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For deposits, I highly recommend using an actual credit card, not a bank debit card or prepaid card. Charges and holds on credit cards can be reversed and adjusted almost immediately, or after 1-2 business days. Debit cards usually take about a week or more because they take money out then put it back in. I hardly see hotels take cash deposits without any sort of card on file.

Back when I reserved a room with my debit card, the charges were finalized 3-4 days after checkout.  Really the drawback to debit for that is (until the security deposit is refunded after checkout when the charges are finalized), you're out the room charges plus the $50-$100/night they tacked on for security charges "just in case".  It makes it so unless your checking account has some financial padding, you could be short on funds.  But yes, for that reason it's best to use credit/cash, but not everyone has a credit card (seems they've become difficult to get the last few years if you're beginning), and not everyone is comfortable handling roughly $400 in cash at once.  So while debit/prepaid is probably the third best choice in terms of deposits, for some it might be the best/easiest option.

1) For at-con registration, I would really recommend getting there at 7 or 8.  The line gets fairly long after that, and you'll be waiting 2 hours easily.  If you get there early, though, you might be able to make it only an hour or so.

2) Panels are first-come first-serve, and like others have noted, whether they fill up or not depends on the popularity of the topic.  I would recommend getting to them 20 minutes early just to be on the safe side.  I have seen panels get so full that they had to turn people away.

3) The food in the convention center is fairly expensive, so I wouldn't recommend going there.  Instead, there are plenty of inexpensive eateries around, like McDonald's (only 2 blocks away from the Marriott side of the center), Subway, Hoagie Steak Out (a cheese steak place about a block closer to the center than McD's), La Victoria Taqueria (right next to Hoagie), etc.  True the lines will likely be really long, but the food's good, and you'll be paying about half of what you would be at the center for more food.

4) I would definitely recommend bringing some water.  San Jose gets really hot, and when you factor in how much walking you'll likely be doing, it's a good idea to keep hydrated.  Believe me, you DON'T want to get cornered into buying a bottled water from a center vending machine for $4 (complete robbery).

5) Unfortunately I'm not familiar with a lot of parking since my roommate and I stick to what we know.  If you don't mind shelling out $20/day there's the convention center's parking, though they fill up quickly.  Like, I think if you try to get in there after 10/10:30 you likely won't find a spot.  I know there's also parking right next to the Fairmont (they charge quite a bit though, last time I checked), and I believe there's also one by Psycho Donuts, but I don't know what their rates are.

6) Personally, unless you are able to cover a lot of ground, I don't think one day is enough to experience the entirety of Fanime.  There's simply too much going on.  There's 24 hour gaming (with tournaments), 24 hour anime screenings, cosplay gatherings for different games/series/movies every day, musical acts from morning to night at Stage Zero, panels that change daily, the Maid Cafe (which I believe is only open Sat/Sun), and day-specific activities like the Masquerade, Music Fest, and Black and White Ball.  Going one day is sufficient to give you a taste and introduction to the con if you haven't been before, but it's not enough to see the whole thing.  To do that, you really need a weekend badge, but that also comes with needing a room, and unless you're willing to book somewhere 2.5 miles away, that isn't really possible this close to it.

So i paid for the pre-registration via paypal, is there anything else i need when i go pick up my badge aside from my ID? will they just have it ready for me as i show my id? or do i need some sort of reciept?

You don't need a receipt, but there is a document you will need in addition to your ID.  A few days before the con, Fanime will load e-postcards to the accounts those who registered early.  You will need to print this out and bring it with you.  To access it, simply log in to your registration account (you had to create one to buy the pass), and it should be there.  Note though, that Fanime usually doesn't upload them until a couple days beforehand, so it will still be a little while before you can see it and print it out.

If I need to change my reservation from Friday-Sunday to Saturday-Sunday could I do that via the booking site I used to make the reservation or would I need to email or call Fanime Housing to change it?

