Wolf Trap - Never Again

[Anonymous]

Entirely agree, OP. I would never get lawn tickets at Wolf Trap. We went once to hear our son sing in the children's choir of an opera. Despite getting real seats, it wasn't comfortable. We came very early because of his call time, but the traffic coming out of the parking lot was a nightmare.

Not worth it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Literally no spot left to sit as in there was a crowd of people standing behind the lawn because they couldn’t fit? Or no spots big enough or far enough away from people to suit your preference?

I can’t imagine paying that money, spending the time and effort getting there, and then forcing my kid to leave (unless it was truly packed like sardines and dangerous). Plus if this was the princess show, you missed a great show! My friend was there with her daughter and sent me a few videos. Looked like so much fun.

It was truly packed like sardines. And I was actually just saying to my husband what would happen if there was an emergency- it would be a stampede. It was not fun. Kid did not want to stay. It was not the Princess show. We were at that show in the seated section on Wednesday night. That was wonderful. Thus, with that experience and having never done the lawn, it never occurred to me that this experience would be so atrocious. If the venue capped lawn sales at half or 2/3, it would be lovely. This was awful and yes, it felt unsafe. It was jam packed. I also feel that $50 a ticket for that is too much - now that I’ve seen what it is. $20 maybe. My two cents - it’s a money grab.

It’s not a money grab- it’s called supply and demand. If is venue is packed to capacity at $50/ticket for a particular concert then clearly a surplus of people are willing to pay the going rate even under crowded conditions and the organizers could probably be charging even more. They’re not going to drastically reduce their profits so that you can have a “lovely” uncrowded experience at a bargain price.

I’d love to hear your review of a Taylor Swift concert.

It’s a money grab. Not asking for an uncrowded experience. But when you can’t actually see the show you paid for, because they place is oversold and so there’s no space, it’s a money grab.

And not sure what point you’re trying to make with Taylor Swift. I mean (1) that was such a fiasco that the Senate held hearings on it, and (2) most normal people have different expectations for the experience at a rock-type concert vs. the symphony playing to scenes from kids’ movies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$230 for lawn tickets, but they clearly oversell, because there’s literally nowhere to sit. It’s completely packed like sardines. And for some of it you can’t actually see anything. Ironically the weather cleared up and was fine but that’s about all I can say for it. The place is totally disorganized. Everyone I tried to ask a question or for directions was rude. Fairfax police directing traffic (or really just standing around yelling at people) were so rude that my 9 year old asked me why the policeman was mean. I hate to write this because I can see it’s a cool venue or could be with better management, but people should know that lawn tickets are not worth it - unless I guess you get here hours early. We ended up leaving, so nearly $230 out the window and rude treatment to boot.I really would not recommend and would not come back.

You should really specify in your op that the $230 is for 4 tickets (which truly is a steal these days) and not per ticket.

At those prices you absolutely need to plan to arrive at gate open to get decent seating (especially for 4+ people together) and expect to be squished/not get any handholding from security.

It’s not a steal if you can’t see the show. Noted on the “handholding.” I’d settle for civility. Better yet I think I just won’t return. We do after all have the Kennedy Center and various other venues— at none of which have I been treated so rudely or had such an unpleasant experience as tonight, and Kennedy Center has great shows appropriate for elementary schoolers for $25-$30. So yeah, $50+ to maybe sit, maybe be able to see, have you get there more than anm hour in advance,
and maybe get rained or hailed on is a rip off.

Yes, it sounds like the Kennedy Center is a much better fit for you and your children. It’s great that we live in an area with so many entertainment options for different personalities, budgets, and tastes! Enjoy the shows!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$230 for lawn tickets, but they clearly oversell, because there’s literally nowhere to sit. It’s completely packed like sardines. And for some of it you can’t actually see anything. Ironically the weather cleared up and was fine but that’s about all I can say for it. The place is totally disorganized. Everyone I tried to ask a question or for directions was rude. Fairfax police directing traffic (or really just standing around yelling at people) were so rude that my 9 year old asked me why the policeman was mean. I hate to write this because I can see it’s a cool venue or could be with better management, but people should know that lawn tickets are not worth it - unless I guess you get here hours early. We ended up leaving, so nearly $230 out the window and rude treatment to boot.I really would not recommend and would not come back.

You should really specify in your op that the $230 is for 4 tickets (which truly is a steal these days) and not per ticket.

At those prices you absolutely need to plan to arrive at gate open to get decent seating (especially for 4+ people together) and expect to be squished/not get any handholding from security.

It’s not a steal if you can’t see the show. Noted on the “handholding.” I’d settle for civility. Better yet I think I just won’t return. We do after all have the Kennedy Center and various other venues— at none of which have I been treated so rudely or had such an unpleasant experience as tonight, and Kennedy Center has great shows appropriate for elementary schoolers for $25-$30. So yeah, $50+ to maybe sit, maybe be able to see, have you get there more than anm hour in advance,
and maybe get rained or hailed on is a rip off.

Yes, it sounds like the Kennedy Center is a much better fit for you and your children. It’s great that we live in an area with so many entertainment options for different personalities, budgets, and tastes! Enjoy the shows!

Thanks. I will enjoy KC and basically any other venue in the area other than the one I was at tonight!

I’ve shared my experience and am stepping back from this thread now. Hopefully it will give useful info to others about what they could be in for with the lawn at WT. I obviously wasn’t expecting what it ended up being. Maybe others also aren’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Literally no spot left to sit as in there was a crowd of people standing behind the lawn because they couldn’t fit? Or no spots big enough or far enough away from people to suit your preference?

