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We're hiring a private car. It was only 20 bucks more than the SuperShuttle for two people, and because I'm mildly disabled it's much more comfortable and much easier than dealing with things like the BART. Also, I'm actually staying in the area from the 25th of May to the 5th of June, so... lots of luggage to deal with.

I realize this is kinda late but from what I've read, the Arena's gone really downhill in the past year. I dunno if the ownership has changed or what, but nearly half the reviews on TripAdvisor mentioned shady customers, police raids in adjacent rooms, etc. It sounds like it's become a place where people bring hookers and do drugs >< I was actually considering it again this year but that totally scared me off.

I would also love to see Madoka on the list. Maybe there could be a "deconstructed anime" theme night or theme room or something.

Big Robots = Evangelion
Magical Girls = Madoka

etc

Aww, good luck. I was pretty shocked, I also got the ticket for my friend who is coming in from Boulder, and it was about half the cost of mine. It's usually less than a quarter.

What we ended up doing is flying into San Fransisco, it's actually a fair bit cheaper. United flying from DIA to SFO worked out to just over 300 round trip, if that helps.

Heading up Day 0 again this year, since I much prefer the opportunity to get settled in before the full insanity of things. Though I suppose I could say con's starting Wednesday in a way, because after work I get to pick one friend up from the airport (and then still try to get to sleep at a decent hour in spite of probably wanting to chitchat/cook/make more chocolate/finish packing).  After that, it's about a four-hour drive from here up to San Jose, so not too bad day-of.  And cosplaying Day 0, because I am that much of a dork. XD

Where do you come in from, Moonblossom, if you don't mind my asking?  No stranger to those sorts of plane rides here, but I'm just curious. :3

Don't mind at all. Montreal, QC. Eastern Canada. I managed to get a direct flight into San Fransisco this year, so I've got a six hour flight and then about an hour's ride in a shuttle. I am very much looking forward to waking up at 4 AM eastern time to start the whole procedure :P

It's times like this I am glad I was diagnosed borderline narcoleptic. I can just curl up and go to sleep pretty much anywhere XD

I'm arriving on the Wednesday but that's mostly because I've got a really long and obnoxious plane trip to deal with, and I will desperately need a nap and a shower before I'm remotely human again. So I give myself the buffer day to travel, then I'm fresh for lining up on day 0.

how about 2 fanimes a year.....of even, one for every season....EVERY DAY.....ugh EffEmmEll....

FANIME FOREVER.  8)

It's nice to know I have such a strong influence :P XD

Sorry, I just needed to share. It's been several years since I was able to make it to Fanime, but I just finished sorting everything out and I'm really excited. :D

The space bags are great for saving room, but make sure you do get the type you roll the air out of - sometimes they're not labelled clearly.

Also be super careful if you ever fly with them - the stuff will take up less space but still weigh as much so your suitcases can get overweight very quickly. I had this happen to me once, my suitcase (which normally when full weighs about 55lbs) weighed nearly 75 when I used them without thinking.

I usually have a backpack or a big old-lady purse too, because I carry around a snack, my medications (of which there are many!), my large-body DSLR and usually a spare lens or two, and my DS. I'd rather look a little dorky and have everything I need. I mean really, we're at an anime con, people. Not really the best place to be if you're concerned about looking dorky.

I'm a big fan of Jeannie Lee's charms - http://junosama.deviantart.com/

I know she was selling at past Fanime (last time I managed to go was 2008 and she was there), not sure if she'll have a table there this year. But she lives in the area, so I would be sort of surprised if she didn't.

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.

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 :)

It's pretty standard even not during conventions. Housekeeping staff have a certain amount of time allotted to them to clean each room - if a room is particularly awful they need to be able to pay twice as many staff, or the same staff twice as long as normal, as well as potentially replace anything that's so dirty or damaged it can't be cleaned. 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.

Just wanted to say a big thanks to the CMR team - this has been resolved, I now have a room on the 25th too, with no spare rollaway or charge :D

Yeah, not a single person (Hilton or CMR) thought to inform me that the room would be larger so I don't know if that's the case - do you know this for a *fact* or are you just assuming things? They all just told me "well you can just say you don't want the rollaway, but we can't guarantee you won't be charged for it." Note that they said "charged for it", being the rollaway. Not "charged for the larger room".

It's okay though, I'm on the waitlist and if by the time I need to book my plane ticket I still haven't gotten a room on the Wednesday, I will either crash at a friend's or stay in another hotel a little further out for the one night and then hop a taxi over to the Hilton in time for the con. It will all work out :)

I have a feeling I'd get in trouble when the Hilton desk staff saw me wheeling it across the lobby XD

"Ma'am, where are you going with that rollaway?"
"uh.. this? Um, I just wanted some fresh air and thought I'd go take a nap in the hallway..."
"Alright then! Carry on!"

Thank you Kyra. Maybe I wasn't clear enough when I explained it, sorry.

It's a moot issue now anyway - all the rooms are full on the 25th, rollaway or no. I'm on the waitlist for a room though, with or without the damned thing XD I'll take what I can get at this point.

Jeimizu, that still doesn't explain why I had no trouble doing it for the other six nights. I've been booking king-bedded rooms with no rollaway for years there without hassle, I really think this was some weird glitch or booking issue between the Hilton and the CMR, but I'm peeved nobody can overwrite it somehow. ><

I spoke to the person who handles group bookings and she was as perplexed as anyone else. I'd wonder if it were some sort of a cash grab but the Hilton is a good, respectable hotel and I can't picture them doing something that underhanded, and there was no problem booking without the rollaway and extra fees on the Thursday through Monday. It's only the Wednesday that gave me this issue.

It's all very odd XD