First Time DC'er

[kbuff.livejournal.com]

Next weekend will be my first Dragon*Con ever and I could NOT be more excited! I have a few questions that I haven’t been able to easily locate in other posts:

 

1.       Do you have to have a badge for the parties? If you don’t have a badge will there be other parties you can get into?

2.       Should I buy a badge before or after the parade Saturday morning? I probably can’t get one before that…

3.       I’d like to do this as cheaply as possible (I know some things are unavoidable, though). Any tips on how to navigate this weekend on the cheap?

4.       I’m starting to get to understand the tracks, etc. I want all things Whedonverse this weekend. Any recommendations? Also, it will only be myself and another friend of mine going. Any Whedon peeps who want to meet up and bev up, holler!

Comments

[cyberdragon56.livejournal.com]

you pretty much need a badge for everything except the parade and hotel lobby watching. The badge lines are very long, so watch the parade first. For what you get, the badge is a HUGE bargain.

[sparr0.livejournal.com]

Watch the parade first? Like, skip the first two days and nights of the con before you buy a badge? Say what?

[ncb1.livejournal.com]

HQ for the Whedonverse is the Westin hotel. Besides the panels etc, Browncoats:Redemption, a fan film for charity will premiere Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Westin ballroom followed by the Shindig at 10p.m. Badges required at both.

[silverbrow.livejournal.com]

1. You will need a badge to get into any official Dragon Con parties (i.e. anything listed in the programming guide) This being Dragon Con...there will be 'unofficial' parties everywhere, you just have to look for em.

2. I'm not sure what time registration opens on saturday....looking at the e-mail I got about volunteering I'd guess it's 8am but don't quote me on that. (Can anybody confirm/correct?) Parade starts at 10, if you want a good view I'd get there early. So, if registration does indeed open at 8, then you'd be able to get it before with no worries.

3. Make use of the con suite, they have food. My friends and I also bring breakfast and snacky (anything that doesn't need to be refrigerated, or can be kept in a cooler for a few days, usually fruit, granola bars, pop tarts, etc) things with us and keep them in our room, so we only buy 1 meal a day - dinner. We also bring a case or two of soda and bottled water.

[muerandah.livejournal.com]

According to this, http://dailydragon.dragoncon.org/2010/2010-registration-hours/
you are correct in the 8am Saturday badge/registration buy.

[kimberworld.livejournal.com]

Sometimes the hotels will check for badges and/or room keys before letting people into the building. That might happen if it gets too busy, but not all the time.

Many private parties will give those with badges entry before those without, so just keep that in mind.

Enjoy your first DragonCon!

[eidolon-bird.livejournal.com]

1. If you get invited to a private room party, badges usually aren't required. Some check ID at the door to make sure they aren't handing alcohol to minors.

2. Badge lines on Saturday are insane. How much do you want to see the parade? Either get in line at 5am, or go during the parade if you don't mind skipping it, otherwise plan on not being able to buy a badge until after noon. (Alternately, if you are of the "time is money" school of thought, you might want to keep your eye on this community and snap up one of the membership transfers being sold for $80 or $90.)

3. Avoid the food court and restaurants at all costs. (With the possible exception of that wonderful place with the shawarma, as one of those can easily feed two people.) We stock up on lunch meat, cheese, peanut butter and jelly, bread, condiments, fruits and vegetables and small, easily prepared items such as cup o' soup mixes, trail mix, instant oatmeal, granola bars and some candy bars. Perishables go in a small cooler - fill with ice from the ice machines a couple times each day. Everything is bought on sale before the con, and we usually have enough food to feed people at least two meals a day. Grand total spent per person: under $10 for the entire weekend.
In addition to that, avoid the hotel bars if at all possible. The mixed drinks at the Pulse bar in the Marriott are stronger than some bars, but run about $10 apiece. If you have time, bring in your own liquor. Don't make it obvious as the hotels will charge a corkage fee - slip it in a suitcase or backpack instead of carrying it in a cooler or out in the open.
(Yes, there is the ConSuite in the Hyatt and they usually have some sort of munchy food and sometimes even real food, but lines can be horribly long and you really shouldn't count on it as your sole source of nutrition for the weekend.)

4. I believe Whedonverse is with the alt. history/steampunk track over in the Westin. It's a bit of a walk, but not much farther than the Sheraton. If you plan on walking back to your hotel after dark (especially if you plan on drinking), make sure to walk with a couple other people, ignore panhandlers, safety, blahblahblah.

[eidolon-bird.livejournal.com]

In contrast to one of the above commenters, I think bottled water is a ridiculous idea. The hotels will have plenty of water available in the form of water fountains and water dispensers located around the panel rooms. Bring a bottle with you and refill it every available opportunity rather than wasting money on over-priced filtered tap water in plastic bottles that will just end up in an ocean or landfill somewhere.

[neovenom.livejournal.com]

+1 There are lots of water sources throughout the con. A container is all you need, if even that.

[kiantewench.livejournal.com]

Sometimes at night, the Hotels have security and DragonCon Security will be checking for badges to even get into the Hotel. Hotels are considered private property and have the right to refuse you entry if you do not have a key and/or a badge.

Even some room parties require badges. The reason for this is that we have a ton of jocks in town who want to use this con as a free booze ride. People who are throwing these parties want to make sure it is Dcon ppl because that is who they are spending their money on (usually its a party to promote something like another con or a costuming company)

You definitely cannot get into anything official Dcon without a badge, no rooms, no auditoriums, and certain more public seeming areas. My recommendation is get it before Saturday, but.... if not, good luck.

[kbuff.livejournal.com]

Thanks all. Based on what I've heard I'm going to get there Friday and buy a 4 day pass (seems like the best deal and then I only have to stand in line once). Hopefully I can still get one around 7pm... I appreciate the input and your suggestions will hopefully save me a lot of time and mula!

[con-tourage.livejournal.com]

Most room parties are just word of mouth and don't require a PASS. Best thing to do...when you meet someone new, just ask them if they know of any parties or what's happening later on.

But there are some other parties that do require a pass (and I.D. check) that aren't official Dragon*Con events. CON*tourage is hosting TWO late-night parties that attendees will have to have a "party specific" pass (not a D*Con badge) and also bring their I.D. for door security.

Want more info. on these parties? Check them out here:
http://www.con-tourage.com/2010/08/27/whenwhere-to-pick-up-party-passes-to-contourages-exclusive-parties-at-dragoncon-2010/

Have a great time...Dragon*Con is an AMAZING experience...just take it all in stride!

www.CON-tourage.com