<p>aeromom…are you going to [Parent</a> Programs](<a href=“http://parents.ua.edu/fwRegistration.cfm]Parent”>http://parents.ua.edu/fwRegistration.cfm) and the registration link at the bottom of the page? This is a different site than the mybama sites and once you fill up your shopping cart it will ask to you log in or create a new login (based on your email address).</p>
<p>The cost of the football tickets is $55 (plus some handling) but you MUST purchase the $48 family weekend package to be eligible to buy the football tickets. And you MUST do this for each person (including your student if you want them to sit with you). </p>
<p>So the real cost of the weekend + football is $103/per person (including the student). IF you student does NOT want to sit with you and they want to sit in the student section, you do not have to buy the $48 package + $55 football ticket. When you buy the $48 family weekend package (tailgate, beach bash, etc) you get a free ticket for you student.</p>
<p>Thanks TwoMutts! When I went on this morning (about 10.30 am), it kept asking me for a log-in which I didn’t have. When I go in now and try to register, it is no problem. Gremlins.</p>
<p>You might not be able to find anything in T-Town now. I know all of the Hilton brand hotels are booked and have been for a while. Might have to stay up in Bham or Hoover. You can get a much nicer place there for 1/2 the price. Just have to do the drive every day.</p>
<p>We’ve done this every year. I’m not registering yet, as my mom is ill. Also, this is our last year, so I’m either going to get tickets for son to sit with us, or spring for more expensive, lower level seats through a source other than the Family Weekend Package.</p>
<p>Last year, we did do the Chocolate Event, which we loved, so definitely will get the package plus that. Just holding off on the football tickets for now.</p>
<p>It says that the package will be available until late August. Does it sell out, and more importantly, do the Chocolate tickets sell out?</p>
<p>I know I’m risking not getting football tickets by registering late, but I’d rather save up for better seats closer to game time. I’d really like son to sit with us, too, since it’s the last year. But, sometimes, he can’t even go to the game with us, because of too much homework, and I’d rather have him with me for the chocolate event and brunch if I had to choose those over the football game.</p>
<p>For those first timers, do take the President’s Mansion tour. It is so nice!</p>
<p>Montegut - Is the chocolate event fun even for the boys? It looks like it’s sponsored by the women’s health center or something like that. My boys love chocolate though, so if it’s meant for more than just the girls we will definitely go.</p>
<p>Also, will we need a ticket for our UA son for the chocolate event?</p>
<p>Yes, the chocolate event is wonderful for boys. My son really enjoyed it, as he loves chocolate. And I did purchase a ticket for him. It’s not free with ACT card. It’s really cool. You go to each table and listen to the educational talk given by each organization. Some are only for girls, but many are for all, students, staff, parents. For instance, I learned a lot about the counseling center on campus and directed my son over there to hear their talk. After you hear the talk, you get a stamp and a dessert. It’s anything from a yogurt sample to a chocolate covered strawberry to a brownie. It’s not huge by any means. And you’re limited by your card to five samples. Of course, I bought at least one additional card so we could get more samples of the goodies. You can, of course, listen to the talks even if your card is full. It was a very nice time for the three of us, as we had fun trying the different goodies, and learning about the services on campus that we might not be familiar with. And, it’s for a good cause, so I highly recommend it!</p>
<p>Get there early and park in the lot across the street from the Arby’s. Then watch the band practice in the field next to the Arby’s. Once they finish, you can walk, take the shuttle to the quad. There will be food vendors set up where you can get something to eat. You can also go into Lloyd Hall to get food. Air conditioned. Can’t use restroom there. There are restroom trailers set up, not portalets, which is very nice. The band does a nice performance at the old quad. Then you can watch the band perform in front of the library. You can go into the Natural History Museum. In other words, you won’t be bored until the game starts. And of course, there’s the Parents Tailgate, which you get as part of your package, but you can buy a ticket for your student to go with you. So, get there early, get parking, and enjoy yourself.</p>
<p>Is the Chocolate event not included in the package for the $48? Is that a seperate ticket to purchase? If so, how? </p>
<p>whyme, you can buy a parking pass for the lot by the medical center. We did this last year. Then you hop on the shuttle and it takes you by the Quad and walk from there to the stadium. After the game the line is very long to get the shuttle back. We walked back. It was a hike but not terrible. As for the traffic, again, this place knows how to do things. If you are parked at the Medical Center they direct traffic out that direction. Coming in they have several exits marked for game day traffic so pick one. We just went down McFarland to arrive here. Leaving we had to go the way they made us and it was not bad. By the time we got in the car it took about 50 minutes to get to our hotel in Hoover. It moved pretty good and by the time we got put onto the highway via the route they sent us there was no heavy traffic.</p>
<p>Good to see the Chocolate Festival is still on, and thanks, Montegut, for the wonderful explanation. Just the title itself is pretty appealing too for fans of one of the basic food groups.</p>
<p>What really surprised us in StubHub is that the cheapest of the 1,023 tickets for the LSU game is $254. The maximum is close to $1500. Wow! Tickets for Family Weekend seem like a bargain.</p>
<p>At the risk of decreasing the number of free tickets … as Sept 21 is the first home game after a National Championship, will there be some kind of special pregame ceremony?</p>
<p>I remember that last year, my son posted on Facebook, Had a nice family weekend. We didn’t sit at the football game together, nor did we go to the tailgating event together. My son attended the Chocolate Event with us, and Mass on Sunday, and the Sunday Brunch. So, even without the football, it can be a special time together. As son will be a senior next year, I don’t want to miss our last chance. Going to get my package now, and try later for lower level tickets, maybe getting three together. I’m hoping I can get a fourth for maybe a special someone, God willing, as son has only one year left to snag one of those Bama beauties.</p>
<p>Off topic, I know, but every time I bring up that my son is at Bama, my LSU country folks go on and on about how they brought their sons to visit Bama’s campus and the boys were begging to go there because of these beauties. One of them had the “misfortune” of visiting during rush week, where the campus was full of beauties in yellow and white sundresses. The LSU bound son begged his father to let him attend Bama instead.</p>
<p>But, back to topic, looking at the schedule, it seems that the engineering school has an open house this year, so we’ll definitely want to take that in. I’ve just ordered two packages for hubby and I, two t shirts, three chocolate festival tickets, and even got a football code, which I may use as we get closer to the event. </p>
<p>Hope everyone has a chance to attend this event at least once while your child is at Bama.</p>
<p>We were able to get registered about 30 minutes after the window opened. We went last year and had a pretty good time overall. The BBQ during the tailgate is rather cramped. I hope they make plans for a bigger area this year to increase the seating. That would be my only “complaint” as it were.</p>