Monday at the Price is Right
The short of it is: if you have tickets for the 1:15pm taping of the Price is Right on a Monday, get there before 5:30 or you probably won’t get in (see the table at the bottom of the post).
On to the long of it.
In town visiting Michelle a week and a half ago was her good friend Laura whose greatest desire while in LA was to see Bob Barker at a taping of The Price is Right. Since Laura was just in town for the weekend, going to the studio on Monday was our only option. Unfortunately, Monday is the busiest day there for two reasons: all the out of towners just in LA for the weekend have to go on Monday (they don’t tape on Friday), and there are two tapings on Monday (they don’t tape on Friday). It was going to be a long day.
The previous week, Michelle had gone to the CBS studio to pick up tickets for the 1:15pm taping on February 5th. Apparently there was no line (though there was also no one at the booth for some time), and she, as a ticket picker-uper, was allowed to park in the studio lot for free.
Monday Morning (with deserved capitalization) Greg and I awoke around 4:00am and were picked up by Michelle and Laura at 4:30 here in Pasadena. Without traffic, we made it to the studio, where there was already a sizable line, at about 5:10am. Laura and Greg got us a spot in line while Michelle and I drove around the block to The Grove‘s parking lot (a mall lot that cost us $11 with validation).
We patronized the unenthusiastic coffee/bagel shop across from the studio (location is everything) and waited in line until, at around 6:00am, we were given tickets that held our place in line. I was number 131. At that point we were allowed to leave as long as we returned by 8:00am, so we picked up the car (the lot wasn’t yet taking money that early in the morning, so we decided to move the car while we could and save a few bucks) and drove to a nearby IHOP. We parked back at the grove and went back to the studio to wait for our priority numbers, which we got at about 8:30am. I was number 98; apparently about a third of the people in front of us were there for the later, second taping.
At 9:00am they called us back into formation and started droning on about rules (no disparaging remarks about the prizes, please), taxes (you have to pay them), the line we were sitting in (never leave it or you’re not getting into the taping), and a handful of other things that were repeated ad nauseum. Eventually, we were issued our name tags (Price is Right name tags!) and seating numbers (our fourth non-ticket). I was number 99; it’s unclear why we four were all bumped up a number.
At some point (cell phones and cameras are not allowed on the studio, so I wasn’t able to keep good track of time), they started calling a dozen people from the line up at a time to be “interviewed”. Contestants on the Price is Right are not drawn randomly. They are selected from the crowd ahead of time during this interview process. You only have a few seconds to make your mark, so be creative. We finally got interviewed at around 11:30. We then got herded into… another line! and sat down to play a few hands of UNO with our neighbors.
And then the moment arrived. We finally got into the studio a bit before 1:00pm and got seats. The place was tiny. Watching the show on TV, you get the sense that there are at least a thousand people in the audience and that “coming on down” is at least a 50 yard dash. As it turns out, there’s only about two hundred and fifty people at the taping, and most everyone is within twenty feet of the stage. The display doors (which look massive on TV) are eat-me tiny and the stage itself is about the size of a foosball table. When we first came in, I remarked that Bob Barker must be a midget. Apparently, the TV industry is just plain good at clever photography.
After being prepped by the show’s announcer, the actual taping flew by; everything was extremely fast paced: “Come on down”, bidding, win, play whatever game, cut to commercial, repeat. During “commercial breaks”, Bob would talk to the crowd and take questions. This was just about the only time we actually heard his voice. The staff there get all the audience members to ooh and ahh and scream and shout advice (“higher!”, “$1300”, “the soup!”, “My spleen just exploded”, and so on) with such volume that very little of what’s going on on stage is discernible. I now have a lot of sympathy for the contestants who keep having to ask about the previous people’s bids.
Sadly, none of us was called down. Our dreams (“one dollar, Bob”) were not fulfilled. The guy behind us did get called though, so I bet we were on TV for a second or two (unfortunately, the show aired today and I was too lazy to give anyone advance warning). Despite our lack of luck, I’m glad to have gone. Price is Right, for good or for ill, is truly a piece of Americana, and it was neat to be involved.
Anyway, that’s the boring long of it. For a less mind numbing account, see Greg’s First Post! on the subject.
