PayPal Park — Attraction in San Jose

Event & Atmosphere This review is for PayPal Park during a Bay FC women’s professional soccer match against Urawa Reds from Japan as part of their summer series. We came to support our local club—this wasn’t our first time at the stadium, but it was our first time seeing Bay FC play. I’ve been to several Earthquakes games over the years but usually focus on other local pro sports. What brought us this time was the Hello Kitty hat giveaway, which sounded like a fun idea for my five-year-old niece, who just started playing soccer and happens to be a huge Hello Kitty fan.

The atmosphere was super family-friendly and relaxed. It’s really nice to enjoy a summer day outdoors in a chill environment without the hectic energy of larger pro stadiums. Everything felt smooth, organized, and pleasant.

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Staff & Security We’re regulars at Levi’s (49ers), Oracle (Giants), and Chase Center (Warriors/Valkyries), and every venue has its own vibe and policies. We found the staff at PayPal Park to be especially kind, patient, and nice—maybe because the crowd energy is more manageable. They handled everything with care and helped make it a stress-free day.

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Tickets & Pricing One of the best parts? Tickets are reasonably priced, so you can take the whole family without breaking the bank. A refreshing change compared to other venues where costs quickly add up.

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Bag Policy & Water The bag policy is similar to Levi’s—no backpacks, and only clear bags or small clutches are allowed. However, PayPal Park has a free bag check area, which is amazing! You can drop off your bag and pick it up after the game. You’re also allowed to bring one unopened water bottle (under 1 liter) or an empty bottle to use at the refill stations inside. Outside food isn’t generally allowed, except in rare exceptions.

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Food Options Rather than eating at the standard concessions, we opted for the food trucks parked outside the stadium. They had a great international variety—from sushi and tacos to Greek and Korean options. Prices were fair and food was tasty. Good selection.

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Parking & Transit There are various parking options, including ADA spaces and tailgate lots. Prices vary—some I saw listed between $32–$75 on Ticketmaster. ADA parking was $29. If you’d rather not drive, it’s super easy to take the VTA, walk from the train station, or Uber/Lyft. Just note that pick-up/drop-off is about two blocks from the stadium, so be ready for a short walk (less than 1/8 mile).

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Overall Experience We had a great time. The game was enjoyable, the Hello Kitty hats were adorable and easy to get, and the day felt well-organized and peaceful. Honestly, it was a relief after the chaotic experience with the Giants’ shirt giveaway earlier this year at Oracle—we never even got our shirts at that one even though we arrived 2.5 hrs early and are Clear members, and season ticket holders.

Huge thanks to Bay FC and PayPal Park for hosting a thoughtful, well-run event. We’ll definitely be back for more games. A lovely way to spend a summer afternoon with...

I brought my service dog in training to a game tonight and was held up after passing through security, which I was expecting, as I heard PayPal and the Earthquakes have given people with service dogs/service dogs in training a hard time in the past. Someone asked me the two legal questions “is this dog a service dog required for disability?” And after I responded with “yes”, then asked “what tasks is it trained to perform?”, which I responded with “anxiety interruption and retrieving objects” and I was told to wait because they then needed to call in a supervisor. I asked why, and they said my responses to the questions didn’t qualify for a service dog, and they don’t allow “comfort dogs” into the park. I was very taken aback by this response, as the two tasks are legitimate tasks, and I’m not even sure what a “comfort dog” is. Anxiety interruption by nudging IS a legitimate task, and this needs to be understood by PayPal so that people with psychiatric service dogs are not given a hard time like I was. I then had to wait close to 10 minutes for the supervisor to arrive and then tell me because my dog is still in training, they like to know the dog is coming ahead of time. I explained to him that service dogs in training have the same legal rights in California as service dogs, and was told “well…”. Well what? That is legitimately the California law. I was then pulled aside, asked the same two legal questions again, and then finally let into the park. This entire situation was very upsetting because it makes things that much more difficult for people with service animals. I understand there are a lot of fakes out there, so they try to be cautious, but I was not appreciative of how this was handled and how my dog was called a “comfort dog.” I train service dogs for a living and know the ADA and state laws and understand how situations like this affect people with service dogs, as I have seen and heard it first-hand...

The sadium is excellent. I love the ancient Greek layout, and it's not very high, so even from the highest seats you can still everything. It's larger than it seems though and can get really crowded. The design is great and very safe and fairly comfortable, though it got a bit cold on the upper level. Lots of porta potties in the parking lot and tons of food vendors around. My only real complaints are that while the sections are clearly marked, the rows are not. And the keyword here is "clearly". Also, some of the highest seats have a partially obscured view. And the guy on megaphone was difficult to understand and they didn't list the roaster on screen or the stoppage time clock. No complaints about the staff. They're pretty laid back and well organized. But for some reason I was asked to go through security while my dad was not and we ended up getting seperated. My only other complaint is when leaving, staff wasn't allowing people to make a right turn, even though it was a two-way road. So we ended up having to pull over to get alternate directions to the highway. Also, only allowing a 1 hour window for people to leave is a bit short.

That being said, booking the tickets was an absolute nightmare, as we kept getting timed out before our e'mail with the confirmation code arrived. The booking site should also state which seats have a partially obscured view. Once we finally secured our tickets, we had to download the app as they don't accept screenshots or paper-tickets. The venue also doesn't take cash. Another inconvenience. Speaking of "cash", I think the prices they charge are really outrageous. $70 for seats with a partially obscured view. (SoFi was only charging $30 for the same seats for the Mexico game). $45 to park on GRAVEL, is also incredibly outrageous! It shouldn't cost more than $10. I'm still giving it 4 stars though because of the design, amenaties, staff and good...