September 26, 2015
EDM enthusiasts, this one’s for you! Like most other house heads, Tomorrow Land is on my bucket list. Challenged with a lack of vacation time, I tried the next best thing, Tomorrow World. Rated number 13 by insider.ticketmaster.com, here’s what I have to say about Tomorrow World.
Overall, I’d say I had a positive experience. It’s hard to understand, unless you were there. Even though the hike to the entrance was brutal, I totally forgot about it once I arrived. Once inside the concert, it truly was a magical experience, between the music, costumes, stage productions, and fireworks. All the details were incredibly precise. The people of tomorrow did not disappoint as it truly felt like I was in a fantasyland for adults. It was the perfect escape from reality. Unless of course you were one of the unlucky Dreamvillers whose tents got flooded as a result of the inclement weather. Even under those less than fortunate circumstances, flooded tents didn’t kill everyone’s vibe. The energy was still positive and vibrant. The crowd was united by a common love for the music and a goal to have a blast. As dorky as it seems, being in the middle of the crowd while we all jumped to the beat as it dropped in unison was enough to give me chills. I guess we really did secure our key to personal happiness with the purchase of our tickets. Don’t believe me, checkout The Key To Happiness Trailer for a glimpse. The after movie should be up soon.
Now, for the not so pleasant things… Here are six things that could have made my Tomorrow World experience perfect:
- A more organized backup plan for the poor weather
- Less walking to and from drop off locations
- More Uber/taxi drivers or don’t promote a partnership with Uber for event. It caused a very false sense of security that there would be enough drivers to accommodate the crowds who did not purchase parking or camping passes. Better forecasting (simple business principle) based on parking and camping sites. For example, if you know you sold thousands of single day tickets compared to the lower parking pass sales and camping sales. Send out an email early stating those statistics so guests can consider the risk of Uber/taxi shortage and consider alternate methods of transportation. Do not continue promoting the Uber/taxi shortage (especially in poor weather is a contributing factor to Uber/taxi shortage).
- More security and organized lines for departure from festival. There was one point waiting for shuttle that I thought a brawl was going to break out due to all the people skipping and all the frustrated guests waiting patiently for their turn on shuttle. The taxi/Uber line or should I say mob was also a disorganized disaster with people skipping people who were in line for more than 3 hours. The biggest issue I had was that we were being encouraged to wait in a long line with minimal Uber drivers coming through while other guests were walking down the dangerously dark road and catching the Uber’s further down the road. The Uber line was being used for occupied Uber’s to make their U-turns. Unfortunately, I waited over 3 hours before I decided to-do the same. Luckily, after a three-mile walk up the dark road, we found an Uber who price gouged us (supply and demand for you). This could have been so dangerous and life threatening. I’m surprised no one got struck by a car, injured from a fight, or experienced a medical emergency.
- The right thing to-do would have been for Uber and/or Tomorrow World to call buses and/or car services to come help with transportation. Those car services could have charged the individuals, as Uber/taxi would have.
- There should have also been some form of emergency shelter set up with food and water. I heard people spent the night in the Forrest. That is incredibly dangerous and unacceptable for the price paid to experience tomorrow world.
Although the festival was amazing, this disorganized chaos ruined my experience. I was convinced I’d never return, until I looked back at all my pictures and videos. If not for the phenomenal DJ’s and impressive stage productions, this would have been a blacklist.
If you plan to attend, dress accordingly, check the weather, keep an open mind, stay sober, and be prepared for the worst arrival/departure situations.
People of Tomorrow, I’ll give you one more chance to redeem yourselves from this tragedy, which resulted from poor weather conditions. Despite the negatives, this is definitely an experience worth having. Now, I can tell my future kids I survived the Walking Dead woods. For that, I’m rating this an A-list, for now (so get it together). Until next time, people of tomorrow world! #plurvibes