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 |
anyone from the April 24th taping…e-mail me at kff382@yahoo.com
Heather – if you’re looking for tickets for 5/21, I may be able to help. Please e-mail me.
Heather – my email address is dojlawyer@verizon.net
Folks,
I have two extra tickets to the Price is Right 1:15 taping on Monday, May 21. The recipient must be willing to line up the day before and hold my place in line. If interested in working something out, please email me at dojlawyer@verizon.net.
Hi all,
I have seen Price Is Right tickets on Ebay lately if anyone is really in need of them.
The prices seem to be kind of high though!
But I guess it is worth it if you really want to see Bob before he retires?
For those in need of tickets, log on to http://www.golden-road.net. Some people have extra tickets on certain dates and are giving them out.
http://www.golden-road.net/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=3071&forum=18
i have an extra ticket for May 21st that I am willing to sell. 50$ or best offer. i will be their early in line with 3 friends
email me at laxn4ever@hotmail.com and its the 4:30 showing
At the back of the ticket, it clearly states according to California Law that you cannot sell a ticket.
In my own opinion, if you are a loyal friend and true, you will never sell a ticket.
Hi All,
Has anyone gone to a taping lately? What are the lines like these days?
How early should we stand in line for the 5/21 show taping? Any suggestions?
Thanks
Dan (#210)
Thank you for saying that. My friend wanted me to sell our extra ticket as well and I told her that a loyal friend and true would never take advantage of another price is right fan by making them pay to get a chance to see Bob before he retires.
I agree about selling tickets … exactly why my hope was for the recipient of two tickets for 5/21 to merely hold my place in line
I just received Stand By Tickets from TPIR. Has that worked for anyone? It says to show up at 9AM or earlier, but is clearly different from the line of “regular” ticket holders. Any one have any knowledge regarding these tickets or any success getting in with them? Do they give these instead of a no tickets left letter..or are these actually a good thing? Thanks for any help with this topic… don’t see it in the history.
I can not positively answer you question but I would think it’s better than a letter saying “sorry, we’re out of tickets” (but not much better)….. I have heard they stopped accepting groups until after Bob retires which means the first 325 people who wait in line will get in the audience. The only thing I can think of would be….. If a minimum of 325 people DIDN’T show up to wait in line then they would take you to help fill the audience. Highly unlikely!!! When I was there in February there were probably 450 people in line by 6am and now with Bob’s retirement date coming close I’m sure most people with real tickets will show up to wait in line.
Like I said, I don’t know this for sure…. It’s only a guess!
BTW: I was called to contestants row, won my way onto stage and won my game with a “standby/reserve number” so it CAN happen!!
(my standby “number” is different than your standby “ticket”. I was on reserve waiting to see if any of the scheduled groups didn’t show up or didn’t have the minimum number of 20 people to have “group status”…. I was lucky and a few groups didn’t show up and I was accepted into the audience)
Good luck and have fun!
If you don’t have a ticket, you can get a non-ticket slip instead. The non-ticket slips go in last – after the standbys. On a normal day you probably won’t get in, but given that so many people are turned away after they give out 300 or so priority numbers, few stay on the standby list. But it’s not likely to happen if you’re attending a double-tape day because there’s already 300 people waiting around for the next show that could get bumped up to the first show if it doesn’t fill.
It’s much more likely now that you could be able to get in with a non-ticket slip because there’s no more groups being accepted for Bob’s last tapings, but still it’s not a very good chance.
We are sooooooooooo excited! How early do we need to be there to get in line for the Wednesday May 16th taping? Our flight gets in on Tuesday around noonish. Is there any chance we will be able to get in line early enough on Tuesday?
Anonymous-
We are going to the May 16th taping as well! We have never gone before, but we plan on getting there around 10pm the night before!
Just an indication – over at Golden-road.net there’s a report from someone who went to a taping on April 30 (a double tape day) and got in line at 8 PM the night before and was #252 in line, and that there were 600 people in line at 6 AM (There are 325 seats in the studio). There was also a report from someone who went to a taping on May 2 and 3 and the lines for those tapings never reached 300, and a bunch of standbys got in at 8 AM.
While this isn’t indicative of all of the lines you may encounter, but once the first few people start lining up, no matter when that is, a bunch of people will follow. So don’t be surprised if there’s already 325 people in line by midnight or only 200 people in line at 8 AM.
