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Nothing meant, citrus!

And oh my gosh. Can I ask when you added your wait list request???

I've also had scary encounters on the main concourse late at night (hopefully the new badge check policy will help some of this, but it's not like all creepers are randos who wandered in without a badge), so I'd be worried about late nights having to wait for and then ride on shuttles. :|

Oh wow! I didn't see that! All my encounters have been with con attendees though and on the concourse floor or entrances to the hotels. I mean, most of us women have crap happen all the time. It's just scarier in a city not my own and in the early hours of the morning (when I normally stay indoors to keep safe.) I'm really worried about shuttles. I guess the alternative is just going in around midnight or before when there are a ton of people around. Too bad. Thumbs down for female anatomy limiting my life.

I would love to see confirmation that the system will remain in place for next year before this com is done... Seeing as we sell badges at the end of the con!

I'm really worried the farther we move into April. I really want one of the connecting hotels .. Or the Fairmont!

I don't have access to any data regarding the scalping issue obviously, but I can't see it helping so much. Hypothetically those attending but staying elsewhere or in another room can easily turn a profit, and I can't imagine that this happens a lot from outside the community. Now it seems demand has increased over other years. Again, referencing the seemingly quiet wait list.

Ah I miss fanime of my early years! I never was stressed like this. Boo to stressful vacation.

That's what I was afraid of. :[

Nothing over here! I'm on the waitlist for anything at the Hilton or Marriott. I keep checking... I've always had better luck than this with the list! Hoping people will drop closer to the 29th.

If anyone gets something from the waitlist I would love to hear about it. I need hope.

I have a room at the Doubletree but little interest in staying there... Considering not going for the first year since 2006 if I can't get something closer.

And I do know there is a shuttle, but I don't love it. Especially late nights.

I've never been on the waitlist before, but I've always heard that you're pretty much going to get a room if you're on it in years past. I feel like with all the added drama this year, people are hanging onto the rooms more tightly than in previous years, and that's why the waitlist isn't moving at all.

Also hoping for more people to drop later on. Though I have a single night at the Hilton booked in order to keep my spot on the waitlist, so I'll need to drop that if I can't get a full weekend stay. :| This system where you need to have something booked to be on the waitlist really isn't much good in that kind of situation.

I also don't want to take the shuttles. There are two things about this con that I love: the cosplay scene, and late nights (mostly spent in the karaoke room). I know that I won't feel safe taking the shuttles back from the karaoke room at 2 or 3AM, so I'll probably have to cut my singing short, and that's unfortunate. I also doubt that I'll be able to do as many costume changes as I usually do, or even wear some of the larger and more impressive (but difficult) costumes I have planned to wear if I have to take the shuttles, both for time reasons and because I don't know if I'll fit with 27" horns strapped to the top of my head (and I wanted this to be my last hurrah with Condesce because Homestuck is ending). I also don't know how feasible it will be to wait for shuttles and do the extra time it takes in costumes that are already painful and I get grumpy in.

I'd seriously consider not going next year if the hotel situation doesn't get cleared up this year. I've been going since 2003 and haven't missed a year.

Yes, something needs to change, but there needs to be better communication and better implementation. This con has also created a problem for itself where it's known to have a lack of hotels, so people already have room panic and rush the hotel reg, but then with the new system, people are reluctant to give up their hotels. (I'm also somewhat buying in the conspiracy theory that the con did this method to lock people into buying badges!)

I'm also still salty about the artists and other people not getting priority hotel reg. I mean, it'll be an inconvenience for me to not have a close hotel, and I won't be able to attend this con in the same way that I usually do (so my enjoyment will be diminished), but I can live with it. People like the AA folks NEED the close hotels, and couldn't get them because they got shafted. A con can't treat the people who are part of the con and bringing content to the con this poorly and expect people to continue to want to bring content to this con. It doesn't work like that. Still my biggest issue with the hotel situation.

Sorry for the giant rant. Looks like I'm turning into citrus, lol

I have a lot of problems with this system. I'm getting really concerned about the waitlist at this point. Last year I didn't register until late-late. I still got a room at the Hilton for Friday-Monday. This year I am just sitting with my Doubletree room and hoping. I can say I think the second booking my friend has is going to be dropped, but he's keeping it for waitlist purposes right now.