Below is a table of a person’s final seat number for the 1:15pm taping vs. that person’s arrival time. Somewhere not too far past seat number 150, the people all came from pre-booked large groups which are guaranteed admission (and so don’t have to wait in line).
| Final Seat Number | Arrival Time |
|---|---|
| 1 | 11:00pm |
| 10 | 12:30am |
| 15 | 2:00am |
| 30 | 2:45am |
| 40 | 3:30am |
| 65 | 4:00am |
| 100 | 5:10am |
| 150 | 5:50am |
Jackie,
I don’t think you need to worry about sleeping in a funky position… With all the excitement of being on the show and waiting in line with hundreds of other people waiting for the same thing…. to lay down and try to sleep is a very hard thing to do.
Good luck and have fun!!
Anyone going to the April 4th or 5th show? My friend & I are going. If anyone else is going, please e-mail me at j_boddorf@hotmail.com. It would be great to talk to others who are going this day.
For everyone that has already went, my friend & I are staying at a hotel that is by the airport, so we’ll be bringing a bag w/ us. Other than putting our bag in someone’s car that we meet, do we have any other options?
Also, we’re going to Wednesday and Thursday tapings, April 4th & 5th & plan to get in line by 2 AM at the latest the 4th & by 1:30 AM at the latest on the 5th. We’d like to get in line earlier, but this is the best times we can do w/ our travel arrangements. Do you guys think these times will be ok. Spring breaks are over, so I’m hoping we’ll be ok.
Jen (post# 102)
I would say you should be OK to get in line at 2:00am but not any later. You’ll have a better feel for it after your first night in line and can adjust your time for the second night if the first night doesn’t work out for you.
Good luck!!!!
Margie, you were amazing on The Price Is Right! I wish I met you that morning in line, but I wasn’t working Price Is Right that day. I meet a lot of people at the show, and you probably were very excited that day! You should check out my You Tube video “The Price Is Right With Lyrics By Me,” because you missed out on them when you were in line!
Anyone know about bags…what if you have a bag & can’t find anywhere to put it during the show? I’m hoping to find someone in line that will let me put it in their car.
Hey, Everyone!
My husband and I just had a fantastic time at the March 26th taping!! For those with questions, look at Becky’s posting (#82). She listed exactly what happens, and there isn’t much more to add. As far as where to place your belongings, if you’ve rented a car I’d suggest going back to it to place all your items in the trunk. That’s what we did. In fact, my husband went back around 5:00 a.m. so we wouldn’t have to deal with it after receiving the OOA tickets.
Here’s my question: I’m itching to go again, and I’m wanting to know if anyone has two extra tickets out there for the May 31st taping? I will submit my info. to CBS, but I have a feeling I’ll receive the letter that someone else mentioned about “no more tickets.” We were not called down to be contestants in March, and this date in May is my birthday; what better way to spend it than to travel the country again to try to meet Bob?! I would be so thrilled to do so, and I’m willing to spend the money again to attempt it. If anyone can help, I would greatly appreciate it!!
I sent away last week for tickets to the price is right in May, thinking that would be enough time to get them! From what I am reading, I may not be getting any tickets because of the high request. My flight is already booked out to California from New Jersey and I will be devastated if I don’t get into a taping.
Does anyone have extra Price is Right Tickets for that week, May 26th through June 3rd. I would be forever grateful. This is my dream since I was a little girl and I finally am going to California!
If anyone one has information that could help me or even better – extra tickets, my email is radiokat7181@hotmail.com
Thank you so much!
