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The White House says it released tickets to the annual Easter Egg Roll online today, but it's hard to say whether anyone actually successfully got any. WTOP is reporting constant site crashes at www.whitehouse.gov/eastereggroll/. 
White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian
DCist just tried for some tickets, and received the following message:
Tickets for the 2009 White House Egg Roll are no longer available at this time. Tickets will be available at various times throughout the day. If you are unable to order tickets at this time, please check back later.Of course, we'd have to scare up a child age ten or under in order to actually attend the event. Them's the rules. But did any DCist readers with kids manage to score tickets today? Or are you all seeing the same crashes and messages to try again later?
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You described my experience "eggs-actly". No luck.
Sommer, do you realize that in the last column you wrote about the Easter Egg hunt you wondered if there was a possibility that people who weren't eligible or able to attend might try to sign up for tickets and thereby screw the new system up for everyone AND THEN YOU GO AND FULFILL YOUR OWN PROPHECY! Seriously, if you don't have kids and aren't positive you'll be able to go, don't just try and get tickets for a lark. The government can't make an idiot-proof system.
Yeah, that is super weak sommer.
You didn't bitch when Woodward and Bernstein did it in '76, did ya'? Like eating gruel at Policy with the Sex in the City crowd; I count on Sommer to go where I can't go.
what a crock, mojo. find something real to bitch about. it's the millions of people who thought it would be cool to score tix and then sell them on craigslist that screwed up the system, not Sommer. reporters trying out the system so they can tell their readers are hardly the problem.
it's just a stupid way to distribute tickets. the new administration has lots of great, new, poorly thought-out/executed ideas ie inauguration tix, dc folks having to be tougher in the face of winter, and now, easter egg roll tix.
Of course government can create an idiota's proof system. Obama can make a line all night long in front of the White House. Oh! It was the old system...
This Egg Roll really scared me. Obama administration came with a "Brilliant Idea", so fesh, smart, modern... and f#$#% up everything! I hope he will not do the same with this country.
I saw and ad on CL selling tickets.
In the end, the Obama girls will probably give tickets away for Sidwell classmates.
This was terrible.
Have you ever been in a car with someone who's just eaten a bunch of hard-boiled eggs. That explosion on the river this week is nothing compared to what happens yearly all across this great nation, THE DAY AFTER EASTER. Children,
dogs, and small parents literally exploding from the nether
regions. The culprit..warm...yellowy...yummy...EASTER EGGS.
Geez guys, I was verifying the ticketing process for news purposes. You want me to write about it without having tried it for myself? I can assure you if I manage to get tickets, I'll be giving them to someone who will be able to go.
Not like it's a huge deal, but you could have either a) lined up a kid in advance that you knew both wanted and would able to go to the event, or b) contact someone who fits that criteria and see if they have problems getting tickets? Break the news, don't make it.
Um yeah what the second guy said here. And no luck myself as of yet--
whatever sommer, we all know you were trying to get as many as you could so you could sell them for massive profit.
I on the other hand, would NEVER do that. a moderate profit would be fine for me.
Aww geez! You guys actually go to the Easter Egg Roll and have kids. I thought this was a kewl subversive underground utopian hang-out for super-hipsters and swingers looking to hook-up with devil-may-care ex-offenders.
And leave Britta...Sommer alone!
I thought this was a kewl subversive underground utopian hang-out for super-hipsters and swingers looking to hook-up with devil-may-care ex-offenders.
Who says it's not?
No luck so far.
No luck with the tix or on hooking up with devil-may-care sex offenders?
Sadly, both.
still trying to get tix for the bossman and his kids....
While making coffee and shopping for something nice for his wife?
$500 Craigslist for 6.
Anybody who pays $500 for easter egg roll tickets should take a page from the Japanese businessmen...
Do you mean American Japanese Congressmen who like to drill the slender undersides of their pages from Cincinnati?
Dude, I thought you were joking.
Someone should email that nice man a tax form. Some people just go online to try to sell things they don't need willy nilly. And even they have the best intentions - they're so busy selling they forget about the income tax liability. Can you believe it?
I was able to get through to various stages of the site, each time having to wait several minutes. FINALLY got the the verification stage and the bloody thing timed out on me. Not that I was expecting to actually get tix, but seemed as though the system wasn't expecting such high volume. Why one can only guess.
You're doing better than me. I've checked several times since about 11am and wasn't even able to find a live link.
Is anyone obsessing about this on DCist other than me? Anyway, here's the link I was directed to and told to check back later.
http://09wheggroll.frontgatetickets.com/
I've tried all day and had the same thing happen twice: I get to the verification code and then the thing times out. This is so disappointing. As a nursing mom I couldn't go to the inauguration since you couldn't bring a tiny baby outside in that weather and security wouldn't allow a breast pump or bottles of milk after one pumped if there was even an outlet for pumping...I really had my hopes set on this!
I don't know if it's my lucky day or what but I was able to get tickets through the link.
Wow!! that's great! now go get in line in the 3rd street tunnel and wait for further instructions...
I got mine about an hour ago... 4 child & 2 adult tickets. I swear I had 3 browsers open at once and had been refreshing with regularity since about 10 this morning. Guess I got real lucky. My pops used to take me back in the early 80's and I'm glad that I'll be able to take my nieces now.
There are currently 44 posts on CL looking for tickets...
I got in abot three times and was able to selesct the number of tickets I wanted but it took forever to get past the confirmation screen so I gave up... I'm going to the Zoo, it sounds like it might be a little more fun.
It's rainning...
Mary, I don't think misssyah means today.
Does anyone know when the ticket sales for the Easter Egg roll is finished. I would hate to be doing this all night.
if you go to the site now, this is what is posted...
Tickets are no longer available for the 2009 White House Easter Egg Roll. Thank you for visiting us and your interest in the event. Please understand that the demand far exceeds the capacity for this event. We appreciate your patience and understanding.
Please continue to check this website for important updates regarding the Easter Egg Roll.
Children age ten and under, along with their families, are invited to attend. There must be at least one child ten years old or under and no more than two adults per group. Tickets are required for every attendee, including small children and infants, to enter the South Lawn of the White House.
how do u sign up for tix S.