<p>Anyone wish to provide any advice to relatives and students attending future UVa graduations? Traffic? Hotels? Viewing Areas for people without tickets? Restaurants? Etc.</p>
<p>Hotel-Best Western Crossroads(Zion Crossroads, Gordonsville). Fairly close to Charlottesville.</p>
<p>English Inn – best value for clean, close in hotel among those we spoke with this weekend.<br>
Little time on Rt. 29 to get in and out (there is also a back way) an added bonus.</p>
<p>Just returned from Friday to Monday whirlwind for '13 Final Exercises. Feeling very lucky to have avoided rainout for yesterdays festivities. </p>
<p>Make dinner reservations early, especially for Saturday and Sunday. Scope out parking if you don’t have a big crowd to plan for. We found a spot on 14th Street Saturday afternoon and then drove our son’s car the rest of Saturday and Sunday AM, since we had a parking spot at his apt. we could pull into on graduation day. Lawn started filling about 8 AM and main aisle seats were gone by 8:30 or so. Lots of folks were standing outside Lawn rooms, but really, few can really see anything other than the large screens, so just look for a good view of them. Make a plan for where to meet after the Lawn ceremony in advance. Cell service is spotty when the exercises conclude. If your child’s diploma ceremony follows close after the Lawn ceremony, you might want to bring a sandwich to eat. Ours wasn’t until 3 PM, so we got away from the corner and grabbed a sandwich at Bellaire before heading back in. At that time 250/Ivy Road wasn’t bad because folks were either in ceremonies or headed out.</p>
<p>Happy to try to answer any specific questions. It was a lovely day/weekend overall.</p>
<p>Have your student get tickets for the events, just in case you need them or to help someone else out. People who hadn’t bothered to get tickets for Saturday had to scramble, although it turned out they weren’t absolutely necessary. Some authorities were handing them out inside when it became clear there was extra capacity. </p>
<p>I made the mistake of not booking rooms until June (!!) and by then CV was booked. We used the Best Western in Waynesboro and it was fine. </p>
<p>Finals exercises on Sunday were rather disappointing. The procession was an hour long - ugh. Memo to all the graduates carrying balloons: put them down during the ceremony once you sit down, and remember that there might actually be some people around you who want to hear the remarks. I was an odd-man out for the Lawn given the shortage of tickets. If you are in that position, consider skipping most of the procession unless you really want to try finding someone marching by. Otherwise it’s a lot of standing. </p>
<p>Cellular capacity didn’t seem to keep up during peak times on Sunday. Perhaps that was not true for everybody.</p>
<p>If you don’t have (enough) tickets for Sunday – we got to the upper part of the Lawn just after 9am and were pretty much right by the ropes, and we could see everyone! We only stayed to watch our friends walk, then we went home. I’d say it was worth it!</p>
<p>Also, agreed, I had no cell service all of Sunday morning.</p>
<p>Also, driving out of Cville this morning around 10 there was hardly a car on the road. We expected a total nightmare on 29 near UVA but it was smooth sailing all the way.</p>
<p>I would try for hotels on the Corner or downtown so you don’t have to drive down 29 for Valediction or Commencement. </p>
<p>BTW, Blue Moon Diner had 250 or so for breakfast on Monday morning. Everyone wants to go somewhere one last time this week. :)</p>
<p>Another suggestion for the budget conscious among us: stay on Grounds. $60 per person per night, no minimum stay. I was too cheap to pay Cville hotel prices and it worked out well. </p>
<p>Re tickets for Saturday and Sunday: clearly some students had many more tickets than they needed but they were selling them at very high prices. That was disappointing. Sure, a few minutes before the event people were told no tickets were needed. That didn’t give me time to go back and get grandma and get her to JPJ and inside. That didn’t make me happy, particularly as the only way to view remotely was through livestream (and we didn’t think to bring a computer, only phones). </p>
<p>If pictures during the Procession are important, get there early. We were sitting in our seats by 7:35 am - right next to where the graduates process. I loved it! Got some really great photos of D and her friends. We had no problem with cell service. Bring snacks for while you’re waiting. </p>
<p>Make your dinner reservations early. We had a mediocre experience Saturday (where clearly the intent was to pack as many of us into the restaurant as possible) but the best at Ivy Inn on Sunday. Seamless service, delicious food. If your child has their heart set on a specific restaurant, find out now when they will be taking reservations. </p>
