Author Topic: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience  (Read 11975 times)

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Offline PowerBoater69

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Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Topic Start: September 05, 2017, 12:19:02 PM »
Last year the fan experience for the playoffs was worse at Nats Park than anything I've ever seen at Fed Ex Field. Heavy traffic around the ballpark, long lines of cars at the parking lots, massive lines to get into the ballpark, it took half an inning to use the rest rooms, it took at least an inning to hit the concessions stands. At least at a Redskins game they have tailgating to make up for the waits.


With four weeks to prepare, here are some suggestions to improve things this year.


Aggressively encourage fans to show up early with two waves of giveaways. Wave one would be to get 5-10k fans in the door as soon as it opens. A premium giveaway like a playoff branded hat. Wave two would be to get 30-35k fans in 30 minutes or more before first pitch, some sort of golden ticket prize with a chance to win autographed items.


Another way to get people in quicker will be to ease up on security. When is the last fight you've seen at Nats Park? Do we really have to take off our caps? Just do a two second bag check. The real soft target is outside the ballpark anyway, so getting people in fast is the safest thing for everyone.


There should be an entire gate dedicated for Nats Plus card holders. The left field gate could be reserved to get fans who attend the most games in the fastest.


In Pittsburgh they have bands, moon bounces, and beer sales in the street outside the ballpark for regular season games. The Nats should do this on Half Street for the playoffs. Since we can't tailgate in most lots the next best thing is a block party.


Inside the ballpark they need porta johns. This is the #1 most critical item on the list. Every empty spot should have a block of johns. Including some of the ones for guys that will handle six at a time. Nats Park can't handle crowds of 40k or more, they need extra facilities.


To help with the concession lines they need to have a bunch of roaming hot dog vendors. I shouldn't have to leave my seat to get a dog.


Getting home was a nightmare after game five last year. How about bringing back the Nats busses and let people park at RFK? Move 2,000 cars up the road.

Offline Monarch

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #1: September 05, 2017, 12:32:19 PM »
Those are some good suggestions. I can't see them putting in port-a-johns in, nor do I see fans getting to their seats earlier. Its just the way our fan base is.

Please don't try to make any comparisons to FedEx field. There isn't a sports venue in the US that offers a worse experience for fans for any event they hold.

Offline varoadking

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #2: September 05, 2017, 12:35:31 PM »

Please don't try to make any comparisons to FedEx field. There isn't a sports venue in the US that offers a worse experience for fans for any event they hold.

This...^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Offline varoadking

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #3: September 05, 2017, 12:36:44 PM »

To help with the concession lines they need to have a bunch of roaming hot dog vendors. I shouldn't have to leave my seat to get a dog.


Can't you order with the Ballpark App?  First World problem anyway...pack a lunch...

Offline bluestreak

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #4: September 05, 2017, 12:38:06 PM »
Last year the fan experience for the playoffs was worse at Nats Park than anything I've ever seen at Fed Ex Field. Heavy traffic around the ballpark, long lines of cars at the parking lots, massive lines to get into the ballpark, it took half an inning to use the rest rooms, it took at least an inning to hit the concessions stands. At least at a Redskins game they have tailgating to make up for the waits.


With four weeks to prepare, here are some suggestions to improve things this year.


Aggressively encourage fans to show up early with two waves of giveaways. Wave one would be to get 5-10k fans in the door as soon as it opens. A premium giveaway like a playoff branded hat. Wave two would be to get 30-35k fans in 30 minutes or more before first pitch, some sort of golden ticket prize with a chance to win autographed items.


Another way to get people in quicker will be to ease up on security. When is the last fight you've seen at Nats Park? Do we really have to take off our caps? Just do a two second bag check. The real soft target is outside the ballpark anyway, so getting people in fast is the safest thing for everyone.


There should be an entire gate dedicated for Nats Plus card holders. The left field gate could be reserved to get fans who attend the most games in the fastest.


In Pittsburgh they have bands, moon bounces, and beer sales in the street outside the ballpark for regular season games. The Nats should do this on Half Street for the playoffs. Since we can't tailgate in most lots the next best thing is a block party.


