This will be my second time coming to Fanime, and my second con. Last time I wanted to come to day 0, but several other members of the group I was a part of couldn't make it, so we didn't get there till Friday afternoon. This year it looks like I will be going solo, (although I am hoping to find some people to share my car with, and hopefully some roommates.) I am about a 3.5-4 hour drive north, and I was wondering if it would be worth it to come down for Day 0. I'm still very inexperienced.
Perceived Potential Cons:
Have to pay for an additional day at the hotel
Possibly harder to find people to carpool with
Possibly harder to find roomates
Possible Pros:
Possibly shorter lines
Possibly less traffic
Day 0 swap meet
Other events
I could be missing other items on both sides. So what do you think? Do/would you go to Day 0, and why/why not?
Personally I enjoy day 0. It really helps to build anticipation for the con... and it gets the worse part out of the way right at the start.
If you're getting a hotel room, you might want to weigh the cost of that against it.
If you're checking in on Day Zero, it allows you to establish your room even before the convention starts. You're not in a rush on the day of the convention to get your stuff and your roommates' stuff in the room when you might be potentially be missing out on an event like Opening Ceremonies. It also allows you to make multiple trips for food or additional supplies knowing that you're not missing out on the con. You can sleep easy on Thursday knowing that you can sleep in a bit going into Friday (unless you're like me who wakes up on Friday like any other time to take photos of early Day One).
For me, I love day zero, cause time is your friend then, theres no rush, and you get to scout out some of the people that come day zero in Cosplay, and (if you are willing) work staff and or volunteer in the beginning to work back your pass so you can have a more balance on your cost and profits on going.
Two words- swap meet. It's only on day zero and day one it's where I do most of my shopping.
Personally, I tend to treat day 0 as an additional day of the con. What with the previous few having their mixups and long waits, instead of taking it in as a horrid waiting experience, I take the time to make friends with those in line around me, play a board game or two, have a casual cosplay going on, just have fun with it~ :3
I've been to Day Zero since I was in high school. I've almost always found it worth my time on that day to get my badge early.
Day Zero makes the following days more convenient. Rather than getting your room and/or badge day-of events, you get yourself prepped up for the actual event! Coincidentially, by so many people going to Day 0, popular events sprouted during this day...
I'll say do it, if you can afford it. Its better to kill a few hours waiting in line for your badge on day zero than having to miss part of day one in line.
Even if you come at night on day zero and not pick up your badge you'll still have a good night sleep and wake up nice and early day one with out having to look for parking, checking into your hotel room, etc..
And you'll find lots of people that are willing to come with you on day zero. so there is no loss there.
Day zero is totally worth it. I am especially looking forward to it this year because the teacher I hate the most has his final on that day. After its done I get to go relax at linecon 2014 with a bunch of cool strangers in the newly removed convention center, and I think that is the best way to unwind.
Day 0 is like a rolling preview of the next 4 days of Fanime. While waiting in line, there will be a lot of people walking by and entertainment in line; all before the convention officially starts (hence Day "0").
If it's "worth it", it depends. IF it happens to be similar to last year(s), then not really, unless you happen to have school or work on Friday morning or afternoon and use up most of Fanime Friday in line.
Quote from: Otakuya on February 11, 2014, 09:07:04 PM
IF it happens to be similar to last year(s), then not really
Hopefully since the center is done we wont get a repeat of the last two years, with the power outages and where badge pick up is located and all.
Quote from: Anix on January 28, 2014, 10:42:08 PM
Two words- swap meet. It's only on day zero and day one it's where I do most of my shopping.
I want to agree because day zero is only worth it to have friends around playing board games while waiting in the line! that way your open to have time on the other days.
Swap meet day zero is the only good event people like to go.
the only draw back with day zero is a series of unfortunate events (black outs, lack of communication, misplacements (the black out example they were moving people in groups and eventually our group got lost and went into a big walk around the hotel)
I think it's worth it. I'm going to San Francisco that day. Coming from Indiana, I always have to visit there and we like to get it out of the way this year. I hope to be back in time to get my badge and check out the swap meet before getting much needed sleep in preparation for cosplay. :)
Ill tell u right now. DAY ZERO IS NOT WORTH IT. hint: get your badge early friday morning.
Quote from: EJAY420 on February 12, 2014, 09:47:35 AM
Ill tell u right now. DAY ZERO IS NOT WORTH IT. hint: get your badge early friday morning.
Because of the issues with picking up badges most of the Day0 events they don't even check for badges.
Quote from: Anix on February 13, 2014, 12:02:34 AM
Because of the issues with picking up badges most of the Day0 events they don't even check for badges.
Actually, Thursday events have been unbadged for many years. It is meant to be a preview of sorts of the convention. Additionally, the events are often not fully set up by opening time on Day 0. However, the events start to become badged at 8am Friday morning.
Quote from: ewu on February 13, 2014, 12:44:21 AM
Quote from: Anix on February 13, 2014, 12:02:34 AM
Because of the issues with picking up badges most of the Day0 events they don't even check for badges.
Actually, Thursday events have been unbadged for many years
Around 2011 [year of the black out] (IT WASN"T!)
they made rules clearly stating thursday was a badge event, so i had to wait in line to have it.
