OT: Visitor's Guide to Tampa: All Questions Here!

shoeshine boy

Registered User
Aug 14, 2008
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123
visiting this weekend for USA Hockey District tourney at Florida Hospital Ice so we'll be staying in Wesley Chapel. we have all day free on Friday so we were thinking it'd be a great beach day. is Clearwater Beach our best option? is there nothing a little further north in the New Port Richey area?
 

TeslaCoilFan

Slightly Elite Fan
Mar 17, 2017
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West of the Moon
visiting this weekend for USA Hockey District tourney at Florida Hospital Ice so we'll be staying in Wesley Chapel. we have all day free on Friday so we were thinking it'd be a great beach day. is Clearwater Beach our best option? is there nothing a little further north in the New Port Richey area?

You're in luck! There is a lovely park/beach in Tarpon Springs, just a little south of New Port Rickey. It's called Fred Howard Park, 1700 Sunset Dr., Tarpon Springs. There's a little causeway in the park that leads to a very nice white sand beach with all the usual beach amenities. From Wesley Chapel, it's an easy drive west on SR 54, then take a left (south) to Tarpon Springs and follow the signs. You also get the side benefit of being in a town that has one of the largest Greek communities outside of Greece with fabulous food and a unique cultural area that's fun to explore when you're tired of the beach. :DD

Just PLEASE remember to hydrate and use sunscreen even if it's overcast. Our Florida sun is potent even in the winter. :cool:
 

shoeshine boy

Registered User
Aug 14, 2008
756
123
You're in luck! There is a lovely park/beach in Tarpon Springs, just a little south of New Port Rickey. It's called Fred Howard Park, 1700 Sunset Dr., Tarpon Springs. There's a little causeway in the park that leads to a very nice white sand beach with all the usual beach amenities. From Wesley Chapel, it's an easy drive west on SR 54, then take a left (south) to Tarpon Springs and follow the signs. You also get the side benefit of being in a town that has one of the largest Greek communities outside of Greece with fabulous food and a unique cultural area that's fun to explore when you're tired of the beach. :DD

Just PLEASE remember to hydrate and use sunscreen even if it's overcast. Our Florida sun is potent even in the winter. :cool:

mucho thanks! we live in ATL so we're very familiar with the FLA sun. :)
we'll be at the Bolts game the night before (v. Wild) and the info in this thread has been very helpful.
 
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TheKingPin

Registered User
Nov 16, 2005
20,633
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Philadelphia, PA
Hey guys Flyers fan here,
I am a season ticket member and recently my lower lever seats were absorbed in a big renovation project at the Wells Fargo center. On top of that, they are raising ticket prices across the board. I am debating keeping the new replacement seats, but only if I think I can break even on them.
I’d really like to know:
Do you have lower level season tickets?
Do you break even in regular season or with playoffs?
Would you have broken even if you went to most of the games?
Thanks! Very much appreciate it!
 

TeslaCoilFan

Slightly Elite Fan
Mar 17, 2017
6,593
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Hey guys Flyers fan here,
I am a season ticket member and recently my lower lever seats were absorbed in a big renovation project at the Wells Fargo center. On top of that, they are raising ticket prices across the board. I am debating keeping the new replacement seats, but only if I think I can break even on them.
I’d really like to know:
Do you have lower level season tickets?
Do you break even in regular season or with playoffs?
Would you have broken even if you went to most of the games?
Thanks! Very much appreciate it!

Not quite sure how to answer these because there is a policy for the Lightning that limits the number of your season ticket games you can sell. I'm sure there are people that break even, even with the limitations. I think it would also vary tremendously depending on the venue/team.

Of Amalie Arena's 19,092 seats, close to 15,000 of them belong to season ticket holders, yet when certain teams play us, there's a lot of opposing jerseys in lower bowl seats. So there must be many STM who sell their seats, probably for a good amount.

Sorry to not be more helpful, but I'm only a half season ticket holder of an upper level seat who very rarely sells her seat. :)
 
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TheKingPin

Registered User
Nov 16, 2005
20,633
10,093
Philadelphia, PA
Not quite sure how to answer these because there is a policy for the Lightning that limits the number of your season ticket games you can sell. I'm sure there are people that break even, even with the limitations. I think it would also vary tremendously depending on the venue/team.

Of Amalie Arena's 19,092 seats, close to 15,000 of them belong to season ticket holders, yet when certain teams play us, there's a lot of opposing jerseys in lower bowl seats. So there must be many STM who sell their seats, probably for a good amount.

Sorry to not be more helpful, but I'm only a half season ticket holder of an upper level seat who very rarely sells her seat. :P
Interesting the number of sold tickets are capped. I have heard they have kicked some accounts for overselling tickets with us but not sure if it’s real or what the deal was.
 

