(this post was updated 12/27/13 with new post-Dragoncon 2013 info!)
I’m doing two FAQ Fridays today, since someone asked about DragonCon, and I want to post it before the con this year!
Today’s question is…
Do you have any tips for a newbie attending DragonCon for the first time this year?
There are a ton of articles, blogs, facebook groups and wikis out there with great DragonCon information for newbies and oldtimers alike, so I’m probably just adding to the noise by answering this question!
This year will be my 12th DragonCon. My first year was 2002, when I went with my best friend and my dad. We were totally hooked after that, and I’ve slowly made all of my other friends attend, too, and I met my husband there in 2005. It’s far and away my favourite convention and something I (obviously, if you read my blog) look forward to and plan for all year.
So, I’ll start at the beginning.
Hotels!
DragonCon is not in a convention center, it is spread out over five host hotels. There are also numerous satellite hotels that offer DragonCon room rates, though no convention acitivites take place there. The main hotels are the Marriott Marquis, the Hyatt Regency, and the Hilton – these three are connected by skywalks, with the Marriott in the middle. The Sheraton and Westin are both not far away. I’ve always stayed at the Marriott, and I’ve had friends stay in both the Hyatt and Hilton.
(The Marriott interior)
Rooms fill up VERY fast. Closer to the convention you can sometimes snag “regular” rate rooms at the hotels – but that runs very expensive (sometimes like $400 a night). A lot of people find room-mates to help split costs, and there is a livejournal group dedicated to people look for room transfers (from people who reserved a room but now can’t go). Most of the hotels also require one night up front at the time of the reservation.
(The Hyatt interior)
If you get a reservation in a hotel further away, please be careful walking around downtown Atlanta at night. Stay with a group and be alert.
Pre-registration/Registration/Badge Pick-up!
We always pre-reg, and once you’ve done that (you can either do it on their website, or mail it in), they send you a postcard. This postcard has a bar code on it, and you need to bring that along WITH your state-issued ID to badge pickup. (If you lose your postcard or never get it, you need to contact DragonCon for instructions)
I’ve had friends who have preferred on-site registration because it can sometimes be faster. In the past, badge pick-up consisted of a large ballroom with pick-up stations divided up by letters. If your last name starts with “G,” you’d head to the “G-H” line. As someone with a name at the end of the alphabet, let me tell you that that “W-Z” station was AWFUL – there are a lot of “Ws” out there. My friends would breeze right through their pick-ups while I was standing there fiddling my thumbs in a line 30 people deep, with each person taking at least 5 minutes to pick up their badge.
(Badge pick-up in 2004, when if you got up early enough on Friday you could just walk over and get your badge in like 5 minutes.)
But! With the new barcode system the name system is gone. A volunteer will direct you to the next open station, where they scan your postcard, it prints out your sticker and they put it on the badge for you. It’s MUCH faster and easier. Pre-Reg pickup can still take a while, so come prepared to stand/walk in line for a while. The reception in the ballroom is awful, so don’t plan on being able to play with your phone, and figure out a meet-up place to find your group afterwards (one year we wandered around for a half hour because we couldn’t find my husband and none of our phones were getting service). Some people bring books, others just chat with other people in line.
Badge pick-up happens at the Sheraton, by the way – it’s down the street from the front of the Hilton/back of the Marriott. Once you’ve got your badge, make sure you pickup a lanyard and a schedule and a program!
(EDIT: 10/2015: Pre-reg badge pick-up has become SUPER fast the past couple of years! You’re in and out in seconds generally. There’s no need to get there early and line up unless you really want to. Also — I’ve heard registration is moving to the Hilton next year.)
The Schedule!
DragonCon’s schedule does not come out until right before the convention, once everything is finalized. You can print it off beforehand, or wait to get the hardcopy at the con. They also have a smartphone app which is very handy and automatically updates any changes (and also connects you to the twitter feed and lets you share your schedule with friends and other fun stuff!). Make sure you check the Daily Dragon each day – this is a newsletter that they print every morning with any schedule changes or updates, and it’s available at the help desks in all of the hotels.
