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Okay.. so compared to the last two years, the line was really bad.  However compared to other linecons that I've been too (Fanime or otherwise) .. it actually wasn't too bad? Like, I got there around 10:00 AM-11:00 ish or so.. and I can't recall how long I was in line, all I know is that the line was moving enough that I really didn't have time to "idle".  Like other times, I can spend a good twenty minutes sitting on the ground/floor playing on my 3DS or phone and the line wouldn't move at all.   This time, the "standing still parts" only felt like a couple minutes long, and once I got inside it went super fast.

So yeah.. I mean, I am kinda salty about line-con rearing it's ugly head,  Buut hey, things go wrong sometimes, right?  Not like the staff was sitting in their plush arm chairs, twirling their mustaches and laughing at our suffering. 

Here's to hoping the kinks get ironed out and in 2017 we're back to the "lines" or lack of, that we had in 2014-2015

Stayed at the Fairmont Friday-Tuesday

Pros:
- Staff was super nice at check in!  I kept apologizing because I was paying multiple ways (cash from roommates, debit for some, and incidentals on my credit card) Lady checking me in was really nice and kept reassuring me that it was nothing to worry about.
- As always room was super nice.  Ample space, vanity, MIRRORS.
- They have a keurig and an electric kettle now!
- Being next to the Bijan Bakery is always a plus


Cons:
- They didn't hand out trashbags this year.   Well, I was able to get one when I asked the front desk, I just thought it was a bit strange since normally they give you two bags at check in.
- It was IMPOSSIBLE to get warm water from the sink bath and shower were fine, sink.. nada.. which made washing my face a pain.
- .. There was like a radio playing in the bathroom..  For those of you who haven't stayed in the Fairmont, the toilet is in a seperate nook behind a sliding door in the bathroom.. well it sounded like there was a radio with a broken transmission.. lots of static and voices.
- Not the hotels fault, but someone pulled the fire alarm

... Fanime isn't the odd one out..  I don't know how many conventions you attend or which ones you attend.. but every single one I've been too ( to this date four different conventions) requires personal info upon registration.

Hell looking at several convention websites.. ALL of them require personal info ( Name, home address, email, sometimes phone number)

I haven't stayed at the particular hilton... but I have stayed at hilton hotels. 

The chances of a hotel taking a check are pretty much zero.  After all checks need time to clear. 

Every hotel I've stayed at accepts debit cards and cash ( Actually I usually split up payments.. like I'll pay for the room using cash, and then put the incidental fees on my card )  But when using a debit card, be careful not to overdraw your account.


Your best bet is to call the hotel and ask them directly.

 Here's a tip for people coming from out of State by plane.

Bring a box (flattened) and some packing tape and a marker.   You may buy more than what can fit into your luggage, or your items may put you over the weight limit airlines impose.  Having a box and tape means you can mail your stuff back. ( I think there's a fed-ex office in the Fairmont )

I love this.  No really, I absolutely LOVE this. 

As someone who gets regularly creeped on by drunk people who you can tell that they're not Fanime Attendees and are just there to snap some pics, make lewd comments and laugh at people. 

I love this.

o3o A+

Has anybody noticed that the housing/registration button is now blank and unclickable? I guess it just means General attendees can no longer be put on a waitlist or search for other hotels now... There is always a fiasco in hotel registration but it seems even worse... but all of you know that already. What I don't understand is if Fanime has THIS much trouble with anything every single year, Why can't they just invest money to hire professionals? More people are already attending the convention so their budget should be bigger...

I thought hotel registration was already handled by an outside group?  CMR?   Unless it's just a shared name.. *shrugs*

Which leads me to ask myself how much communication goes on between Fanime and the CMR staff..

At any rate, at this stage in the game, there's really nothing that can be done.. the only "solutions" would be..

A. Add more hotels to the convention block.  This would help a LOT, however, if hotels don't wish to house us, then there's nothing that can be done.

B. Cancel everyone's reservation and start from scratch on the hotel booking. - This is barely a solution, and would lead to a lot of pissed off people.