I'm fairly certain you have to call Fanime Housing to get that changed.  They're usually really helpful on that line, so it shouldn't be too hard to arrange that for you.  Here's the contact information from another post in the thread:

Monday - Friday, 6am - 6pm (Pacific Time)
(800) 924-4232 (Toll Free U.S. & Canada)
(415) 979-2282 (Outside U.S. & Canada)
[email protected]

I see. While I'm sure you're doing everything in your power to try and tweak things, I think I'm going to give Fanimecon a miss, then. A wait of less than an hour would be nice, but realistically from what I've seen I'd have to be out the door at 6am to drive down there and get that far ahead in line, and that's not going to happen. Thanks for your reply, though. I appreciate it.

I hope you don't mind non-staff chiming in, but I have a question for you.  Given that you don't want to wait in the at-con line, why not register early online?  It's cheaper, and the wait isn't nearly as long.  Are you unable to do early registration?

I have to agree with royjovero and Andy here.  Yes not all of San Jose is safe, but I feel some of the other posters are making a bigger deal out of things than need be.  The original post was about going from the con center to the Fairmont, right?  In that case, I don't see why you would have any problems.  The streets all VERY well-lit in that area, there are usually always at least a few other con-goers out at the same time, and the hotel is only 2 crosswalks away.  Yes, sometimes there's a homeless person sleeping in a doorway by the hotel, but don't bother them and they won't bother you.  Now if we were talking about walking several blocks away to a rowdy nightclub in the area, then you definitely shouldn't head in there alone.  But for the Fairmont, you don't need to worry.

You would probably get better results by posting this in the Roommate Thread: http://forums.fanime.com/index.php/topic,17817.0.html  Good luck!

Technically speaking pre-reg starts the last day of the year previous so 2013 reg started end of May 2012. I believe at the time it was $35 for the whole weekend. For those looking for the prices it is typically from when reg opens till noon on Monday of the convention.

True, but there is the whole online pre-reg window before the convention too, which as kookiekween stated is about $50.  It probably won't be up until January or February though, if ewu's comments on another registration thread are any indication.

For those solely interested in badge prices for registering at-con, they usually look like this (please note these are approximate prices, based on numbers from previous years and are not the stated FanimeCon prices for 2013):
Full weekend - $60-65
Friday - $40
Saturday - $50
Sunday - $40
Monday - $35

Bottom line though, is the badges likely won't be coming up soon, and they're all more expensive than $20.

So message Jason David Frank he was the actor who played Tommy in power rangers for those who didnt know, and he said he would love to come to fanime 2013. He just needs the invite. So if you guys want him there cause I know i do email him [email protected]  and he will get back to you.
Please and Thank you,
-Nael

OMG, that would be amazing to have Jason David Frank at Fanime 2013!    ;D

wait what fanime discount? last time i got that was 2009 i want it again :l

Have you been booking rooms through the Fanime Housing site?  If so, then you've been getting the discount.  That portal displays hotel prices that only Fanime attendees can take advantage of.  Honestly, I would be really shocked if you haven't been going through the site since that would mean you've been booking extremely early, as the portal usually doesn't open until a few months until the con.

I loved the Parkside Hall!  Yes it was a couple minutes away from the CC, but it had a LOT more space than the Fairmont's Imperial Ballroom, and wasn't nearly as crowded.  Plus, due to the larger room size there wasn't nearly as much of a line, so you could pretty much go right in rather than spend 45 minutes in line like at the Fairmont.  I would love it if the ball was held there again for 2013 =).

Pros:
- Rovers seemed much friendlier than last year.
- Epic cosplays!
- Wonderful Artist Alley.
- Much appreciated pocket schedules, though it would have been nice to have event end times on there too since my roommate and I were confused about when the Black and White Ball was closing.
- Moving the Ball to the Parkside Hall.  Having it at the Fairmont last year wasn't very convenient since the room was very small, there was a massive 30-45 minute line to get in, there weren't any bathrooms, and if you had to walk out, you had to wait in line again to be allowed back in.  Having it at the Parkside Hall was a VAST improvement though, since the room was easily large enough for all the dancers, there were bathrooms, almost no line, and you could walk out of the room for a couple minutes without being penalized for it.


