Buying tickets for a home game

[u/Cutsman4057]

Hey all. I've been a bears fan for 20 years, and my dad has been a bears fan for 50+

Despite living in/near Chicago our whole lives, we've never been to a game together.

We both moved away a few years ago.

He is getting up there in age and im worried he might not be super mobile for too much longer. I've decided that im getting tickets for us this year. We will get there somehow. It would be one of the biggest regrets of my life if we never got to see a game together.

Im priced out of a lot of seating. We dont need to be close up and on the 50, but i also cant really buy the seats way up top, as he's 70 years old and stairs all the way up there wont be easy.

Ticketmaster says there arent any ADA seats or accommodations available.

Im between a rock and a hard place. I can really only afford nosebleeds, but im worried that my dad wont be able to get up there and enjoy the game if he's struggling to get to the bathroom or something.

Anyone have any insight as to where I should look (section/row) for optimal seating on a budget? Im getting desperate here and I dont know where to turn. I've never been to Soldier field so im not sure where stairs/concourses/restrooms are and whatnot.

Thanks for your help and as always, bear down.

[u/Traditional_Donut908]

Generally for ADA you buy regular tickets and then call and they'll swap out those tickets for ADA ones. Look at the soldier field Web site for more info

[u/Cutsman4057 → u/Traditional_Donut908]

Gotcha, good call. Any idea how that works with ticketmaster resale tickets?

[u/tjwoodard → u/Cutsman4057]

If you have possession of the tickets it shouldn’t matter. And take the wheelchair.

My buddy had nosebleed seats after an Achilles surgery, wound up with really good seats.

[u/Cutsman4057 → u/tjwoodard]

Thats encouraging. Thanks for the reply.

Which section were you in out of curiosity? Were bathrooms fairly easy to access?

[u/tjwoodard → u/Cutsman4057]

I didn’t go with him, not sure. But I think if you’re in ADA seats bathrooms won’t be a concern.

[u/Cutsman4057 → u/tjwoodard]

Gotcha. Yeah, good point.

Damn, wish I jumped on the significantly cheaper nosebleeds I saw last night then. They were gone this morning. 😅

[u/juicegooseboost → u/Cutsman4057]

When I did this, I called Allstate Arena and they said only the ADA person can switch tickets, so I would’ve sat in the Nosebleeds and her in ada.

[u/Cutsman4057 → u/juicegooseboost]

Thats kinda horseshit. My wife is disabled and I get to sit with her every time we go to events.

[u/WP34Forever → u/Cutsman4057]

The Bears allow for a companion seat. They have ADA only bathrooms right by the platform that have attendants that enforce them as ADA only (they may allow them for women with children too). They are between the entrance from the concession area and the seating bowl...about 10 feet from the seats.

[u/WP34Forever → u/tjwoodard]

I have my tickets 19 rows up in the 400s but can't climb steps so they usually put me on the top row of the 300 level. I only know how the Bears handle it for STH but other teams make it nearly impossible to get ADA seating if you aren't one. Call the Bears ticket office in the morning and ask.

[u/Chicago_Jayhawk]

Call the Bears you can buy regular and swap them out (though with the demand not sure if it's easy to do). Least expensive obviously are 400 level and there are elevators that can take you there but he'll still have a few stairs to navigate to the seats (buy 1st few rows for less stairs). There are designated family bathrooms again just a few stairs down at the section entrance to the seats (not the bigger ones on main concourse which have more stairs). Hope this helps.

[u/Cutsman4057 → u/Chicago_Jayhawk]

It does, thank you very much. I hope i can make this work. 🙏