. They had nice seating areas right next to the windows. They also have a sandwich shop, souvenir store and bar.
It's always a treat to go up and see Vegas from the Stratosphere, I just felt the waiting time was a bit unreasonable. Also, some sections of the inner observation deck were closed off for a private party.