I'm right there with you on safety! I've had really weird things happen in years past even in the main concourse late at night (being followed, having the doors blocked to the hotel so I can be catcalled by a group of older men, etc) so I don't feel safe waiting outside for a shuttle at 3am. I also remember the years where the area by the jack in the box was closed down due to police activity/fights/etc.

The biggest problem is communication, I agree with you. You aren't being a citrus!

I'm so stressed over this year. It's taking my fun vacation (which this is for me) and turning it into way too much work.

At least we have 2 guests announced now.

Nothing over here! I'm on the waitlist for anything at the Hilton or Marriott. I keep checking... I've always had better luck than this with the list! Hoping people will drop closer to the 29th.

If anyone gets something from the waitlist I would love to hear about it. I need hope.

I have a room at the Doubletree but little interest in staying there... Considering not going for the first year since 2006 if I can't get something closer.

And I do know there is a shuttle, but I don't love it. Especially late nights.

Anybody find it strange that the button for hotel registration is still grey and not Yellow? They said that on February 29th General attendees would be open to the public. As of this post it is March 8th. And the button is still grey... boy do I sure feel sorry for the people the didn't register before the cut-off date which was 2/17.

Oh, they randomly opened it on the 26th at 6pm I guess. I found it through the help and FAQs... Secret link!

Fanime is really screwing up this year.

I thought Fanime was opening general bookings on the 29th... What time did it open on the 26th? I booked that night at around 9 pm. That's pretty awful of them to do.

Also pretty cheesy they haven't updated the book hotel button on the front page, but I guess it doesn't matter much now.

I wonder how many people are SOL this year. This is the worst. I'm wait listed for three closer hotels. I do have the whole weekend though, so that's good. Even if it's at the far away land of the Double Tree.

The 800 number customer service was nice though.

Maybe we can have some guest announcements soon so we can find out what we did all this for!

I think no matter what changes, or what is done, somebody is going to be outta luck. There's only so many reserved rooms after all, especially at connected/close to the convention hotels. I also think it can only be improved upon so much, before there's nothing more than can be done about it.

That is true to a point. Part of the problem is the perceived fairness element. In my opinion we shouldn't have punished those who waited to register for a con that is still months out. For many people it is hard to predict life that far ahead, especially with careers and so on. Because there was no immediate and pressing need I would hazard a guess that many people, like myself, waited. The result of that was a later time slot, meaning we didn't get the hotels needed. Now, if this had been the announced plan in December that would be a different story.
The problem is that Fanime didn't really give everyone a fair shot. It was presented as 'more fair' which is sort of infuriating.

Also, I disagree with the notion that nothing more can be done about it. With a con this size and problems this ongoing you sort of have to keep chipping away with different options.

If I could improve one thing with Fanime, it's the communication. It has really broken down through the past years. We don't have guests announced, hotel changes came up late in the game, there aren't enough people responding to attendees, and a host of other related issues. It's disappointing because we all love attending this con, and also spend a load of money on it.

If you registered on say, the 17th, do you not get a priority booking window? I had to wait to reg this year and it sucks that I don't get a window (even a late one) for hotel... What was the cut off? Just before the email sent out? Not getting a response on Facebook or on email from fanime housing.

To follow the previous post, does anyone know the song from the aforementioned video?

Great year!

Does anyone know where I can watch Imagine, number U5?

To clarify, the luggage should be stored normally at the hotel as it has been in the past?

It was annoying, but I'm more interested in the future years to come.

Hi, peoples! I haven't seen a feedback thread regarding Stage Zero. Firstly, I will say that I adore the anime gameshow. It's a lot of fun and I can watch for hours, and generally do.

Is there any way to see more of that type of programming up on Stage Zero? Maids dancing isn't really my thing, and hours of two guys playing Portal really got to me. Late at night can we do more goofy videos and stuff again? I don't really want to watch two guys play Portal night after night....

It seemed like the programming used to be more varying and amusing.

