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Was the dust any better (or worse) in VIP this year? I was in GA right behind That Tent and the dust killed me. I had to leave early Sunday after the White Stripes.
Dust was very, very low where I was in VIP. And my slightly asthmatic self was about 2 spots away from the main drag, behind the bathrooms/showers. They sprayed down the road with water a few times a day. Made a world of difference. Compared to Centeroo? Damn near no dust.
yeah for danbury!!! i am from the dirty jerz originally but i've lived in ct since 99 intermittently and i love it... i'm actually moving from new haven to meriden feb 1st though cause i found a fantastic apartment ridiculously close to work (as much as meriden blows i love the apt).... are you driving down this year or flying? i drove last year but despite the setbacks of not being able to pack as much definitely am going back to flying this year (16 hour drive = insane for me!) ;D
Last Edit: Jan 13, 2008 0:44:51 GMT -5 by Tara - Back to Top
"I can resist everything but temptation." - Oscar Wilde
yeah for danbury!!! i am from the dirty jerz originally but i've lived in ct since 99 intermittently and i love it... i'm actually moving from new haven to meriden feb 1st though cause i found a fantastic apartment ridiculously close to work (as much as meriden blows i love the apt).... are you driving down this year or flying? i drove last year but despite the setbacks of not being able to pack as much definitely am going back to flying this year (16 hour drive = insane for me!) ;D
We're driving. My boyfriend fixes furniture at peoples houses all through out ny/ct and sometimes nj, so he's out driving most of the day. He wouldnt' have it any other way. Last year, he drove pretty much the entire thing both ways. One of my friends drove for like 2 hours late at night when he was getting tired and I drove while waiting in line for 4 hours. lol. He also insists that we dont use the air condition at all sooooo, yeah I wouldn't mind flying It's fun though.
I have done GA twice - both with an RV and we did VIP last year also with an RV. If I am going back this year, I would have to do VIP again.
There were a couple dissappointing issues for VIP - not being able to go through the main stage area entrance at all times and the time it took to check in. I was not dissappointed in the food, but I did not have high expectations. I probably only got three free meals, so I don't think that I got my money's worth there. So why would I go back to VIP this year? Two things, Proximity and easy access in and out of centeroo.
When we went in 2006 our RV was parked about a 40 minute walk to the festival. When we left for Centeroo we were out for the day and then when we left Centeroo to go back to the RV we were done for the night. I really did not get to see that many bands that year. I screwed up on the late nights as well, and missed out on the epic MMJ set that I still kick myself about. When you have an RV, once you get that A/C going its hard to leave. It was my laziness that made me miss a bunch of acts, but if we were closer then I would not have missed as many.
Fast Forward to 2007, I got to see about 20 acts, and everyone that I wanted to see that the schedule allowed. The only band that I missed out on was Hot Chip, because it was so damn hot outside that I needed to go back for A/C. But the proximity to my R/V last year, made it so that I would get up, go check out a band or two early, come back and get my wife who slept in a little bit and takes a little longer to get ready, and then we would go out for the mid day acts. Then we could take a break back at the RV before the headliner or just check out the headliner from our spot. That was great. You could make those little pit stops and recharge on A/C, go to a clean bathroom, stock back up on beers and be on your way back to the festival in a 20 minute round trip. The reload of beers and waters saved us tons of money, so you did get some value there.
And I had a bunch of buddies that did GA last year as well that I met up with throughout the weekend. But it was evident that because they were so far away - 45 minute walk, they only stayed at the festival in spurts. I had already seen Cold War Kids, Brazilian Girls, Tortoise, and some Roots before my friends got into Centeroo to go see Manu Chao together. Then they went back to recharge before late nights, while I got to check out Tool from my campsite. The next day I got to see Ziggy, Spoon, Ween, and Franz before my friends made it down to Centeroo for the Police and Flaming Lips. I know that if I had stayed with my buddies I would have missed most of those bands because of the long ass walk in 90 degree weather. And everytime I met up with my friends, I had a cold beer and water waiting for them, since bringing in beers was not a problem.
Plus we used the bleachers for White Stripes, Brazilian Girls, and Franz which was nice.
Is is worth the additional $400 per person? Maybe, Maybe not. It all depends on how motivated you are to walk the distances to get to Centeroo. I can be lazy, and the A/C of the RV made me even lazier. But with VIP I could go cool down for 30-60 minute sessions and head on back to the festival. Also it depends on how much beer you drink. You are basically saving $5 for every beer that you get in.
