first time going to fanime...

[sasukoi]

so this will be my first year going to Fanime!!! *excited*... and i have so many questions...
i have no idea if i'm even supposed to post here...>.<; i've never been in a con forum before and it's all so confusing...

?'s
=so... it's way passed november 6th... T^T can i still register? how much will it be?
=is there somewhere i could go to see the rules for cosplay costumes?
=how big is the con? ((i've been to anime oasis in boise, idaho once and anime banzai in salt lake city, utah three times))
=are the con goers (awful word sorry) generally nice or am i going to be chased by pedobear again...? TT^TT ((has a major phobia of clowns, and people dressed up as things like... the easter bunny, santa, giant bears, etc.))

sorry for being so clueless.... ^^;*bows*

[jacktchance]

=so... it's way passed november 6th... T^T can i still register? how much will it be?
=is there somewhere i could go to see the rules for cosplay costumes?
=how big is the con? ((i've been to anime oasis in boise, idaho once and anime banzai in salt lake city, utah three times))
=are the con goers (awful word sorry) generally nice or am i going to be chased by pedobear again...? TT^TT ((has a major phobia of clowns, and people dressed up as things like... the easter bunny, santa, giant bears, etc.))

-Preregistration is over, so registration is now $50.  The price jumps up again on Dec. 31st.
-You can ask around the cosplay forum.  Though, most of the rules are common sense.
-I don't know the definite numbers, but Fanime is definitely part of the top 10 in the US.
-There was a pedobear last year, but the people I ran into were usually nice and usually asked permission beforehand.

[PyronIkari]

so this will be my first year going to Fanime!!! *excited*... and i have so many questions...
i have no idea if i'm even supposed to post here...>.<; i've never been in a con forum before and it's all so confusing...

?'s
=so... it's way passed november 6th... T^T can i still register? how much will it be?
=is there somewhere i could go to see the rules for cosplay costumes?
=how big is the con? ((i've been to anime oasis in boise, idaho once and anime banzai in salt lake city, utah three times))
=are the con goers (awful word sorry) generally nice or am i going to be chased by pedobear again...? TT^TT ((has a major phobia of clowns, and people dressed up as things like... the easter bunny, santa, giant bears, etc.))

sorry for being so clueless.... ^^;*bows*

Registration details can be found on the front page. www dot fanime dot com
There aren't rules for cosplaying realistically. The only rules are of "keep it legal". If you're talking about the contest itself, you can fine the rules here http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/topic,13002.0.html

The convention is rather large. I would say roughly 12000 people in attendance (give or take 2000). My friend went to Anime Oasis and was telling me about it. It's about 15x bigger than Anime Oasis apparently.

As for the congoers themselves. They range greatly. Some are douches, some are nice. Some are friendly, some don't shower. Sometimes they're polite, sometimes they'll follow you around if you're an attractive girl. They're people, people range greatly no matter where you are. Especially when you take a sample size of 12000 people. You'l have both good and bad experiences with people. Most people won't chase you around unless they're douches and you're wearing something that they like. Generally they won't be mean, but of course there still are those that don't care about general etiquette and will run and jump on you unwarned.

[TC X0 Lt 0X]

=so... it's way passed november 6th... T^T can i still register? how much will it be?
=is there somewhere i could go to see the rules for cosplay costumes?
=how big is the con? ((i've been to anime oasis in boise, idaho once and anime banzai in salt lake city, utah three times))
=are the con goers (awful word sorry) generally nice or am i going to be chased by pedobear again...? TT^TT ((has a major phobia of clowns, and people dressed up as things like... the easter bunny, santa, giant bears, etc.))

-Preregistration is over, so registration is now $50.  The price jumps up again on Dec. 31st.
-You can ask around the cosplay forum.  Though, most of the rules are common sense.
-I don't know the definite numbers, but Fanime is definitely part of the top 10 in the US.
-There was a pedobear last year, but the people I ran into were usually nice and usually asked permission beforehand.

