I had Red Zone tickets for Phoenix 1 & 2. I love the GA experience, but am not always capable of sitting in the sun all day and standing for hours on end. I liked the looks of the Red Zone on the 360 tour and took the plunge this time.
The check-in process was clearly explained in an email and easy to manage. Kudos to Emma, the Red Zone handler, for being efficient, friendly, and upbeat. I was disappointed that the floor layout was quite different from the map shown at the time of purchase but I think that was to try to allow a view of the screen.
The biggest disappointment was that not everything promised was delivered. There were no instructions to access the VIP entrance or a Red Zone refreshment stand. Most of us were unaware the backstage tour happened (I read about it here).
The main issue was the venue staff's lack of knowledge for the first Phoenix show on May 22. When asked, most of them did not know the difference between Red Zone and GA nor which doors allowed access to which. This meant for the first show, the Red Zone and GA were given access to the floor at the same time. Great for the GA folks who worked hard for that, but bad for the Red Zone who paid for a better experience. That improved the second night, must to the annoyance of the GA ticket holders.
So really, the main benefit to the Red Zone ticket was not having to wait in line all day and deal with the wristband and entrance process. And of course, the knowledge you're donating to a worthy cause. But now I wish I knew how much of the ticket cost goes to Red.
For the second Phoenix show the venue staff was much better prepared than the first. The Red Zone guests were escorted together to the entrance doors then allowed access to the floor just moments before the GA guests were let in. This gave the RZ guests first crack at the prime spots on the rail and a good number of us took advantage of that rather than stay in the designated zone.
I've always wanted to be that close to the stage and it was everything I had hoped for. If it's something you've always wanted to do, but you don't have the stamina to camp out over night and all day to be first in line, the Red Zone is worth it. But depending on the when the venue allows access, it's a gamble if it will pay off or not. If you buy Red Zone, do it for the chance to be on the floor and donate to a good cause, but don't do it expecting easy access to a prime spot. We were extremely lucky to have that happen at this show.