Cons:
- I know many others have mentioned this, but the lines were fairly long.  I waited in the pre-reg line for 2 hours (1 1/2 hours longer than I've ever had to wait before) before finally getting my group's badges.  I do realize though that the whole situation likely had to do with the power outage Thursday, and at least the line was moving.  Still, I was just amazed at how long it took in comparison to other years.
- The Swap Meet.  I love going to it, but I don't think having it at the Fairmont was a good decision.  Separating the sellers into two rooms with two different lines was a bit stupid, and waiting in line for 30 minutes to get in wasn't very fun.  Yes there was generally a line when it was done in the gaming hall, but it only took maybe 10-15 minutes max.  Plus, I missed being able to walk among the sellers and also easily slip back into the convention when I was done.  Yes the Fairmont is only about a 5-10 minute walk, but it's nice to seamlessly go from the swap meet to the rest of the con instead of trekking to and fro, especially when it's at night.
- The Dealer's Hall seemed a little flat.  I don't know if it was just me, but it seemed like most of the merchandise was shirts, figures, some plushies, and hair accessories.  That stuff's good and all, but more variety would have been nice.  Maybe a few more food vendors along with movies, music and games.

Overall though it was a great con and I can't wait for 2013 =D.

It all depends on if the room is ready or not.  When my roommate and I checked in last year at the Hilton at 2, the room was ready despite it being an hour before the official check-in time.  I told the person at the desk I was shocked (in a good way), and they told me they had cleared the rooms out early in anticipation of con attendees =).  Sooo, no harm in trying to check in early and seeing what happens!

Hate to break it to you, but it doesn't look like Day 0 isn't happening in your situation.  When you make the account online, you do not have the memberships locked in yet.  They are only made official once you have paid, and you NEED to do it before early registration closes since after that, the system doesn't accept any more payments as far as I know.  So paying online now probably isn't an option.  And since you can't buy memberships at the con on Day 0, you're stuck with getting a badge on Friday, waiting in line, and paying full price ($65) for it.

I plan on registering atcon and I am wondering if I need an ID to register then. The FAQ says an ID is needed for pre and early registration, but is one also needed for atcon registration?

Also for 16+ events such as Yaoi Bingo(Sunday), is an ID still needed?

I'm fairly certain you don't need an ID for at-con registration.  Back when I did that process 5 years ago, all I had to do was fill out a form with my name, age, address, etc, but no ID was required.  If one of the mods wants to correct me on this though, I want to apologize ahead of time if I got anything wrong.

Hi, just saw the post about the Parent Consent & Waiver Form for minors. It's a great idea and much more convenient!
However, my parent is a little bit uncomfortable about providing a copy of their driver license/form of identification.
After you receive the forms and the copies of identification, what do you do with them/where do they go?
Thank you!

I don't really have an answer for you, but the post says if you have any questions to email [email protected]  Hope you can get some information from them!

Ah, well, thank you very much for the replies!

I actually have one more question. I am under 18 and going to be taking part in the Karaoke Contest. My mother wants to accompany me. Would she need a badge for Friday as well?

If she wants to be in the Karaoke Room, I believe so.

I can't quite remember if they check for badges there, but I'd say she should get one just to be on the safe side.

I happened to miss the Pre-Registration block, but I'm worried that if I go there after school (around 3 o'clock) that the size of Fanime might make the staff push people away. (First year, here, very clueless)

Can someone clarify what happens?

If you go to after 3 pm, you can of course still gain entry to the con.  All you have to do is (when you get there) wait in line for registration at the convention (the long line to the right when you walk into the center).  It will be a little bit more expensive than online registration ($65 vs $60 by the end of online registration), but you will definitely be able to get in.  Basically, the differences between online registration and doing it at the center are 1) it's cheaper, 2) it's not as long of a wait.

Anyone know at least when electronic post cards will be issued, i.e. something more specific than the standard "sooner" before the Con?  Thanks for any reply. 

If I'm not mistaken they're usually released a week before the con.  They should be there by Tuesday next week at the latest for people coming for Day 0.

I'd highly suggest you either:
1) Use a passport for identification if you have one
2) If you don't have a passport, get a state ID ASAP (you don't need to be a certain age to get one)
or 3) If you have someone else in the group who DOES have an ID, email registration so they can be named the group leader instead.

Unfortunately birth certificates won't work because those don't have a picture of you on them.  But yeah, if you don't have an ID and can't get one before the con, swap your group leader title with someone else who DOES have an ID by emailing [email protected] so the badges can be picked up.