If I had to guess, if you start lining up anytime before midnight, you’d be fairly sure you’d be getting in. Anytime after that you might be on the bubble and get a standby number instead of a priority number.
To answer Pebble’s question:
I saw a couple of the Standby tickets on eBay today – You were sent these because they ran out of regular tickets, and instead of sending “sorry we’re out of tickets” letters like they did with people who sent in for the May 15-24 tapings, they give you standby tickets instead. So instead of a bunch of people complaining that they made plans but don’t have any tickets and are all of a sudden are desperate for them, they get standby tickets, which give them a CHANCE to get in.
The standby tickets go in after people with regular tickets. If you have a regular ticket, you get an order of arrival pass (OOA) at 6 AM, and a priority number at 8 AM. If all of the priority numbers have not been exhausted (325), then they can give people with standby tickets a priority number in the order they arrived starting at 9 AM.
After all of the priority numbers are given out, they give out standby numbers, which basically say that if people don’t show up for processing, that you can take their place.
Hi,
How early should I stand in line for the May 21 show? Can someone post their experience when they go to the May 15th taping… thanks in advance.
Thanks Anonymous and Voltaire. Appreciate the info. Looking forward to the May 30 taping!
I am with a group of 5 people who need just ONE ticket for May 15th. We would be glad to stand in line for you tonight if you have an eticket that you can share. We are in LA… have access to phone, email or could meet you in person if you are a good samaritan with a spare ticket. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you for any help.
cam0839@uncw.edu or 336-420-3985
Is there a metro station nearby? We have lodging up by universal. What is the best, most reliable way to get around? I kind of don’t want to rent a car if we don’t have to because we won’t be in town that long. We’re arriving Tuesday and likely to be in line Tues night, hopefully will see the show on Wed, and then back to the airport Thursday morn. Will I be a lot happier if I rent a car, or is public transportation between CBS and Universal City pretty accessable? Thanks for all the helpful info!
There isn’t any metro station next to CBS. While there is a bus stop right by where the line starts, I highly advise using it to get there from universal. I’d recommend renting a car and parking at the Grove while you wait in line. It also gives you a place to leave your things you may need for waiting in line (like chairs).
Thanks Voltaire! You have been an enormous help!
Do people ever pair up to wait in line in shifts? I have tickets for 5/21 (actually I have more than I need) but don’t get into LA until the evening of 5/20. How do people in line feel about taking turns?
If anyone needs tickets for Monday, May 21 (1:15) let me know.
Lauren,
I am willing to work with you on taking turns for you. We have a group of 7 that are all willing to stay up for the night. Can help me out with any extra ticket(s). We are celebrating my inlaws 50th anniversary and are short 3 tickets. 3 of us will be waiting in line with them but many not get to go in with them.
If you are interested email me at Lsather@wah.midco.net
Laurie
Great site. Need one additional ticket for May 30. Will hold place in line. I plan to get in line at Noon on May 29. Thanks.
How are the lines lately? I’m going to the Thursday, May 17th taping and I was planning on being there by 8pm on Wednesday? I know it depends on the day, but anyone have feedback. Thanks!!
Michele, email me at getfuzzy@mail.com We have an extra ticket for the taping on the 30th. Got four tickets and only three people. ~Dana
Thanks Dana. Just emailed you.
This site is very helpful! I have 4 tickets to the May 21st taping, but I’m seeing the afternoon taping. My friends and I were planning on driving up the night before and bumming around, but since we have the later taping time, we’re not sure as to how go about this. Any suggestions? THANK YOU! minstyles@yahoo.com
I love this website. Does anyone have extra tickets for the May 31st show? I haven’t received mine in the mail yet and I’m flying in from Philly just to see Bob!! Anyone else going that day?
I’m in need of advice: We just received “Standby” tickets for the May 31st show (instead of regular tickets), and I don’t know whether to risk going out and not getting in. We live in IN, and we have three children under the age of 7. Airfare and child care for home for a couple of days could be pricey; I’m willing to spend the money, BUT even if we stay in line from dawn the day before there is still no assurity that we would even get in the studio.
My husband had surprised me a few months ago with tickets; and we went in March, but we didn’t get picked. (I got to be a dancer before the taping, though.) May 31st is my 41st birthday, and I’d like another shot at meeting Bob before he retires. It’s a childhood dream; BUT, I’m not sure what to do! Advice/feedback/pep talks are welcomed!