<p>All in all, it was a wonderful weekend. It is hard for it to be over.</p>
<p>We’re looking forward to the 2014 graduation, but I’m finding that accommodations are already scarce. I have a large party (not all of whom expect to attend the ceremonies). It looks as if the Hilton properties in C’ville are booked already, according to the website. The Marriott properties will begin taking reservations next week, per a call to the Residence Inn. Prices there will be $329/night for a studio, $459/night for a 2-bedroom. 3-night minimum, must be charged in full 11 days after making the reservation, cancellable only within 10 days of reserving. No refunds. Those are pretty restrictive terms and I am not sure I’ll even try there.</p>
<p>I was able to reserve the number of rooms I need at a Hilton property in Staunton. I have some inquiries in to VRBO; the homes are certainly more expensive than hotels but would be worth it for our party. And some inquiries in to B&Bs a bit farther out than the immediate C’ville area, since many of the local B&Bs also appear to be already booked.</p>
<p>I noticed there were still rooms available in the western suburbs of Richmond for the 2013 graduation just a week before the ceremonies, without the restrictive terms. Might be a good idea for people who can’t find something closer in and don’t want the 3-night minimum. Tips and hints welcome!</p>
<p>Congrats to all whose students graduated this weekend!</p>
<p>For families of future graduates – it seems every year the booking rules for Charlottesville area hotels change, so it really does pay to start early looking for accommodations. Only a handful, including the Omni for 2013, waited until the Monday after graduation to start taking reservations. Boar’s Head started in September '11, and was booked by mid-May '12. That said, many others have waiting lists before they actually start booking. Last year the Courtyard on Main didn’t start booking until the first of June. Don’t rely on the national booking websites. Call the hotels directly.</p>
<p>For large groups, there was a story on the local news about a family that staged a reunion in connection with Final Exercises and booked three town houses. In addition to VRBO, I would check out the agencies appearing to rent homes listed here, as well – [Places</a> to Stay, U.Va.](<a href=“http://www.virginia.edu/placestostay/arealodging.html]Places”>http://www.virginia.edu/placestostay/arealodging.html).</p>
<p>Be prepared for steep pricing, even for ho hum accommodations – I heard $800/ per room for Red Roof (and dirty) and Cavalier Inn (really UVa??). Boar’s Head was $1800 for a single room for the weekend. Onmi $1200 a room. English Inn had only a two night minimum (at $199 per night) and lowered rate back to $115 for Sunday! If they are not yet booked, this was the best deal. Hampton Inn on Main jacks rates up, but they have an interesting system of taking names four years out(!) and then offering contracts. As families accept and reject them, the hotel works through it’s wait list. We got on the list in mid-May last year, and were still offered a room, but decided we really didn’t need to spend $1,300 for a suite there.</p>
<p>Parents of younger students, there may be some relief in sight as there are a couple new hotels in the planning stages near west end of downtown.</p>
<p>Also, from our observation, the event is not set up for large family groups to attend. Some did it, but it was painful watching families trying to navigate elderly grandparents in and out of tight seating on the soggy lawn. </p>
<p>One final suggestion – bring rain boots/shoes in case the weather your year is wet. Saw lots and lots of wrecked sandals, flats, and pumps on Sunday!</p>
<p>By the way, many people who live in the area rent out their homes and leave town for the weekend. You can find those places on a few websites:</p>
<p>The original site: [Welcome</a> to Guesthouses](<a href=“http://www.va-guesthouses.com/]Welcome”>http://www.va-guesthouses.com/)
The newcomer: [Charlottesville</a> VA Vacation Rentals](<a href=“http://www.staycharlottesville.com/]Charlottesville”>http://www.staycharlottesville.com/)
The popular: <a href=“https://www.airbnb.com/[/url]”>https://www.airbnb.com/</a></p>
<p>I always think it’s better to set some people up to watch the simulcast nearby, especially if it’s going to be hot or rainy.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the advise. I’ve already been having the conversation with DH about the logistics of inviting grandparents (i.e. do we really want to do this???) and S2 is 2015. We have one set that will really toss a stink-fit, but I’d rather deal with the fit then navigate too many people. As it is we’ll have to find an extra ticket just for immediate family. I did see tickets on Craigslist for $75-150. Ouch!!</p>
