At-Con Registration Traffic?

[KamijoIsLove]

So. Newbie here with a question. I don't receive my paycheck 'til the Friday OF Fanime, meaning I can't pay for a badge 'til then (otherwise I'd pre reg). So, are there better and worse times to go line up and register at the con on Friday? Specific hours, maybe? Morning vs afternoon vs evening?

Just wondering. I want to make it to the karaoke contest at 7, and the buddy I'm driving is still in high school, and doesn't get out 'til 3. We're about half an hour away. I've heard the line can take up to three hours and such on certain days...is this true?

Dx Trying to plan ahead. Dunno how traffic is, and just wanted to hear the veterans' feedback. =3 Thanks!

[KyraEnsui]

Do expect long lines for At-Con registration since most of the attendees are coming out of school. You have better chances in the morning. Registration closes at 8pm though.

Just bring something to keep yourself entertain while waiting in line.

[SOawesomeness]

Morning, I'd say. Most people go after school or work, usually gets out at 3-ish. :00

[FanFicGuru]

Friday morning is pretty dead. Even if you could get a friend to spot you the cash that morning and pay them back in the afternoon it'll save you a lot of time.

WHATEVER YOU DO!!! DO NOT TRY TO GET YOUR BADGE SATURDAY MORNING! Convention history dictates that this is the WORST time to get your badge. Everyone and their mother (quite literally) is waiting in line at this time, and despite the best efforts of the registration staff, the wait time is often 2-4 hours, if not more.

So, yeah. Friday morning...good.

[KamijoIsLove]

Ah, thank you for the ideas. I was considering picking up my paycheck, depositing it, getting the first hundred that instantly credits, and then running down to SJ and buying my badge and then driving back up to get my friend.

@_@ Whooo that's a lot of gas...is it really a bad idea to line up Friday afternoon? Can't be as bad as Saturday morning, can it?

[Dancing Lanza]

I have a question too =(
first time con attendie~ and I have enough money now, but I don't have paypal~
is there a way I can pre/early register and pay cash after I get there?or credit card?

[SOawesomeness]

No... if your account is unpaid, we're just gonna delete it... And we're not accepting any money orders/checks anymore, it's too close to con. :0
Pre-reg/early reg doesn't handle money at all at Fanime, you might as well pay and register at-con.

If you have a credit card, just set up a paypal and then delete it after the transaction is cleared, if you can...

[KyraEnsui]

Ah, thank you for the ideas. I was considering picking up my paycheck, depositing it, getting the first hundred that instantly credits, and then running down to SJ and buying my badge and then driving back up to get my friend.

@_@ Whooo that's a lot of gas...is it really a bad idea to line up Friday afternoon? Can't be as bad as Saturday morning, can it?

It's not a bad idea, but it will take some time to get your badge. Friday afternoon = schools out. Not as bad as Saturday, but it gets there.

[Steve.Young]

Friday morning is pretty dead. Even if you could get a friend to spot you the cash that morning and pay them back in the afternoon it'll save you a lot of time.

WHATEVER YOU DO!!! DO NOT TRY TO GET YOUR BADGE SATURDAY MORNING! Convention history dictates that this is the WORST time to get your badge. Everyone and their mother (quite literally) is waiting in line at this time, and despite the best efforts of the registration staff, the wait time is often 2-4 hours, if not more.

So, yeah. Friday morning...good.

True story.

On another note, if you do register Saturday Morning. I'll be your rover/SOS staff that will tell you where to stand in line and yelling really loud "THIS IS THE PRE-REG line and this is the regular line"

Hope to see you there =P

[wavieira]

I'm a little bothered by this topic.  I have no interest in getting in a flame war, but see people talking abouthe traffic and saying the answer is -pre-registering, yet others say those lines are long too.   (this was my experience.)  THe biggest problem I saw was data entry.  If you want to get all of people's information, DO THAT ON YOUR OWN TIME.  Take my form and money, print the damn badge, and let me go.