TeslaCoilFan

Slightly Elite Fan
Mar 17, 2017
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Interesting the number of sold tickets are capped. I have heard they have kicked some accounts for overselling tickets with us but not sure if it’s real or what the deal was.

It's definitely real for us and they are very careful to remind people as they buy their tickets and as we renew that overselling could jeopardize a person's STM status. But if someone has a lower bowl full season, it might not take too many sales to break even anyway since Red Wings, Leafs, Hawks and Bruins fans are usually willing to pay a high price for tickets.

I don't usually sell mine other than to friends (for my cost of that game) because I only have one, so it does have a slightly less chance of selling to last minute purchasers and I don't like the thought of an opposing team fan in MY seat. :laugh:

But I certainly don't begrudge those who do sell the occasional seat to pay for their season tickets. Since the vast majority of lower bowl tickets are held by STM, whenever I see a sea of opposing team jerseys, I know they are actually helping a Lightning STM pay for part of their season/playoffs. ;)
 

dechire

TBL Stanley Cup Champs 2020 2021
Jul 8, 2014
16,672
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inconnu
On a somewhat related note, I'm planning on coming to Tampa for the playoffs, but I know they restrict direct playoff ticket sales to Florida residents. When I came down for the SCF in 2015 the secondary market ticket prices were insane. What do you guys think my best bet is for getting tickets without totally breaking the bank ?
 

TheKingPin

Registered User
Nov 16, 2005
20,633
10,093
Philadelphia, PA
It's definitely real for us and they are very careful to remind people as they buy their tickets and as we renew that overselling could jeopardize a person's STM status. But if someone has a lower bowl full season, it might not take too many sales to break even anyway since Red Wings, Leafs, Hawks and Bruins fans are usually willing to pay a high price for tickets.

I don't usually sell mine other than to friends (for my cost of that game) because I only have one, so it does have a slightly less chance of selling to last minute purchasers and I don't like the thought of an opposing team fan in MY seat. :laugh:

But I certainly don't begrudge those who do sell the occasional seat to pay for their season tickets. Since the vast majority of lower bowl tickets are held by STM, whenever I see a sea of opposing team jerseys, I know they are actually helping a Lightning STM pay for part of their season/playoffs. ;)

That’s amazing you can recoup those costs with only selling a smaller amounts. I sold all but 4 games this year and similar last year, lost thousands. Good luck this year! Rooting for a Nashville Tampa finals.
 

TheKingPin

Registered User
Nov 16, 2005
20,633
10,093
Philadelphia, PA
On a somewhat related note, I'm planning on coming to Tampa for the playoffs, but I know they restrict direct playoff ticket sales to Florida residents. When I came down for the SCF in 2015 the secondary market ticket prices were insane. What do you guys think my best bet is for getting tickets without totally breaking the bank ?
How much were they?
 

dechire

TBL Stanley Cup Champs 2020 2021
Jul 8, 2014
16,672
3,958
inconnu
How much were they?
I paid about 650$ for nosebleeds for Game 5 and 750$ for Game 7. I'm willing to pay prices like that for a SCF but this time I'm coming for potentially the ECF-SCF so I'd like to keep the prices lower if I can.
 

TheKingPin

Registered User
Nov 16, 2005
20,633
10,093
Philadelphia, PA
I paid about 650$ for nosebleeds for Game 5 and 750$ for Game 7. I'm willing to pay prices like that for a SCF but this time I'm coming for potentially the ECF-SCF so I'd like to keep the prices lower if I can.
I used to have last row upper level seats. When the flyers went to the finals in 2010 I sold each for 1k. Pretty crazy. We paid 99$ for them.
 

AlphaCatalyst

Elite Fan
Jun 27, 2007
14,921
7,126
Calgary
Should we add this with the Playoffs coming soon?

So you’ve heard that Amalie Arena bans all visitors apparel during the playoffs

This exact same story shows up every year the Lightning go deep in the playoffs and every year they don’t get the facts correct.

The amount of seats affected is 1500 out of around 20000. The ones on the ground is one tiny section near the corner consisting of 390 seats total with maybe 20 along the glass.

(The Blue Areas are affected ALL THE GREY HAS NO RESTRICTIONS)
YVybm3W.jpg


So let's say you are a visitor and somehow manage to acquire one of said seats. You should get an email like this;

xxEFTJd4XZC_sESoClUyhtX7Nps1QfmOfpej090Co9AcoS6uF7aVNMdhwGrhVuFwDfVLtH_5Y9zLzBDaeKeZDWaQmdF8Rb8sXOm6BiVjV-ymsgioWpIQYCuNc5biGQccJVmc-OhI


But let's say you don’t because you got tickets from your grandma who lives in Tampa and is a Lightning season ticket holder in one of those sections. You arrive in your visitors shirt/jersey and head to your seat. Well since these are special clubs/lounge, you will need to enter a special area to reach your seat. This is where you would be stopped. So now what?

