Sundance Survival Guide: Tickets and Transport
Does everybody have their tickets? How about a ride to the theatre? Make sure you get where you need to go come Festival time with these simple tips and tricks.
"If you didn’t manage to purchase tickets in advance, fear not – there are many ways to land tickets during the Festival."
GETTING AROUND
As you map out your days and firm up your screening strategy, here are some suggestions about how best to get yourself around historic Park City.
The Perils of Driving
If you’re planning on getting around Park City in your own ride, you might want to reconsider. This is a small town, with small-town parking, and when you’re rushing to catch a screening, you really don’t want to circle the blocks, praying for a space. Plus traffic will be thick, so each circuit is going to take a while.
For those who decide to throw caution to the wind and take the wheel:
• There are three Festival designated parking lots: The Yard, China Bridge, and Lots F and G. Prices range from $10 to $20 and are cash-only.
• Illegal spots, while tempting, are ticketed or towed with a fiendish promptness.
• If you’re driving in from outside of Park City, you can leave your car at the Kimball Junction Park and Ride. Parking is free as are the shuttle buses that will usher you the six miles into Park City.
The Beauty of the Bus
You’re far better off getting around town in one of the free shuttle buses. Not only is it the green thing to do, but keeping your car off the road helps improve the town’s traffic troubles (see above). Plus, it’s the perfect opportunity to relax and read the latest copy of the Sundance Daily Insider, available both here online and at kiosks everywhere.
• Routes are plentiful and span from Main Street to Deer Valley. Ask at your hotel for a pocket-sized Park City Transportation Map, grab one off the next bus or at one of the Festival's Information Booths, or check the last page of the Film Guide.
• Buses run regularly from 6:10 a.m. to 2:30 a.m., and there’s rarely much of a wait between rides.
• There’s a stop at every Festival venue, as well as most of the accommodation hot spots. Most stops are manned by friendly Festival volunteers who can get you on the right bus.
Hoofing It
Pedestrian walking paths in Park City are plentiful, well-lit, and painfully scenic. You may even find that a number of key destinations are actually within walking distance, weather permitting.
Taxi!
Come Festival time, Park City also beefs up its fleet of available taxis. If you take a shine to a particular driver, be sure to ask for a card – having that number could come in handy when you tumble out of a midnight screening and discover rides are few and far between.
TICKETING
Whether you had the foresight and luck to land tickets in advance or you’re just winging it once you get into town, here are some ways to help you get ticketed.
Advance Tickets
If you order your tickets in advance but decide against express delivery, you can pickup your tickets at the Main Box Office (note: there is no ticket pickup at the theatres).
Box office locations:
• Park City: Gateway Center, 136 Heber Avenue, 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
• Salt Lake City: Trolley Square, 600 South 700 East, main floor, 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m
• Sundance Resort (one hour outside of Park City in the North Fork of Provo Canyon): 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
• Ogden (one hour outside of Park City): 2415 Washington Boulevard, noon-5:30 p.m
If you have any questions about your pre-purchased tickets, packages, or passes, email us at festivaltickets@sundance.org or call (435) 776-7878 between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Buying Tickets on the Ground
If you didn’t manage to purchase tickets in advance, fear not – there are many ways to land tickets during the Festival:
Rise and shine – At 8:00 a.m., a limited number of tickets to that day’s screenings are released through the Park City and Salt Lake City box offices. Tickets for the first screenings of the day are released at 8:00 a.m. the day before the screening takes place. Note that you have to purchase day-of-show tickets in person.
Get Waitlisted – Two hours before every screening, waitlist numbers (only one per person!) are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. For the first screening of the day, waitlist numbers are distributed one hour before the screening. Once you pickup your waitlist number, you can go grab a coffee or a sandwich, but you must return to the waitlist line no later than 30 minutes before the scheduled screening time and line up in number order. Tickets will be sold to patrons on a space-available basis. If no space is available, and a waitlist Festivalgoer purchases a ticket, he or she will receive a full refund. While a waitlist number does not guarantee a ticket, thousands of Festivalgoers do manage to see films this way every year. Tickets are $15 and only cash will be accepted.
Beat the crowds – The Eccles Center, Racquet Club Theatre, and Library Center Theatre are the most accommodating of all the venues, seat-number wise, so your chances of squeezing in are much higher. Why not choose a film that’s screening at one of these giants?
Hit the road – If you have your heart set on a specific film, try catching it at one of the Festival’s off-the-beaten-path venues in Salt Lake City, Ogden, or the Sundance Resort. Shuttles run between Park City and the Sundance Resort from January 16-24 ($20 per person each way). For Sundance Resort shuttle times, call the Sundance Resort concierge at (801) 223-6000.
