morning 1 logistics report

re: bikes

[QUOTE=Tundra;5122917]
I was going to bring my mountain bike to get to/from the parking lot. Does anyone think that will be a problem? I usually ride around the x-country course during Rolex. It’s a great way to get from jump to jump. That probably isn’t going to happen this time but at least I can get up to the “front door”.

p.s. It’s old with a ducted taped seat and I have a lock so I figure it will be safe enough parked next to a pole of some sort.[/QUOTE]

I had the same idea…called the WEG office. No bikes will be allowed past the event gates, neither on any of the days, nor on Cross County day. They said you could ride your bike in the parking lot, but the bike parking is off the Legacy Trail (Rd?), so it really isn’t near either of the ticketed entrances, so you really wouldn’t gain anything by using it to speed up access from your car to the ticket entrances.

[QUOTE=barnworkbeatshousework;5122991]
No bikes will be allowed past the event gates, neither on any of the days, nor on Cross County day. [/QUOTE]

i thought it was amusing that they also specifically disallowed Segways

Actually, the best part was that they disallowed “segue ways.” :lol: (I don’t know if they’ve fixed that awesome spelling error or not…)

[QUOTE=ReSomething;5122681]
And there’s www.Lexpark.org for parking, but I theeenk their server is a bit overwhelmed. You will need to have a map at hand, Lexingtonians forget that Rupp Arena means nothing to visitors in terms of what street something is on.[/QUOTE]

I highly recommend not only a map, but prominently marking the location of your hotel on said map. Lexington is the only US city where I have gotten lost for hours when I thought I was just making a quick run to a supermarket.

[QUOTE=barnworkbeatshousework;5121742]
Thanks, Absolut Equestrian and oldernewbie, for the responses. May try Berea on day one (Thursday). Oldernewbie: just to repeat, to make sure I understand. For example, Thursday and Friday’s morning and afternoon Eventing Dressage segments are two separate ticket events? So this would mean we scan the morning one, enter, then can leave the park to return to our car, then re-enter the park for the afternoon session with no worries? (I only ask because I don’t have our tickets in-hand, we were lucky to get tickets for all four days of the Eventing events from a friend who purchased them, but could not attend, she passed them on to us.) Thanks again for all the useful feedback! Can’t wait to get there![/QUOTE]

I haven’t seen how the eventing tickets are broken down - but today we had tickets for 8:30 dressage and 2:00 dressage - two separate tickets with different seats and admission times. We went to 8:30 dressage, left when it was over to run back to our RV to get more warm clothes (!), went back to the park and were re-admitted with our 2:30 tickets. So check your tickets and as long as they are separate days and sessions you will be able to exit and get back in. If you have any questions, just ask the people at the security gate before you go into the park. I think you’ll be OK tho.

Just another word to the wise - once you go into the indoor arena or outdoor arena and they scan your ticket, you can’t leave the venue and get back in. You can always check to make sure but I went looking for a cup of coffee after we got seated for dressage this am and couln’t leave.

Bottom line - ASK! People have been exceptionally pleasant and helpful. We are still enjoying ourselves, in spite of rain and cold.

Yes, I wanted to mention that, no re-entry to the arena. Personally I think it’s more bs, along with no re-entry to the Park.

I worked at BoB today, we were SWAMPED selling warm clothes to the freezing spectators. One such spectator was VERY unhappy (and I couldn’t blame her) because she had to beg to leave the arena to come buy a coat. They didn’t want to let her back in. What is the deal with that?? If we can’t have a sophisticated enough ticket reader, how about a good old fashioned stamped hand? Here is someone who wanted to skip a couple of rides, come out and spend money and get warm, and they didn’t want to let her. Plus she then had to go pick up a friend at the airport, and so couldn’t get back into the park. I simply do not understand, and it’s incredibly unwelcoming and difficult for a lot of spectators. :frowning:

I’ll be getting there at the end of the week, but just want to say, I agree that this no re-entry stuff is ridiculous. Was not the case at the 2002 Olympics here in SLC, where I volunteered- or for that matter the '96 Olympics which I attended. Or for that matter the Sundance Film Festival where I volunteer every year- for that we do stamp hands for each screening and folks come and go to fetch popcorn etc as they wish.

Given the prices, the no re-entry stuff is even more ridiculous. Really, WEG people. It is NOT a security issue and not hard to do administratively. Show some class and correct your mistake midstream!