That said, I like the idea that the earlier you register for the convention, the earlier you get to book your hotel room.  Early bird catches the worm and all that.   But it does have some major kinks that need to be worked out ( making sure that those on staff, dealers and artist alley are taken care of being a huge one)

1. Make sure you have something to carry your things.  This might seem obvious, but I've seen a lot of people on other forums ask "My cosplay doesn't have pockets! How do I carry my phone,wallet, etc?" 
,
2. If you're wearing heels or shoes that are uncomfortable after a long period of time, bring a pair of flats or such to carry with you. This is especially helpful if you're at a hotel that isn't connected to the con center.  Not cosplay accurate? Don't worry about that.  Being able to walk is much more important.

3. BRING A FIRST AID KIT.   Yes a first aid kit.  I always see sewing kits and cosplay repair kits mentioned, but not first aid kits
I have a little Hello Kitty one that I bought at a wal-mart for $10.00 and it's now my "con first aid kit" ( I just periodically restock it) This way you'll be able to deal with blisters from walking, hot glue burns from your emergency cosplay repair etc.   Also make sure to have things like pain medication and antacids/stomach medicine.

4. On that note, if you're on prescribed medication.  TAKE IT.  Set alarms to remind yourself, ask your roommates to remind you if necessary.  During busy events like conventions, it can be easy to forget .  Don't. make sure to take care of yourself.

5. Be nice.  No really, See a person sitting by themselves? Say hi.  Person is looking down? Compliment their costume.  Talk to the person next to you in line, say please and thank you.  Be the person that when the con is over, someone is going to post about how you made their day better.

So, I went to Trivago (hotel booking site) and I set the dates for May 27th-May 31st set the address to the Convention center, and set the distance to under 2 miles away..  and I did get some results, and the prices are about equal to the Fanime housing prices.  So people may have some luck with that.  Of course being further from the convention center is a pain.  But public transport and such may make it a bit more manageable.

Also hopefully the roommate thread will start seeing more activity soon.

I got my room with no issues either!
♥

Just because a lot of people complain doesn't mean the complaint is valid.  Most people also say they hate paying taxes.  Human nature is to complain; it makes us feel better when things don't go how we want them to.

I don't think one can fairly decide that this new system is worse until we've actually experienced the results.  Every system has flaws, and I don't think anyone has denied it.  Obviously hotel registration has been a hassle the last few years as the convention has grown; how about we try the wait and see how this works method out before we rant and rave? 

There will always be a lack of hotels, that is just a reality that will exist unless San Jose wants to build more hotels, or hotels offer more discounted room blocks for the con.  There will always be people who can't get a room because they've all sold out.  So, they have tried try to develop a system that more fairly decides who does or doesn't get a room.  Is registration date more fair than who squeaked through the overloaded website first?  Personally, I think it is.

I have to agree with all of this.   A lot of people are saying that this new system is unfair to people who pre-registered later, but you know what else is unfair?

Having a better connection than other people ( One year, I was at a coffee house when Fanime housing opened, now the site crashing in 10 seconds is bad enough, imagine that with the wireless going out every 30 seconds.  Yup )

Knowing lots of people who will help you reserve your room

Not having school, work, responsibilities that would keep you from being online/on your phone the moment housing opens.

Reserving 10+ rooms in order to scalp them to attendees.

All of those things can be considered "unfair" as well.

I used a debit card.

I called in a couple days before flying out and the basic conversation went like this

Me: Hi, I'm going to be staying at your hotel for an event called Fanime, and I was wondering if you could clarify the price of the incidental charges per night?  My reservation is under (name)

Hotel: Of course let me pull up your reservation, okay your staying four nights, and your with Fanime? The incidental is $50 per night.

I even double checked my first night here to make sure I didn't go over budget during the weekend, my room was 568 and I got 377 from my room mates, and they told me with the incidental fees there was $391 being held on my card.  ( 568-377= 191 and $50 x 4 = 200  soo $391)

o3o I know this is quite late but I'm staying at the Fairmont and I only got charge $50 a night for the deposit.  Before I came out here I called the hotel to make sure what the incidental charges were and they told me $50 per night.  We were clear on me being with Fanime too.

Hopefully the lower price was a nice suprise for people

[Roommates Wanted]

Roommates Wanted: Looking for 1 FEMALE room mates,  There will be 5 people in the room (including myself)

Spaces Filled (Including myself) 4
Spaces open: FULL



+ Introduction: My name is Michele, I also go by Michi or just "Mii".  I enjoy candle light dinners and long walks on the beach.  Wait, wrong information.  I'm a 30 year old female from Colorado.  I've been going to Fanime for a few years now.   I'm a cosplayer.  My interest are anime, JPRGs, writing in fictional languages, and baking.  Fan of the moe and magical girls.   I flip flop from being painfully shy to extremely open.

