what is up with eternal members registration

[tchouli.livejournal.com]

Why did this year's eternal member registration start 30 minutes to 1 hour after onsite and other registrations had already opened.? I  was under the impression that eternals are considered VIPs. Granted our line was not long; but, it is kind of sad that onsite registration opened before the eternal registration line did. This meant that people just walking in off the street were done before our door was even open.

This will be the 3rd year in a row that something has gone wrong in the eternal registration line whether it was computer problems or a delay in registration or other issues.

So basically what i am askin is just what is the benefit of being an eternal???? 

Comments

[skzb73.livejournal.com]

You get to go an exclusive party just for Eternals, Staff and Guests on Thursday night. And when the Eternal line is open, it is really, really short. I only had 3 people ahead of me when I got my Eternal Badge this year. Past years have been similar.

But other than that, you get nothing. No getting ahead in any other line, no special treatment of any kind. Which I am fine with. I don't want to see DragonCon turn into a tiered system like many other conventions.

The price has more than doubled since I got my EM 4 years ago. I don't think I'd pay the current price of 1,000.00 (yes, a thousand dollars) now.

[tchouli.livejournal.com]

i have been an eternal for 7 years and there just has always been issues with the registration. but i really was just curious as to why eternal registration did not open for about an hour after all others had opened. why didn't it open at the same time?

[puskunk.livejournal.com]

Eternal didn't open late, regular opened early. Sorry, but that's the way it worked out.

[veracity]

I wanted to get an Eternal membership last year, but the price was astronomical since there's no guarantee how often I'd be able to use it since I'm going out state. $1000? That's a month's rent. I can't justify that money, no matter how much I'd like to have one.

[alaskan-blue.livejournal.com]

Ugh.... As much as I would love one, I just can't justify paying that much money for something that I would have to use every year for at least 15 years straight to save money.

[akasha63.livejournal.com]

Did you notice that Eternal Memberships went up to $1000? Egads that is a bit ridiculous.

[sushithegreat.livejournal.com]

I'm so sad. When I started going in '96 it was still $250, but I was a teenager and wasn't able to afford it. Now that I could see dropping the money for it it's gone up to $1000 and I can't see paying that, especially when it's usually $50 when you register at the con for next year. I'd have to go for 20 years to get my money's worth!

[hikaruchan.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I wish I had been able to afford eternal in the 90s. There is no way I would buy it now.

[alaskan-blue.livejournal.com]

That's EXACTLY what I just said in another comment. I don't even know if I'll still WANT to go to conventions in 20 years, or can afford the hotel and airfare. :(

[tchouli.livejournal.com]

that is high.

[charismaryllis.livejournal.com]

yowie. i was actually thinking about it for a minute there at $750, but certainly not at $1000.

[feuervogel]

Ditto.

[tchouli.livejournal.com]

i was in line on thursday and it did not open at the same time. there were regular con attendees from onsite that came over to our line who had their badges. so i have no idea.

[tchouli.livejournal.com]

you misunderstood my post which is ok. i only wondered why we did not get to register at the same time as others. i was not asking nor expecting to get to register before anyone else. and i certainly do not nor did not think that being an eternal meant you were a rock star. i did think it meant a faster registration. not a "before everyone else" registration just faster since there are less of us.

all i know is that i was about 10th in line or so and people came by who were not staff who had their badges. and we had not started yet.

but i was really just curious as to what the holdup was, if there was one.

[tchouli.livejournal.com]

no worries - i am an eternal because i really enjoy d*c and i get a really cool ribbon :)

but seriously, registration has always been the most hectic and tedious aspect of d*c for everyone, both staff and attendees.

and our line wasn't bad at all - it could have been worse we could have been in the ticketmaster line - now that was awful.

[greenskates.livejournal.com]

Hi.

I'm the director of said department. Sorry for delay, I've been in hospital and am now undergoing chemo. We actually opened ten minutes early, but, with that, we were up, ready to go and made that line go VERY quickly.

I'm sorry that was an issue for you. I'll keep it mind for next year.

[tchouli.livejournal.com]

oh yes the eternal line did move right along once registration opened for eternals. i just didn't realize that some of the other lines just opened up earlier, not that eternals was late in registering like i originally thought.

Eternal

[glowingdome.livejournal.com]

We did on site and likely will from now on. It didn't take all that long to get our badges on Thursday afternoon but they definitely did not start until the announced time. We got into the line earlier but sales did not start when people were lining up.

We might buy eternals but still get no real answers as to how good the party with the guests turns out. We might buy eternals just for that if we knew more.

[omahastar.livejournal.com]

"intensive purposes"? ROFLMAO!

[http://users.livejournal.com/mad_brilliant_/]

there were regular con attendees from onsite that came over to our line who had their badges.

