What is the best way to plan a Visa Run to Vientiane to minimize the stay and ensure visa processing?

The processing on both ends goes much faster now, at least on non-Mondays. If you're flying directly in and out of Vientiane, it's easier. You just have to have enough time to get back to the airport after your afternoon pickup. Keeping in mind you will have to get stamped out of Laos there as well, so budget that time too.

They do pickups in batches of 20, so if you got in line earlier and have a lower number from the drop off day before, you could get out of there faster. I dropped off on wed and only arrived 15-20 minutes before they opened for processing. I was #59, and it took maybe 20 minutes until I got done with dropping off.

Pick up took about 15 minutes of waiting total, with about 15 seconds up at the window.

Visa run companies will be there Monday and Thursday as they leave Bangkok Sunday and Wednesday nights

I recommend staying close to the river where all the nightlife and restaurants are. Minimum is 2 nights. So you can make a short trip out of it and travel around Vientiane. The embassy is little bit far away from the restaurants and tuk-tuks are expensive if you want to travel to a bar/restaurant (But if you never gonna leave your hotel its properly a better option then) ;-)

I recommen Lao golden hotel,just about 5 minutes far by walking.

Deoang Pra Seuath Hotel, opposite the Embassy, very convenient, about 800 a night

You can pickup from 1. 30 afternoon only

Heard that as well, I'm always there on a thursday, quite busy

You can only apply in the mornings, get there at 6am, because by 6. 30 there is one hell of a cue, previous time I was there, there were about 500 people, first there, first to pickup as well

You will have to stay two nights, had the same trip last week, arrived wednesday afternoon, visa application thursday morning, pickup friday afternoon

Your plan seems sound, a couple of nights away can be nice.

Minivans would not arrive on a Friday, that would mean collection on a Monday.