need a poster... We did make it with the help of friends in high places. The clicking away was very frustrating to say the least. Your blog and reading the comments was very entertaining! We did have fun, we love PBS Kids programs and were able to get pictures with the characters and see The Electric Company. Everything was definately different and not necessarily better. Spending the night on the Ellipse in the cold and snow, then coming home like a true warrior with tickets in hand was a triumphant feeling (and great story to tell). We were in the last group and didn't get a poster. If anyone knows how to get one, the space on my son's wall has 3 previous posters and was waiting for 2009.
Group C : Memorable Short Timer Awesome blog...Our trip started out with the metro ride from Springfield, VA to the Ellipse. It was my 4yr old and nephew's first metro train ride. They were so excited about going to see President Barack Obama and his family at the WH. We got off the metro at Federal Triangle and walked from 12th street to the Ellipse. Thank God, I brought my daughter's stroller. We were suppose to be on the Ellipse at 10:30 am, with a 11:30-1:30 pm entry/play time. Needless to say, we were running a tad bit late (LOL) and didn't arrive until 11:15am. My sister and I new we had missed our opportunity to be a part of history, but for some reason there was some sort of delay, Group C was still waiting in this long line for the previous group to be processed in. With the delay, we were still able to take part in this historical day. Once we were on the grounds of the WH (apprx 12:45 pm), we went directly to the egg roll line, which was long but well worth it, since it was a WH tradition. My daughter fell asleep while we were waiting. Finally, we were getting near to the front of the line, so I started to wake her. She was not a happy camper. I told her it was her time to roll the egg. She got out of the stroller and said, I don't know how to do it. I told her that someone would show her. She had a blue egg and asked for a pink one. The volunteer was so helpful, she gave her a pink egg. The announcer told all of the kids to get ready. I helped her with the first roll of the egg. Then my daughter all of a sudden declared that, "I don't want to do this and I want to go home". I guess, I should not have awaken her. I should have allowed her to sleep. The kids had to go to the bathroom, we found plenty of those. After the bathroom break, we got water from the First Aid station, because the kids were so thirty and hungry. We then stopped to watch Ziggy Marley, took and couple of pictures. Then proceeded to find the Kids Korner. On our way, we stopped at the Egg Station, then got our posters. My nephew did the basketball thing, then we heard an announcement, that the C Group had to exit. The kids got their eggs and we left. We were only there for approx. 45-50 minutes. In closing, we were happy for the delay, because we were still able to participate, but we weren't able to spend much time on the lawn, because our time was cut short. I would do it all over again, if I had the chance.
Great experience @ The White House Easter Egg Roll!!!! I was in the first group, 8 am w/ my sister and 2 year old niece. We left my house in Northern VA at 6:00 am and arrived on Constitution avenue @ 6:20 am, then waited in line and went through security, before stepping foot on The White House Grounds @ approximately 8 am. The first thing we participated in was the egg roll, which was exciting for me to videotape and take pics. Then my niece was lucky enough to meet The Imagination Movers and take a pic w/ them. Then she got to meet Clifford, Curious George, A Princess, Elmo, Handy Manny and The White House Easter Bunny, while I was lucky enough to meet Suzanne Malveaux (CNN White House Correspondent), Al Roker (from The Today Show), and Robert Gibbs (Current White House Press Secretary), which I was most excited about. After walking around with my sister and niece for the remainder of our group time, we headed to the basketball court and got to play for a few minutes which was awesome. Although our exit time was 10 am, and The First Family came out to play at 10:30 am, it was an unforgettable experience for not only my sister and I, but more importantly my niece. Thank you for this blog and lets do it again next in 2010!!!
Reply Thank goodness for those DJ/entertainers outside at the Ellipse where everybody had to wait. There were 2 young guys who really made my kids excited while they had to await a 1.5 hour line in the freezing cold with no food or drink, those guys were a big contribution of the day.