Check out last years thread for good pictures of the VIP area. That really helped sell me, and I am glad that I did VIP. If you have the money, I think that it is worth it.
And not topic related - those dry-vit shirts are lifesavers. Especially for people that sweat alot. Get a couple for the festival and you will thank me afterwards.
You guys shouldn't be complaining about 45 minute walks to Centeroo, really. This will be my fourth Bonnaroo in a row and I never have had to walk more than 10 minutes to the Centeroo entrance and I've never gone VIP. Just get there early and throw your tents out before you park and you'll be fine. That way you always get as close as you possibly can without being VIP. We camped along the road and on the otherside of that 15 feet stretch was the VIP wall.
Pics (Starring a few of my friend):
Last Edit: Jan 26, 2008 16:57:46 GMT -5 by 89 - Back to Top
Of all the reasons people have posted in FAVOR of going VIP (Food, discounted drinks, more room, better showers and bathrooms), I think the BIGGEST bonus is the proximity. Some people in GA are pretty close too, but I also met people who were walking 40 minutes or more every day! That would have been a bummer for me.
VIP was far from perfect, and I do encourage everyone to take a visit or two to the regular areas. These give you more of a feel for what Bonnaroo is like for all.
For me, VIP was a great decision and helped make the festival a HUGE success for us. But if the $$ is a huge deal for you, you won't regret the GA area either- it's a blast either way!
My BIGGEST problem with VIP is that you can't have "visitors" that are not VIP! We met so many cool people and would have enjoyed inviting them back to our tent for a session!
this year i will probably stay in GA because there is no way in hell i'm convincing my friend to shell out $600 for tickets....but i have never had a problem with GA both times we had decent camping spots and i bring a camping shower and poop tent with me for all the comforts of home :-)
Of all the reasons people have posted in FAVOR of going VIP (Food, discounted drinks, more room, better showers and bathrooms), I think the BIGGEST bonus is the proximity. Some people in GA are pretty close too, but I also met people who were walking 40 minutes or more every day! That would have been a bummer for me.
VIP was far from perfect, and I do encourage everyone to take a visit or two to the regular areas. These give you more of a feel for what Bonnaroo is like for all.
For me, VIP was a great decision and helped make the festival a HUGE success for us. But if the $$ is a huge deal for you, you won't regret the GA area either- it's a blast either way!
My BIGGEST problem with VIP is that you can't have "visitors" that are not VIP! We met so many cool people and would have enjoyed inviting them back to our tent for a session!
Yeah, I'm considering VIP just for the new experience and the guaranteed proximity is a nice touch. But I don't mind the cold trough baths and like having a community meal every day.
Walking back and forth from BFE would suck and I'd probably end up missing a lot of day shows to stay in camp during the blazing heat. But I've been lucky and never been far away. So I'm pretty sure it's GA again. I love the GA vibe!
Here's a map of where my camps have been each year.
I worked it last year and got stuck in employee lot b.....that was a long shit of a walk....It sucked cuz once you left, you couldn't really go back.....i will not work, i'm vip'n it
Post by sleepyrobin on Jan 31, 2008 15:27:49 GMT -5
i apologize if this has been covered here or elsewhere already, but does anyone know if you can upgrade to VIP later, after purchasing a GA ticket? i want to buy a GA ticket as soon as they become available, but i feel like i might want to upgrade later. and how much were VIP tix last year, something like $600, right? thanks in advance!
Post by crazykittensmile on Jan 31, 2008 17:41:13 GMT -5
sleepyrobin said:
i apologize if this has been covered here or elsewhere already, but does anyone know if you can upgrade to VIP later, after purchasing a GA ticket? i want to buy a GA ticket as soon as they become available, but i feel like i might want to upgrade later. and how much were VIP tix last year, something like $600, right? thanks in advance!
i know they have offered a single VIP ticket upgrade (at least in 2006/2007) in their "travel packages". I don't think you had to buy anything else with it (like airline tickets or hotel reservations), but I'm not sure if you get your own parking pass...
it does cost more than one half of a pair of VIP tickets, after you figure the cost of your original ticket + the upgrade... for the life of me i can't remember how much it was, so i can't say exactly how much more
I'm still undecided on it. I really want to go VIP this year, it's our third year and I would really like to be super close and have some nice showers! I think we will be able to see a lot more bands too! BUT, my BF is less than thrilled about paying the price. So, we'll see who wins out!
I'll probably be going the VIP route this year. With the amount the regular ticket prices increased, it doesn't seem like it's that much more expensive this year for VIP.