Pre-Reg is still alive and well...
... At least as far as I know. I have not paid my badge off yet and it is still a PreReg at the moment. If It went down and Early Reg went up then it should have down graded. At least as far as it worked in previous years. Pre-Reg usually goes down at the End of March.

[sasukoi]

=so... it's way passed november 6th... T^T can i still register? how much will it be?
=is there somewhere i could go to see the rules for cosplay costumes?
=how big is the con? ((i've been to anime oasis in boise, idaho once and anime banzai in salt lake city, utah three times))
=are the con goers (awful word sorry) generally nice or am i going to be chased by pedobear again...? TT^TT ((has a major phobia of clowns, and people dressed up as things like... the easter bunny, santa, giant bears, etc.))

-Preregistration is over, so registration is now $50.  The price jumps up again on Dec. 31st.
-You can ask around the cosplay forum.  Though, most of the rules are common sense.
-I don't know the definite numbers, but Fanime is definitely part of the top 10 in the US.
-There was a pedobear last year, but the people I ran into were usually nice and usually asked permission beforehand.

thank you so much. ^^ i'm so excited to be going to a new and bigger con!!
man i need to register asap. >.<;

[sasukoi]

=so... it's way passed november 6th... T^T can i still register? how much will it be?
=is there somewhere i could go to see the rules for cosplay costumes?
=how big is the con? ((i've been to anime oasis in boise, idaho once and anime banzai in salt lake city, utah three times))
=are the con goers (awful word sorry) generally nice or am i going to be chased by pedobear again...? TT^TT ((has a major phobia of clowns, and people dressed up as things like... the easter bunny, santa, giant bears, etc.))

-Preregistration is over, so registration is now $50.  The price jumps up again on Dec. 31st.
-You can ask around the cosplay forum.  Though, most of the rules are common sense.
-I don't know the definite numbers, but Fanime is definitely part of the top 10 in the US.
-There was a pedobear last year, but the people I ran into were usually nice and usually asked permission beforehand.

Pre-Reg is still alive and well...
... At least as far as I know. I have not paid my badge off yet and it is still a PreReg at the moment. If It went down and Early Reg went up then it should have down graded. At least as far as it worked in previous years. Pre-Reg usually goes down at the End of March.

what do you mean "goes down"? as in the price goes down or they stop registration?...

[sasukoi]

so this will be my first year going to Fanime!!! *excited*... and i have so many questions...
i have no idea if i'm even supposed to post here...>.<; i've never been in a con forum before and it's all so confusing...

?'s
=so... it's way passed november 6th... T^T can i still register? how much will it be?
=is there somewhere i could go to see the rules for cosplay costumes?
=how big is the con? ((i've been to anime oasis in boise, idaho once and anime banzai in salt lake city, utah three times))
=are the con goers (awful word sorry) generally nice or am i going to be chased by pedobear again...? TT^TT ((has a major phobia of clowns, and people dressed up as things like... the easter bunny, santa, giant bears, etc.))

sorry for being so clueless.... ^^;*bows*

Registration details can be found on the front page. www dot fanime dot com
There aren't rules for cosplaying realistically. The only rules are of "keep it legal". If you're talking about the contest itself, you can fine the rules here http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/topic,13002.0.html

The convention is rather large. I would say roughly 12000 people in attendance (give or take 2000). My friend went to Anime Oasis and was telling me about it. It's about 15x bigger than Anime Oasis apparently.

As for the congoers themselves. They range greatly. Some are douches, some are nice. Some are friendly, some don't shower. Sometimes they're polite, sometimes they'll follow you around if you're an attractive girl. They're people, people range greatly no matter where you are. Especially when you take a sample size of 12000 people. You'l have both good and bad experiences with people. Most people won't chase you around unless they're douches and you're wearing something that they like. Generally they won't be mean, but of course there still are those that don't care about general etiquette and will run and jump on you unwarned.

thanks so much!
"keep it legal" totally makes sense... at banzai they say "keep it family friendly because we have children attending" so you can rarely get away being shirtless (for guys), or showing midriffs or "too much leg"....

