INDY 2015

[xandandl]

My two cents worth. I've been to finals the past four years in a row, but am not going this year. I recommend staying close to Lucas Oil. I've stayed at the swanky JW Marriot, about 3 blocks away, and the more moderate Holiday Inn (across the street from Lucas Oil) and the Holiday Inn was the best. You can run across the street to your room in between sets of shows and get a quick bite, a quick rest, then get back for the next set of corps. No car necessary.

If you are alone, get the Indy Go shuttle bus from the airport. it's only 10 bucks to downtown hotels. If there are more in your party, a taxi might be a better deal as you can talk them into a good price.

It is great fun and I will greatly miss it this year. My son has aged out, but I'll be back, hopefully with him!

I agree with the above. I have been present at all Indy DCI and many Grand Nationals.

Indy taxi rates are akin to NY and Chicago and not always available from LOS after the show, particularly if one is staying FAR away. Public buses are ok in am, not after show.

Remember, Indy is a Convention City and DCI is NOT the only game in town that weekend.

Many near hotels are already booked or at the 200 a night per room rate and above. Most loyalty club "free rooms" are also gone.

Hotels out by airport and in Plainfield are cheaper, but then you have to cover your parking in the LOS lots and environs.

Anyway one does it, one ends up walking, even with a handicap sticker; only Indiana handicap stickers acceptable most times.

Bus terminals and rail station are close to LOS, in case you commute from far away.

[perc2100]

My first finals was 1985. This is my 30th anniversary year and the only year I missed was CA.

This will be the_Kid's 13th finals in his 15 years on this Earth and, this year for the first time in about 12 years, my 13 year old daughter will be joining us in Indy. the_Kid and I have been preparing her for what to expect - three days of nearly continuous drum corps will challenge even the most hard-corps fans, but it's the highlight of the summer in our house. She's excited to be a part of what has been, for over a decade, the "boys summer thing" we do.

It's a crazy, little hobby we have here.

That's awesome, and very similar to my son & San Diego Comic-Con: I've gone almost every year since moving to San Diego (this year will be year 16) and my son has gone last 11 years (he's 13). My wife is going with us this year one of the days for the first time in almost a decade to partake in our "boys summer thing."

DIdn't mean to hijack the thread & take it down a goofy path, just amused at how not-that-different we are on DCP for the most part! To get us back to drum corps:

My son's first drum corps show was in 2006, and while we have not gone to Indy for Finals (but we did go to Rose Bowl) he watches FN with my wife & I weekly throughout the summer. One of these summers we'll be in the mid-west visiting family and will be able to sneak away for Finals

[luv4corps]

I'll be there.. the JW is quite nice =)

The JW is certainly nice but they charge you for every last thing - wifi for example (although I asked for and received a waiver for the wifi fee). There are no refrigerators in the room, no free breakfast either, so you are stuck eating out for every meal, which for me, is not a plus. I thought the Holiday Inn was a better value. Maybe a slight drop down in luxury but worth it. And there are absolute DIE HARD drum corps fans in every direction at the Holiday Inn, from all parts of the US and it's easy to strike up conversations. Scores and shows are hashed and rehashed well into the night down in the lobby areas. At the JW, yes there are drum corps fans, but also attendees of several conferences going on at the convention center so it's not the same vibe.

One cool thing though: from the JW you can walk to Lucas Oil entirely indoors. You go through long concourses in the convention center to do it. There is also free, cold, delicious bottled water available in the convention center - something that was very handy the year I stayed at the JW.

Edited May 26, 2015 by luv4corps

[2muchcoffeeman]

Quarters, preilims, finals. First live DCI championship for us since Denver (the second time around). I'll be the guy drinking coffee.

[Clutchtow]

So I'll be driving there with a friend from central Illinois, what is everyone's best tips for parking at LOS?

[garfield]

About 3 blocks east of LOS are several surface lots. We've been parking there since '09. $5/day weekdays and $10/day on Saturday. About a 5 min walk to the stadium.

[jaylogan]

I'm thinking about going this summer and staying at an airport hotel. Is it really that hard to find a taxi back at the end of the contests? I wanted to take the shuttle to the local hotels and take a taxi back, because I didn't want to rent a car.

I wonder what presence taxi-alternatives have in Indy?

[beatmaker751]

About 3 blocks east of LOS are several surface lots. We've been parking there since '09. $5/day weekdays and $10/day on Saturday. About a 5 min walk to the stadium.

This is what we do too. One year I was lucky enough to get parking at the stadium, arriving before semis started. The walk from the surface lots isn't much further than onsite parking which is very limited.

[kdaddy]

I plan to be in attendance again, and I'd be interested in a DCP meet up.

Seems a bit early for this thread, as I'll forget everything by then. But a couple places in downtown I like: Pearings Cafe (froyo, coffee, wifi), Square Donuts, Cafe Patachou.

The hotels downtown are a little pricier, but I think any of them are well worth not having to drive around.

[corpsband]

I've always had good luck with the lot directly in front (north side) of the stadium. $10/pop but super convenient. And since I usually spent time away from the stadium (ie at Avon HS :-) a car was always practical. Hotel prices drop tremendously away from the stadium.