tips for waiting in line for tickets

Oh, hi. So, the other day Chris and I performed for kids on a boat, went home, I performed in a cabret at the Duplex and then we went home, changed our clothes, and headed to Central Park to get in line for tickets for Into the Woods. We were successful: so successful that not only did we see the show, we were 8th and 9th in line and actually had a GOOD time. I started thinking of some tips for others who are thinking about heading out.

Get there as early as possible
I would say "duh" but I want you to really think about this. Is two hours of sleep in your bed better than not seeing the show? Is the show WORTH IT TO YOU to sleep on Central Park West, right next to the scalpers??? We got there at 2:30am. It was a preview performance on a Monday. The people who got there at 6am were probably too late, or very close to being too late.

Check the weather forecast
Will it rain that night? Plan accordingly. Is it supposed to rain during the performance? If it does, the show might be cancelled. You might waste your entire day for nothing.

Bring a friend
Not just for company, but for security.

Don't talk to anyone on the street
I don't see the crazy drunk people of NYC that often. Apparently they are all out from 2:30am-6am on the west side of the park, trying to engage theatre fans in crazy conversation. Don't respond AT ALL, don't even look at them. They're all drunk and crazy.

No matter how hot you think it is, wear pants, a long t-shirt, a hoodie, SOCKS and bring a blanket
There are a million mosquitoes everywhere. They will bite you. After you have sat there for a while, no matter how warm it is, you will be cold. You need the blanket, trust me. Chris is always hot.... but he was freezing that night.

Wear bug spray
I'm not kidding, man. Wear a ton of bug spray. Better yet, bring one of those OFF portable bug repellents with the little fan in it. I did, and, for comparison, I got three mosquito bites before I turned it on and ZERO after.

Bring a chair
Chris brought a camping chair, I brought a beach chaise lounge that extended all the way: it was basically a cot. Chris was comfortable but didn't sleep much.... I slept like a freaking baby. I had a small pillow that I didn't care about, my "cot" and a huge beach blanket that completely covered me from head to toe. I was unbelievably comfortable under the circumstances.

Don't bring any valuables 
Bring a book, some magazines and your phone... but I urge you not to bring an ipad or laptop. Or a lot of cash/credit cards. A small amount of cash, an ID and one credit card are all you need. Keep them close to your body when you sleep. We had no problems with shady people approaching us but not everyone is so lucky

Bring some snacks!
The food stand at the Delacorte opens at 10am but you might want something before then. We brought fiber bars, string cheese and pretzel crisps.

GO TO THE BATHROOM AT LEAST 3 TIMES BEFORE YOU LEAVE YOUR HOUSE
Do you have to pee all the time? I do. And I knew that from the time I left my house until we were escorted into the park at 6am I would not be able to go to the bathroom. Sure, you could risk going in the bushes somewhere, but, first of all, that's gross, and second, what if you got arrested? Then you couldn't see the show. Just keep going to the bathroom before you leave home. I barely made it to 6am when we got inside the park, and I was asleep most of the time.

Be nice to the tourists
Once inside the park, Chris and I basically became the Into the Woods Ticket Line Information Desk. People would come up to us every 10 minutes or so to ask what all of us were waiting for, if it was really "that good", when we got in line ("We got in line at 2:30" - us "In the morning??" - them "No, 2:30 later today." - us in our minds), how to get to Strawberry Fields, how to get to the Sheep Meadow.... everything you could imagine. Just be nice. They don't know anything.

In case you didn't know....
The line starts on the north side of 81st st and Central Park West. Only the A train is running (local) after, like, 11pm, so take that there. A little before 6am a representative from the box office will come out, review the line and then at 6am, escort everyone into the park. Do not try to pass people: they will kill you. The first 10 people get to spend the remaining 7 hours in what I considered the "priority zone": right next to the theatre, the water fountains, the concessions stand and the bathrooms. The people from 11 - 700 wind back through the woods as long as they need to. At 1pm they start handing out the tickets.... to the seniors and disabled people first. I am pretty sure the senior line has no cut off... so if like 300 senior citizens show up, they all get priority tickets. So, always, the earlier you get there, the better.

PS - the show is perfect. I had the highest expectations possible: it disappointed in no way. I cried almost the entire time. I would wait in line every night if I could.