<p>Is graduation always on the Lawn, no matter what the weather is?</p>
<p>We just attended our son’s graduation two weeks ago at another, much larger university. I was prepared for traffic jams, parking nightmares and long waits in restaurants but found the opposite! Though we did have to pay $300/night (2-night minimum) at a hotel I’ve paid $70 for it literally took us less than 3 minutes to park and 3 minutes to exit the parking lot after the ceremony. We never had to wait for a table in a restaurant and had no traffic jams on “main street”. The school has it down to a science, graduating 10,000 that weekend. From reading this thread it sounds like I’m going to get my payback in 2017 
At least I know to start planning more than a year out!!</p>
<p>Rain, yes it is still on the lawn. Thunder and lightning, no it will be at JPJ. There is a website ( virginia.edu/finals ) that shows the event with Fair weather location, Poor weather location, Bad weather location (I can’t remember the exact names, but there are three designations). The best thing is to follow @UVA on twitter which will update any changes and have a direct link. The graduation may be on the lawn, but departmental ceremonies may move to indoor locations, all which is updated online.</p>
<p>As a new UVa parent if you’re not on twitter BeachMom it’s a great resource. You can just get an account and be a twitter-lurker (i.e. never tweet, but follow people). I enjoy getting quick updates on things re the university and can follow up with news articles if I want to know something more in depth.</p>
<p>My own graduation at UVa was during a complete deluge. All the relatives kept saying - I can’t believe they’re holding it outside. Of course, the. U. would have had to turn almost everybody away if they had to squeeze them into University Hall, at the time.</p>
<p>For relatives with disabilities, the best bet may be the climate controlled simulcasts of the graduation ceremonies that are offered at multiple places on grounds.</p>
<p>"The dates for Final Exercises have also been set through 2016:</p>
<pre><code>Finals 2014: May 18
Finals 2015: May 17
Finals 2016: May 22"
</code></pre>
<p>Don’t worry too, too much, BeachMom. I drove around on Saturday morning and the only spots that had lines were Bodo’s Bagels, Starbucks, and the left turn lane to get into JPJ. For most, it’s a pretty easy weekend. You just want to have a plan, make dinner reservations in advance, and leave enough time to park and walk to the appropriate locations.</p>
<p>My brother graduated from a school that gave everyone two “blue” tickets and four “red” tickets. If it was nice, everyone went to the football stadium. If it rained, only the people with blue tickets could go to the ceremony, in the basketball arena. It rained, so we watched that graduation via simulcast in my brother’s apartment with his roommates’ families. It was more comfortable and a lot of fun…especially since they wanted us to eat and drink everything in the kitchen. :)</p>
<p>^ This is similar to how I feel about the UVa/VT game. I love being there in person when it’s in C’Ville, but when it’s in Blacksburg I thoroughly enjoy watching from home…the comfort of a climate controlled environment, with comfortable seats, a great view, and good food & drinks steps away.</p>
<p>Adding my thanks for the accommodation suggestions! I hadn’t been aware of the Guesthouses site and submitted a few inquiries there earlier today. Fingers crossed.</p>
<p>Many thanks, also, for the suggestions on how to navigate the actual ceremony. My mom and stepfather are young septuagenarians and won’t let much dissuade them from attending, if we have the tickets. I’m probably the one who should scope out a quiet spot for the simulcast. :)</p>
<p>We anxiously awaited word Sunday AM whether the ceremony would be moved. I am pleased and feel quite fortunate that the Lawn plan worked out. We noted there were remote viewing sites available for seeing the ceremony on the Lawn, but it was never clear whether a JPJ event would be simulcast in the same venues. One tid-bit to note is if the Lawn ceremony is moved indoors, there are only two tickets for family – the third goes to the graduate.</p>
<p>For those that have been through this, as most hotels have a three night minimum, what three nights are best? Arrive Friday, check out Monday?</p>
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<p>I don’t believe this is accurate. Only for Valediction does the third ticket go to the graduate. If the Lawn ceremony is moved indoors, the number of graduates is reduced (undergrads and Masters of Teaching candidates only). Grads are seated on the floor and there is no indication that they would have needed a ticket. Needless to say, glad we didn’t have to worry about it! </p>
<p>Blue, if I were doing three nights I would say your plan is a good one.</p>