Inside the ballpark they need porta johns. This is the #1 most critical item on the list. Every empty spot should have a block of johns. Including some of the ones for guys that will handle six at a time. Nats Park can't handle crowds of 40k or more, they need extra facilities.


To help with the concession lines they need to have a bunch of roaming hot dog vendors. I shouldn't have to leave my seat to get a dog.


Getting home was a nightmare after game five last year. How about bringing back the Nats busses and let people park at RFK? Move 2,000 cars up the road.

I agree with many of these, especially the security. They need bomb sniffing dogs. which would take some pressure off of the searches. They also need to be smarter about bag searches. They make me unzip even the tiniest compartments on my bag. I am not entirely sure what they are looking for as it is far to small to fit a weapon or explosive.
Opening day was bad, but I would imagine that's as bad as it can get as the stadium was full then as well. Or am I wrong?

Offline varoadking

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #5: September 05, 2017, 12:39:04 PM »
I agree with many of these, especially the security. They need bomb sniffing dogs. which would take some pressure off of the searches. They also need to be smarter about bag searches. They make me unzip even the tiniest compartments on my bag. I am not entirely sure what they are looking for as it is far to small to fit a weapon or explosive.
Opening day was bad, but I would imagine that's as bad as it can get as the stadium was full then as well. Or am I wrong?

They have bomb sniffing dogs in garage B and C...

Offline mitlen

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #6: September 05, 2017, 12:43:18 PM »
They have bomb sniffing dogs in garage B and C...

They have dogs in side the stadium and explosive particle sensors in the subway station.   There are more undercover methods being used as well.

Offline PowerBoater69

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #7: September 05, 2017, 12:45:00 PM »
I agree with many of these, especially the security. They need bomb sniffing dogs. which would take some pressure off of the searches. They also need to be smarter about bag searches. They make me unzip even the tiniest compartments on my bag. I am not entirely sure what they are looking for as it is far to small to fit a weapon or explosive.
Opening day was bad, but I would imagine that's as bad as it can get as the stadium was full then as well. Or am I wrong?

There were news reports that opening day was the worst ever at Nats Park, but they were incorrect, the playoffs were much worse.

The bag searches are too much. I just don't see the average Nats fan bringing in weapons, much less using them. I think they are really after people brining in booze, but at some point they need to let it go. Dogs would be a fine idea.

Offline PowerBoater69

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #8: September 05, 2017, 12:47:02 PM »
Can't you order with the Ballpark App?  First World problem anyway...pack a lunch...

Honestly I eat before and skip the concessions lines. But I would get a dog if available from my seat.

I see fans missing two innings to get food at crowded events, no exaggeration, too long.

Offline varoadking

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #9: September 05, 2017, 12:50:59 PM »
They have dogs in side the stadium and explosive particle sensors in the subway station.   There are more undercover methods being used as well.

I was using an non-prescription ointment for a while and got stopped taking it thru TSA because it detected nitroglycerin in my carry-on. 

Offline PowerBoater69

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #10: September 05, 2017, 12:51:33 PM »
Please don't try to make any comparisons to FedEx field. There isn't a sports venue in the US that offers a worse experience for fans for any event they hold.

Not true. I go to at least a couple Redskins games a year and don't have near the problems with lines like they had at Nats Park last October. With huge crowds there will be lines but Fed Ex handles much larger crowds with fewer issues.

Offline mitlen

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #11: September 05, 2017, 12:51:42 PM »
Maybe I'm old and n(d)umb but when I attend any event with 40,000 people, I get there early.    I expect delays.    I don't carry bags  ...
 occasionally I have rain gear.     I don't buy food.    I may have a beer or two during the game.    I have a bathroom that's usually pretty open but ya gotta walk to find it.    I don't normally drive to the stadium.    I walk to Capitol South and take a direct line to my part of NoVA.    I expect a trip to the stadium to be a 6 to 8 hour event.

My son got me a motorcycle (:couch:) calendar some years ago and there was a picture of a guy riding a bike in the rain.   The caption:  "If you want all the comforts of home, stay there."

Offline mitlen

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #12: September 05, 2017, 12:53:03 PM »
I was using an non-prescription ointment for a while and got stopped taking it thru TSA because it detected nitroglycerin in my carry-on. 