+ Hotel Information: I'll be staying at the Fairmont from Friday May 22nd to Tuesday May 26th.  That's right, till Tuesday.  What does this mean for you? No dealing with packing up Sunday night, No rushing to get checked out in the morning, no lugging your luggage downstairs while you wait 3 hours for an elevator.. none of that.  =w= Isn't that wonderful?

+ Costs: The cost will be $113 per person.  Payment can be either over paypal or in cash in person.  Payment MUST BE UPFRONT.  In other words, you CANNOT pay me after the con, or insist that you'll pay half now and the other half when you get your next paycheck, etc.
+ Requirements:
 

• As I said before, female only.  Sorry for any guys out there.
• 18+ 21+ is preferred.
• Respect the Hotel's property and other people's property. 
• Keep the room reasonably clean.
• No illegal shenanigans.  No drug use, no underage drinking.
• This is NOT a party room.  I'm fine if your need to have someone come up to help you with a cosplay, or such, but by NO CIRCUMSTANCES are you allowed to give your card key to anyone. 
• Do NOT touch the Mini Bar!  There are sensors and it'll automatically charge if anything is moved.
• NO SMOKING.
• SHOWER. Wear deodorant, febreze your clothes, practice good hygiene, all that fun stuff!
• If you're coming in late (After Midnight) do your best to be quiet in case people are sleeping.

+ Contact: You can contact me via PM
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MichiMii
Tumblr: http://hakohime.tumblr.com/

+ Miscellaneous:
I will be buying a cake from Bijan Bakery for everyone to share.  This will be on Sunday night.

I'll be bringing food that everyone is welcome too ( cup of noodle, granola bars, oat meal, etc)

There will be a first aid kit that is for everyone.

Emergen-C will be provided.

I'm a member of the Fairmont's President's club, so Wi fi will be free.

Please Note: I DO suffer from depression/anxiety. And I may have a breakdown. If that happens, I apologize in advance.

I'll be trying to arrive around or before noon.  But since I'll be flying in, I don't have 100% control of when I arrive.  However I'll keep everyone posted!

ADDENDUM:  If you need to park your car using valet or something similar, you'll be in charge of those charges. [/s]

Spaces have been filled!  If there are any changes or openings, I'll post here.  Thank you all so much!

I managed to get through on the phone line and got a room reserved at the Fairmont!

:/ still haven't received email confirmation yet though.

[Hotel Stayed:]

Hotel Stayed: Sainte Claire
Nights Stayed: Checked in on Friday and checked out Tuesday.
Amenities:  King sized bed, mini fridge, free wifi, coffee maker.  I was actually happy that they had an actual coffee maker with a pot, as opposed to the ones that make a single cup of coffee that a lot of hotels seem to be switching too..
Helpfulness of Staff: No complaints.  Service was great.
Roomshares?: I roomed with 3 other people.
Pros of Hotel: Close to the convention, the interior is nice and would be great for photos, the mini fridge was a plus, free wifi is always nice.
Cons of Hotel: The rooms are rather small and there was only one mirror, when you have multiple people trying to put on cosplay make up, that can be an issue.   There was this annoying beeping sound.. not sure what it was, it would beep and chime.   The Sundry Shop was basically just a few items in a display case.
Would You Stay Again: To be honest, the Fairmont is always my first choice, however if I were to get this hotel again, I wouldn't be too upset.
Recommendations/Suggestions/Misc:  Don't room stuff.  This is a hotel where you want just a couple of roommates.  Perhaps bring an extra mirror or two.

[realistically rendered]

.. Yeah, but the thing is..   THEY DON'T RESEMBLE REAL LIVE PEOPLE.   You can't compare a picture of an anime character, or video game character or such to a real person.   Of course, if the artwork is extremely realistic that's another story, but you can't compare a fictional character who has bright pink hair, dinner plate sized eyes and a dot for a nose to a real live human being  To say that in promotes pedophilia seems to be a stretch to me since.. once again.. it doesn't look like a HUMAN BEING.

Media that depicts REAL children in sexualized situations is a problem,  Media that has realistically renderedchildren is a problem, real children being victimized is a problem.. 