Our favourite thing to do after badge pickup is go eat lunch somewhere and pour over the schedule and program. There are usually highlighters involved. Even though I go through and highlight a ton of interesting panels and dances and things, I hardly ever go. It’s fun to do though.
Badge Checks!
Once you have your badge, make sure you keep it safe. Keep it on you, you’ll need it to get into places around the con, and at night, there are badge checks at the doors. While they like the badges to be visible, I usually put mine on my lanyard, loop the end of the lanyard around a part of my costume, and then tuck the badge in somewhere. That way it’s not visible in photos, and it’s safe and not as likely to get pulled off by mistake (or stolen, I had a friend whose badge was unclipped from her bag and stolen one year.) Make sure it’s somewhere you can easily pull it back out to show if you’re going into the exhibit halls, etc.
(The 2005 badge with a parade ribbon)
At night, security is increased and badges and keycards will be checked at the hotel entrances. Make sure you have your badge even if you’re just going from one hotel to the other, and keep a keycard on you at all times. Occasionally they will close one of the hotels (usually the Marriott) to everyone except people staying there, to keep the fire marshall from shutting it all down. Having your card or badge ready to show will speed to process along – these lines just to get in can sometimes get backed up.
You’ll notice throughout the weekend that some people have ribbons attached to their badge. This can be for a variety of reasons, and there’s a breakdown of what each colour ribbon means in the program book. Some are to signify guests, some are for people who walked in the parade, some are for people who were in the masquerade, some are Eternal members. Some fangroups also make ribbons. One year I had four or five ribbons hanging off my badge.
The Hotel Staff!
Be nice and understanding to the hotel employees, and be sure to tip. The bellhops often have to drag a ton of stuff upstairs for DragonCon folks, the maids have some pretty awful rooms to clean up, and tip the valets if you’re using parking, too. The hotel employees are usually pretty stoked about DragonCon weekend and some even offer to work it because they enjoy seeing all the costumes, but it’s a lot of work for them. And also – with parking, if you’re using the hotel’s parking, it’s expensive. Make sure to find out the price ahead of time and budget for it. If you want to park elsewhere, there are a ton of garages around the hotels.
The weather!
It will be hot and muggy during Dragoncon, and it will probably rain at least once or twice. Make sure you drink plenty of water, and most of the hotels have free water coolers set up so take advantage of it. One of my husband’s suggestions was “bring more underwear than you’ll think you’ll need,” but I’m going to say bring more clothes than you’ll think you’ll need. You’ll probably get sweaty and you don’t want to stay in sweaty clothes (please). If you’re staying at a hotel where you will be walking outside, make sure to plan ahead and bring an umbrella or poncho in case you need to head out while it’s raining. Watch the weather forecasts.
(Chase melted after wearing the Time Lord robes in the parade last year.)
Places to eat!
There are a ton of places to eat around the con, too. One of my favourite aspects of DragonCon has always been the food court. The food court is located between the Marriott and the Hyatt – if you take the skybridge from the Marriott and take a left, you’ll end up in the food court. There’s also a smaller one if you go to the right. There’s a ton of places to eat here, but be warned – it is very difficult to find a place to sit. During peak times, people will be sitting all over the floor, in empty stores, anywhere they can park it to eat for a few minutes. We usually scout out a table first and then get food – it’s awful to wander around for 20 minutes waiting on someone to get up when you’ve got your food on you and you’re starving.
If you’re done eating, please go ahead and vacate the table so others can eat, too! There are other places to sit and talk and look at the schedule.
If it’s just super packed, we’ll often just get our food to go and either take it back to the room, or somewhere else in the hotel where we can sit down. Try to go early or late – but even then, it’s usually packed out.
Besides the food courts, the hotels all obviously have restaurants and stores with snacks. They also usually have some food carts set out – pizza and hot dog sort of things. These food carts are okay, they’re high-priced – but they’re fast, so if you’re just starving and need a bite, it’s handy.
The Hotel Restaurants!