You probably saw me. :) I waited in the pre-reg line while my friend waited in the Eternal/Guest/whatever line. My line was let in about 2pm. (That was a hoot walking through the maze, by the way. Everyone was laughing. Fun times.) After I got my badge, I went to the Eternal/Guest/whatever line to find my friend, and she hadn't been let in yet. So yeah.

[ojiikun.livejournal.com]

I went down on Thursday afternoon around 4:15 and walked right in and out with my eternal badge in less than 5 minutes. This was much improved compared to last year when the eternal/guest line was combined, and I stood in it from 4:30 - 5:15 (behind, I might add, the most annoying handler on earth).

From my experience, this year was perfection - you could waltz in and get your badge a full 18 hours before the beginning of the convention, no wait.

][

[tchouli.livejournal.com]

that is great
i think it was just because we were right there at kickoff time as it were and they were still setting up.

and i agree gettingyour badge early, regardless, is good.

[encandescent.livejournal.com]

Well, going to a party is nice and all, but Egads, $1000 bucks? I honestly had considered it a few years ago but didn't have the money. Now, no way in heck, not when I can prereg for $50 bucks.

I would consider an Eternal Membership...

[trybutez.livejournal.com]

...if there was a Marriott room block set aside specificially for Eternals. Still first come, first serve, of course. That would make the $1000 quite tempting.

Otherwise, I'm not going to cry over the fact I missed getting one in the '90s. Ah well. Such is life.

Re: I would consider an Eternal Membership...

[glowingdome.livejournal.com]

...if there was a Marriott room block set aside specifically for Eternals. Still first come, first serve, of course. That would make the $1000 quite tempting.

Otherwise, I'm not going to cry over the fact I missed getting one in the '90s. Ah well. Such is life.

Why does everyone like the Marriott so well? Other than the restaurants there I find it the least amenable hotel.

Also, I'm not crying over spilled beer from the '90s nor wasting 20 year old Scotch on the Decade to come. D*Con is just a fun time.

Re: I would consider an Eternal Membership...

[3horn.livejournal.com]

Because unlike another hotel which shall remain nameless, the staff isn't constantly yelling at you.

Additionally, it's a bit more centrally located.

Re: I would consider an Eternal Membership...

[meowwl.livejournal.com]

It's also got the softest, most cushy and comfy beds.

Re: I would consider an Eternal Membership...

[pixiekingtom.livejournal.com]

I find the crowd control staff to be very pleasant and well mannered. "Please head to one side or the other, we need this space clear for traffic" None of the "You need to MOVE! Do NOT stop, keep MOVING please!". that, and it's more centrally located

[jarissa.livejournal.com]

I've blathered at length elsewhere on the Eternal tag (http://community.livejournal.com/dragoncon/tag/eternal+memberships) about how happy I am with all of my Eternal experiences, including strolling in and strolling right back out on Thursday evening after hotel check-in. I had no idea they'd had any trouble getting set up at the start of Registration, though! I'm usually going through it at five thirty or so. Do you think, Tchouli, that it would be reasonable for folks like you and me to contact the VIP staff a couple of weeks ahead of time, and ask how we can help them get set up on Thursday?

It's not like we need that Staff badge to justify a little effort on our parts, after all: we're still going to be badged and strolling away while our more transient cousins are still getting used to being in line!

[tchouli.livejournal.com]

"Do you think, Tchouli, that it would be reasonable for folks like you and me to contact the VIP staff a couple of weeks ahead of time, and ask how we can help them get set up on Thursday?

It's not like we need that Staff badge to justify a little effort on our parts, after all: we're still going to be badged and strolling away while our more transient cousins are still getting used to being in line!"


i like that idea - i would be more than happy to help. i am usually there by 10am on thursday anyway.

[materpenitentia.livejournal.com]

We went through at around 5ish, and Jason and Grant from Ghost Hunters was there with their crew getting their packages and badges. When I was introducing my mom and my dog to them, they wondered how we got through registration so fast and were envious of the eternal member line. lol

[braidedmane.livejournal.com]

As others pointed out, Eternal registration started on time--it was regular registration that started early. We arrived right when they were SUPPOSED to open, and they had already been open for more than an hour.

Registration wait

[watcher652.livejournal.com]

As a non-Eternal, I can tell you I waited 2 hours and 45 minutes to get my registration badge Thursday evening, so Eternals saved themselves that long wait.

[eklecticamy.livejournal.com]

Does anyone know what time Eternal reg opens on Thursday? I will be there earlier in the day next year.

[atlpatrick.livejournal.com]

I think officially registration opens at 4:00pm on Thursday (that's all registrations: Eternal, Pre-Reg and On Site), but that if enough volunteers are there and all the systems are active, the registration will open earlier. I think On Site and Pre Reg know the lines that are going to await them, so they go to a great effort to open earlier on Thursdays.