15x bigger?! 12000?! *passes out* x.x oh man i am sooooooooo excited to go now!! the convention center must be huge!!!

i guess all i can do about the people is be myself and hope that the people i meet are welcoming. ^^ although i'm totally intimidated being completely new to fanime. ^^;

random question though... how many times have you been to fanime? are there a lot of people that don't cosplay? do you cosplay?

sorry... that's more than one question. v.v;  thank you so much for all your help. XD  

[PyronIkari]

thanks so much!
"keep it legal" totally makes sense... at banzai they say "keep it family friendly because we have children attending" so you can rarely get away being shirtless (for guys), or showing midriffs or "too much leg"....

15x bigger?! 12000?! *passes out* x.x oh man i am sooooooooo excited to go now!! the convention center must be huge!!!

i guess all i can do about the people is be myself and hope that the people i meet are welcoming. ^^ although i'm totally intimidated being completely new to fanime. ^^;

random question though... how many times have you been to fanime? are there a lot of people that don't cosplay? do you cosplay?

sorry... that's more than one question. v.v;  thank you so much for all your help. XD  

N'ah, don't be intimidated. 12000 people seems like a lot, but just think of it as a REALLY BIG highschool. Your average highschool has roughly 5000 people in it. It's pretty similar to high school anyways. Same cliques, and drama, except with a theme, that a lot of people are into nerdy stuff.

This will be my  10th fanime. Lots of people do not cosplay, and do not assume you need to. Yes, I do, sometimes. I didn't last year, but I probably will be cosplaying with some of the Maid Cafe volunteers this year.

As for dress code, although we say keep it legal, please keep in mind taste. Just because it's legal as long as certain parts of the body, out of taste and judgment don't think it's okay(on a personal level) to walk around with nothing more than band aids over your nipples and a g-string on. Although it is legal, it's rather inappropriate and offensive. Just think in good taste. There are other specifics of allowed dress code in the cosplay section of this forum with some rather good info. Things concerning like bare feet, or other prop type items are addressed.

There's also a handful of other informative posts concerning conventions as a whole. Things to keep in mind, such as; this is a three day con and although it gets very exciting, remember to prepare your essentials first. A place to sleep (if you are staying on site get a hotel room, because sleeping in the hallways, video rooms, public areas is not allowed, nor is it legal), eat well (many people go to these conventions and spend all their money on goods and the such. They don't eat and over-exhaust their body fainting and having to be sent to a hospital which can cost up to 1500$). And remember to sleep and shower. People, much like with food, seem to ignore the need for sleep because they are having fun. This tends to catch up to you rather quickly. Please shower... for everyone else's sake as well.

[Moonblossom]

Fanime is a lot of fun, and please don't feel overwhelmed by the size! It still manages to feel small and personal and not overwhelming. Try to pace yourself though - there is a LOT to see and do, odds are you're not gonna manage it all, and that is okay. There's always next year!

Fun factoid - my high school (grades 7 through 11 - weird Quebec system) had under 700 people all told XD

[TC X0 Lt 0X]

=so... it's way passed november 6th... T^T can i still register? how much will it be?
=is there somewhere i could go to see the rules for cosplay costumes?
=how big is the con? ((i've been to anime oasis in boise, idaho once and anime banzai in salt lake city, utah three times))
=are the con goers (awful word sorry) generally nice or am i going to be chased by pedobear again...? TT^TT ((has a major phobia of clowns, and people dressed up as things like... the easter bunny, santa, giant bears, etc.))

-Preregistration is over, so registration is now $50.  The price jumps up again on Dec. 31st.
-You can ask around the cosplay forum.  Though, most of the rules are common sense.
-I don't know the definite numbers, but Fanime is definitely part of the top 10 in the US.
-There was a pedobear last year, but the people I ran into were usually nice and usually asked permission beforehand.