Is this going to apply XC day

[QUOTE=oldernewbie;5123885]
I haven’t seen how the eventing tickets are broken down - but today we had tickets for 8:30 dressage and 2:00 dressage - two separate tickets with different seats and admission times. We went to 8:30 dressage, left when it was over to run back to our RV to get more warm clothes (!), went back to the park and were re-admitted with our 2:30 tickets. So check your tickets and as long as they are separate days and sessions you will be able to exit and get back in. If you have any questions, just ask the people at the security gate before you go into the park. I think you’ll be OK tho.

Just another word to the wise - once you go into the indoor arena or outdoor arena and they scan your ticket, you can’t leave the venue and get back in. You can always check to make sure but I went looking for a cup of coffee after we got seated for dressage this am and couln’t leave.

Bottom line - ASK! People have been exceptionally pleasant and helpful. We are still enjoying ourselves, in spite of rain and cold.[/QUOTE]

What I mean do they have the XC roped off and you enter and different points on course? Therefore, you cannot go the Equine village or Trade Stand area near the stadium if you just want to take break a plop down. My understanding is XC rides will run straight through meaning no lunch break. I want to see as many riders/horse combos as possible but I know at some point I will want to grab a drink and a snack someplace…somewhere.

If you mean you cannot leave to back to your car. Okay. Still think that’s lame too.

[QUOTE=DLee;5123997]
Yes, I wanted to mention that, no re-entry to the arena. Personally I think it’s more bs, along with no re-entry to the Park.

I worked at BoB today, we were SWAMPED selling warm clothes to the freezing spectators. One such spectator was VERY unhappy (and I couldn’t blame her) because she had to beg to leave the arena to come buy a coat. They didn’t want to let her back in. What is the deal with that?? If we can’t have a sophisticated enough ticket reader, how about a good old fashioned stamped hand? Here is someone who wanted to skip a couple of rides, come out and spend money and get warm, and they didn’t want to let her. Plus she then had to go pick up a friend at the airport, and so couldn’t get back into the park. I simply do not understand, and it’s incredibly unwelcoming and difficult for a lot of spectators. :([/QUOTE]

UGGGHHH! You WANT people to shop. You WANT people to spend money on food.

I will have a ten year old with me. Her patience for two days of dressage is not likely to be endless… I was assuming we’d be able to go out and shop when she got antsy. Sigh.

I heard a rumor today that they were letting people in and out of the stadium, so I went over and asked the volunteers who were manning the gates. According to them, yes, the policy has been changed so that you can leave and have your ticket re-scanned to get back in.
Hopefully this is true, at least it sounds like a good possibility.

[QUOTE=DLee;5123997]
Yes, I wanted to mention that, no re-entry to the arena. Personally I think it’s more bs, along with no re-entry to the Park.[/QUOTE]

Uhhh… we went in/out of the main stadium several times on the same ticket and didn’t have a problem. I think the no re-entry thing only applies to general admissions… unless we got really nice people.

PS-

I also wanted to note that the hotel shuttle buses (at least ours) are AWESOME. Totally worth it. (Relatively) on time, easy, they drop you right off at the gate, and right at your hotel door, and good schedules. Buses weren’t filled, there was room on both to/from KHP, and it was all ridiculously organized. I was impressed.

[QUOTE=morganpony86;5130255]
Uhhh… we went in/out of the main stadium several times on the same ticket and didn’t have a problem. I think the no re-entry thing only applies to general admissions… unless we got really nice people.[/QUOTE]

They changed the policy mid stream. This was the case earlier in the week but the volunteers manning the gates revolted and had mangement change to allow people to come and go.

Where were the volunteers in the equine village? I was trying to find the clinician’s corral to see Clinton Anderson and I felt like it was turning circles in a maze. Looking at the map I just couldn’t find things.

Agree that the shuttle service is great! Although our hotel gave us a schedule that had it coming at 15 and 45 after, so we were leisuring heading out at 30 after only to see it pulling up and we had to book over to not miss it!

We were able to go in and out of the stadium, which was most excellent.

The shopping is extraordinary.

Today was a gorgeous day. In the permanent stadium, under the roof, it was quite a bit chillier than it was in the sun, so I was glad to have a jacket.

Shuttle buses are working well and allowed our party to split up tonight, which was handy.