We’ve eaten at both Sear and High Velocity at the Marriott. Sear is the higher priced, “nice” restaurant. We generally don’t go anymore as it IS very expensive on a con budget and in the past we haven’t had very good service. High Velocity is somewhat more affordable – we usually eat there once or twice during the weekend. I like their nachos.
The Hilton and Hyatt both have restaurants, too. We’ve eaten at both of their buffets – I haven’t eaten at Hyatt’s since they remodeled, but we ate at the Hilton’s in 2012 and it was good; we ate their again in 2013 and they were short-staffed, thus service was very slow. We really like the Hyatt’s new Marketplace store across from the bar – besides snacks and drinks, they also sell some good, hot lunch options – they have a potpie that is very good.
(The Hilton buffet)
Of course the hotels all have a store – snacks, drinks, cold sandwiches, ice cream, and also basic first aid products and such. There is also a Starbucks in the Marriott next to its store, and I think the coffee store in the Hilton is also a Starbucks? Make sure you note the closing times on these places! It’s awful to be starving at 10pm and the store and food court are already closed.
There are lots of other restaurants within walking distance. Just google “restaurants around DragonCon” – lots of people have compiled lists. We’ve done Benihana several times in the past, it’s located right inside the food court on the lower level. It used to be our tradition to have a last dinner at Benihana, but in recent years it’s gotten so crowded we’ve stopped going. We’ve also gone to the Hard Rock (they usually have a special DragonCon pin!), Hooters, Gladys Knight Chicken and Waffles and a mexican restaurant nearby. This past year, 2013, we FINALLY went to Vortex and it was AMAZING. We will definitely be back next – tip: make sure you bring your ID. They are a bar and you’ll need it to get in.
Bring your own snacks!
We generally try to only eat out or in a restaurant once or twice throughout the trip, because it can get expensive. We try to stick to the food court, and we also bring our own snacks. (My personal con diet: Reese’s, Pringles and cokes) We have a smaller cooler that we bring with some candy and chips and things, and drinks. (I also try to make sure I have change, and dollars, for use in the vending machines in the hotel)
I don’t know about the other hotels, but the Marriott does not offer fridges in their regular rooms.
Explore!
If you’re new to the con, take the time to familiarize yourself with the area. DragonCon is a maze. Take a trip through the lower levels of the Hyatt and the little hidden corners of the Marriott and the Hilton. If there’s a particular panel or event you want to go to, try to find the room beforehand. And ask the volunteers at the help desk! They’re there for questions like that.
Most of the large events take place in the ballrooms of the hotels. And this is usually where the most popular panels will take place. For these, lines start to form early. It’s not quite Comic Con level lines, but definitely arrive plenty early, and if you don’t see a line, start asking volunteers where the line is, or where it should form.
If you’re a costumer, and you have the time and space, get all of your costumes laid out beforehand. I unpack everything, iron everything that needs to be ironed, and I hang it all up in the closet. I can also, at this point, repair anything that might need fixed from being transported. I lay out props and wigs and just get everything ready, so I’m not having to iron or hunt if I’m in a hurry to change.
The Marriott levels!
The Marriott is where most of the nightlife is. People congregate around the bar on the upper most lobby level (Atrium Level – AL), and there is a large open area in front of the ballroom where people mingle and show off costumes. The level below that is the entrance (LL – Lobby Level), check-in, and store, and the level below that (Marquis Level – ML) are more ballrooms, band tables, and some panel rooms (and previously where the exhibit halls were). There is one more level beyond that, if you walk all the way to the back and take the escalator or the separate elevator down – this is where the dealer’s room was previously, and also where Froggy’s Photos has usually been set up, and this is also where you can walk out of the back entrance to cross the street to the Hilton.
(The Atrium Level Crowd)
The Atrium Level is also where you can find the skywalk to the Hyatt (it’s over the entrance to the Marriott – if you go to the right, you go through the food court, if you go to the left, you go across the newer skybridge). I always forget what level the skybridge to the Hilton is on – I think it’s Lobby Level, but it’s at the back of the Marriott.