Pre-Reg is still alive and well...
... At least as far as I know. I have not paid my badge off yet and it is still a PreReg at the moment. If It went down and Early Reg went up then it should have down graded. At least as far as it worked in previous years. Pre-Reg usually goes down at the End of March.

what do you mean "goes down"? as in the price goes down or they stop registration?...

As in Pre-Reg will no longer be offered and Early Reg (similar to Pre-Reg but more expensive and you don't get a Badge with Artwork) will be offered in it place.

[Mango Bunny]

=so... it's way passed november 6th... T^T can i still register? how much will it be?
=is there somewhere i could go to see the rules for cosplay costumes?
=how big is the con? ((i've been to anime oasis in boise, idaho once and anime banzai in salt lake city, utah three times))
=are the con goers (awful word sorry) generally nice or am i going to be chased by pedobear again...? TT^TT ((has a major phobia of clowns, and people dressed up as things like... the easter bunny, santa, giant bears, etc.))

-Preregistration is over, so registration is now $50.  The price jumps up again on Dec. 31st.
-You can ask around the cosplay forum.  Though, most of the rules are common sense.
-I don't know the definite numbers, but Fanime is definitely part of the top 10 in the US.
-There was a pedobear last year, but the people I ran into were usually nice and usually asked permission beforehand.

Pre-Reg is still alive and well...
... At least as far as I know. I have not paid my badge off yet and it is still a PreReg at the moment. If It went down and Early Reg went up then it should have down graded. At least as far as it worked in previous years. Pre-Reg usually goes down at the End of March.

what do you mean "goes down"? as in the price goes down or they stop registration?...

As in Pre-Reg will no longer be offered and Early Reg (similar to Pre-Reg but more expensive and you don't get a Badge with Artwork) will be offered in it place.

Not to mention you can still reg at the con, but it could be a long wait.

[PyronIkari]

Not to mention you can still reg at the con, but it could be a long wait.

It's not really a long wait. Registration isn't that bad anymore. An hour maybe? Which is pretty good comparatively.

[Jerry]

Not to mention you can still reg at the con, but it could be a long wait.

It's not really a long wait. Registration isn't that bad anymore. An hour maybe? Which is pretty good comparatively.

This is why we strongly suggest you pre-register!!! and yes, compared to other conventions or amusement themed gatherings... the wait times are down significantly thanks to our dedicated Registration staff!

Shout out to the regs peeps here!  ;D

Things to keep in mind, such as; this is a three day con and although it gets very exciting, ...

Aren't we a 4+ day Con now? :)

Last year we technically had a Preview-ish night on Thursday night where we allowed for [only] Pre-registration to pick up their badges early.  Swap meet, Stage Zero, and E-gaming up and people already started their Convention early...

By Friday - Artist Alley, Panels, Dealers room opens around 3pm [assume all works out], Video rooms and everyone ditches school and/or finals to come out and enjoy Opening Ceremonies usually with an awesome Taiko Drum Squad.

Saturday / Sunday - Big events Like Music Fest, EVERY Cosplay gathering you can think of around the convention center, Black & White Ball, Nightly rave/club like dances, the weird world of late night with Hentai/Yaoi/Yuri , Gameshows, Kareoke, Special Guests, and more.

Sunday - is the sober up day, things are still going on but the eventual wind down and everyone has to come to terms that fanime wont be back until a year later.

But going back to what Pyron said~  Yes, common sense is your best friend. Health, Decency and be aware of yourself and other con-goers around you.

My question to you @ Sasukoi : will you be going to this Convention by yourself? You're pretty brave to venture into a semi big convention on your own, but thats what the forums and the general crowd and staff are here for.

Answer your questions and we do hope you have a blast @ Fanime Con as we count down less than 5 months away.  :D Woot.

