Parking $10/$20
I grew up going to Angels games. In 1992, I had the great pleasure of getting to be the "Honorary Bat Girl" during which time I met some Angels greats. It was Tim Salmon's rookie year. I remember seeing JT Snow walk out of the clubhouse and feeling excitement as I reached to shake his hand. I also fondly remember meeting Rod Carew and cheerfully announcing that my family and I had seen him hit his 3,000th hit in that very ballpark. Obviously, I have a special place in my heart for Angel Stadium. I always will.Now, 21 years later, I entered Angel Stadium for the first time all over again. I rode with friends who had offered to take me to an Angels game, which I happily accepted. I took it all in with fresh eyes. The ballpark had changed some, inside and out, but it still filled me with great memories from my childhood. The first thing I noticed was the great price for parking. Angel Stadium has a huge parking lot adjacent to the ballpark. Even the less expensive parking requires not much more than a short walk, as long as you arrive early. (Or if it happens to be a day with low attendance.) Even a longer walk, if necessary, would be completely reasonable. Access from the parking lot to the park is a breeze.
We sat along the first base line and enjoyed the game between the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Seattle Mariners. Players from both teams interacted nicely with the nearby crowd. Fans cheered. Children soaked in all of the greatness of America's pasttime. Food was reasonably close, as well as fan gear shops. The prices for food fell within what you might expect at a baseball game. Drinks, especially beer, was considerably more expensive, as seems to be the case at ballparks and arenas. The average price for a beer is about $10. Some of the souvenirs seemed priced better than others. T-shirts and hats tended to have higher price tags, and the women's wear in particular seemed a bit steep. However, souvenir mini bats ranged in price from $4.70 to about $7 and they would fit perfectly into my suitcase. I picked up one for each of my two children who I knew would appreciate them.
The game was fantastic and enjoying the company of friends is something I will look back on fondly for years to come. Overall, I had a great experience and would go back to Angel Stadium in heartbeat, not just for the sake of nostalgia, but because the experience now as an adult was a good one.
AT&T Park June 21, 2013
Parking $35
We ended up with a parking place within an enclosure, a building right on the Bay. We walked from our car to the ballpark, passing by Barry Bonds Junior Giants Field, a place where CD once ran the bases when we visited on an off day. He was not-quite-four at the time. I reminded him of this and told him I have a picture I can show him. He found that exciting. We walked among a crowd of Giants fans, taking it all in. The walk was a bit long for my three-year-old but her excitement and enthusiasm helped carry her along. CD looked out at people in kayaks and said, "Hey mom! It's McCovey Cove!"
We approached the park, and yet, once we got through the gate, we still had quite a walk ahead. We navigated through the ballpark all the way around until we reached the left field side. Then we began our ascent to the view reserve area. Food at AT&T Park runs a bit pricier, particularly if you would like to go with some of the specialty foods. Thankfully, you can get a hotdog for $5. We made it work within our budget. Beer runs $10 or higher. For the kids and me, though, a single bottle of water met our needs. A bottle of water costs $5.
The great thing about AT&T Park is that there really isn't a bad seat in the place. View Reserve meant we could see all of the action on the field, check out the goings-on in McCovey Cove, and watch the sunset. We sat with great fans who encouraged my two small children to be the best cheerleaders they could. We belted out "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and we generally skipped souvenirs, but splurged on cotton candy ($6.75). However, on the way out, we stopped and got a Giants World Series decal for $2. If you hit the right stand, you will find little souvenirs in the $1-5 range, perfect! We ended our AT&T Park experience making the long trek back to the car. The park is lit up beautifully at night which makes for amazing pictures and security is out in full force which helps with any safety concerns you may have.Stockton Ballpark
Parking $10/$15Premium parking costs a little more, but general parking runs just $10 which may seem a little steep for a minor league game, but when you're going to see the Stockton Ports take on the San Jose Giants and you know you're going to see Pablo Sandoval play, it softens the blow some. Further softening the blow, of course, is knowing what to expect. We have traveled to this area of Stockton in the past and event parking runs $10 off-site. The City of Stockton is broke which may account some for the price. Still, the price is fairly reasonable and the walk from where we parked to the ballpark was simple, safe, and short. The majority of the walk actually took us through the general parking lot attached to the ballpark itself.
Our tickets waited at Will Call for us and the process for collecting them was simple. We then went almost immediately into the ballpark. This game sold out and despite the fact that it took place at the home of the Stockton Ports, the ballpark filled with orange and black as Giants fans came out in full force, most to support the third baseman loving called "Kung Fu Panda."
Food prices ranged in a much more affordable range and even beer ran for about half the price of a major league ballpark. Lines got long, but moved nicely. A special hit for CD was the kids meal which included a hot dog, chips, and a drink in a fun box. I loved it because it cost just $6! Tired of hot dogs, I ventured out and tried something new: chili cheese fries. They were delicious and they hit the spot! They also ran a reasonable $7 which hit the spot for my wallet. We did not venture into the souvenir shop as CD got a very special souvenir. A family down the row from us caught a ball thrown our direction by "Panda" and they had already picked up a Stockton Ports souvenir ball. So, the family gave CD their souvenir ball after they seemed quite impressed by his die-hard Giants cheers! This made CD's night almost as much as seeing his favorite Giant. Being surrounded by good Giants fans certainly helped make the evening more special.
In Summary
So, how do they all rank? This is where things have to flush out in a world of relativity.
Best parking: Angel Stadium
Best parking (for price): Angel Stadium
Best viewing experience: AT&T Park
Best food (for price): Stockton Ballpark
Best fans: AT&T Park
Best bang for your buck: Stockton Ballpark
If you just want to go watch a baseball game for the sake of watching a baseball game, I strongly suggest attending a minor league game. You get a great experience for a great price. Our tickets cost just $8 each and were right on the third base line. Our parking cost $10 and we spent about $20 on food. We have had similarly good experiences in Modesto. So, my first recommendation is to check into the Stockton or Modesto games, if local, or your own area's minor league team if elsewhere. The Central Valley has at least four teams from Fresno to Sacramento. If you want to have the MLB experience, save up and invest in a trip to AT&T Park. The experience is amazing! The fans are welcoming. The food is delicious. You may consider your parking a worthwhile investment, arrive early, and tailgate as many people do. (A review on the AT&T Park tailgate experience will come at the end of July.) If you find yourself in Southern California, pay a visit to Angel Stadium. Buy some tickets in the cheap seats (there are plenty of seats available right now, it seems), pay the $10 and park in general parking, skip the beer, skip the souvenirs, and just enjoy the game.
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