It can get loud in the Marriott, and sometimes in the Hyatt.. If you think the crowd/music noise level will bother you if you’re trying to get to sleep early, bring ear plugs. I personally find the “Marriott din” soothing, as long as no one is screaming right outside my door.
If you’re a costumer, the Atrium level is fun to be on, because it’s a great place to see and be seen. I personally don’t like wearing something large or long in such a crush – if you are going to brave it in something like that, make sure you have handlers with you who can help. Oftentime the Crowd Control Volunteers will ask you to move or point you to go somewhere else – they’re often trying to make things easier on YOU, not boss you around. During the day, the Atrium Level is not as crowded, but it’s still a gathering point.
(a panorama of the changing crowds on the Atrium Level throughout the weekend)
I prefer to go to the Marquis level – it’s not as crowded but still plenty of people hanging around, and room to sit and people-watch.
Dealer’s Room/Exhibit Halls
In the time I’ve been going to Dragoncon, the dealer’s rooms were always traditionally in the Marriott. Two in the large ballrooms of the Marquis Level, and one on the level below that. (One weird year they were over at the Hilton).
In 2013 the dealer’s rooms moved over to a building called AmericasMart – it is connected to the Westin and a bit down the street from the Hyatt.
I, personally, did not like the change. It was a maze and there were badly bottlenecked areas where it was impossible to shop due to the amount of people. It was also a pain in the butt to walk that far to shop. While it did free up much-needed ballroom space on the ML level of the Marriott, the old dealer’s room space below that was woefully under-utilized. Here’s hoping some improvements will be made in 2014; I’d personally rather see large events happen at AmericasMart as opposed to having the dealer’s room there, but that just goes to show what I prefer to do at a con.
Moving around the con in costume!
Also, if you are wearing something large or elaborate or long, the escalators between the floors are very thin (one person wide), and make sure you pick up any fabric so it doesn’t get sucked in and mess up the escalator. The elevators are also a pain if you’re in something large – if you can take the stairs, do it. If parts of your costume can easily come off and on, let a friend take pieces separately in the elevator. I’ve had friends carry wings down one at a time while I rode in a separate elevator, and then they put them back on me once we were downstairs.
(Looking down through the 3 levels)
Be cognizant of the crowd. If someone asks for your picture in a crowded area or a thoroughfare, asked if they wouldn’t mind moving out of the way, or following you a ways to a less crowded spot. Don’t stop in the middle of a busy skywalk for a picture – most of them are a “No Photo Zone” during the con, anyway. Occasionally the Hyatt lobby also becomes a No Photo Zone.
Harassment:
Check out Dragoncon’s Harassment Policy. If you feel harassed, see harassment happening, or just feel unsafe in general, find a volunteer, go to security, or call 911.
Elevators!
The elevator situation at the con is crazy, in all hotels. If you are physically able to take the stairs, do it. If you’re only going up one or two flights, take the stairs! Don’t gum up the process for everyone else if you don’t have to be there. Please let handicapped folks have first stab at an open spot in an elevator, and let people who were there first get on first.
Don’t overcrowd the elevators. Yeah you might fit, but it might cause the elevator to screw up. Every year I hear about stuck elevators, or people trapped in elevators. Awful. You don’t want to be stuck on that, or responsible for that. Those poor elevators are already overworked during Dragoncon as it is.
Panels and Events!
Panels and Events at Dragoncon are divided up by Tracks. So, for instance, you are interested in Star Trek. You’d want to look at TrekTrack’s lineup. Each track functions with its own track director, and they often have their own contests, games and panels set up. A lot of the tracks also have their own websites you can check out before the con. If you’re looking for something specific and you don’t see a track for it, some of the tracks are more generic – for instance, the BritTrack covers everything from Doctor Who to Monty Python, and Young Adult Literature covers Harry Potter and Hunger Games. There are also tracks dedicated to the Paranormal, Costuming, Filking, Science, Gaming and more.
Besides panels, there are a ton of other events – dances, contests, gaming, robot battles, the art show and artist alley. There a multiple fandom-based dances going on every night. There are usually lines to get into these things, as they hit capacity not long after the doors open, but stay in line – security will start letting folks in and people leave.
