Wimbledon and Queue Survival

London in July means… Wimbledon!

I love tennis. I love the one-on-one competition. I love the rallies. I love the strategies. I love watching the spectator’s heads in the crowd move in sync with the tennis ball, left – right – left – right. The most pompous of all the grand slams is Wimbledon…and I love it! It is steeped in tradition and, if you brave the queue, proves a great experience for any fan.

Getting there is pretty easy. Use the tube (subway/train) and expect a short walk (10 minutes). There are cabs happy to zip you to the grounds for a few pounds. Expect to share cabs with strangers. They have a minimum group per ride.

Wimbledon is popular amongst the Brits. Expect long lines and enthusiastic fans. Part of the Wimbledon experience is to “queue” for tickets. Now, as someone who won’t wait in a line for anyone but Jesus, the concept of queuing doesn’t jive with me. When I visited Wimbledon for the 1st time, it was in 2008 and it was week two of the tournament. The queue was about one hour and I was with my best friend. Time flew. I was young. Now that I’m older, the queue gets all of my hate.

Suggestion: Get there incredibly early for the queue or fork out the money for those guaranteed tickets.

First attempt at Wimbledon last year: I was hype. I was cool getting in the queue. My mom even came along for the experience. She has a slight impediment with her knee and, if on her feet too long, walks with a bit of pain. Knowing this, we decided to arrive early to queue. Well, what we thought was early. We got there at 10:30am and the queue was full. The grounds open at 9:30am. Grounds capacity is 39,000. Including the queue and the folks inside, we were well above the limit.

Ticketmaster "closes" the queue line at 9500 people but does have the ability to increase the capacity. It does so at 500-person increments. At #10,440, it was a tough decision to leave. There was a faint glimmer of hope. Then, the steward said the earliest we would get onto the grounds would be 5pm. Fuck that. My mom could not subject herself to that kind of torture and neither could I. Ticketmaster is the devil for this process. I do not appreciate the queue process and am not a fan.

After a day kicking it around London, I made the decision to make attempt #2 the next day. I know. After my strong feelings, I surprised myself with how compelled I was to try again. I got to the queue at 7:30am and was #7806. I was guaranteed grounds entry. Small victories, right? This day, the sun decided to shine in all its glory. I have not slathered that much sunscreen on my being ever. Then, the line moved and it was time to go to Wimbledon! I walked about half of a mile to security, got through security, scaled two flights of stairs, bought my ticket and was onto the grounds at…1:10pm. Look, if I didn't see the sun for a few days after that, I would not have complained.

During that half mile walk to security, there are several insta- and snap- worthy moments. There are games with Wimbledon grounds teams. There are little coffee shops and snacks stations. There was even shrubbery spelling out "Wimbledon" and it was adorable.

Suggestions on how survive the queue:

[if !supportLists]· [endif]Bring wine (I'm very serious), drinks, snacks, entertainment (ex. books, cards, phone/tablet and extra charger, balls, frisbees, etc.). There are food vendors (think burgers, ice cream, sandwiches, coffee...) if you choose to not bring sustenance

[if !supportLists]· [endif]There are Wimbledon-provided photoshoots (think backdrop and props). Get in there and make a few memories! You’ve got time to burn.

[if !supportLists]· [endif]Bring sunshades, an umbrella, hat, sunscreen, a throw to lay on, and a rain poncho.

[if !supportLists]· [endif]Bring cash. Few vendors take cards in the park and the queue tickets you're standing in line for will only be sold to you in cash.

[if !supportLists]· [endif]You can leave the queue for up to 1.5 hours and keep your spot. If you need a break, take a break. There are benches that line the parameter of the park. There are restaurants and snack shops within a 15-minute walk.

[if !supportLists]· [endif]There is a strict no line jumping policy. The stewards don’t play. They will check your ticket before entry. They will tell you it’s not your turn. They will tell you to get out of the line and wait your turn. I love them.

[if !supportLists]· [endif]Seriously, consider going during the second week. The first week is chaos. The grounds tickets are cheaper the 2nd week. Admittedly, there are less big matches but plenty of juniors and doubles. I was so exhausted after surviving the queue (you get a sticker btw) that I could not enjoy being on the grounds. After an hour, I was ready to go and take a nice cold shower.

Once you enter…

You see the day's Order of Play to your left and the Men’s and Women's Singles draw to your right. Further to your right and down a set of steps, you will find the restrooms and a big Wimbledon shop.

Keep walking and you will find one of the Food Villages. You've got some options: Tex-Mex, Asian, snacks, etc. There are kiosks around the grounds dedicated to candy and there are several ice cream stand options. I suggest you do as the Brits do and get a serving of strawberries and cream. It’s tasty but better chilled.

If you are amongst the blessed who get show court tickets, enjoy. If you are amongst those of us who aren’t forking out that cash, prepare to do some walking to the surrounding courts. The courts are small and the players are at arms length! It's amazing. Fight the urge to touch 'em.

The grounds are gorgeous, lush, covered in flowers. The beauty almost makes you forget that there is a shortage on shade. On a hot London afternoon, you’ll crave that shade.

Tip: New to tennis? While in play, the ushers will not allow you in nor to move around. it distracts the players. When the players take a break, you will be allowed in and out. Move quickly or you will be rushed.

Tip: At the entries to the courts, seek out the entries where you will be allowed to sit in the shade. Some of those lines may be much shorter, surprisingly.

You must sit on the hill and watch the big screen. It’s tradition and a great environment. Get a Pimm’s or refill your bottle at the complimentary water station. Beware of bees.

Suggestion: Check out the practice courts while you are there. Parts of it are narrow and may require some polite negotiation when walking around the area. Expect kids waiting for their faves. The athletes are inches away and tend to be generous with fans.

Overall: You will survive the queue, so just be ready and make it a good experience. Enjoy the ambiance! Soak up the tradition and be your most “extra” self.

#wimbledon #tennis #travel #queue