We had fun! Are we the only ones??? Thanks again for this blog...I was anxious to hear about everyone's experiences. We were in group B. We got in at about 10:15, instead of 9:45. We were in line earlier than the 8:45 suggested time...probably at about 8:20. We went right to the egg roll, and then the Bidens and Obamas came out and Fergie sang the anthem. I was right up front and got great pictures. Then I followed the president over and we watched him read to the kids. A kind stranger pulled me from the back of the crowd to the front, so I got amazing pictures of him reading; and of Michelle, Sasha, and Malia reading. We got to do the egg roll, egg hunt, face-painting, soccer, and yoga- plus a bunch of pictures with characters. We watched Fergie's concert as we stood in line for the kid's kitchen, but weren't able to ever get into that. We did pretty much everything we wanted and we were so thankful for seeing the Obamas so closely. We took turns waiting in line and taking the kids to activities. I found the volunteers and fellow attendees to be really friendly. The kids loved it, although my 3 year old was a little disappointed because, "Rock Obama didn't hug me." =) Just before leaving, we took a group picture right next to the White House, looked around, soaked everything up, and tried to capture the moment. We left happy, and I hope others have some happy memories, too.
First 8AM -10AM session and First Time Overall it was great experience for the kids, (twins boy/girls) first time to see WH up close and a draining experience for parents. There was a lot of kids in groups of 8-10 with only one or maybe two teachers supervising. The lines for Egg roll were very long, as many people skipped ahead. It was quite difficult to tell who was in a line, as one person would stand in for a group of 8-10 kids. Others were just milling around waiting to jump the queue. We did egg roll twice. Fortunately, there were two different stations setup (didn't know that earlier). Kids enjoyed the most where there was no line, for WH basketball court, jump rope, hands on science. Cannot comment about staged entertainment, we didn't wake up at 0500AM in the morning to see fergie. As a note to future parents attending, there is a LOT of walking and LOT of standing around, maybe bring a lightweight stroller for smaller kids up to security, then fold away or carry on your back to stand in line for various activities. We were able to get posters (just sitting on a table?), easter eggs, small items. This WH easter blog was very helpful. Was experience worth it ? Priceless, this the administration's "first WH Easter "
Group C review We were new to the Egg Roll this year and it the C group. I'm not sure I'll do it again next year, but if I do, I'll be better prepared. We had to wait one hour into our two hour time (our time: 11:30-1:30), were told we'd get our full two hours, and then were told to leave after being inside only 45 minutes. I didn't get a poster and was very, very bummed about that. We did get some character pictures (smaller lines, but lines nonetheless), but that was all. We were standing in line for the egg roll when they booted us out. When I asked my 5 year old daughter if she had a good day, she said, "Yes, but I was very sad not to get to do the egg roll." In retrospect, the most exciting part of their day was the metro ride to the WH.
my son was happy My 5.5 yr old son is a HUGE Obama fan. I took him to see the inauguration and was lucky enough to get the tickets for this egg roll. The things a conservative republican ma-ma will do for the love of her son.
We were group B, but we came early to be the first few in line for our time slot. We were up front when the Bidens came out and also when the Obamas made their apearance followed by Fergie's nathional anthem on the balcony. We saw Obama read the "where the wild things are". He then walked about 5 feet away from us, and my son was estastic. The kids got a chance to do the egg hunt, color on head bands, draw on the veterans sheet/quilt, made a jump rope, and got the easter egg. The other booths available we did not wait in line, but watched from a distance. I was one of the moms that brought snacks and drinks and willing to throw it out as we reached the gate. Took about 175+ photos. Would do it again if given the chance.
Takiesha, I was hoping you'd log on to leave a comment. :) I'm glad you were able to see the Obamas. That stinks about your camera. I hope it turns up.
Egg Roll You summed it up perfectly! I told my husband who worked so hard to get those ticket from work, that I appreciated his work, but I will not go back again. I too followed the rules. I was in Group A. We had to get up so early to get there at 7 am. I three all of my snack away walking from the Metro and when I got there, tons of people had both food and drinks. My daughter was so hungry and in such a funk, she would not get out of the stroller. It was also freezing at that time. Once we got in there, it was so beyond crowded, the lines were so long that we didn't do one activity. I did see Fergie and the Imagination Movers, but since my daughter was in a mood, she missed out on the dancing. I tired make a jumprope with her but again it was packed. I was getting stepped on. My son slept through most of the event. When it was time to leave, I was able to stay in longer since my husband works there. I just wanted to see the Obama's They didn't say what time they were coming out officially, but I knew it was going to be at 10. They announce VP Biden and Dr. Biden then the Obama's come out. I was standing next to the story station and my husband takes of running to film. He tosses me his camera. He is a videographer/photographer for the White House. I was able to get awesome pics with that professional grade camera. So then a guys who works for my husband who was filming the story station told me to take my daughter to the front row to hear the story from the President. They would only allow the kids. She is 3 and she cried because she wanted me with her. She wouldn't go. So he let her stand next to him in a press box. They Obama's come out to read and I got mobbed by the parents. I swear the parents were worse than the kids. It was TERRIBLE!!!! I finally left at about 11-1130ish. I did get my eggs even though I was late leaving. The worst part is now I can't find my camera. I am in Ohio now, but when I get back home to MD, I'll post the pics to my travel blog (twaitesthierry). The two hours was not nearly enough time to participate in all activites, they need to make a lot of changes for next year. Also I think there should be a minimun age. I saw so many people they with newborns and no other children. That is ridiculous.