(Dancing at the Tolkien party – Evening in Bree)
Costume Contests!
There are multiple costume contests throughout the weekend. There is the masquerade on Sunday night, which is skit based. It’s a bit of a gong show – if you go on too long or the audience doesn’t like the skit, stormtroopers will escort you off stage. It’s fun to watch, but if you want to be judged on costume alone, there is the Friday Night Costume Contest. This contest is geared towards craftsmenship, and there is prejudging, so for both contests you’re looking at a size-able investment of time. I’ve personally never done the Friday Night costume contest, but the masquerade is enjoyable to do – it’s one of the best run masquerades I’ve been in.
There is also a Comic Book Costume contest Saturday night (with a prize pool of $1000!), and multiple costume contests in various tracks – so, if you have a Star Wars costume, you could enter the Star Wars costume contest presented by the Star Wars Track.
I used to enter costume contests at Dragoncon all the time – sometimes two or three over the weekend – but now I prefer to just wander around and hang out with my friends in costume instead. If you want to watch the masquerade or Friday Night costume contest – they are telecast over DragonconTV. We’ll usually watch part of both.
(Onstage at the masquerade, Dragoncon 2005)
DragonconTV!
DragonconTV is one of the great parts of staying in one of the host hotels. Besides getting to see most of the main programming (like the masquerade), you can also catch some of the bigger panels. Plus they have lots of funny clips and things they’ve made that they show in between – we keep it on in the room most of the time we’re at DragonCon because it’s very entertaining.
Guests!
DragonCon usually has a great lineup of guests. Just don’t get too attached to one or two guests and make that your only reason for attended – guests can and will cancel even on the day of. There’s plenty to do at DragonCon so don’t let your hopes get dashed if one of your favourite actors has to cancel. Most of the guests will sign in what they call the “Walk of Fame.” This year it will be in the Marriott. I’m not big on autographs so I enjoy just walking through and looking to see who is there. They are set up at tables and you can buy photos and autographs from them here. Make sure to ask about taking a photo with them – some of them will, but some of them won’t due to the fact they are doing photos with Froggy.
(Cath with Sylvester McCoy in the Walk of Fame)
Photo-Ops!
Froggy’s Photos does photo-ops with the guests. If you purchase your photo-op before the con, bring your receipt to Froggy’s before your schedule photo-op time to exchange it for a ticket (I always forget and it’s a hassle). You can generally also buy photo-ops on site, as well. You can have up to two adults in your photo – it’s extra for more people. Arrive early for your photo-op and ask where the line is. Once you’re in line, they’ll start moving people through fast. You only get a few seconds with the celeb – hello, pose, snap, thanks, you’re done. You can pick up your print later.
I know a lot of people who complain about Froggy, some over the whole process, and some over the product. Some folks say it’s better to meet the celeb at their table, and have a few minutes to speak to them and get their autograph. As someone who is shy and doesn’t care for autographs, I find the photo-op to be more my speed. I don’t have to think of anything interesting to say and I don’t have to try to find a time the person is at their table – I can show up at my appointed time, get my photo with the guest and I’m happy. Some people don’t like the photos Froggy takes, or have had issues with the process – we’ve never really had a problem, except one year our photo didn’t get printed and we had to wait in a very long, slow, and angry line to get our photos reprinted on Monday, wasting an hour we could have spent shopping. But every other time, no issues.
It’s really up to you about what experience you’d like to have with the guest.
Photoshoots!
If you’re a costumer, DragonCon has a TON of photoshoots happening throughout the weekend. Somewhere out there, there’s probably a photoshoot dedicated to whatever fandom you’re costuming from. There’s the big ones, of course – Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who, Marvel & DC Comics, etc. If you’re interested in attending something like that, make sure you find your information beforehand. Some photoshoots are only open to members – like the 501st Legion photo is only open to 501st members. Some are “no duplicates” – they only accept one of every character, so if someone has already signed up as Black Widow, you don’t want to crash their photoshoot as a second Black Widow. Some are open to everybody and there’s no need to be a member. (Oftentimes photoshoots like that are listed in the Daily Dragon newsletter!)
