Whether it's your first Bonnaroo or you’re a music festival veteran, we welcome you to Inforoo.
Here you'll find info about artists, rumors, camping tips, and the infamous Roo Clues. Have a look around then create an account and join in the fun. See you at Bonnaroo!!
Food will be extra this year, probably a result of the hundreds of complaints they received about the lines and running out of food. We won't know anything about the "meal plan" until tickets go on sale, but my guess is $250/pair of tickets. Last year we didn't like the lines or the food, and had plenty for us and friends.
I liked the convenience of having someone else cook, but I did find that I tended to plan my schedule around food availability. Which meant leaving some concerts early or arriving to them late. Since I'd already paid for the food, I sort of felt obligated to eat it. Just for me, personally, I'd rather handle my own food. No racing to the food tent. No standing in line. No feeling guilty about buying food in Centeroo. No eating food that I'd never chosen myself, just because it's there and included in my ticket. Somewhat less convenient from the perspective of having to cook (or at least assemble) meals at the campsite, but more convenient in that I'll be able to eat on my own schedule, wherever I want.
We ate at the tent only twice due to an overwhelmingly hectic schedule. Providing a meal plan separately is a great idea that may help to shorten lines, but simultaneously increasing the overall ticket price makes absolutely no sense to me.
We also only ate at the tent twice. Who wants to wait in that line when there is music playing? I like the idea of a plan, since we don't really want to use it anyway, but completely agree that raising the price is ridiculous.
I made a huge batch of granola last year and also packed veggies in snack bags, we took those with us into Centeroo most of the time and we were fine. So, I think we will do the same thing again.
Now, if they are gonna pay for our beer and other beverages all weekend, I would gladly pay for the VIP food package.
We ate at the tent only twice due to an overwhelmingly hectic schedule. Providing a meal plan separately is a great idea that may help to shorten lines, but simultaneously increasing the overall ticket price makes absolutely no sense to me.
^^^ rite raise the price...no food???
curious...
suggesting that we gots foodies here...wait 'til we get the food 411, but guessing we can do more w/ less!
i agree with the "planning my schedule around the food" comment.
however, i tend to not go to daytime shows (with a few notable exceptions). they really wear me out and have a negative impact on latenight. which is bad!
however, the food there was crappy - really, just "filler" style buffet food. canned vegetables, box-recipe rice, etc. not what i usually eat. plus, when i would be waiting for something to get filled (read: every time i was there) i ended up eating about 7 cookies while standing in line.
not good!
however, i have limited cooler space (i have priorities - beer > food). and i have no desire to cook anything. im eagerly awaiting a detailed description of what's offered...
The VIP information on the Bonnaroo site states that the VIP meal meal plan "will include high quality lunch and dinner buffet services Friday through Sunday."
By my count this would only add up to a total of six meals. I sure hope they don't plan on asking for more than about $50 for those meals as otherwise it would make more sense to just buy your meals from the vendors.
I do not think I will buy the meal plan no matter what it costs as I prefer to wander and eat whenever I get hungry while choosing from the wonderful variety of food available from the vendors.
I also felt an obligation to eat the food since I basically paid for it. I wouldn't say I missed much, but I did wait in line sometimes and that was a major buzz kill. At least they got the A/C going in there for '08.
I totally agree with goofyone, if they make it much more than about 50 bucks per person they are going to price themselves over the competition in centeroo, and I'm sure the food won't be any better.
No matter the cost I'm not doing the meal plan, but here's the kicker, how do we get into those tents filled with all that glorious A/C if we don't have plan? I guess there's always the beer tent, but I don't remember that being as nice to hang out in.
No matter the cost I'm not doing the meal plan, but here's the kicker, how do we get into those tents filled with all that glorious A/C if we don't have plan? I guess there's always the beer tent, but I don't remember that being as nice to hang out in.
My guess is that the meal tent will still be open to everyone however to get into the food serving area you will have to present a ticket to get your food.
Uhh..yeah. I'd go with Centeroo vendors for that $$...bring your own snacks and beverages....and buy your one or two main meals a day from the vendors....or even do the $1 grilled cheeses...I also HIGHLY recommend Spicy Pie and Arepas! YUMMY! and both are <$5 And don't for get those live saving frozen lemonades...great mixers!