Well according to Policies | Amalie Arena, an invader into that 10 percent of the 20,500-seat arena is given four options when trying to check into these home-only sections:



1. They're allowed to check their unwelcoming gear at guest services to be picked up later and given an unbranded blue or black shirt to don for the night,

2. they can go back to their hotel, change, and return to the arena thanks to a re-entry pass,

3. they can get moved to a comparable seat with no attire restriction (and free of charge), So if you somehow got seats on the glass in the Lexus Lounge? Guess what they will move you to another seat along the glass not in the Lexus Lounge.

4. they can simply get a refund and leave the arena.


But Why? You ask Why would they even have this policy?

Well according to Lightning executive vice president of communications Bill Wickett who compared the rule to the dress code of a private golf club,

“Those are three season-ticket-only private areas, and those are the spots that our season-ticket holders have asked us not to let visiting team apparel into. If our members were not comfortable with these policies, we would not have these policies in place.”


Do I personally agree with it? No but this is not new and is only for the playoffs.

The season ticket holders in those areas requested this be the policy. The team listened to the fans of those sections since you know they pay the most money every year and keeping your big spending season ticket holders happy is a tad bit more important to the team than the 2 or 3 fans from a rival that show up 2-3 times max a year.

So I propose to anyone who is claiming this is discrimination to find any actual first person account of someone actually being affected by this and not being satisfied with how they were treated.

If this is as bad as some people make it out be year every year there should have no issues finding someone who wants this fixed first hand and not just faux outrage which seems to be all this is.
I have done a search to see if anyone who had an issue with this going to the arena still an issue with it once they arrived or left. I have found nothing.

For further reading here is an article from a few seasons ago from a Boston reporter that also helps clear up all the misconceptions


Are You Really Not Allowed To Wear Bruins Clothing At Amalie Arena?




 

TeslaCoilFan

Slightly Elite Fan
Mar 17, 2017
6,593
4,764
West of the Moon
Should we add this with the Playoffs coming soon?

So you’ve heard that Amalie Arena bans all visitors apparel during the playoffs

This exact same story shows up every year the Lightning go deep in the playoffs and every year they don’t get the facts correct.

The amount of seats affected is 1500 out of around 20000. The ones on the ground is one tiny section near the corner consisting of 390 seats total with maybe 20 along the glass.

(The Blue Areas are affected ALL THE GREY HAS NO RESTRICTIONS)
YVybm3W.jpg


So let's say you are a visitor and somehow manage to acquire one of said seats. You should get an email like this;

xxEFTJd4XZC_sESoClUyhtX7Nps1QfmOfpej090Co9AcoS6uF7aVNMdhwGrhVuFwDfVLtH_5Y9zLzBDaeKeZDWaQmdF8Rb8sXOm6BiVjV-ymsgioWpIQYCuNc5biGQccJVmc-OhI


But let's say you don’t because you got tickets from your grandma who lives in Tampa and is a Lightning season ticket holder in one of those sections. You arrive in your visitors shirt/jersey and head to your seat. Well since these are special clubs/lounge, you will need to enter a special area to reach your seat. This is where you would be stopped. So now what?

Well according to Policies | Amalie Arena, an invader into that 10 percent of the 20,500-seat arena is given four options when trying to check into these home-only sections:



1. They're allowed to check their unwelcoming gear at guest services to be picked up later and given an unbranded blue or black shirt to don for the night,

2. they can go back to their hotel, change, and return to the arena thanks to a re-entry pass,

3. they can get moved to a comparable seat with no attire restriction (and free of charge), So if you somehow got seats on the glass in the Lexus Lounge? Guess what they will move you to another seat along the glass not in the Lexus Lounge.

4. they can simply get a refund and leave the arena.


But Why? You ask Why would they even have this policy?

Well according to Lightning executive vice president of communications Bill Wickett who compared the rule to the dress code of a private golf club,

“Those are three season-ticket-only private areas, and those are the spots that our season-ticket holders have asked us not to let visiting team apparel into. If our members were not comfortable with these policies, we would not have these policies in place.”


Do I personally agree with it? No but this is not new and is only for the playoffs.

The season ticket holders in those areas requested this be the policy. The team listened to the fans of those sections since you know they pay the most money every year and keeping your big spending season ticket holders happy is a tad bit more important to the team than the 2 or 3 fans from a rival that show up 2-3 times max a year.