[sasukoi]

=so... it's way passed november 6th... T^T can i still register? how much will it be?
=is there somewhere i could go to see the rules for cosplay costumes?
=how big is the con? ((i've been to anime oasis in boise, idaho once and anime banzai in salt lake city, utah three times))
=are the con goers (awful word sorry) generally nice or am i going to be chased by pedobear again...? TT^TT ((has a major phobia of clowns, and people dressed up as things like... the easter bunny, santa, giant bears, etc.))

-Preregistration is over, so registration is now $50.  The price jumps up again on Dec. 31st.
-You can ask around the cosplay forum.  Though, most of the rules are common sense.
-I don't know the definite numbers, but Fanime is definitely part of the top 10 in the US.
-There was a pedobear last year, but the people I ran into were usually nice and usually asked permission beforehand.

Pre-Reg is still alive and well...
... At least as far as I know. I have not paid my badge off yet and it is still a PreReg at the moment. If It went down and Early Reg went up then it should have down graded. At least as far as it worked in previous years. Pre-Reg usually goes down at the End of March.

what do you mean "goes down"? as in the price goes down or they stop registration?...

As in Pre-Reg will no longer be offered and Early Reg (similar to Pre-Reg but more expensive and you don't get a Badge with Artwork) will be offered in it place.

oh.... okay. thank you. ^^

[sasukoi]

Fanime is a lot of fun, and please don't feel overwhelmed by the size! It still manages to feel small and personal and not overwhelming. Try to pace yourself though - there is a LOT to see and do, odds are you're not gonna manage it all, and that is okay. There's always next year!

Fun factoid - my high school (grades 7 through 11 - weird Quebec system) had under 700 people all told XD

thanks! i'll do my best. i'm determined! *clenches fist*

[sasukoi]

thanks so much!
"keep it legal" totally makes sense... at banzai they say "keep it family friendly because we have children attending" so you can rarely get away being shirtless (for guys), or showing midriffs or "too much leg"....

15x bigger?! 12000?! *passes out* x.x oh man i am sooooooooo excited to go now!! the convention center must be huge!!!

i guess all i can do about the people is be myself and hope that the people i meet are welcoming. ^^ although i'm totally intimidated being completely new to fanime. ^^;

random question though... how many times have you been to fanime? are there a lot of people that don't cosplay? do you cosplay?

sorry... that's more than one question. v.v;  thank you so much for all your help. XD  

N'ah, don't be intimidated. 12000 people seems like a lot, but just think of it as a REALLY BIG highschool. Your average highschool has roughly 5000 people in it. It's pretty similar to high school anyways. Same cliques, and drama, except with a theme, that a lot of people are into nerdy stuff.

This will be my  10th fanime. Lots of people do not cosplay, and do not assume you need to. Yes, I do, sometimes. I didn't last year, but I probably will be cosplaying with some of the Maid Cafe volunteers this year.

As for dress code, although we say keep it legal, please keep in mind taste. Just because it's legal as long as certain parts of the body, out of taste and judgment don't think it's okay(on a personal level) to walk around with nothing more than band aids over your nipples and a g-string on. Although it is legal, it's rather inappropriate and offensive. Just think in good taste. There are other specifics of allowed dress code in the cosplay section of this forum with some rather good info. Things concerning like bare feet, or other prop type items are addressed.

There's also a handful of other informative posts concerning conventions as a whole. Things to keep in mind, such as; this is a three day con and although it gets very exciting, remember to prepare your essentials first. A place to sleep (if you are staying on site get a hotel room, because sleeping in the hallways, video rooms, public areas is not allowed, nor is it legal), eat well (many people go to these conventions and spend all their money on goods and the such. They don't eat and over-exhaust their body fainting and having to be sent to a hospital which can cost up to 1500$). And remember to sleep and shower. People, much like with food, seem to ignore the need for sleep because they are having fun. This tends to catch up to you rather quickly. Please shower... for everyone else's sake as well.