For a TON less than that much $$$ You can live HIGH on the Centeroo Hog! LMAO!
No crap...thats probably more than I spent at roo all last year. And you get 6 meals at $32 a meal!! Save the bucks and eat arepas and spicy pie and all the frozen lemonades you want without the lines
I wonder if that $194 is for BOTH of the VIP tix, though. That makes it a bit more reasonable, but I don't want to wait in line for food anyway.
That would be a bit more reasonable however it would still be $16 per meal. Considering I only actualy made it to 3 of the meals last year, and even making it to those was a bit of a hassle, I would still rather eat food I bring or buy from the vendors whenever I get hungry and feel like eating instead of during set meal times.
Edit: We now know it is indeed $194.50+fees per person. I refer back to my original post that this is a total rip.
I understand having a meal program, but like others have said for that kind of cash you can get some food elsewhere. This might make sense for people who travel in by plane. In 06 we met a couple on Thursday who flew in that morning, they had limited funds and the food tent was not open. Needless to say we gave them all they needed for the next couple of days.
The first year we went to roo we had the camper packed with food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The second year we brought less. I liked sampling some of the food that was offered around the festival grounds. This year I will have some seven grain bagels, cereal, OJ and coffee for breakfast. For lunch and dinner I'm going to mix it up between food that we bring with us and what is available from the vendors.
I hope nobody pays this. I am seriously agitated that they've jacked up the VIP price while taking away food... in a struggling economy. Few in my crew can afford VIP this year (have done it two yrs before), but don't feel like rolling the dice on gen admin.
I do not like the increased price of VIP however from a purely business point of view it makes sense that they would consider VIP to be undervalued. In 2008 they doubled the number of VIP tickets and still sold out VIP even though the rest of the festival did not. This despite a lineup many did not like, the worsening economy, and high gas prices.
I am sure when they studied what happened in 2008 as well as considered the stellar lineup for 2009 they decided they could safely raise VIP prices while at the same time removing the single biggest source of VIP complaints, the food service.
Here's what we're bringing...no cooking this year except for the Sunday brunch of death!!!
Breakfast....lots of banana bread, fruit salad, coffee, soduku/crossword puzzles Lunch/Snacks...premade grilled garlic/cheese sandwiches, roast beef/ham/turkey & cheese sandwiches, trail mix, fruit, gatorade, taken to Centeroo! Dinner...precooked burgers and dogs, tater salad, pasta salads, cookies
and of course lots of adult beverage and crunchy corn
This is one of the things that killed VIP for me...plus my wife is divorcing me and the VIP stuff was more for her, so I'm heading back to GA at this point...never thought I'd be saying that again. But, really the food was bad last year but 200 bucks for it this year no way...With our economy the way it is...VIP is going to be pretty bleak...I'll miss all you enjoy the party for me...I'll be back when this nightmare is over.
With that in mind I think we may just buy vendor food.
That'll be our plan, for sure. We'll pack a cooler with fruits and vegetables and granola and stuff, but there's no way we can afford $400 for six meals. We're stretching ourselves enough to cover Bonnaroo at all this year.
The ONLY advantage I could see for paying that price is you can bet the lines will be VERY VERY short.... But still $400 is steep for convenience. Not to mention that selection might be horrible... I would bet that you might just be able to add that feature on the day you get there due to lack of sales online.
FYI.... I just cut this from the VIP FOOD section.....
(You must purchase VIP tickets to the 2009 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival to participate in the the VIP food program. To enter the the VIP food area, you will be required to show your VIP wristband and VIP food vouchers. No one without a VIP wristband and VIP food vouchers will be allowed to enter the VIP food area.)
So no friends can join you and you can't go there to relax WITHOUT a food voucher...
$400 for 2 people, for just 6 meals? That's over $64 per meal. WOW!
So let's see . . . pay $400 for the "luxury" of having to worry about food lines and timing meals so you don't miss a set, or . . . spend less than half that to eat when and what we want. I can't see where they'll be selling too many VIP Food Program tickets. Oh well.
and both are <$5 And don't for get those live saving frozen lemonades...great mixers! 
