I got in. I'm planning on going and attending as many sessions as I can. My work training budget is empty so I'm self funding. (flying in from Austin and currently trying to find a couch to crash on.) I'm not going to lie, the supposed HW freebies of previous years helped make my decision and soften the blow $$ wise.
I think you're exactly the sort that Google wants to attract - so congratulations on getting your ticket. The issue is that the structure that means that you're willing to self fund (giving you freebies that refund your cost), also attracts people that Google probably doesn't want there.
Ideally, Google would have just identified you as a good developer and given you a free place, like YCombinator does with startup school.
Bockris ... I think I managed to get in too. Got a receipt from Google checkout. Did you get any other confirmation email from them? I have a fear that my credit-card payment didn't go through.
I got a receipt from Google Checkout and a confirmation email from 'googleio2011@google.com' about 30 minutes later.
My checkout receipt doesn't have my IO confirmation # in it.
In your receipt email, click on the 'Get up-to-date information about #' link and see if it charged OK. If it did and you didn't get a confirmation, I would try to contact them to see what's up.
Admittedly, I would have loved to get and get a freebie, but I would have enjoyed all the GWT and web sessions more than a freebie.