My only complaint is that I watched Fist of the North Star one night. I wandered back to it another night and it seemed to be the last episode, which was an entire series recap. I would rather see episodes from the beginning or even middle, but I basically saw a recap of everything. I sort of thought the idea of video rooms was in part to give people series to watch, but playing a recap of the entire thing kind of defeats that purpose. We went back another night anyway, and it was the same episode as the first night we went! D'oh! I'd like to see more episodes rather than repeat the same ones if that is possible.

One of my biggest gripes this year was the Marriott refusing to store luggage, and instead directing us to the Fanime item storage. It was cheaper to pay for parking somewhere else once we pulled the car from the valet.
Was this exclusive to the Marriott? I was pretty annoyed that they took away a basic hotel service, and ate an hour of our time because of it.

It just makes me consider staying somewhere else when I never have before. So, again, did other hotels continue to store luggage like I would expect any hotel to do?

[Mango Bunny]

Mango Bunny

I have been wondering how that new system will work. Won't it create a line earlier?
The structure was miles better than last year, I know it's a lot of work. I do wonder if the added effects that have been used are worth it if it seems to put so much strain on the staff.
Intermission didn't really need an act, I felt bad that they were so great but people were up and leaving. Intermission is supposed to be when you get up, not just another part of the show. I think next year's plan sounds better in that regard.
And I know the MC is working hard at it. Last year when people were really frustrated I heard some cruel things yelled out of that frustration, so I do think he's gutsy coming back. I just think his presence could be worked on.
All complaints aside, I will be coming back next year, as I always do.

The line sucked. We got in line early to get a good seat. We asked info to confirm the start time of 5pm since we didn't have our paper schedule on us. They said 4. We got in line at 3:15 or so. Then we came to find out info was wrong. Then the whole shebang got pushed back another half hour. You know what is the worst thing about having the masquerade early? Waiting in the hot as lava sun. I stood in the sun with nowhere to sit the entire time. I got sick from it, actually. I started getting really dehydrated and not great feeling, but I didn't have anything I could do about it.
We got in eventually and I felt sick through the whole event.
The masquerade usually has an intro video (we have for most years) and an opening act. The band was a horrible experience, so I am not complaining about that, but we've had other performances such as taiko or martial arts that were really fun. They set a tone for the event and reeled people in. This year the MC stood up, basically said that this one wouldn't suck and left. Oh, after someone messed up the first walk on.
A few years ago Fanime made a move to separate walk-ons at the beginning because we were getting so many, and because it's really depressing when we hear "This is the final act! Please welcome..." and it's a character that walks on and leaves. That happened this year, and honestly it kills any momentum the show has when it's constant walk-ons.
The MC is lackluster, I appreciated the more to the point approach this year, as I wasn't the biggest fan last year. It just doesn't work. Please consider another MC. He seems like a good guy, but he seemed like people were rushing him to stop talking and it was sort of weird.
I felt like performances this year were lackluster. There were some fun ones, but it seemed like there wasn't a lot of variety or excitement. I think this was compounded by the walk-ons.
The intermission was cool, but I was going to stand up to find a drinking fountain and then suddenly things were happening. That's not really an intermission. Their performance was good. It's too bad everyone had already started walking out and the lights were on, but also sometimes off.
It was really disorganized. The music timings and lighting and so forth were still all over the place.
The whole thing felt rushed and short, and I walked out feeling sick from the sun and dazed and confused by the presentation.

I'm going to be that guy that brings steak and tri-tip for my electric grill and cook it there in my room. but personally, I got last year the 7 treasures from 7 treasures, and made it last for a good chunk of it.

That's like the worst idea ever. I can't imagine that doesn't violate fire code. I also can't imagine having to get the smell of cooking out of the room after you leave.
Don't be a dick, don't cook anything in the room. It's so hideously inconsiderate to the overloaded hotel staff.

I want Yoshiki to come back again! MMHMM.

Does anyone have any plans/improvements for their personal con experience next year?

I'm cosplaying. Fo' sho'.
I'm also going to get in shape.
I'm going to try harder to make friends? (I say this every year. I still haven't made a con friend.)
Going to bring less food. I have so many snacks left over!

That's all I can think of right now.

Acceptance is where I am. Planning for next year!

I was entirely confused when I had to get up for work the next day. "Is there an event I'm attending???" were my thoughts as a groggily drove away from my house.

No, Tired Me, just work.