For those that have been to the CWS

2,517 Views | 18 Replies | Last: 8 yr ago by jakelew04
Wabs
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AG
Thinking about taking the son up there this year. Never been, always wanted to go.

Looking for any tips on what to consider before I start the planning. Hotels, tickets, other do's and don'ts

Many thanks in advance.
Aggie
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AG
I went in '93 and '99.

So obviously not much advice I offer as far as tickets etc would be much help to you now.

But to this day it's still one of the top sporting events I have ever attended. I would highly recommend going.
mwm
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I think it was 2004 when I took one of my sons to the CWS at Rosenblatt. Without a doubt, it was one of the greatest trips he & I have taken together. Great memories.
I highly recommend the trip & starting early with the plans. We ended up staying in a flea-bag motel 30 miles west of town.
AggieEE2002
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AG
For those that have been with kids, how old were they when you took them?
Wabs
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quote:
For those that have been with kids, how old were they when you took them?
Great question. I'd be interested to know this as well. My son is 13, so I figure this would be a great time to go. We've wanted to go for the past few seasons, however he's had baseball tournaments during June. Time is running out, his team will have to do without him this year.
mwm
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Mine was 16. His summer/fall team scheduled for them to play a tournament in Omaha at the same time the CWS was going on.
The moment I walked into Rosenblatt, I thought I'd died & gone to heaven.
aggieiniowa
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AG
I took my 2 year old when A&M went a few years back. It is a really family atmosphere around the whole place. Texags did an A&M gathering for all the games (I think, we only went to one game). We had the chance to talk to the dads of Stilson, Wacha and Stripling which was really cool. Wacha's parents could not have been more nice.

We walked up day of game and got tickets, but you can get them in advance. The airport is about half a mile from the stadium. Lots of hotels in the area. If you want to get a car the Omaha Zoo is really nice and a great kids activity.

It is a blast for kids and parents. Enjoy
Kipster1004
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I went in 2013 and had previously been in 1999 at the old Rosenblatt Stadium. I would suggest getting a hotel closer to the ballpark if you are planning this well in advance. We stayed further away and it kind of took away from the experience.

Here's the deal with tickets, you can either go two options. 1) General admission where you stand in a line behind the outfield concourse and your seats while be first come, first serve in the outfield OR 2) buy reserved seats online through the NCAA ticket exchange that will be better seats but will cost more. We decided to have a few days of general admission and a couple games where we ended up buying reserved seats. Both were good options, but with general admission during the day it would get pretty hot sitting in the sun. During the LSU game that was during the day we just stood above the lower section near home plate and nobody cared, so that is an option as well. Also, the fans in the outfield sections are more rowdy and into the game than those in the reserved areas, especially during night games.

Another thing worth mentioning is that they don't serve alcohol inside the ballpark, but there are plenty of bars/restaurants in the surrounding area that everyone hangs out at if you want to drink.

Hope this helps, Omaha is a really pleasant city and the College World Series is definitely something worth going to for any baseball fan.
dermdoc
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AG
My wife and I went when the Ags went in 2011 I believe. Stayed at the Courtyard which is a great location because it is walking distance to the baseball stadium and all the restaurants in the Old Market area. A less pricey alternative is across the river at Council Bluffs. Very short drive across the river.

The CWS itself is very family friendly. We got our tickets through the 12th Man so I don't know about ticket availability. If you really want to go to all or most of the games I would buy tournament packets before going.
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One Tooth Man
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I'd even suggest Hoover. Had 5 of the final 8 this past year iirc. Half empty stadium with tons of hotels .

Excellent chance the Ags will be there as well.
dermdoc
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I personally think Hoover sucks but that is just me. I wish they would move the SEC tourney to the new minor league stadium in downtown Birmingham or rotate it around. Tons of nice downtown minor league parks throughout SEC country.

