VIP Area Questions

[rAnimatorX2]

To anyone who has purchased the VIP pass before:

Yes, I have read the vague description of what is included in VIP but still curious if that includes any free food or drinks. The wording tends to seem that its not free, just less crowded, and perhaps more options available (booze AND beer).

"The main VIP area is located immediately adjacent to the main stage and consists of shaded areas, picnic tables, couches, extra restrooms, food & beverage vendors and a full cash bar. The second VIP area is located directly next to the Sahara tent in the beautiful Rose Garden complete with full bar, spectacular views and 1000’s of roses."

While roses sound like such a magnificent way to spend an extra 400 bones (ha), I am still seeking anyone who has had the full VIP treatment in the pass to give me some insight as to its worth.

I usually do VIP at ACL, and its straight up free awesome food and free drinks (tips only). Basically, if I am still having to pay 8 bucks for a Heiny and 6 bucks for some grub, just around some roses and D list celebs, then its not worth my money. Any info would be greatly appreciated.

[captncrzy]

It's not free food and drinks, man. There are basically the exact same food vendors back there as on the field. There is the option of the full bar, but those certainly aren't free; drinks run a whopping $8-$10 per drink. Bathrooms are cleaner. There's couches but they're filled with celebrity and pseudo-celebrity assholes that sit on them all damn day.

[indietron]

No free food. You are still paying the same for food and drinks, there just happens to be more options and you can get it quicker since there are less people. Also, the bathrooms are alot nicer. And it's pretty cool when you're just chilling there and some members of your favorite band walk by. It's a nice place to escape from the sometimes overwhelming crowd.

I get it for free, so it's a nice perk that I actually use. But I definitely wouldn't pay the extra $ for it if I had to

EDIT: What she said ^

[rAnimatorX2]

Ha. Thanks for the advice. Doesn't sound worth the hassle. I'd rather spend the extra money on a nicer place to stay.

[indietron]

Good call

[Stickjohn]

lol at this same thread every year. What exactly is included in VIP? Will it be special enough for me?

[rAnimatorX2]

lol at asshole's snide comments

[indietron]

It's a legitimate question. Under normal circumstances I'd say use the search function, but it's not exactly the easiest thing to find

[rAnimatorX2]

I did try that, but VIP deemed no results. Which prob just means it was too broad. That or the db has been having issues. Which by the number of times its been down in the past 2 days, could be.

@StickJohn, you're not an ass. I was just joking around, but yeah, sorry for the spam thread.

[indietron]

I think you have to search over 3 characters. I gave it a try and got the same result

[tessalasset]

Yeah, don't pay for VIP. I literally only use it to go to the bathroom.

[Courtney]

VIP is good for cleaner bathrooms, shaded areas to sit, and shorter lines for food and drink.

IMO, if you're the kind of person who likes to have a mellow Coachella experience and hang out with friends mostly and chill out and people watch, it's worth it if your friends also get VIP. But if you're there to see as many bands as you can, you're probably not going to have time to use VIP anyway.

[tessalasset]

Exactly.

[JustSteve]

Very Important Potty

[roscoemule]

Did VIP last year. Not doing it this year. So not worth it. Every bit as crowded as the other areas. Food isn't that much better. Check that...food is plenty good in both places. Bathrooms ARE nicer in VIP. VIP has more seating areas, but by 7pm they're all taken. Rose Garden area was the nicest part last year to just get a breather from the oversold crowd last year, but it was so far on the other side, you didn't much of a chance to use it. I'd save your $$$.

[TomServo]

Unless you get VIP comped, it's completely NOT worth it. The lines to get in and out of VIP alone (by Sunday, when they were cracking down on fake wristbands) made VIP too much hassle... plus, they wouldn't even let me take non-alcoholic beverages out of the VIP area. I had to shotgun a Thai Tea or risk missing a band I wanted to see. Greeeeeat.

Voodoo Fest in N'awlins has a VIP pit area on the main stage that basically made camping unnecessary to get a great spot - that is worth it. What's more, they had contests every day to win spots, and we won VIP passes every day... saw Muse and Ozzy from the very front without camping for more than an hour or two. That's the way to do it, not putting VIPs behind chain link fences all the way to the side.

[JustSteve]

a vip area in the front of stages is not in the spirit of coachella at all, glad they don't have that. especially for the fact that just spending/having more money shouldn't decide how close you can get to the stage in a festival setting.