Having a flat chested girl with dinner plate eyes, a dot for a nose and odd colored hair, wearing a bikini and suggestively eating an ice cream cone, really isn't a problem..  .. Even if her official profile says she's a ten year old girl. 

My take on it is.. worry more about real life, and less about fiction.

For real live people, it would be a matter of enforcing a dress code.  Officially it says that

"Costumes and daily wear shall not expose the body in such a way as to be deemed indecent exposure under California and City of San Jose ordinances. Private parts must be covered in an opaque material and not be subject to slippage or gaps. Liquid Latex or other conformal body coatings that conform to the body will be judged on a case by case basis."    Of course with the amount of people at Fanime, I'm certain that dress code violations slip through. 

Which is a dress code that's a LOT more lenient than my home convention. 

As for media such as anime, manga, artwork, etc etc..  That's more vague.  I mean for one thing, how do you enforce that?  Yes there are series which explicitly sexualize children and the characters are stated as children, However they're rather unrealistic depictions, and then you have characters who are of legal age, but may be flat chested and short..  So you can't exactly say.. 

"Oh! That character is 4'7 and an A-cup! She's a minor!"   I mean, my roommate is in her 20s and she can fit into clothing from the children's section.

If you see a REAL adult getting creepy on a REAL LIVE minor.. do something about it.  Go get staff, yell out, draw attention.  Real children, and everyone for that matter, should be able to feel safe.  However, I wouldn't worry about an anime girl with a petite body in a bikini. 

So.. I'm starting to think that my request for the Fairmont will not go through.. c_c;  Which saddens me greatly..

That said, for people who have stayed at the St Claire before.. How many people would you say could comfortably fit into a room?

I have a room with a room with a king sized bed, and I'm looking at having 4 people in the room ( including myself)

However, I got a response for my ad for roommates, and well if I take it.. I would have 5 people in the room.

I've read that the rooms at the St Claire are ridiculously small.   Would 5 people be pushing it?   Or could it still be comfortable with some work?

[Roommates Wanted]

Roommates Wanted

+ Introduction:  Hello there, I'm Michele, or alternatively you can call me Michi if you wish to do so.  I'm a 30 year old female cosplayer from Colorado, and I've been attending Fanime for the past few years. 

I'm currently looking for 2 female room mates.  I already have one, so in total there will be 4 people in the room.*

+ Hotel Information: I currently have a room with a king sized bed at the St. Claire.  check in is Friday May 23rd and check out is Tuesday May 27th.  ( That means you don't have to deal with packing on Monday morning and the stress of check out lines! Hurray for fully enjoying the last day!)  There is one bed so we'll have to share.  I will -TRY- my best to at least bring along one camping mattress of some sort.  (Note: I Am on the wait-list for the Fairmont so roommates will have to be alright with staying at either )

+ Costs:  The cost will be $100 per person.  I will accept payment through paypal, or in person, in cash.
You MUST PAY IN FULL at the before or at the beginning of the convention.  In other words, I won't accept "I can pay half now and then I can send you the rest when I get my next paycheck" or anything similar.

+ Requirements:

Female only, please.

Non smoking.  Even if you only smoke outside, I'm extremely sensitive to smoke even if it's just the smell on clothing.

18+ is preferred.   If you are under 18, I will have to meet your parents or guardian.  Just a quick hello down in the lobby will be fine.

Respect hotel property

Respect each other's property.  Don't move, touch, use things without permission.

Shower.  With soap.   More then once during the course of the weekend.

Try your best to keep the room somewhat clean.  This can be hard with cosplayers, but at the very least, let's have it to where we can move around without killing ourselves, shall we?

There will be no curfew, but if your coming in after midnight, please do so quietly in case others are trying to sleep.

do NOT under circumstances bring people up to the room without permission or give your room key to another person.

+ Contact:  Please contact me through PM.

+ Miscellaneous

* There will be one extra person in the room for one night.

I'll be buying a cake for us to share from Bijan Bakery.  Most likely on Sunday .

Also, I'll pick up food from Safeway which will be for everyone to share. 


I'll be flying in on Friday, and my flight is suppose to land in San Jose at Noon.  I should be at the hotel by 1:00 PM ( It depends on factors such as how long it takes luggage to arrive, etc.  )   I will exchange contact information with everyone so we can keep in touch.


I look forward to hearing from everyone! Thank you!