KK - I think you have an excellent point... the "craziness" does come and go in waves and if we look back, we can see the pattern you are pointing out quite clearly.
I made it to the a few small board gatherings, had a few planned dinners/hangouts with specific companies/webmasters, made it to the ARS Lounge Lizard Party ( excellent gathering - great drinks, food, a little entertainment for those who wanted it & great prizes! ), got to the Freekfest ( I enjoyed the Voodoo Lounge venue over the Solid Gold, but liked that the two were separated as a 2-part party so folks could choose party vs. strip club or both ) and pretty much just hung out in the lounge area between Satine/pool the last evening meeting up with folks I'd missed, saying good-bye to friends.
I have to agree with Peaches - if you want to see it, it's easy to do and most folks know where to go for the crazy, wild, over-the-top parties. If you want to skip the craziness, it's easy to find places that suit those tastes as well.
I've always preferred the Vegas venues over the Florida ones for their diversity, but have to say that if nothing else - this particular show provided lots of options party-wise for attendees.