Kia, I'm glad my blog has been a help to you. :) Sounds like you had a good experience overall. Meeting Fergie would have made me forget all about those lines.
Ziggy- Yup we missed the posters. They used to hand them to you at the exit with the eggs. I also wondered if this being a transitional year affected things. We started going to the roll during the last 3 years of the Bush presidency. They had lots of time to work out the kinks. I have high hopes that next year will be smoother for the Obama administration.
First 8AM session and First Time First I want to say thank you for the blog, it was my support group from waiting on how the tickets would get distributed to this point. I was blessed enough to get the 8AM session and 6 tickets for my entire family. We were in line by 7:00AM and did not have to wait long, we were on the Lawn by 8:15AM. There was a brief moment that the line was still because The President and his family came out to do the Opening Ceremony. We did hear Fergie sing the National Anthem. Once on the Lawn we found the lines were short so the kids got to do all the activities.
Fergie's husband read a book at the story activity we listen to that and to my surprise Fergie was sitting down in the front. It looked like no one knew who she was so I jumped at the chance to and ask her if I could take pictures with her and my kids. She walked around for about an hour. We watched her concert and she was entertaining.
We were all so tired from waking up at the crack of dawn and cold from the morning air, we decided to leave once our session was over. Not to mention and not a complaint but there was nothing to drink and my kids were getting thirsty and hungry. I know this was a big problem for the other sessions among other issues. I feel fortunate that we were able to get in the first session. It looks like the other sessions had long waits and could not get their kids to all activities due to overcrowding. All this to say I'm glad my kids had a chance to experience history but I'm not sure you will see me next year!
overcrowded Posted comment on earlier blog line as it was an update to view while trying to get tickets all day. As most know, expectations sometimes lead to disappointment. Hopefully the planners for this event will find out what worked and what didn't in an effort to make it better for next year, as this tradition will continue on. Inaugural events (logistic problems as well) only happen every 4 years. We definitely had problems in our Easter Egg afternoon time slot, but I was really shocked to learn that the time period where the First Family entered left a majority of the ticket holders waiting outside the gates during their entire time period - that, along with the poorly regulated way to get group's to exit after their group's "time slot" - I am positive the group that missed their time period stayed, what else were they going to do. I don't think anyone could bring their children- wait in the lines to get in, followed their ticket rules and said 'Well kids, we have 10 minutes, here's the grass in their backyard, roll down the hill - no line, let's leave.' I can see how the traditional commemorative poster could be missed - I can't imagine them running out - it was cute, but not a keepsake for most families. The poster was not given away at the exit, there was a table set up that was handing them out and we just ran into it, easily missed as it was amongst the myriad of fences set-up, the crowds and lines could have easily blocked the table. When the few acts the children recognized were listed in the program it provided a glimmer of hope only then dashed when realized they couldn't see them during our time period. It is always good to try and improve things and I think not having a frenzied crowd anxious to see head-lining entertainment like the Jonas Brothers or Hannah Montana was a great idea. Afterall it is not a teen concert tradition, I am sure that caused some of the hype over trying to get tickets, but it needs to be more organized. Maybe this is a transition year and it will be realized that not as many tickets need to be given out and not as many people will want to travel by plane for the event. We sadly ran into a family who after leaving the event went to get a snack from the vending vans on their way to the airport (came just for the event), the meltdown poored out of the child when it was realized they were out of a favorite snack. Well it is always good to know that we are lucky enough to be near the Nation's Capitol and can come to visit when the crowds aren't as bad.