Hoover is so sterile and you can't walk to the stadium. Very few dining choices. But maybe it is just me and no disrespect meant. Omaha has so much more atmosphere.
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ColoradoMooseHerd
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Montgomery has a nice downtown ballpark with lots of hotels and plenty of bars and restaurants all around the stadium.
LOYAL AG
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AG
Get his team to play in Omaha in June. There are huge tournaments that time of year. Make that decision quick though as they fill up quickly. If you do that they'll have hotels blocked which solves that problem as well. We did that when Kyle was 12 and it was a blast. Added benefit, that was the first A&M trip to the CWS since 1999. Even better benefit my dad, Vanderbilt C/O 1977, went with us and that was their first trip ever.

Battle of Omaha

Omaha Slumpbuster

There are others. Think we played in the second one and there were 30 teams just in our age bracket. Played teams from Colorado, Minnesota, California and Florida. Was a ton of fun for everyone.
Agsncws
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Great event, one of the best Ive ever been to, and that includes MLB All Star games and multiple World Series games.

Reserve your hotel early - March at the latest. Dont overlook Council Bluffs - there are options there and a lot of those hotels are closer to the ballpark than others in Omaha.

Buy general admission tickets if you want, but you MUST KNOW that GA tickets do not guarantee admission to any game. You have to wait in line and its first-come, first-serve. Naturally, you're better off getting in line very early (think hour(s) not minutes).

Tickets go on sale for the series usually mid-March and are sold out the same day. You'll have no idea who's playing, of course, but unless you're chasing a specific team it wont really matter.
tamu2009
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AG
Omaha is one of my favorite memories. I went around 2004 with my travel baseball team and parents. We sat in general admin that year and as high school kids that was a lot of fun. If I recall correctly, you have to leave the stadium and re-enter and having a GA seat for both games that day could lead to you have really poor seats in the afternoon. People start lining up pretty early to enter.

I took dad for fathers day back in 2011 for the USC game. I picked up the flights hotel and food so dad picked up some great reserved seats down the third base line about 8 rows up (unfortunately in USC territory but they were great fans). If I was going for multiple games and the Ags weren't there, I'd do a mix of GA and reserved and do GA for the first game and the reserved for the second so I didnt have to wait in line for the second game.

We also stayed at the Courtyard and it's in a pretty perfect location. It might be 4 blocks from the stadium at the most.
TAMU1990
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AG
Went in 2011 with three kids (13, 9, and 6). The local A&M club had a social and we attended - very welcoming group of people. Stayed near the stadium to take advantage of the shuttles. We got a book of GA tickets and sat in the outfield - had a great time. The event is geared towards families. I highly recommend going.

My youngest son is playing in an Omaha tourney this year and I am praying we make it back.
jefe95
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Went last year and had a blast!

Hotel: stayed in Council Bluffs, Iowa at a Holiday Inn. It was cheap and the drive to the ballpark is less than 10 minutes

Tickets: stubhub and flash seats - got them last minute for every day because weather is unpredictable and you might want to sit in different areas of the ballpark depending on shade, rain, etc


GEA89
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AG
I have been 5 times, 4 with my son who played in a Triple Crown event there and once just to see the Ags.


  • Get a hotel room early or you'll end up in Council Bluff's Iowa in a Motel 6 that smells like a dirty ashtray from 1972.
  • There are big youth tournaments during the CWS so keep that in mind regarding all reservations (hotel, rental car, etc.) and restaurants.
  • There are a few staple places you have to try, go to Zesto's for some ice cream just to say you did it.
  • The Old Market Area downtown is neat, if you can get a room there I would. Lot''s of places to eat, drink, and shop. The Ms. will love you for it.
  • The Zoo next to the old Rosenblatt is a cool thing to do.
  • As far as dining Pitch Pizzeria, Crescent Moon Ale House (microbrewery and restaurant), and Flemings (upscale steakhouse) are all places I'd recommend.
McCoveysCove
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Get tickets online. Not sure how old you are but the lines are long (sometimes 2 1/2 long) before gates open.
Everyone there makes you feel special.
jakelew04
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My dad and I went together in 1998. That trip is one of my favorite memories. You won't regret it. Get tickets and hotel well in advance.

Also bring warm clothes just in case. A front came through while we were there. Don't remember how cold it was, but as a Texas kid in June, I was freezing my ass off. Walmart looked like a war zone after all of us out of towners ransacked it looking for anything to stay warm.
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