So I propose to anyone who is claiming this is discrimination to find any actual first person account of someone actually being affected by this and not being satisfied with how they were treated.

If this is as bad as some people make it out be year every year there should have no issues finding someone who wants this fixed first hand and not just faux outrage which seems to be all this is.
I have done a search to see if anyone who had an issue with this going to the arena still an issue with it once they arrived or left. I have found nothing.

For further reading here is an article from a few seasons ago from a Boston reporter that also helps clear up all the misconceptions


Are You Really Not Allowed To Wear Bruins Clothing At Amalie Arena?




Thanks for the reminder! I'll definitely add it to the first post. The only update is that the Lexus Lounge is actually Rows A & B in sections 101 – 130 and Row C in sections 101, 102 & 130 only, which is the entirety of the first two rows by the glass, plus the third row just behind the benches. Chase Club (Sections CLUB1 to CLUB18) is as you've got labeled.
 

AlphaCatalyst

Elite Fan
Jun 27, 2007
14,921
7,126
Calgary
Thanks for the reminder! I'll definitely add it to the first post. The only update is that the Lexus Lounge is actually Rows A & B in sections 101 – 130 and Row C in sections 101, 102 & 130 only, which is the entirety of the first two rows by the glass, plus the third row just behind the benches. Chase Club (Sections CLUB1 to CLUB18) is as you've got labeled.

I was just using info I found from posts I made last year. I did a quick check to see if it had changed and the maps I looked at did not mention it. If you can find one that has that shown it would help our out of town friends.
 
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TeslaCoilFan

Slightly Elite Fan
Mar 17, 2017
6,593
4,764
West of the Moon
I was just using info I found from posts I made last year. I did a quick check to see if it had changed and the maps I looked at did not mention it. If you can find one that has that shown it would help our out of town friends.

Yeah, it's not that clear on the Amalie Arena seating charts, but it does show on the ticketmaster site when you go to buy tickets via the tampabaylightning.com website. The following pops up when you click on the info in the upper right.

Ticketmaster said:
Please note The Lexus Lounge (Rows A & B in sections 101 – 130 and Row C in sections 101, 102 & 130 only) and Chase Club (Sections CLUB1 to CLUB18) ticket price includes all-inclusive food and drink (beer, wine, well brand mixed drinks and soda). For information about private suites, lofts or group party area availability for Lightning games, please call (813) 301-2505. Go Mobile Your phone is your ticket. Locate your tickets in your Ticketmaster account or in the Ticketmaster app. When you go mobile your tickets will not be emailed to you or available for print.

But that's for regular games. I do have a brochure that lists the STM 2019 Playoff pricing and it DOES have a clear seating chart which shows the Lexus Lounge areas as being Rows A & B all the way around, plus Row C behind the benches. I'll scan it and add it when I update for the playoffs. :)
 
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AlphaCatalyst

Elite Fan
Jun 27, 2007
14,921
7,126
Calgary
Yeah, it's not that clear on the Amalie Arena seating charts, but it does show on the ticketmaster site when you go to buy tickets via the tampabaylightning.com website. The following pops up when you click on the info in the upper right.



But that's for regular games. I do have a brochure that lists the STM 2019 Playoff pricing and it DOES have a clear seating chart which shows the Lexus Lounge areas as being Rows A & B all the way around, plus Row C behind the benches. I'll scan it and add it when I update for the playoffs. :)

It’ll be good to have when inevitably a main board post comes up. Could even preempt and drop it in the other teams Series GDT
 

Beville

#ForTheBoys
Mar 4, 2011
8,639
1,391
Engerlanddd!
Well there's the Tampa Bay Rays for baseball and the Tampa Bay Rowdies for minor league soccer. Both are in St. Pete. The Rowdies play in a nice little waterfront stadium in downtown. It's a great view and lots to do around it before or after the game!

Rowdies_Soccer_Config_2015.jpg
Just confirmed dates for going, and both teams are out of town - FML!
 

Netter

Registered User
Jan 14, 2016
64
22
Just heard Fergs Bar across the streetClosed up a week ago or so ?
True ?
Loved that place
 

Shoresy Snipes

Give yer B's a T ya T F'r
May 6, 2017
463
236
Just heard Fergs Bar across the streetClosed up a week ago or so ?
True ?
Loved that place
Was never meant to be a permanent home there. I believe they had a 4 year K to operate there until the new Water Street development / project reached a certain point (which it now has).
 

Pulpfishin

Registered User
Apr 11, 2018
28
17
Anyone know of public docking or anywhere you can get a slip to boat to a game at Amalie?
 

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