I went in 2002 when it was at MSG. I was in NJ at the time and took the train to NYC at about 7 am, and stood in line till 9 when they let people in. Had a really good time once inside, everyone was excited about their teams
I believe they moved it to the Rockefeller Center or something. It has become much more of an event now, and I did read that some Finheaven peeps are going to camp out downtown then head out at like 4 or 5 am to get in line.
Its still free, but starts later this year 11 am I believe. 5 am to 11 am is a long time to stand around...
-GV