I told 'em you were comin'.

Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #13: September 05, 2017, 12:55:16 PM »
2014 Game 2 was 6.5 hours from first pitch to last out...man I felt drained when I got home.  *shudder*
I expect a trip to the stadium to be a 6 to 8 hour event.

Offline PowerBoater69

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #14: September 05, 2017, 12:57:19 PM »
Maybe I'm old and n(d)umb but when I attend any event with 40,000 people, I get there early.    I expect delays.    I don't buy food.    I may have a beer or two during the game.    I have a bathroom that's usually pretty open but ya gotta walk to find it.    I don't normally drive to the stadium.    I walk to Capitol South and take a direct line to my part of NoVA.    I expect a trip to the stadium to be a 6 to 8 hour event.

Sure, but that doesn't mean that the team shouldn't take steps to lessen the lines. (And eight hours for a nine inning game is more than a little bit too much.)

Offline varoadking

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #15: September 05, 2017, 12:58:04 PM »
Not true. I go to at least a couple Redskins games a year and don't have near the problems with lines like they had at Nats Park last October. With huge crowds there will be lines but Fed Ex handles much larger crowds with fewer issues.

But it's a dump...the NFL's version of the Pfitz...

Offline Mathguy

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #16: September 05, 2017, 12:59:13 PM »
But Mitlen has a different park experience, given his season tickets

Maybe I'm old and n(d)umb but when I attend any event with 40,000 people, I get there early.    I expect delays.    I don't carry bags  ...
 occasionally I have rain gear.     I don't buy food.    I may have a beer or two during the game.    I have a bathroom that's usually pretty open but ya gotta walk to find it.    I don't normally drive to the stadium.    I walk to Capitol South and take a direct line to my part of NoVA.    I expect a trip to the stadium to be a 6 to 8 hour event.

My son got me a motorcycle (:couch:) calendar some years ago and there was a picture of a guy riding a bike in the rain.   The caption:  "If you want all the comforts of home, stay there."

Offline Mathguy

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #17: September 05, 2017, 01:00:30 PM »
PB69 - give up on the idea of 2 incentive arrival periods, for the Nats want all of us to get there as soon as possible and spend more $$$

Offline varoadking

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #18: September 05, 2017, 01:01:57 PM »
I told 'em you were comin'.

I was traveling with another fella, though we were headed out to two different destinations.  When the TSA guy said they had detected "bomb materials" in my bag, the other fella didn't hesitate to tell me:  "I gotta head to my gate."

Offline mitlen

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #19: September 05, 2017, 01:02:18 PM »
Sure, but that doesn't mean that the team shouldn't take steps to lessen the lines. (And eight hours for a nine inning game is more than a little bit too much.)

I ain't sayin' you're wrong.   I have different expectations.

Offline varoadking

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #20: September 05, 2017, 01:02:41 PM »
PB69 - give up on the idea of 2 incentive arrival periods, for the Nats want all of us to get there as soon as possible and spend more $$$

They should open the gates 3 hours before first pitch for playoff games. 

Offline mitlen

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #21: September 05, 2017, 01:04:47 PM »
They should open the gates 3 hours before first pitch for playoff games. 

Now that's a good idea.   

Offline PowerBoater69

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #22: September 05, 2017, 01:09:47 PM »
But it's a dump...the NFL's version of the Pfitz...

Sure, but the tailgating is great. As is the sight line from my seat. I know how to get in and out of my parking lot. The round trip is less than Nats Park for the NLDS and Fed Ex is 15 minutes further away.

Offline PowerBoater69

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #23: September 05, 2017, 01:11:28 PM »
PB69 - give up on the idea of 2 incentive arrival periods, for the Nats want all of us to get there as soon as possible and spend more $$$

Well that's the idea of having two waves. Group one 2-3 hours early. Second wave more spread out but still well in advance of first pitch.

Offline PowerBoater69

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Re: Nats Park Playoff Fan Experience
« Reply #24: September 05, 2017, 01:12:25 PM »
2014 Game 2 was 6.5 hours from first pitch to last out...man I felt drained when I got home.  *shudder*

At least there wasn't much traffic getting out.