I can’t imagine paying that money, spending the time and effort getting there, and then forcing my kid to leave (unless it was truly packed like sardines and dangerous). Plus if this was the princess show, you missed a great show! My friend was there with her daughter and sent me a few videos. Looked like so much fun.

It was truly packed like sardines. And I was actually just saying to my husband what would happen if there was an emergency- it would be a stampede. It was not fun. Kid did not want to stay. It was not the Princess show. We were at that show in the seated section on Wednesday night. That was wonderful. Thus, with that experience and having never done the lawn, it never occurred to me that this experience would be so atrocious. If the venue capped lawn sales at half or 2/3, it would be lovely. This was awful and yes, it felt unsafe. It was jam packed. I also feel that $50 a ticket for that is too much - now that I’ve seen what it is. $20 maybe. My two cents - it’s a money grab.

I know you've taken your toys and gone home now -- sorry, meant to say, you've exited the thread -- but...

If you were there for the princess show in the seats, you surely saw the lawn layout. But you didn't realize that from the lawn, unless you're seated at the very front closest to the building, you wouldn't be able to see the stage? Did you not see a crowded lawn behind you, when you were there for the princess concert? I can't imagine the Studio Ghibli concert lawn was MORE packed than the lawn for the uber-popular princess concert, unless it was actively raining during the princess show.

[Anonymous]

Wait, $230 was the total price of a bunch of tickets? That seems very reasonable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Literally no spot left to sit as in there was a crowd of people standing behind the lawn because they couldn’t fit? Or no spots big enough or far enough away from people to suit your preference?

I can’t imagine paying that money, spending the time and effort getting there, and then forcing my kid to leave (unless it was truly packed like sardines and dangerous). Plus if this was the princess show, you missed a great show! My friend was there with her daughter and sent me a few videos. Looked like so much fun.

It was truly packed like sardines. And I was actually just saying to my husband what would happen if there was an emergency- it would be a stampede. It was not fun. Kid did not want to stay. It was not the Princess show. We were at that show in the seated section on Wednesday night. That was wonderful. Thus, with that experience and having never done the lawn, it never occurred to me that this experience would be so atrocious. If the venue capped lawn sales at half or 2/3, it would be lovely. This was awful and yes, it felt unsafe. It was jam packed. I also feel that $50 a ticket for that is too much - now that I’ve seen what it is. $20 maybe. My two cents - it’s a money grab.

I know you've taken your toys and gone home now -- sorry, meant to say, you've exited the thread -- but...

If you were there for the princess show in the seats, you surely saw the lawn layout. But you didn't realize that from the lawn, unless you're seated at the very front closest to the building, you wouldn't be able to see the stage? Did you not see a crowded lawn behind you, when you were there for the princess concert? I can't imagine the Studio Ghibli concert lawn was MORE packed than the lawn for the uber-popular princess concert, unless it was actively raining during the princess show.

Well, dig deep into that imagination of yours because….it was. Much more packed. It was completely sold out seats and lawn. Princess concert was not. We were front center at princesses and could see all the building behind us. Princesses was maybe 1/2 to 2/3 full, seated. Lawn had a lot of people but nothing like tonight. That was why I was totally unprepared for the mess that was tonight. I, unlike you apparently, was actually at both events.

Also, you sound like a moron above with toys thing. Grow up.

Knock yourself out defending the place. But it was not a good experience, and people should know what they could be in for going there. God, even just trying to walk back to the car, which we ended up parking on the side of the road back into a neighborhood- in the pitch dark - dangerous and so not worth it. No thanks. Sure, you might luck out and get a good night like princesses, but you could also end up with a mess like tonight. No thanks. And now for real, good night and good bye.

[Anonymous]

Same here. Not interested in going again. Too many people in this area and not enough venues.

[Anonymous]

It’s all bullshit. Virginia sucks. Wolf trap sucks and bringing your own chairs and all your shit is a schlep and crappy. Also, I Jess farted. Again.

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry you had this experience. I went to a pop star show last month with my daughter (9 years old) and some friends and we had a blast ,even though we were on the lawn. No one around us was rude or obnoxious at all, the staff were amazing, and it made me wonder why I hadn't gone to a show there earlier. The only downside was parking, because there was no one directing traffic and we were stuck in the lot for an hour + after the show. But I can't wait to go back.

[Anonymous]

Sitting on the lawn sounds nice as an idea, but in reality it sucks. You could not pay be to sit on the lawn at wolf trap. I tried several times and did not enjoy it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s all bullshit. Virginia sucks. Wolf trap sucks and bringing your own chairs and all your shit is a schlep and crappy. Also, I Jess farted. Again.

[Anonymous]

Studio Ghibli rarely tours and is incredibly popular with teens and young people so of course the lawn is going to be packed.

You’re crazy to think you were just going to waltz in there when you wanted and expect to have great lawn seats. Rookie move. Next time, know what show you’re buying for and if you’re too good for the lawn, pay up for the pavilion.

[Anonymous]

OP, what was the concert??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry you had this experience. I went to a pop star show last month with my daughter (9 years old) and some friends and we had a blast ,even though we were on the lawn. No one around us was rude or obnoxious at all, the staff were amazing, and it made me wonder why I hadn't gone to a show there earlier. The only downside was parking, because there was no one directing traffic and we were stuck in the lot for an hour + after the show. But I can't wait to go back.

Was also there last month with my kids, sat on the lawn and it was totally fine. Also made me wonder why I hadn’t been there in years.