Kathryn
Hi Price is Right fans! This blog was an awesome asset to preparing for the show! Thanks everyone. We just got back from the March 27th taping. It was a blast! I just wanted to add a few observations. They do have groups…military groups. They don’t seem to consider them groups if you ask, but they were there both taping days. It is difficult to say exactly when you have to get in line. One day people that show up at 5AM don’t get in….the next day at 630AM they were only up to number 247 out of a studio that holds 325. You will have to guage when to get in line once you get there. We got in line at 1200Noon, yes really. It was worth it because we got to sit in the front row and we made great new friends! It was so much fun. We all plan to reunite in May for another taping. Another thing I wanted to add…it is an exciting and disappointing experience. It is exciting to be there and disappointing if you do not get called. It is important to know that it is okay to feel a little let down after the show…that feeling passes and the excitement takes over again at having such a great adventure. I’ll be happy to share any info on hotels, farmers market, open bathrooms, security, etc… Have a great adventure! Most people only talk about going to see the Price Is Right…you are all actually doing it! Good on ya and good luck:)
This blog is amazing. I just bought plane tickets to go to LA and I want to try to get on TPIR on either Mon May 21 or Tues May 22. I am about to send my request in. From reading the posts, I am not sure I will even get a reply. Any advice? Is there any way for me to get 2 tickets – either having someone in LA pick them up or if anyone has extras? I am desperate – this is my present to myself for finishing my PhD qualifications!! Thanks so much. Abby
I just looked at TPIR Website. There are on line tickets available for all tapings April 23 through April 26.
Thanks to everyone for the comments! I just got back from the April 2nd taping of TPIR, and my best friend got up there! Here’s my tips of getting in: Get there before 5:00 am for 1:15 taping! I’m serious! Make friends with the people around you and be enthusiastic the entire day…(they’re all watching you!) When it comes time for your interview, this is how it went for me. Producer: Hi, Rene, what do you do. Me: I’m an Engineer from Fort Worth. What I should have said: I’m an Engineer from Fort Worth, and I CAN’T WAIT TO SPIN THAT WHEEL!!!! (and then give all of the people in my interview group high fives.) I’m serious. Be enthusiastic.
Forgot to say, we met great people. Everyone there is doing the same thing. (We’re all basically crazy). We were in line with a couple of sisters from Kansas CIty, Emily and Carrie. They were so much fun, we had dinner with them after the taping. I thought for sure one of them would get picked. Both were such cute girls. Maybe we just aren’t the demographic. If you are 30 or 40, you are neither college age nor elderly!!
There was some screaming in line followed by much laughter. A couple of rats in the bushes. I was a bit weirded out by the thought of rats but the reality was, they leave you alone. Not much to worry about there. Lots of people around who are awake… Oh, there was a security guard who stayed in an SUV oevernight at the start of the line. Some comfort….when you choose to sleep on the street’s of LA!
We are in need of 4 tickets for the April 16th show; we planned this trip for 2 months and thought for sure we’d have tickets until we recieved the letter this week that all tickets have been distributed. If anyone can help that would be great; we’re traveling from Michigan, Delaware, and SC with one goal, to see Bob.
Please email me at mrgrossjr@yahoo.com.
Thanks for the help.
I was surprised when I got my tickets in the mail to find out that the April 16th taping for which I received the tickets is the $1,000,000 Spectacular to be shown on PRIME TIME!!! Even though it is on a Monday, the taping is at 2:30 and I am pretty sure it is the only taping of the day. What time have people who go on days with one taping been getting in line? I am thinking we will be out there all night since it is the $1,000,000 Spectacular (I love saying that!) Can part of the party wait in line and roatate out in shifts? There are 14 of us going.
yes you can rotate,but all members must be present at 6:00 am that is when they give out the first numbers.many people in line last week were keeping a space for two or even 4 people who were sleeping.
lori
Hi Wendy. That is so good to hear. When did you request for your tickets? I’ve requested for April 16th and 17th tapings sometime 1st week of March and they were kinda quick in telling me that there are no more tickets for that date.
Good luck!!! Be there very early on Sunday, check the line on Saturday if you are in the area.
Hey Meg, I requested the maximum 10 tickets by mail in December and I got 4. My friend requested 10 in February and got all 10. Do you live in the L.A. area? I think I will have one extra ticket and an extra t-shirtsince one of our group backed out recently.
Hi Wendy. Can you email me at gem_velasquez@yahoo.com? I would definitely get in touch with you. Thank you.
Hi Wendy. It’s me again. I’ll be flying from Chicago, and another friend of mine will be from east coast. I really appreciate your offer. Thank you.
Hello all, I am coming to L.A. April 29-May4. I am bringing my 73 yr. old grandma to Cali. she has never flown, would LOVE to see Bob, we sent in request 2 months ago, and still nothing. Can anyone help make grandmas dream come true? Like other people, we have our plane tickets, etc. but no ticket to the price!!!!!!Please help.randihugunin@yahoo.com
Great Blog guys — But I am so confused. I’m heading out there in late May with a few friends of mine. In the beginning of March, we sent a letter for tickets, and we received 4 of them on Saturday for a Wednesday show.