10th Fanime!! that's amazing! oh man i can't wait for the day when i'm able to say i've been to ten cons....

oh yes of course! what i was thinking when i was talking about the dress code was that i couldn't wear a FFXII Fran costume (which is probably the skimpiest thing i'd ever wear to a con >////<) to banzai and it's awesome that i could to fanime. ^^;

i did read the thread about budgeting for fanime... which was incredibly helpful!! and my three favorite things in life are sleep, food, and soaking in the tub so i think i'll be good on all those accounts. ^^

thanks so much for all your help and i hope you don't mind if i ask you some more questions in the future. ^^

[sasukoi]

Not to mention you can still reg at the con, but it could be a long wait.

It's not really a long wait. Registration isn't that bad anymore. An hour maybe? Which is pretty good comparatively.

This is why we strongly suggest you pre-register!!! and yes, compared to other conventions or amusement themed gatherings... the wait times are down significantly thanks to our dedicated Registration staff!

Shout out to the regs peeps here!  ;D

Things to keep in mind, such as; this is a three day con and although it gets very exciting, ...

Aren't we a 4+ day Con now? :)

Last year we technically had a Preview-ish night on Thursday night where we allowed for [only] Pre-registration to pick up their badges early.  Swap meet, Stage Zero, and E-gaming up and people already started their Convention early...

By Friday - Artist Alley, Panels, Dealers room opens around 3pm [assume all works out], Video rooms and everyone ditches school and/or finals to come out and enjoy Opening Ceremonies usually with an awesome Taiko Drum Squad.

Saturday / Sunday - Big events Like Music Fest, EVERY Cosplay gathering you can think of around the convention center, Black & White Ball, Nightly rave/club like dances, the weird world of late night with Hentai/Yaoi/Yuri , Gameshows, Kareoke, Special Guests, and more.

Sunday - is the sober up day, things are still going on but the eventual wind down and everyone has to come to terms that fanime wont be back until a year later.

But going back to what Pyron said~  Yes, common sense is your best friend. Health, Decency and be aware of yourself and other con-goers around you.

My question to you @ Sasukoi : will you be going to this Convention by yourself? You're pretty brave to venture into a semi big convention on your own, but thats what the forums and the general crowd and staff are here for.

Answer your questions and we do hope you have a blast @ Fanime Con as we count down less than 5 months away.  :D Woot.

health, decency, myself and others. got it! ^^ thank you.

>w< i didn't think i could be anymore excited about going to fanime but every thread and post i read just makes me more and more excited!!!

i won't be going by myself. i'll have two friends coming with me. one has been to fanime before but didn't stay for the whole con and can't remember a lot of important details. ^^;

thank you so much for your help and i'll be sure to come to you if i have any more questions (which i'm sure i will). ^^

[PyronIkari]

Sasukoi: Reply to everyone in a single reply. It's a lot easier that way.

But yeah, don't mind answering questions and stuff as long as you aren't a dumbass about it. Asking legitimate questions and asking for help is no problem though. A lot of people ask and demand answers and ask a lot of stupid questions that are logical.

[sasukoi]

Sasukoi: Reply to everyone in a single reply. It's a lot easier that way.

But yeah, don't mind answering questions and stuff as long as you aren't a dumbass about it. Asking legitimate questions and asking for help is no problem though. A lot of people ask and demand answers and ask a lot of stupid questions that are logical.

*nods* thank you. i didn't think of that. that would be a lot easier.

i'll try not to ask any dumb questions. thank you again.

[Jerry]

Also as a random tip of advice since you are traveling from out of state-

be ready to have a main plan of transportation and stay [hotel].
Technically also have a back up plan in case of worse case scenario situations.

Though the Fanime Hotel registration is not up yet, and technical difficulties with Pay Pal, if you and your friends are committed it would be recommended to register for Fanime and book your travel and hotel as soon as possible.

Hotels book up fast, and general traveling can always be a dice roll.

Best of luck for you and your friends on your way to Fanime 2010.