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Maybe try emailing them again?  Sometimes emails don't go through and get lost who-knows-where.  I've had to re-send many emails over the years because of that exact reason.  So yeah, maybe the best course of action would be to send a second email just to make sure they got it.  Just make sure to be polite in it, though, in case the people in charge of registration did get the message but haven't had time to respond yet.  After all, a lot of people have had questions for them lately.

Technically there's no right way to do it; one is just more convenient than the other.  I definitely agree with the previous poster.  By doing a full weekend pre-reg pass, you'll not only save about $10-15 per badge, but you'll also save yourselves having to go through the line twice to get badges on both Saturday and Sunday.  You save time AND money =).

There are plenty of fun things to do at the con.  There's merchandise to buy, games galore in the gaming center, 24 hour anime in the viewing rooms, game shows at Stage Zero, a masquerade, a maid cafe, etc.  Believe me, if you like anime, you won't be bored.

Like the first replier said, the whole "your parents must be with you" rule mainly applies to young kids who might do something stupid if they aren't being supervised.  I was 17 the first time I went, my parents didn't come alone, and no one cared.  Long as you behave yourself like you would anywhere else, you'll be fine.

As for the camera or camcorder situation, I'd personally go with the camera.  It's much more common to take pictures of cosplayers than to shoot video, and it's much more convenient.  Unless you really like to film stuff, I'd just go with taking still shots.

I'm sure if you go to the San Jose Marriott's website it will list the parking rate.  You might also want to check Fanime Housing's site to see if they have a special deal for convention attendees.  (You'll find it under Special Offers and Promotions if they're offering any deals.)

I'm guessing she put your name on the badge while paying with her PayPal account, in which case she doesn't need to be with you.  All the staff cares about is that the person who's name is on the badge (or is labeled as the group leader in the case of group registration) shows up with a government ID.

Saturday generally costs about $35 per person, though they might raise the rates this year.  To get an exact price, check the Fanime website during late April-early May.  The rates for each day will likely be up by then.  (To avoid confusion with those first-time attendees this year viewing this, if you buy a one-day badge, the rates will vary depending on which day you go.  Saturday is generally the most expensive as it is also the busiest/most popular.)

Far as I know, the simple answer is no.  Though it'll be a little inconvenient, your friend will have to also go through the line, fill out their own registration form, and pay for their own badge.  You can't register and pay for someone else while in line unless the people in question are with you at the time.

If I remember correctly, average price for a one-day pass is about $30.  Saturday is generally the most expensive day since it's the most popular, but it only costs about $5 more.  (Sorry if my memory is a little hazy, but I've been pre-registering for the last 2-3 years.)  But yes, you can only get those passes after waiting in line at the convention, and unlike the pre and early registration badges, they do not require you to bring a photo ID.  And like one of the previous posters said, for exact rates, check the Fanime website a little later on, like around late April or early May.  They should be up by then, and you'll be able to get a better idea of how much money you'll need for not only the badge, but also merchandise and food.

To piggyback on what ash_chan said, pretty much the whole point of Fanime housing is to give convention attendees the best rates possible for the closest hotels.  They book the most convenient hotels within walking distance and negotiate with them to provide people with cheaper prices.  There are other cheap hotels in the downtown San Jose area, but they pretty much require you to drive to and fro between the room and convention center, and they might not be in the safest neighborhoods.  So, if you don't want to book through Fanime housing (which is pretty much all booked up except the DoubleTree at this point), you're not really left with any options as far as cheap, walking-distance rooms go =(.  If anyone wants to do a search and prove me wrong then go for it, but far as I know, it's either Fanime housing, or something within driving distance.

Oh man, I totally just fell in love with her paopu fruit cell phone charm.  Hehe, I'm a sucker for anything Kingdom Hearts as you can probably tell.  Unfortunately she isn't selling it on Etsy, so I'll might email her and ask if she'll be at this year's Fanime, and if she has any plans to sell those charms if she is there.  Thanks for the recommendation :).

At cons in particular, stained towels and pillowcases are a big one, due to cosplay hair dye situations, but the same holds true for anyone spilling things on the sheets or carpet, for example.

Yeah when I first heard about the possible fee, I was told it was because some con-goers had made messes in their rooms by dyeing things last minute for cosplays.  It makes sense that they charge those fees if you make a mess to cover the costs of the extra help needed to clean the room, regardless of the occasion, though.  Heh I was actually talking to my roommate about this earlier and they said, "We're not gonna make a mess in there anyway.  Besides, it's not like we're gonna be in the room much."  I still want to take a couple pictures though, just in case there's a mix-up at checkout.

There are usually a ton of really cute and relatively inexpensive phone charms in the Artists Alley. Little polymer ones, fabric ones, etc. I'd rather buy from small handcrafters and get something cute and unique anyway

Oh yeah, I forgot that some of the artists make good phone charms.  Unique ones are always better than mass-made commercial ones anyway.  Plus, it's always nice to support the artists while getting something badass  :).  I'll have to look at the booths more closely this year and see if they have anything of note.

A better variety of snacks would be cool.  I mostly saw chocolate and strawberry Pocky, and while those are good, I can easily get them from my local grocery store at any given time.  It seemed WhizzyWig was the only dealer that had a better spread, and even their stuff was kinda limited compared to 2009 (or so I can recall right now).  They still have good stuff, though =).

Also, I second others' suggestions about having figures other than girls in mostly provocative outfits.  It would be nice to have male action figures as well so you don't get hit with a barrage of women with their clothes barely there.

Lastly, someone else mentioned this, but better phone charms would also be appreciated, especially if they don't cost $15-20.  I'd prefer to not blow a few meals worth of cash just to make my phone look awesome.

Thanks, everyone!  I was cool with a waiver, but didn't want to be slapped with a potential $50 fee upon checking in.  Think I'll take the precaution and take pictures of the room so in case there's a mix up at checkout, we can prove we didn't trash the place (I've heard of this happening before).  It makes sense if all hotels are doing it, though, since they do have to cover themselves in case people make a huge mess and don't bother cleaning it up.  However, that shouldn't be a problem with us since we're pretty good about keeping things orderly.

Hi, this will be my first time staying at the Hilton for Fanime, and I heard that there's a possible $50 fee regarding how clean you leave the room.  Can someone who stayed at the Hilton last year please tell me if this is simply a waiver?  If needed I can bring a camera and take pictures of the room to prove my roommate and I didn't make a mess in there.  Thanks!