What are these tickets for? I can’t tell if they people that get in line at 5AM already have these tickets or not. Any clarification would be awesome
Hi everyone. I love the blog! Very helpful. I am bringing my family to LA for next week’s April 16 and 17 tapings. We requested tickets for all five of us but were only given four due to demand.
We are thrilled that it is the $1M Spectacular as my folks are huge fans of the show and have always wanted to go. I am desperate for one additional ticket on Monday, April 16.
Does anyone have just one extra ticket they’d be willing to part with? I will return the favor. Please email me at ben_n_smith@yahoo.com if so. Thanks so much!
This is to jt (#121). Are you retarded?
JT (#121) Lets put it this way,
The TV studio holds 325 people…. They give out WAY MORE tickets (like the ones you just reveived) than there are seats in the TV studio. This is because they want to make sure they have a FULL audience when they film so if they only gave out 325 tickets and 30 people didn’t show up (for example)then the audience wouldn’t be full. This way they cover their own butts by having to many people waiting inline the night before.
YOUR ANSWER….. YES!!! You still need to be in line early!! The ticket you have in you hand does not really mean a whole lot at this point…. but you DO need it to get you order of arrival number.
If you DIDN’T have a ticket, and waited in line all night anyway, when it came time to hand out the “order of arrival” numbers in the morning…. You would be asked to leave!!!
Read my previous post #88 for more info….
I may have 2 or 3 extra tickets for the April 23rd 1:15 taping.
Does anyone want to join my friends and I?????
If so, please contact me asap at Shalon559@gmail.com
Thanks
Is there a difference between a ticket you request via written request, and a ticket you get via online (printed)???? Is there a preference for one of the other?
Marie (#126):
There is absolutely no difference whatsoever. As long as you have one or the other, you are covered.
My daughter and I are going May 16th and I appreciate all the comments. If anyone wants to email me, feel free, esp someone who has been in that line! We are staying across the street from CBS. We were thinking about buying a couple of chairs somewhere closeby. jfheadrick@charter.net
jonnie,
ig you go down fairfax through the light you will find a thrift store we bought 2 chairs there and cbs was niice enogh to dispose of them for us.
they clean up the hole block.
also if you gothe other direction you will find a Kmart some people went there and bought lawn chairs
I have eight tickets (4 electronic, 4 paper) to the 4/17 nighttime special that I will trade for ONE ticket to the 4/16 taping.
If you can help, please contact me at ben_n_smith@yahoo.com. Thanks everyone and if you’re going, good luck!
Hi! I am leaving next Thursday for the Apr 23rd show. Can anyone update me on the line situation? We’re planning on gettin in line by 9pm the night before. Do you think that’s a safe time to get in???? Thanks so much!
Anyone have any extra tickets for the May 15th taping???? let me know!!
ok I need to leave my email address, it did not appear in last post!
ekb1979@hotmail.com
THANK YOU
Amanda…. If you’re in line by 9pm the night before you should be fine. From what I’ve heard, they’re not taking groups any longer so the first 325 people in line should have no problem getting into the show. The day I was there they only taped one show…. If they tape 2 shows the day you’re there it might be ok if you’re not in the first 325 because you might get into the second taping….. But I don’t know that for sure because I was only there for a single taping.
Either way…. If you’re there at 9pm I think you’ll be just fine!!!
Just wondering if anyone would have an extra 1 or 2 tickets for any show in May or June. It’s my life’s dream to get to the show. Please email me if you have any extra, I am willing to pay for them. Thanks everyone!
sorry my email is amberdawn_2000@hotmail.com
I would like to get 3 tickets for the Price is Right on April 23rd, anybody have any? Thanks!
So are they sending out tickets anymore for the may tapings?? I need 4 to the May 29,30,or 31. Just like many others it’s a dream for my friends and I to see Bob on the show before he retires. I would appreciate it more than you could ever believe. piszcze1@msu.edu Thanks. -Ryan
hi kelly. email me at gem_velasquez@yahoo.com.
