Our Hannah Montana Concert Experience

We were one of the few lucky individuals who scored tickets to see Hannah Montana a couple weeks ago. I'll share a few tips for getting tickets and also include some ideas that worked well for us getting to the concert and getting home safely. You know, most things disappoint because they aren't as exciting in person as you anticipate in your mind ahead of time. Hannah Montana did not disappoint - it was one of the best experiences we've had with our daughter and was well worth the price of admission.

Check Ticketmaster the Day Before the Concert
The morning tickets went on sale for the Hannah Montana concert we were glued to our computer monitor hoping to buy tickets. Unfortunately, the site sold out before we could type in Hannah Montana! My wife diligently checked Ticketmaster every day for a couple months and was ready to give up. On whim, she decided to check the Ticketmaster the day before the concert. To her surprise, three seats were available on the floor level, about five rows back from the end of the stages runway. We paid face value for the tickets that were going on eBay for $800-$1000 each.

Arrive in Time for Pre-Concert Festivities
The venue we attended had a Hannah Montana block party which began about two hours before the concert. We arrived about three hours before start time to scope out the concert site and try to take a few pictures of Miley Cyrus' bus. As a matter of fact, there are plenty of photo opportunities set up, and the crowd was pretty thin three hours early.

The block party was a blast. One of Miley Cyrus' friends, Megan, was the master of ceremonies leading selected participants through a karaoke of Hannah's hit songs. Better brush up on your Hannah Montana lyrics kids (and parents)! Megan gave out a few Hannah Montana prizes during the karaoke competition.

Attention "Miley World" Members
Don't forget your Miley World membership card. You'll need the card to pick up a raffle ticket offering a chance to win a backstage pass after the concert. Non-members get a different ticket for a lesser prize drawing. My daughter is a member, but unfortunately we didn't have our card with us. The drawing takes place at the end of the karaoke block party.

Bring Your Souvenir Money
A table was set up outside the concert a couple hours before the doors opened. They offered Hannah Montana t-shirts, lyric books, bags, etc. The stuff was a bit pricy, but what do you expect...it's Hannah Montana! We bought about $70 worth of stuff including a couple t-shirts, a tote bag and a book with Hannah Montana song lyrics.

Don't Forget Earplugs
This one probably applies only to dads. The concert from opening to close, including a small intermission between the opening act and Hannah Montana's performance, lasts just over two hours. By the second hour the 10,000 screaming pre-teen girls and the loud music was really starting to wear on my ear drums. Luckily, I thought to bring some earplugs and popped them in for the rest of the concert. Don't worry; you can still easily hear the music with plugs inserted.

Exit Strategy
About half way through the main act, Hannah Montana changes into Miley Cyrus and sings a few of her hit songs. At the end of the concert there was a curtain call and Miley Cyrus reappeared barefoot and in blue jeans. She sat a microphone at the end of the stage and sang a beautiful song she wrote about losing her grandfather - just her and her guitar. It was very touching, and beautiful way to wrap up a wonderful concert.

When the concert was over we kept our seats until the event staff forced us to leave. By this time the crowd had thinned out and traffic was already flowing out of the parking areas. We noted that the people who jumped up and rushed for the exits were only a few feet ahead of us walking towards their cars. Apparently, they had been caught up in the rush for the exits and didn't move much in the 15 minutes we remained seated. I recommend this strategy if you don't like fighting concert crowds.

We arrived home around midnight, exhausted. My daughter had school the next day and part of the deal was that she would go to school with no griping. I think she was so excited to share her Hannah Montana concert experience that she didn't care to get up after only a few hours rest. It was one of those things we will all remember the rest of our lives.

If you would like to read more about the concert, and see some of our concert pictures, visit http://wesawhannahmontanaconcert.blogspot.com/.