Dawn
Basically they gave you standby tickets because I assume CBS didn’t want to give you the “sorry we’re out of tickets” letter instead like I did for the week of May 21. This gives you at least a chance of getting in – so long as the people who already have regular tickets don’t fill up to 325. I don’t know the exact ticket distribution, but I remember hearing somewhere it was 2000 per show about five years ago, but that decreased to somewhere between 1/3 to 1/2 of that after they introduced e-ticketing. Remember – not everyone who gets a ticket will show up to a taping – so I expect some people with standbys to get in. I don’t expect approximately 25-30 standbys getting in though. If you haven’t bought airfare yet, I’d really weigh the risk that you’re basically hoping to get in without a real ticket even if you wait in line for hours – but if you’re willing to take a chance on it, go for it.
Just a heads up for anyone going to the show anytime soon – I spoke with the hotel manager from the Farmer’s Daughter hotel (across the street from the line) and he said the first person in line for the May 15th Taping today (a Tuesday), the line started at 2 PM on Saturday Night (The 12th), but most of the line filled up on Sunday afternoon.
Looks like Mondays or Tuesdays with two shows are the worst for lines. Otherwise it seems from all the various blogs that unless you want to be seated in the first few rows, you don’t need to get in line before Midnight.
Anyone have 3 extra tix for the Mon. 5/21 taping!!!!
if anyone has TWO tickets for ANY taping, please let me know! my sister and i waited for june tickets to become available online & at the box office, but nothing seemed to come through! if anyone has two tickets, i’d greatly appreciate it! thank you!!! kristin_gunnarson@yahoo.com
3 tix needed for either taping on Mon. 5/21. Willing to hold place in line or even pay!!! Desperate, please help!!hoch0052@tc.umn.edu
If my emailed was had to read it is: hoch0052@tc.umn.edu
In my desperate plea for May 31 tix (thursday’s taping,) I forgot my e-mail address. (oops!) It’s sdabney123@verizon.net.
I requested tickets for the June tapings some time ago but have not heard anything yet. Has anyone received any tickets for the week of June 4-6?
Hi Dave,
I have tickets for this Monday, but since some friends were left out, we’re I’m trying again for the 4th so we can ALL go! Since I’m feeling so anxious about this whole ordeal (haha) I called the ticket office and the person told me they should start sending out June replies the end of this week. Cutting it close, but at least you know you’re not left out. =) Good luck!
For those of you who waited in the line all night, what did you do with all your stuff? I know you aren’t allowed to bring bags into the studio. Will they hold all your stuff for you even if its big chairs and large bags?
thanks,
Chelsea
No, CBS does not have any storage room for your stuff. You’ll have to store it in your hotel room or car, etc. because there’s nowhere to store it on CBS property. Inside CBS though, there are benches, so you won’t have to bring things like chairs in the studio. The only thing I know they can hold for you are cameras and cell phones (kind of like a hat check, because cameras and cell phones aren’t allowed in the studio) right before you go through the metal detectors.
I am flying out to California next week with 7 people! I sent out requests for tickets on the same day 2 months ago and 4 of us got tickets and 3 of us got standy-by. UGH. I just dont know what to do, we are so upset and worried that only half of us will be able to get in.
If anyone has 3 extra tickets for Wednesday May 30th.. .you dont know what that would mean to us! we are traveling all the way from New Jersey!
I’ll gladly pay for shipping!
my email is … kch7181@hotmail.com
I planned on going to the studio between now and May 25th to pick up 2 tickets in person. Think my chances are good or can I just kiss thoughts of meeting Bob Barker good-bye? Also, if my chances look TERRIBLE, anyone have 2 extra tickets? We will share standing in line if necessary. Email me at H8ToCook@sbcglobal.net. Thanks! I NEED A NEW CAR!!!! :)
The CBS website has already announced they are out of tickets at their ticket booth for May and June, and that the tickets for May 29-May 31 are being mailed this week, and June 1-June 4 shortly. If they do end up giving you tickets – it’ll be standby tickets, if they have any. Perhaps you should look into trying to find someone with extra tickets.
We are going to LA in July. Does anyone know if TPIR will be taping new episodes then with the new host? Or are we completely out of luck?