I'm thinking of buying a couple FC Dallas season tickets for the 2018 season. I'll be making the near 3-hour drive from Oklahoma, but I've wanted to take the plunge for years. I contemplated sticking with my homestate OKC Energy, but in the end, MLS is MLS. For those with season tickets, is it a pretty good buy? Does the club do a pretty good job taking care of the season ticket members? I haven't compared to other MLS clubs, so I'm not all that familiar with how FC Dallas compares to the rest. Also, I'm thinking of getting something in section 103 or 109. I can get close to midfield on the East side for the same price. Is the sun that much of a factor over the span of the season? I've been to several matches, but I've always sat on the West side (usually 104 or 108). Any input, feedback, etc. is much appreciated!
It use to be (a couple of years ago) that it ended up being a rip off to buy season tickets because every week they'd have some ticket deal that would be much less than what you paid per ticket. However, they've cleaned that up the last few years so it's about even now (I think...I don't really pay attention). Basically you get season tickets to support the team and not for much else. The "perks" they try to sell you with it don't really interest me (so much so I can't really name any). The discount on the team store is nice. The presale stuff for other events at Toyota can be cool to resell tickets to a big event or get other soccer game tickets early. The meet the team event it cool on a big year (like 2016) because you can get something signed by most of the team as a keepsake. The sun on the west side is non-existent during the season but with the kickoff times getting moved back to 7:00 pm during 2017, the east side sun struggle is real. My season tickets are on the west side and I enjoy that.
I've had season tickets on the east side since 2006. My wife complains about the sun at the 7:00 kickoffs, but if you wear a hat with a bill and sunglasses you're OK. I don't take advantage of many of the perks. I buy season tickets to support the team. I've gone to a couple events. They were fun. I might go to more, but they're in Dallas or Frisco, and I live in Fort Worth. One thing I like is being able to buy extra tickets through my season ticket rep and not getting charged the Ticketmaster fee. Friends have contemplated using the event early buy perk to buy good tickets to events at the stadium, then reselling the tickets to pay for their season tickets. Nobody I know has actually tried it. One cool thing about season tickets, is you gradually get to know the people who sit near you game after game, year after year.
No lie - FREE MONEY for season ticket holders. In the week before the RSL game, I got some confusing e-mails about "concession cash." At the game, as I went through the gate, I was directed where to pick up my "cash." $10 per season ticket in coupons good for ANY food or beverage (yes, including alcohol) at any concession stand. Not sure if this will go all season, but it was pretty sweet to get a couple free beers from FCD. I heard with all the concession cash being used, concession stands ran out of many items.
I think I've had tickets on the East side of the stadium about 75% of the times I've been to Frisco (the other 25% were in the Inferno general admission section behind the South goal, but that was before I had kids). For more than half of those matches, I relocated to the shady side. In the long, long Texas summer, the heat will just grind you into misery. I brought the whole family to the Independence Day game last year, and we were suffering until the sun went down. (This is now a pre-deployment tradition: attend FCD game, sweat, drink beer, stand up for the Army song, watch FCD lay a beat-down on some unsuspecting MLS visitor, watch fireworks show, go kill bad guys. "It's not just A Merica, it's THE Merica!") If the price is comparable, get shady side seats. If it's not, get sunny side seats and use the money you saved to buy some sweet sunglasses and a hat.
Got moved to 109 this season because they jacked the rate up to $1000 on my old section in 108. Thought to myself, "eh, one section over, won't matter." I don't really like it so far but it makes the 2nd half (why don't we attack towards our hardcore fans in the 2nd half like most clubs do?) viewing easier.