This will be my 4th Roo and I already planned on going VIP when Pearl Jam finally got booked. I got lucky with close camping spots my first 2 years, then was stuck out in the boonies last year. There weren't many others farther away from Centeroo than I was.
I agree, that was what convinced me last year. It's basically $100 more a day. When you think of it that way, if you get a couple bites to eat and are able to see 4 or 5 more bands each day that you wouldn't have had the time to see. It's well worth the price. Well that is why I ended up VIP last year and I was not disappointed.
AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE FREE T SHIRT....most expensive t shirt I own.
And on another note, everyone's gripe was about the long lines to get food at the VIP tent. The website says they will have 2 VIP lounges with buffet. Did they claim this last year too and then when we showed up there was only 1 or what was the deal? I do recall them promising a lot more than they delivered on last year.
so. VIP was great last year. i must also say that it was my first year, so I'm sure I will immediately lose a touch of respect for never having paid my dues in ga. but vip was great. here were my perks: no vehicle search air conditioned bathrooms showers so close to the entrances no search entering the gates free food quiet tons of room proximity to the main stage--i listened to the police from my tent and could hear everything tshirt and poster
here were my downsides: the food although "free", usually sucked and at the end of the day i did pay for the suckey "free food" really long lines for the crappy food the "VIP seating" is the biggest joke i have ever seen. they are really far away from the stage. not worth it.
overall i will try to go back vip this year. it was worth it just for the toilets! i walked back every time. the food situation will be better hopefully with the addition of another buffet.
Post by CreativeUnderclass on Feb 7, 2008 16:30:47 GMT -5
This thread was super helpful and convinced me it is worth it to go VIP. I am worried about hanging out with non-VIP friends and not having much access to party favors, but I'm sure a nice walk wouldn't hurt for either of those.
My favorite thing about being in VIP is that the camping spots are pre-marked. In 2005 we went GA and we had greedy neighbors and nowhere to set up our tent. I never want to experience panic like that again. In this picture you can see the ground is painted to evenly space the spots:
The other benefit of having campsites pre-marked is that the orderliness of the campsites allows for coming and going. We never left, but our neighbor was able to pick up his wife at the airport after he had set up their tent. Each day they went to town for beer, coffee, groceries, etc. In this pic you can see the layout well:
Here is our view of the main stage in 2007:
Although I'm willing to pay the price for VIP, I'm not will to "sell it" to you guys like I did last year. Superfly let all VIP'ers down in 2007 by increasing VIP ticket sales, not having two food tents like promised, no food/snacks in the main stage VIP tent, allowing RVs to park by tenters, forcing VIP'ers to exit with GAs and wait for 4 to 5 hours to get to the hotel. I hope they improve VIP, but I'm not holding my breath ... but I will be in VIP.
And on another note, everyone's gripe was about the long lines to get food at the VIP tent. The website says they will have 2 VIP lounges with buffet. Did they claim this last year too and then when we showed up there was only 1 or what was the deal? I do recall them promising a lot more than they delivered on last year.
Actually, I went back and checked the exact wording on the official Bonnaroo site, regarding this. It reads: "Two VIP lounges with beverages and a full buffet plus snacks "
Pretty sure this is how it read last year. It's all in how you read that sentence. Last year, it meant: "Two VIP lounges with beverages." and "A full buffet plus snacks."
One VIP lounge was located next to the catering tent. The other lounge was located under the grandstand for the What Stage. A third tent, the catering tent, had the buffet. It too sold beverages.
hi all, i'm a roo virgin who will finally be making the trek out there this year after many years of wanting to go. i'm certainly considering vip for all the obvious reasons but i do have one question. i will be attending with my best friend but we both live in different parts of the country and will be driving. is there any way to get two parking pass since we will both have our car? thanks in advance.
Post by famousblueraincoat on Feb 8, 2008 11:32:05 GMT -5
Does anyone have photographs of the location of VIP seating in relation to the What Stage? I've seen it before, but I was never paying attention and I'd like to be able to assess the whole thing.
Regardless, I'm going VIP and looking forward to seeing a lot of you Inforooers at the VIP Welcome Party.
Post by spookymonster on Feb 8, 2008 11:37:25 GMT -5
I don't have my pics handy (maybe when I get home), but the bleachers are towards the back of the field. Frankly, other than having an unobstructed (if quite distant) view of the stage, I wasn't really impressed. With the exception of the White Stripes show last year, you were always better off somewhere on the lawn.