please empty your brain below

Great stuff DG, thx. I tried looking for something like this on the official Olympic site and the GAOTG site... with no joy. There's still not even a proper map that hasn't been turned through 90 degrees which clearly marks the four exits in relation to all the public transport options, your Streetmap links have done that nicely.

(I wonder if anyone on Open Street Map has marked down the entrances to the Olympic Park... Hmmm)
Ahh... I had to chuckle. Nope, no entrances to the park marked on OpenStreetMap, but some wag has drawn in the McDonalds... the only building of note aside from the stadium itself. Funny!
Nice one DG. This is something I've been pondering a lot lately as I'm fearing major delays at Stratford Gate. Thing about exiting at Victoria Gate and walking up to Hackney Wick is that everyone who went to Vic Park Live events will also be heading that way.
I'm coming from North London but thinking about arriving and leaving from Eton Manor Gate and walking to Leyton. I know it's a schlep but may be easier ultimately.
Thanks, DG, this and the last post are invaluable information.
I am going to the Basketball which is nearest to the Eton Manor Gate. The walk to Leyton is very long and is not signposted so it would be easiest to walk down the park to the Stratford Gate. I hope any out of towners are not confused between Eton Manor and Eton Dorney (where the rowing is around Windsor). Perhaps thet should have given Eton Manor another name.
Another great PSA from DG. Thanks, useful info!
Superb and spot on as usual DG, cheers!

KissenMe - Eton Manor has been so named for many many years.

CF
Interesting about Hackney Wick. We thought it would be the obvious station at which to leave the eastbound Overground, but it was well and truly excluded from any map or information. I wonder whether staying on board a train at Stratford will work, or whether some jobsworth will hound everyone out!

Thanks for me too DG - invaluable.
Oops - I see that staying on the train is the official advice. Sorry!
I was there like you on Monday DG and unlike you I got caught in huge crowds trying to exit by the front of Stratford City, it took me 45 minutes to get from the lower floor next to M&S up onto the bridge over the railway tracks, I was not aware that the Greenway exit was open otherwise I would have gone that way and could have been home in less than 30 minutes. A great post with lots of info, thank you.
And also... I love this week's "What's on this weekend"? At last, at last! It's here. They're here.

But what the heck will you be writing about come late September?
Top work DG terrific detail many thanks
Are you volunteering at the park by any chance?
fishislandskin:

How could you possibly not have been aware that the Greenway Gate was open?! As the stadium kicked out, they were making announcements every couple of minutes across the whole of the park encouraging people to exit that way. It was also on the big screens in the stadium!
Went to the dress last night. Excellent management of the disabled into the park (short bus ride, location to pick up bus very clearly signposted, little shuttle carts also viable).
Exiting the park - not so much, but equally not horrendous. Yes, it takes a fair amount of time to exit to Stratford gate 3 (sheer weight of numbers through a small gap, I think), and they skipped the shuttle carts, again due to H&S issues of driving carts over mass of people. But the bus turned up just past the security bits and dropped us at the back of Stratford station. No problems getting on a train, there are four open platforms so pick one that doesn't currently have a train in it and one will turn up in about 2 minutes.
" Are you volunteering at the park by any chance?
Sciurus Carolinensis Nemesis | 26.07.12 - 1:22 p.m."

That was my very thought today too. I do hope so.
I am up at Old Trafford for the football today. There was a separate queue for a cursory bag check (then sealed in clear plastic bags) then another queue for body pat down. Arrive early.

First match was better than expected, but UAE lost.

Be warned: hot food sold out before the end of the first match so now I have several hungry children to deal with. Plenty of food outside the ground but no readmittance. Lots of heineken and coca-cola to sell though. Surely they could have realised that there would be extra demand for food at an evening double header with blue flag cheap childrens tickets? Ho hum. My fault for not bringing a picnic.
One question which I am really struggling to get an answer to and that is when do the gates open in the morning, and the park close at night.

Seems an obvious question to ask, but the answer seems very deeply buried on the LOCOG website - if it is there at all.
I know the Park opens at 7am, but I can't remember where I read it. A ridiculously well hidden piece of key information.
The gates to the Olympic Park open at 7am during the Olympic Games. - http://m.london2012.com/venue/riverbank-arena/visitor-information

When does it close? When do the latest events finish?
We followed your advice on the way home last night and took lane 1 and as expected the DLR was dead. Having said that, we were one of the last to leave the stadium and did have to queue for a while to go up a narrow set of stairs at the back of Westfield (which take you to Stratford International).

Depending on where you are in the park, coming out the Greenway Gate and getting the DLR from Stratford High St (or maybe walking to West Ham?) might be the fastest of all.
As well as the potential Eton Manor/Eton Dorney confusion, I wonder how many people have gone to Stratford on Avon?

I did read of some people turning up at Stafford!
When does the Park shut - a nice lady at the GermanCarCo told me their pavilion was open till 11pm

Great post btw
I was really impressed with how quick it was to get in and out of the park, given the warnings about it taking two-and-a-half hours to get in beforehand. It took 11 minutes between getting off the train at Stratford International and getting through security into the park (and that included the long walk up the stairs from the platform to the concourse).

And then I left the Copper Box at 10.45pm and was on the 11.30 service out of Kings Cross to Leeds.
Just for completeness's sake. There are 2 trains an hour (27, 57) between Tottenham Hale and Stratford. Useful for North London folk.
Hi DG, just a note of thanks for your excellent advice re using the Greenway Gate and avoiding Stratford. I was taking my 68 year old Mum along to the Olympic Park on Monday and Tuesday and she was very nervous about having to queue if we went via Stratford. We heeded your advice and went to the Park via West Ham & The Greenway and it made all the difference : no security queues, no bottleneck through a shopping centre and the bonus of a lovely open air walk. I salute you!
A bit late for this but the number 8 bus is another really useful and stress-free option for getting to central London from Victoria Gate. I was that side of the stadium (ie near Bridge E) for last night's athletics, and having seen that the Javelin trains were running to a reduced timetable, we went out that way and were at Liverpool Street in no time. Twitter suggested that there were long waits for the Javelin, although the tube sounded ok.
I thought your piece on the Greenway entrance was very well documented.
Despite being lucky enough to get to go to many events at Olympic Park, I never found the time to explore the entrances fully, and that's one thing I totally regret not doing.

I was wondering if you might have a photo tour of the Victoria Gate entrance, similar to what you did with Greenway?
Oh, and whilst Google Street View has an excellent set of shots of the Park (including a tour of Loop Road!!), it seems to show the Victoria Gate pathway (from World Square) lead onto and merge with Loop Road. I suspect the ordinary spectator wouldn't be able to get onto Loop Road itself. Hence my previous question to satisfy my curiosity.










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