So, I'm looking into going to Fanimecon in 09.

[Rodney_Pheonix]

This is going to be my first Con, provided I can get everything in order and the stars align in my favor.

Any tips that could be shared, like which hotel to book at, who to book through? What is allowable for props. Stuff like that.

[KyraEnsui]

Check through some of the thread where there are lots information available and do use the search engine too when looking up.

Sample budge: http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/topic,10753.0.html
Congoer's takes on their hotel stay on 2008: http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/topic,9920.0.html

[Rodney_Pheonix]

Grazi, Gracias, Thanks, Dryhgoui.

[sky-chan]

All I can say is preregister. You'll be thankful you did. And also, keep a good eye on your money. If you don't have enough, don't buy it. Common sense stuff like that. My first Fanime was in '06 and I went in with about a hundred in my pocket. Not much, but then again, I'm not rich. Anyway, I only bought like three things, and I was out of money by the end of the third day, with daily train fare (my mom was lame and refused to let me stay in a hotel) and food expenses, and I had to actually mooch off my friends  the next day! I decided to call it quits after that. Saw no point in continuing in my penniless state, and I hated being a leech. So, yeah. Make sure you have enough (the con IS expensive) and make extra sure  to budget yourself. Also, don't buy any sodas, except Ramune of course, on site, as they're $3+ a bottle, while ramune is usually much cheaper, especially in bulk!

Oh, and I found the Mc. Donald's dollar menu to be my best friend.

[Haruka]

Once the group rates for Fanime are posted, you'll be able to book your hotel rooms through the Front Desk of whichever hotels are offering the discounted group rates.  Book early!  You can always cancel, but once those rooms are gone, they're gone.

Bring whatever food you can to Con with you, including a refillable water bottle.  There will be lots of water dispensers all over the Convention Center.  Stay hydrated.

Bring confy alternative clothes outside of your costume.  You will need them.  And comfy shoes.  Again...need them.

Get a copy of the schedule and decide what anime you want to see and what panels you want to go to ahead of time.  Allow time waiting in line for popular panels or GOH, especially if you're going to GakuFest.

Other than that, have a good time, no matter what happens.  Once you do this the first time, you'll have a better idea what works and what doesn't for next time.

[zoupzuop2]

This is going to be my first Con, provided I can get everything in order and the stars align in my favor.

Any tips that could be shared, like which hotel to book at, who to book through? What is allowable for props. Stuff like that.

You'll have a lot of fun. IF! You do the following:

*KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR MONEY! It's never fun to realize you can't afford the next thing you're looking for, within the first day of the con! Keep a budget, INCLUDE your hotel fees, food, and whatever you will spend money on.
*PREREGISTER, if you can. MUCH less hassle to wait in the pre-reg line than the on-site purchasing. Cheaper, too.
*HANG OUT WITH PEOPLE. I cannot stress this enough; I tried going to one of my Fanimes mostly alone; it was NOT a fun experience. HAVE PEOPLE TO BE WITH. Which leads me to my next point, which is equally important:
*For the love of God/Gods/Whatever you worship/believe runs this planet, SHOWER. People will not want to be friendly to you, sell things to you, dance with you, or even be within an x-foot radius (x = integer value, rounded up from how bad you may smell) of you if you smell. Not fun for you, not fun for anyone. Shower. Do it.
*PLAN DOWN TIME. If you over-schedule yourself, you'll lack the energy and joy of doing the things you really came for! Take a breather, take in a show/showing/event that does not require motion. Fanime involves a LOT of walking (if you're really taking it for what it's got), so just be ready for that. Fanime may be a 24-hour con; regardless, GET SOME SLEEP. You'll be VERY glad you did.
*ASK BEFORE YOU TAKE PHOTOS OR GLOMP. Failure to comply could lead to you suffering unfortunate consequences, be that the general distrust of the individual or ejection from the con depending on the severity.
*If you're doing a Cosplay Skit, do NOT do the Hare Hare Yukai dance. It is overdone, no questions asked.
*HAVE FUN. As much as this should be a given, I saw a few people who were there simply to complete their collections, or to outperform everyone else at a game, or... you get the picture. That's the whole point of the convention— have fun! Enjoy what's around you!
*Go to the swap meet if you want... pretty much anything the stores don't already have. Seriously. GREAT stuff at cheap prices. I scored some Ranma manga at SUPER-cheap prices, and a couple Super Eurobeat albums for even less coin.