I sent in for tickets last Tues. as advised by the gal on the phone at the ticket office. And viola.. today I received 3 tickets for next Tuesday’s taping (4/24). So it took one week. I would advise people who want tickets to supposedly sold out shows to write in for them. Especially if you live local. Apparently sometimes a large group cancels and they release those tickets. That’s what she told me anyway. And it worked. I’m super excited because it’s also my 35th birthday. I’ve been wanting to go to the show forever and now that Bob’s retiring, I couldn’t pass it up.
To answer a few questions, here’s what’s on the card they sent with the tickets:
Eligibility info:
*No one under 18 is permitted.
*You need two forms of ID.. a license and either your SS card or a paystub or some other official document w/your SS#. If you don’t have it, you will need to provide it within 30 days to receive any prizes. If you are not a US citizen, you may use your passport.
*You can not have been on TPIR previously.
*You can not have been on any other game show within the past year.
*And you have not been on any 2 games shows with in the past 10 years.
Sandy wrote…..*You can not have been on TPIR previously.
You can be in the audience if you’ve been on the TPIR, you just cant ever be called to contestants row ever again….. If you wanted to return to the show with friends for example.
Hello… Somebody asked for tickets to an Apr 23rd show… I have tickets to the 4:30 taping. We are unfortunately unable to attend, due to a death in the family. On that note, we are going to be rebooking our trip to LA. Does anyone have ANY tickets for a taping in May/June. I would be eternally grateful. PLEASE contact me if you do. I am hoping that by offering my Apr 23rd ticket for someone to enjoy, another will have extras to a MAY/JUNE taping they can spare me. I am not picky as far as the date. I am willing to book my trip around the tape date. THANK YOU so much. My email address is awaltz@therepublic.com Thanks again.
Does any have spare tickets between May 15 and May 17? My sister and I are both graduating college the week before, and I promised her that I would take her to PIR. The ticket office told me not to bother sending in requests for May/June because they were long gone. Thanks for anyone who can help!
ghettotriathlete@gmail.com
Who needs (extra) tickets for April 27th (Tuesday) or May 3rd (Thursday)?
Email me at gem_velasquez@yahoo.com. I am not going to use them and I want to give these to people who will definitely be going on these dates.
Thanks.
Hi all,
I am going to LA to see a taping of TPIR on April 25th and I couldn’t be more excited! I was able to put a group of burn nurses together from the Vanderbilt Burn center so get ready! None of us have a lot of experience with LA and the surrounding areas and we will need a place to stay for two nights (although it sounds like we will not be using our rooms on the night before the taping…what with all the camping out and such) I was just wondering where to stay, one of us found a hotel in Hollywood at a Best Western but I’m not sure…aren’t there some areas to definately avoid in LA? Plus, I’ll need a safe place to park my BRAND NEW CAAAAAARRRR! ha ha ha
Hi Leah. Farmer’s Daughter Hotel is just across CBS studio. It’s like $200+/night.
Go to http://www.golden-road.net. You will see a lot of information about the show, going to the show and more. It helped me a lot. I was finally able to see TPIR and Bob Barker. My dream came true!!! :)
Hello TPIR fans, if you are planning a trip to the price is right The BEVERLY INN is around the corner from where the line starts and is across from the cbs studio on Beverly Blvd. I paid $78 a night for a room with two twin beds. Sunday night, Monday night, and Tuesday night in Febuary 2007. Granted it is not a 5 star hotel but it was just what we needed for our PRICE IS RIGHT TRIP. It is a 5 minute or less walk to the PRICE IS RIGHT LINE. hope this helps someone….
I only hope I will play the price is right.
Hey, is anyone going to TPIR on May 16th and 17th?!
Hi Everybody, I’m going to the April 25th show. I’m so excited….My sisters and I are going to spend the night starting at 8:30pm. I’m very thankful for this blog. My sister saw that the tickets say arrive at 6:30am and thats the time she wanted to be there by. We went through alot of trouble to get these tickets and hate to be rejected for not arriving earlier. I have a couple questions for for the lucky people that seen the Price is Right live. How long are you waiting on the mental benches? Can you bring any drink or food while you are waiting? I would also like to bring a pack of cards during the long wait. Did you see anyone else doing that? Thank you in advance for helping me.