Question For Those Who *Didn't* Go the Package Route

Okay, so last year I went to Wrestlemania, the Hall of Fame the night before and Raw the night after, all without employing the WWE "Travel Package" method. For the HoF, my seats pretty much sucked as the facility was not ideal and I was stuck in the balcony and it felt like the stage was a mile away with specks--otherwise known as people--talking from the stage. My seats for Wrestlemania were solid, but nothing like this year's, but then again the price at which I purchased my seats last year were less than half the cost of this year's tickets under the travel package regime. And my seats for Raw last year were great--fundamentally just above the floor, elevated ringside, but this year with the package the seats are even much better, just a couple rows from the ring.

However. Doing the math, I've come to the conclusion that if you want to save at least some money, you can be more frugal by not going with the package. Stay in a more modest lodging arrangement and get the tickets with the general public... And next year I suspect I could easily do without going to Axxess after going to it two years in a row in Phoenix and Atlanta, so there's a discount compared to going with the travel package as well.

My main point is, for those who didn't go through the travel package for this year's 'Mania festivities, were you able to get seats for these events that were roughly as good as the ones secured by the travel package? I'm just curious how well people fared in this regard. Also, I must admit that going with the travel package for at least just one year was an educational process, because especially for Wrestlemania and for the Raw the next night, you learn what exact price range(s) is what you're approximately looking for with regards to each specific event. Obviously the travel packages going on sale so much earlier than the general public sales means that the seats WWE considers the very best of the best are gone, but I know you can still acquire fantastic seats, perhaps just a relative handful of rows behind those who went with the travel package.

For the sake of disclosure, I went with the Silver Package, and for Hall of Fame I'm in Section 116, Row 2, Seats 8-9, for Wrestlemania I'm in Section 135, Row 3, Seats 8-9 and for Raw I can't remember the section number at this moment but it's right on the corner ringside, Row 4, and I think again it's Seats 8-9.

Thanks for any insight into this in advance!