For those who have actually gotten to go to a game this year, what's the vibe like at the park? Is the bullpen open? What is open outside of the park? I have some really colorful metaphors to describe the new bag policy, but I'll save those for the uncensored section. I've had new hardware put in me since the World Series so I don't know if I'll ping the metal detectors. I do at airports and Cap One. Going on a dry run tomorrow to recon possible illicit beverage ingress methods.
For those who haven't made it to a game yet, a couple things you'll want to be aware of.
- The new bag policy is restrictive, inconvenient and like most of the random oddball stuff we do these days, done under the guise of "Covid Precautions". My real guess is that they are trying to cut down on, or make bringing food items such sandwiches and bottled water less convenient to increase dependency on in park concessions to recoup funds lost during a fan-less season. I'm sure they'll tell you it was to reduce staff/fan interaction or decrease time spent around others waiting in line. Based on how long they had me waiting in line at Shake Shack after I got the text that my order was ready, I can say that that explanation holds zero merit.
- The Bullpen is open, but you have to sit at a picnic table and order from there via a menu from a QR code. That's pretty much the norm these days, no problem there. There is a limit of 6 people per table and once every table is occupied they stop letting people in. I didn't know this at the time of my first game back this season so I sat down at an empty table. A pair of fans asked if they could share my table as I was the only one there. I let them and shortly there after, I got a call from my friend saying they wouldn't let him in. After asking the pair to watch the table for me I was able to meet him at security and convince them that I had a table that was under capacity and was able to get him let in. I'm not sure about the rules on the standing tables or if they even allow them. If you get there and are meeting friends, get your ass to a table and don't move unless you want to get swooped on. The service is actually pretty quick, much faster than I expected. Prices went up just a bit to the tune of about a $1-2 per drink from 2019.
-New Restaurants down Half Street with expanded outdoor seating areas (Think temporary short fences pushed out to the yellow line dividing Half St). I hadn't gone to any of them yet, so I can't speak to the atmosphere or quality of experience at them, The Gatsby is on the list though because my girlfriend likes making all of our dining experiences financially painful. There wasn't as many street vendors as There used to be, I think I just saw one selling the knock off Nats gear and old promo items. I don't know if this is a permanent shift or an anomaly for the two games I've been to.
-In Park Concessions. My brief experience is that they are still working out a lot of bugs with the way they are handling mobile ordering and there is confusion from both the staff and the customer. I waited over a half hour in a line at shake shack for a burger that I had already received a text about stating that it was ready. Additionally, they don't let you customize or modify the burger in any way through the mobile app so I can't understand why it isn't just a "Grab and Go" experience. Hopefully they get it figured out.
-Security. The new gate policy makes sense with the color coding so you don't have massive crowds flooding the center field gate. Basically, the color on your ticket dictates which gate you can enter the park through. It seemed to be loosely tied to where your seat is in the two games I went to, but that's just a guess on my part. The metal detectors are tuned down significantly compared to at an airport or Cap One were pre Covid. For example, at an Airport, after doing my gear dump for the x ray machine, the body scanner will pick up the steel bolts in my hips but not the titanium rods in my leg and arm. Metal detectors at Cap One won't pick up those, but I wear a Cobra Tactical belt so the buckle has a significant amount of metal in it. I have to take that off to get through security at Cap One. Nothing hits at Nats Park. Fortunately, due to the increased emphasis on social distancing and trying to decrease interaction between people when not necessary, security is less likely to go hands on for the pat down. This makes getting whiskey into the stadium much easier, but the bag policy makes carrying it around less convenient. I bought a jacket with two large internal pockets that basically turn the entire inside of the jacket into a place to store things to act as my "Stealth Bag". If you see someone walking around Nats Park in July carrying a jacket, come say hi.
