What exactly happens on Oktoberfest opening day

This will be my first time visiting Oktoberfest (and the whole of Europe too) this year. It is just my roommate and I going. We decided it would be best to go on opening day because we heard something about a parade and beer tapping. I was wondering if one of you could explain this better? Do we need to be inside one of the tents to see the celebration or in the beer gardens outside? Is there reservations we can make (I know its probably too late). There are only two of us and in my opinion, my roommate looks like a supermodel and I'm kind of her blonde sidekick. Will we have a problem getting into places the first day because I know you have to have a party of ten or more to make reservations. We'll be there all weekend. Is there anything else special going on? Thanks!

You will fall over and hit your head. The writing is on the wall.

I was wondering if one of you could explain this better?

People have already explained everything perfectly well in previous threads here on Toytown, on oktoberfest.de an a gazillion other places. You're just too lazy to go look for it.

Do we need to be inside one of the tents to see the celebration or in the beer gardens outside?

To see the parade you need to be outside. To see the tapping of the first keg you need to be in the Schottenhammel tent.

Is there reservations we can make (I know its probably too late).

Yes, you are probably to late to get any reservations, but you can always try the normal method of contacting the ticket office at one of the relevant breweries. However, with two of you it's not really worth the effort. Two women will usually be able to get a spot at someone elses table. Just get into a tent, wander around, look easy and ask someone.

Will we have a problem getting into places the first day because I know you have to have a party of ten or more to make reservations.

A common Oktoberfest misconception. You do not need reservations to get into a tent or the Oktoberfest ground itself. On opening day you'll need to be there early, really early.

We'll be there all weekend. Is there anything else special going on?

Is the biggest piss-up on the planet not going to be enough for you?

Do not forget the parade of midgets my personal favorite. It is best not to drink before otherwise one might peak to early.

Go out, get in, stand up, fall down.

The parade on the first day is just with the tent owners, the waitresses and the fancy beer wagons drawn by 6 - 8 horses got up regardless in silver and bells and prancing like thoroughbreds although they're coldbloods. It's pretty but not spectacular.

Don't miss the parade on the second day, that's the one with costumes from all over Europe, Bavarian brass bands, live eagles, crafts such as lace making or harvest labor such as threshing being performed on floats and politicians in flowered horse-drawn carriages.

Things that happen on opening day:
Lord Mayor Ude taps the keg by sheer will-power alone but pretends to hit the tap 1.5 times.
The U-Bahn trains are held back because the platforms at the main stop are crowded with people waiting to exit the station, Theresienwiese. Get off at Schwanthalerhöhe or Goetheplatz instead.
The first falling down drunk guy is picked up at app. 2.17pm and brought to the Red Cross station on a covered trolley.

The knoll behind the tents is littered with people sleeping it off or getting it on.
People will gather outside the tents at the crack of dawn ready to rush in and grab tables as soon as the doors open at 9am (IIRC).

BajaHotFox, I present you with your future.

What happens on opening day??

Every gets up at the crack of dawn, and is there stupidly early at like 6-8am even though the tents aren't even open. Some people even sleep rough there the night before.

You stand in a big see of people drinking bottles of beer while you get constantly pushed about

At 9 everyone runs in but no-one gets in and is relegated to the beer gardens.

Everyone then runs like hell to find a tisch.

The really annoying thing is you then have to wait 3 hours to actually get a beer as nothing is served until 12.

Is it pure hell? Yes.

Will i be there? most definately.

Where's the Italian pretending to fall on her for a quick grope?

Thanks keydeck for the advice and warning of the future. Sorry if I annoyed you with my questions. I don't really like computers and don't really know how they work. So when I tried to look up information, its not that I didn't try... 1.) its mostly in German which I've only taken two semesters in college of and 2.) like I said, I'm kind of dumb at computers. Anyways, thank you all for your wonderful advice. I know there will be lots of drinking and falling over, I just wanted to make sure we didn't miss anything

Expect it to be very very crowded but still lots of fun. If you can't get into a tent there is a carousel/beer garden near the carnival rides where you can get a beer or two while trying to decide which tents provides the best chance of getting in.