Are they sill looking for volunteers to help with registration?

[M]

I'm a little bothered by this topic.  I have no interest in getting in a flame war, but see people talking abouthe traffic and saying the answer is -pre-registering, yet others say those lines are long too.   (this was my experience.)  THe biggest problem I saw was data entry.  If you want to get all of people's information, DO THAT ON YOUR OWN TIME.  Take my form and money, print the damn badge, and let me go.

Are they sill looking for volunteers to help with registration?

There's multiple issues with taking the form, money, printing the badge, and letting you go. First off, we need to do the following things: Check ID, fill out the form to print out your badge, & print out your badge. Those things take time and I we're never going to be able to get a person processed as fast as people line up.

Pre-registering does help because it lets us pre-print the badges in advance so that Registration can check out your ID, hand you your badge, and let you on your way. This is also the reason why people say to pre-reg, because the line moves at a faster rate.

Registration as well as the rest of the convention staff are always looking for ways to improve the line situation. Even til this day, I (yes me!) am still looking for ways to improve Registration's lines and I'm not even in the department or division anymore.

[Edit: If you want to help out, you could join staff or join volunteers and request to help out Registration.]

[FanFicGuru]

I'm a little bothered by this topic.  I have no interest in getting in a flame war, but see people talking abouthe traffic and saying the answer is -pre-registering, yet others say those lines are long too.   (this was my experience.)  THe biggest problem I saw was data entry.  If you want to get all of people's information, DO THAT ON YOUR OWN TIME.  Take my form and money, print the damn badge, and let me go.

Are they sill looking for volunteers to help with registration?

There's multiple issues with taking the form, money, printing the badge, and letting you go. First off, we need to do the following things: Check ID, fill out the form to print out your badge, & print out your badge. Those things take time and I we're never going to be able to get a person processed as fast as people line up.

Pre-registering does help because it lets us pre-print the badges in advance so that Registration can check out your ID, hand you your badge, and let you on your way. This is also the reason why people say to pre-reg, because the line moves at a faster rate.

Registration as well as the rest of the convention staff are always looking for ways to improve the line situation. Even til this day, I (yes me!) am still looking for ways to improve Registration's lines and I'm not even in the department or division anymore.

[Edit: If you want to help out, you could join staff or join volunteers and request to help out Registration.]

True.

Take San Diego Comic Con for example. At first I was pissed at Fanime for taking so long with registration when SDCC deals with up to 100,000 guests in record time. I was in a gigantic line, but I was done getting my badge and ready to go in less than 15 minutes. How? They don't allow at-con registration anymore at SDCC. They hit the attendance cap regularly through pre-registration alone, and people put in all their information online. So, all people do is get in line, go up with their little "postcard" (that has a barcode, an improvement over Fanime's system imo) and an ID and then bam, they're done.

How are they supposed to enter your data on their own time? Memorize your state ID when you flash it to them? They need to input the data right there.

I understand your frustration, trust me. I've been offering suggestions on making registration lines faster as well. However, it's hard to argue that pre-registration does make things ridiculously easier because of the information they have at their disposal already so that they can do exactly as you said: take your money and give you your badge.

Another idea would be to stop at-con registration altogether and make it only pre-registration and early registration, except extend the deadlines until like, the day before.

Maybe...

[M]

Another idea would be to stop at-con registration altogether and make it only pre-registration and early registration, except extend the deadlines until like, the day before.

The issue with that is that we would receive a huge backlash with members that don't get paid until the Friday of the convention or last minute attendees. SDCC would still allow at-con registration if they had the capacity for it. :)

[questionette]

I have a question
What are the lines like for people that have pre-reg'd on saturday morning? Is it still a helluva wait?

[KyraEnsui]

I have a question
What are the lines like for people that have pre-reg'd on saturday morning? Is it still a helluva wait?

Not really. If you have your government-issued ID and postcard with you, it goes by quickly. ^^b