SADLY when i arrived with the badge, i lost my spot for swap meet, and they broke their own rules...
I am hoping something like this NEVER happens again!
Quote from: Hachimitsu-ink on February 13, 2014, 02:08:23 PM
Around 2011 [year of the black out] (IT WASN"T!)
they made rules clearly stating thursday was a badge event, so i had to wait in line to have it.
SADLY when i arrived with the badge, i lost my spot for swap meet, and they broke their own rules...
I am hoping something like this NEVER happens again!
You needed a badge to sell at the swapmeet, but not to attend the swapmeet and buy things, but semantics...
I actually didn't book a hotel for Thursday Day 0, or for Friday Day 1, mostly due to my proximity to the convention center where I live. I plan to pick up my badge on Day 0 and pal around but usually I don't attend much of the Day 0 activities.
The same goes for Friday as well, all of the Fanime events that I regularly attend are always on Saturday and Sunday of the con. For people with previous con experience who know what events they like it can sometimes be beneficial to save money by not booking Day 0.
It's all personal preference. I appreciate that they HAVE a Day 0 for people to get acclimated though. :D
We checked in on Day Zero last year just to avoid the hectic chaos that is check-in day. We got to wake up early and unstressed to get in badge pick up line(I won't go into that, we've all heard it a million times ;)) This year we're doing Day Zero just to pick up our badges in the crazy long line and luckily staying a friends that night who lives in the city. Don't know if we'll be making it to any events, but I'd personally rather wait in the badge line all night than all morning and miss an event on Friday. Plus I have friends registering with us who can't make it until night, so then they won't miss out on two days of the con due to lack on time to get their badge.
Day 0 has been a regular for me since ~2003. Always nice to get your badge before the "official" start. Historically I've gotten there pretty early thursday...like 10 AM - noonish to pick up my badge (or my group's badge, back when that was a thing).
Swap meet is definitely a big hit for Day 0 attendees. I know at least one musicfest guest in the past held a small concert for Day 0 people that I stopped in on.
Anyways, Day 0 is awesome. Definitely recommend it! :D
[copied from the split-off thread]
Last year was the first year I have ever attended day zero. I will probably continue going on Thursday for however long I attend the convention. Getting the basics like hotel and badge out of the way before the convention starts, and having a little bit of downtime was just really, really nice. Fridays are way too hectic.
Personally, I prefer driving up on Day 0, but then my group is looking at a 6-8 hour drive depending on weather/traffic, so getting up there the day before everything really starts is practically a necessity. While it does mean an extra night of hotel costs, IMO it's worth it just for the peace of mind of being able to get there, get all unpacked and settled at the hotel, and get the waiting in line for badge pickup out of the way before the con is actually underway. Plus you can avoid the check-in rush on Day 1 (assuming that you're staying on-site or at least close to the con center) that way. With hotel check-ins usually being sometime after 12pm, trying to do check-in and get your badge and everything is a huge pain in the butt on Day 1.
My group also springs for an extra night the last day of the con, because again, 6-8 hour drive home, and I'd rather do it fully rested the morning after the last day of the con. (My first year at Fanime, we didn't spring for the extra night at the end, and we had a panel from midnight-2am Sunday night, got back to the hotel and to bed around 4am... yeah, long drive Monday afternoon while still freshly afflicted with con fatigue, not fun!) Also, you avoid the check-out rush on Day 4, you can take your time packing your gear and all your con swag instead of having to scramble while there's still convention stuff going on.
Day zero? You mean Line-Con? :)
I've not missed a day 0 in 13yrs, I will add that it is pretty boring compared to the other 4 days. I think its ideal for the vendors, staff, and press so they can link up and party or chill out
I haven't done a day zero, but I plan to this year because the past two years I went, I feel like I missed a lot of panels I wanted to see on Day 1 because I had to drive to San Jose, check into my hotel, stand in line to get my badge, make sure I didn't pass out from starvation, etc. So I'm looking forward to getting that stuff out of the way on day zero so that I can enjoy Day 1!
We're doing Day 0 this year since our friend lives in the area and we're staying with him that night. I really just want to get it out the way so I can enjoy my morning on Friday without waking super early just to sit in line. I'd rather wake up early to go find parking and have fun XD
Been going to Day 0 since my first fanime years ago. Whether it's worth it is up to you, but it definitely has a life of its own. While the line sucks most years (I usually get in around 7am, so I can't really complain lol), having a 3DS, board games, and friends really speeds things up. Last year I joined a game of Cards Against Humanity with some strangers, and then played Korean jacks and Bang! with some friends. The swap meet is great too. As others said, getting your room is much easier and a sigh of relief. All in all, I always go because it's just one more day of vacation for me.
Quote from: Darth_Diclonius on May 09, 2014, 08:17:27 PM
All in all, I always go because it's just one more day of vacation for me.
Even if Fanime didn't open up pre-registration pick-up on Day Zero, this would be my reason to go.
Why wait one more day for Fanime at home when I can just go and hang and wait with everyone.
Day 0 swap meeeeeet~!