(The Gotham photoshoot on the Hilton steps)
There’s a few places to start if you want to find photoshoots at Dragoncon. Firstly, google it! There are various fandom forums out there that I wouldn’t know about, who may have photoshoots set up.
Facebook is where I’d go next. There are multiple groups dedicated to DragonCon, including a Dragoncon Photoshoots group who keeps a dedicated spreadsheet to the various meetups and shoots happening over the weekend. There are also fandom specific groups – for instance, I’m in a Disney at DragonCon group. If you can find anything specific, you can always ask on the Official DragonCon group to see if there’s a shoot set up, or if anyone else is coming as a character from your fandom.
Cosplay.com is the next stop. They have a DragonCon specific forum where people sometimes set up shoots.
Then, there are specific places like the Superhero Costuming Forum and Prydon Academy, who set up the Marvel and DC shoots and the Doctor Who shoots, respectively. This is why I say google – I only know of these two because they’re fandoms I costume from a lot, so I visit them regularly.
(The Wonder Woman photoshoot at Hardy Ivy)
Photoshoots happen all over the host hotels, and sometimes offsite. Popular places for shoots are:
10th Floor Marriott. This is an empty floor in the Marriott with balconies and tables and chairs. The space can be very cramped though, and if you get too many people up there security can shut you down. It’s better for smaller shoots.
(Doctor Who photoshoot on the 10th Floor)
Hyatt Patio. At the very far end of the Hyatt are two patios – one on the right and one on the left. These both have numerous stairs, some very large, and are fantastic for large group photos. Since it’s outside it can get hot, though, so be prepared.
Hardy-Ivy Park. This is a small park catty-corner from the Hyatt. It has a lovely arch that makes a nice backdrop for photos. It is off property, however, so be prepared for random people walking by staring, and homeless people.
Suntrust Building. Photoshoots no longer happen here but it used to be very popular. I’m including it simply to let folks know not to go over there. Previously, as long as you contacted the building beforehand, got it cleared, and had the paperwork in hand, you could do photoshoots there – it’s an amazing backdrop. Unfortunately it seems some people acted unprofessionally a year or two ago, and Suntrust no longer allows people to do photoshoots – last year, they had armed guards roaming the grounds to chase off anyone trying to take photos there. So be cautious, I’d personally avoid it.
(Teen Titans shoot at Suntrust)
There are a ton of other great spots for photos if you just want a nice backdrop for your costume. Hardy-Ivy is great and not a far walk from the Hyatt. The skybridges/habitrail/hamster tubes can make for a really neat backdrop, but if it’s crowded, don’t try it since you don’t want to block traffic. The fountain in front of the Marriott is gorgeous, but be careful since cars are coming in and out here. The stairs and statues in front of the Marriott are great. Inside both the Marriott and the Hilton are paintings, chairs and other fun things you can use for photos. Check out this amazing list compiled of locations.
(In front of the Marriott fountain)
(Skywalk between the Marriott and food court)
The Parade!
If you’re a costumer the parade is a lot of fun to do. I’ve done it every year except the first year – I watched from the sidelines that year (that was back when you could walk out of the Marriott and stand on the street corner and see the parade without fighting through a ton of people). Sign-ups happen two ways – you can either sign up individually on the Dragoncon Parade Yahoo group, or you can sign up through a group. For instance, this year I signed up with Prydon Academy (the Doctor Who group), where one person is coordinating everyone and communicates with the parade directors for the entire group.
This year, the parade is already full! If you’re not already signed up you won’t get to march. The parade gets bigger every year, so every year they cap it a little bit earlier, it seems. In the past you could sign up at the con, but that’s no longer the case.
If you signed up individually, you’ll want to find the parade table to pick up your ribbon (or, as I understand it, this year it will be wristbands), and get info on where and when to meet. The parade kick-off is at Woodruff Park. I honestly have no clue where this is. Each year I just walk over to the Hyatt and follow the crowd of costumers walking to the park, LOL. If you signed up with a group, you can just head on down without picking up a ribbon or wristband at the parade table – your group’s coordinator will have them for you at the park.