[Courtney]

just spending/having more money shouldn't decide how close you can get to the stage in a festival setting.

Entirely agreed. Anyone who has ever been to a bad all-VIP party with awesome guest bands knows how horrible it is when a band comes on stage and the entire audience is all meh. You want the crazy fanatics at the front of the stage, so the band can feed off that energy and put on a better performance. What you don't want at the front of the audience is people who happen to have a freebie VIP pass from some corporate hook up and can walk up without any real investment in seeing the band performing.

[kroqken]

Entirely agreed. Anyone who has ever been to a bad all-VIP party with awesome guest bands knows how horrible it is when a band comes on stage and the entire audience is all meh. You want the crazy fanatics at the front of the stage, so the band can feed off that energy and put on a better performance. What you don't want at the front of the audience is people who happen to have a freebie VIP pass from some corporate hook up and can walk up without any real investment in seeing the band performing.

I consider myself a "crazy fanatic at the front of the stage." Courtney is full of the truth, just like Uncle Arthur on Bewitched.

[tessalasset]

Again, I thought that was Bryan posting.

[magmazing]

There's nothing very important about VIP. Other than a large number of stuck up People who think they're "very important"...

The only major difference from the regular food/booze areas is less overflowing bathrooms and hard liquor. There are still points in the night where you can't get in because of capacity.

Definitely not worth the extra $400 especially for anyone who's going to spend the majority of their day in the main areas of the venue anyway.

Honestly, it's the random nobodies out there who had a false sense of entitlement when they got comped a fancy wristband by someone with a connection that have ruined the VIP experience and I think have led to cutbacks on both the amount of wristbands given away and the kind of access they allow.

[frazzles]

I had VIP in 09 and it got me in the photo pit a couple of times by clueless security, but that was about it.

And I'm sure that only worked because I wore all of them at the same time plus the camping wristband so they must've assumed I was marginally important from a glance.

[augdon]

VIP is the way to go. But if you're hung up on the money, dont do it.

You will still spend money in the VIP, but it just makes things a little more comfortable.

It's not for everybody.

[NachoCat]

I had it last year only because I got it for free. I spent about 20 min in there the whole weekend. not worth it.

[tigermilkboy]

VIP is the way to go. But if you're hung up on the money, dont do it.

You will still spend money in the VIP, but it just makes things a little more comfortable.

It's not for everybody.

But is it $300 worth of comfort or VIP experience? No it isn't! Sure it is nice to get served quicker, but a portapotty is a portapotty.
I can afford to drop $300 for comfort and enjoyment, but this isn't it. Put $300 towards a hotel room/condo rental or something.

[weezy f baby]

Think about it this way... people with VIP wristbands have them because to them, the extra $300 is a non-issue (i.e. people with cash). That and the other 1/2 of the crowd are entertainment industry folks.

That said, you do see some interesting characters inside the VIP area of Coachella. If the opportunity is there to have VIP wristbands, it's a no brainer.

If funds are running low and the difference between having and not having VIP is a nice(r) hotel room, I'd go with the hotel. Not having VIP doesn't cheapen the experience. Coachella is ultimately still about the music, and people who only hang out in VIP the whole time are chodes.

Here are the real "perks" of VIP:

1) cleaner bathrooms.
2) shorter lines for alcohol and it's a full bar.
3) high powered mister fans (which are super clutch on those triple digit days).
4) a higher % of quality ass (i.e. a high concentration of super hot chicks).
5) faster entrance into the festival.
6) generally less crowded.
7) couches, which come in handy if you're tired.

[tessalasset]

But is it $300 worth of comfort or VIP experience? No it isn't! Sure it is nice to get served quicker, but a portapotty is a portapotty.

A portapotty isn't a portapotty when it's flushable, stalled toilets with sinks and hand soap and towels and mirrors in an air conditioned truck.

[frazzles]

A portapotty isn't a portapotty when it's flushable, stalled toilets with sinks and hand soap and towels and mirrors in an air conditioned truck.

Uhhh...if you know where to look, these aren't VIP exclusives

[captncrzy]

What frazzie said. There are trailer bathrooms in the festival grounds too. Sometimes the wait is a bit longer...but they're still there.

[Lynn163]

What frazzie said. There are trailer bathrooms in the festival grounds too. Sometimes the wait is a bit longer...but they're still there.

I never waited more than 5 minutes last year and they were cleaner than the VIP ones in 09.