ditto I was also in the 9:45 to 11:45 group that had to wait. The kids made the best of the event, but having to wait that long really put a damper on everything. They were ready to go by the time we got in. I think the most fun they had was with the Yoga. They were so excited to get their faces painted, but my daughter ended up crying about hers because she thought it was ugly.... I have to agree, it was the first time the volunteer had ever painted faces. Also as we got past the security, there were a couple of security guards standing there with children all around them having a personal conversation and used the DB word. I was shocked!! I almost told them to watch their language but I was too busy keeping track of the 4 kids by myself since we only had one adult ticket. It seemed that the area around the egg roll, yoga, and stage was not as crowded as everything else, so perhaps it was poor lay out. We skipped most of the smaller activities because there were too many people. I would go again, but really hope that it runs smoother next time.
It wasn't just you. I'm hearing lots of reports like yours. Click on my user name at the top of this page and you'll see a list of all my blog entries. I want to hear other reviews about this year's egg roll. Please post them under my new entry.
So-So Experience Hi All, not sure where the new blog is...but I wanted to write about my experience at the Whitehouse Easter Egg Roll. This was my first time attending. We were the last group and it said doors open at 2pm...so we got there at 1:45...and we didn't get in the Whitehouse until 3:30. When you have a 2-year old...it's hard to be patient. And I didn't pack snacks b/c the tickets said no food or drink. When we finally got in....there were lines everywhere and after waiting an hour and 45 minutes to get in...I wasn't in the mood to wait in lines. And it seemed like some of the lines were not organized....we didn't know where it started...how many lines there were. We didn't even to the egg roll...b/c the line was so long. My daughter and I left the whitehouse...after staying an hour. It seemed like it wasn't all that...was the prior years better? Was this year good and it was just me?
Way too crowded I agree...it was way too crowded. We are a military family that is stationed locally and were able to get tickets online this year. I would have been very unhappy if I would have been a family that would have traveled from another state just for this event. We were only able to do one thing (colored an egg). We stood in a line to stand in a line to stand in lines to stand in a line to leave. :)
I hate to complain about a free event, but our expectations were just so much higher than what we experienced. I hope others had a better experience and were able to catch a glimps of the Obamas.
5 hours without food and water We, too, experienced delays getting in during our ticket time (9:45-11:45). In fact -- we never made it in. A large portion of our ticket group got locked outside the gates when the Obamas came out -- and they never let us in or explained why. We stood outside the gate of the lawn, past the initial security checks, from 9:45 - 11:45 without food, water, or bathrooms (after arriving at 8:45 and standing in the security line). Kids were crying and hungry. They finally let us in two hours later with the next group (making it even MORE crowded) -- but there was no food or water inside either - for a total of 5 hours without food or water (not counting your commute time). We missed the Obamas, we missed Fergie, and the volunteers on the lawn seemed as cranky as we were. Lots of good ideas, VERY poorly executed. I hope that's not a sign of the next four years.
overcrowded This year's egg roll tried to allow for more people to come, but we were in the afternoon time slot and it was way too crowded by then, most of the visitors probably stayed past their time slot, because we left at our time slot and no one was checking wrist bands, the "incentive" they had for exiting was that you only had 15 minutes to receive your souvenir egg, but people from other groups could easily stay until the next group's exit time. The entrance time for our group (6,000 at each time) was delayed by 30 minutes and we were near the beginning of the line for our time. Each traditional activity on the lawn had long lines, so it was discouraging to stand in them -- thinking you only had 2 hours to be there. Aside from Fergie, who wasn't at each time slot, the entertainers weren't that well known. The commemorative poster was very cute and well drawn but it was a child's rendition of the White House, and if you didn't know the child, it wasn't something every family would want a large poster of?! It was special to be there, but maybe it could be improved somehow.
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need a poster...
We did make it with the help of friends in high places. The clicking away was very frustrating to say the least. Your blog and reading the comments was very entertaining! We did have fun, we love PBS Kids programs and were able to get pictures with the characters and see The Electric Company. Everything was definately different and not necessarily better. Spending the night on the Ellipse in the cold and snow, then coming home like a true warrior with tickets in hand was a triumphant feeling (and great story to tell). We were in the last group and didn't get a poster. If anyone knows how to get one, the space on my son's wall has 3 previous posters and was waiting for 2009.