Once you’re at the park, there will be parade volunteers directing people where to go. The parade is split into groups, so if you show up wearing a Superman costume, you’ll be directed to the area where the superheroes are gathered, and so on. They will start lining these groups up as it’s time for them to walk.
It’s a lot of fun, there’s a marching band, cars, motorcycles and a ton of people. It will be hot so make sure you plan accordingly – don’t wear a super hot costume (so I say after I walked in velvet Time Lord robes last year), and carry water with you if you can. The streets are absolutely jam packed with people watching, so smile and wave and greet the kids and have a good time. Just remember, you can’t throw anything, so don’t bring beads or candy (basically nothing that will cause trash or garbage on the street after the parade).
The parade ends at the back of the marriott. There are usually volunteers here handing out cold bottles of water to the marchers. There are also still people lined up through here trying to watch the parade, so it becomes very crowded and a bit of a madhouse. Everyone is trying to get inside and up the escalator, but that’s a lot of people to funnel up one escalator. Try to keep moving and out of the way as quick as possible. If you can manage it, avoid this and keep walking around the block to the front of the Marriott.
If you just want to watch the parade, get outside and get a spot early. By the time the parade starts the sidewalks will be 7-8 people deep trying to see. Non-Dragoncon attendees – regular Atlanta folks – come out to see the parade, so it’s a huge spectacle.
(EDIT: 10/2015: The parade has changed routes and thus, changed where the staging area is. Be sure to check the Dragon Con page for updates on where you need to be if you are marching, or where to line up if you are watching.)
(The massive crowds gathered to watch the parade).
Wearing Costumes
If you’re like me and wear a ton of costumes, make sure to give yourself time to be out of costume, too. Take a rest in the room when you can, and wear street clothes to shop in the dealer’s room for a while. Don’t wear yourself out, because it’s a long weekend.
There’s a lot of drinking that happens at DragonCon. People congregate around the Pulse bar in the Marriott, and also the smaller Pulse Loft bar, and the Hyatt bar. If you’re a costumer, be wary of drunk people who might have lost their inhibitions a little bit. Just keep an eye peeled and if you feel like someone is going to cause trouble, get your handler or a friend to get you out of the situation. I have seen – several times – drunk people leaping onto the backs of people in costuming, pulling costume parts, licking costume parts, falling on people, spilling drinks, etc. The only thing you can do is just be cognizant of the people around you and try to keep away from people in that state. Last year I had to YELL at a girl who was completely wasted and pulling on the tail on Chase’s costume (with all of her weight). This is one of the reasons I don’t like to wear anything large, long or elaborate at night.
But, nighttime is when there’s a lot of people out, so it can be really rewarding to wear a costume then, and you’ll probably get some great photos of your costumes.
Everything starts early, with parties and general partying happening Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. By Monday night there aren’t many people left, but they’ll usually still congregate in the common areas.
(Monday night 🙁 )
Going home 🙁
Checking out on Monday can be a stressful experience. If you’ve got a lot of stuff and need a bellcart, be prepared for it to take a couple of hours. Everyone is trying to leave before check-out time, so everyone is needing a bellcart. If you have enough people to just carry everything in one or two trips, avoid having to call for a cart and just carry it. One year we waited a two solid hours for a bellcart. If you find yourself in this situation, call the front desk and let them know what the hold up is – they won’t charge you for staying past checkout time in that case.
If you’re flying and your flight is not til later, most of the hotels have a bag-check area where you can check your suitcase, so you can still enjoy the con until it’s time to go. We used this regularly in the past when we flew to Dragoncon.
If you plan on coming back the next year, buy your ticket at the DragonCon store this year. It’s much cheaper and they have lots of other DragonCon goodies, like shirts and bags.
The most important thing to remember about DragonCon – and really, every convention – is it is what you make it. Have fun and don’t let little problems become big problems.
I think I covered everything. If any of yall have more questions let me know, I can do another FAQ Friday on it before DragonCon this year 🙂