Revan
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Posts posted by Revan
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I think it's a fine idea, but back in (...checks old forum posts...) 2019 they had a set of large sheets on the plateau in front of video games area where people were encouraged to write positive messages for... something. (My post said it was Kyo Ani?, though I don't recall what it was about.) Back to my point: despite the good intentions, there were the inevitable jackass messages written on there, along with pictures that reflect this juvenile mindset. (I swear the odds of that happening reach 100% the more people are involved, no matter what the circumstances.)
One of the spots in that area would be a good location for it, if it were to come to pass.
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Another thing to watch out for is that some cards lose value if they're not used for a certain period of time. I picked up a few from my credit union (the activation fees were slightly cheaper than one from a store) for a vacation in the southwest and they had a rule that if you didn't use them for 12 months straight they lost some of their value. (Good thing I did bring them, as the Desert Botanical Garden didn't take cash for admission.) I don't know if I've seen a gift card with a chip, but I haven't really looked for them either.
I started taking them along after a trip to Citizens Bank Park for a Phillies game several years ago and found that they didn't take cash for anything outside the stands. Gift cards are also useful when you want to buy one shot tickets online (like a Renaissance Faire) and don't want to give them credit card or address info.
On the subject of cash admissions, it tickles my fancy to think that they would have money fights a la The Simpsons with the proceeds from the con. (I'd include the gif, but it's too big to embed.)
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I just got home and tried, and it worked no problem. Maybe because they already had my info? Didn't get the cheaper membership, but $5 ain't gonna break the bank (though with the holidays coming up...).
It's nice to get free shipping for badges. I paid / opted for mailing since the option became available. (Don't know how many of us were stuck in this debacle in... 2014(?)
Funny grognard story, to lighten the mood. My original Otakon ID is under 2000. (It worked the last time I tried it.) One year in Baltimore when they still did on-site only, I handed my printout to the person behind the booth and she said "I don't think I've ever seen an ID number that low before." To use the quote "You made a happy man fell very old."
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23 hours ago, Clutch said:
I think anime/manga peaked and is on the downward side of the curve. F.Y.E., Spencer's, Hot Topic, etc. started carrying anime related material when it became hot, but the selection is going down slowly. Now it is just one genre out of other popular ones.
I'd say the merchandise selection being lower is because shopping online has become more prevalent over the years, especially with the lockdown in the past few years. Then again, I've seen anime T-shirts at department stores, the local Barnes & Noble has a section for manga that's the same size, if not larger, than their science fiction section, and there's stuff like Pokemon merchandise in grocery stores and places like Target. There is still stuff out there, but it's not as concentrated in big displays in stores as much as little things here and there. (I was just at a gem show over the weekend, and someone was selling carved figures of Sailor Moon and Pikachu along with the dragons and animals.)
As for the 'downward side of the curve', I'd say it's just the opposite now. Back in the early 90s, I got anime at local comic shows, getting tapes through fansubbers in the mail (I was a member of Anime Hasshin back then. I still treasure my copies of the Seishun Shitemasu collection that I was able to get through them.), buying them from Suncoast Video ($30 for 2 episodes on VHS, at times), or occasionally finding tapes when Blockbuster was clearing out old stock. Today, I can go on Amazon Prime and watch shows, my TV gets Pluto and Tubi which have a lot of different shows both streaming and on demand. (I just finished my watch of the original Sailor Moon, and am currently working on season 2 of Jojo.) That's not even including dedicated services like Crunchyroll. Viewers have more choices available now than ever - there are so many popular shows at this point that I probably couldn't name more than 1/2 the characters in the photos I take at Otakon. (I still take the pix even if I don't know who they are - I just like the costumes.)
I'd say we're closer to the 'Promised Land of the Otaku' from the message in my opening post than ever, and I'm glad to have been on the ride.
N.B. @Clutch It isn't my intention to dunk on you with this. I just got a little long-winded as more examples came to mind as I was typing . I tend to ramble in my old age. 🥰
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* Well, not really. I just have Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in mind.
In honor of Otakon 30, here's the message on the opening page from the original Otakon 1994 program guide.
QuoteFrom the Staff...
You are from ten states, and a hundred communities. you are high school students, college students, service workers, professionals, and families. You belong to a hundred ethnic groups, every social class and way of life. You are the forefront of anime fandom, its agents upon the frontiers and in the lonely places. In the Happy Lands, it is easy to be an otaku: there is an organization in every town, every neighborhood. There are stores and shops throughout the major cities, a culture and a people receptive of our principles, our lifestyle. To be an otaku in the Happy Lands in natural, understood. here, today, the battles have still to be fought. We are in a place where we are not yet accepted, and it is our task and our burden to be an otaku where the otaku are not respected. We are the stormtroopers* of Otakudom! In our wake lies the Happy Land, places where otaku are free to live publically, out of the basements and the clubs. Before us stretches the great unconquered wastes of narrowminded conformity and blinded ethnocentrism! Your are the vector by which the Otakunization shall reach this blighted land! You shall be martyrs and Cultural heroes to our grateful progeny, for you are the ones who made the sacrifices and dared the dreams that shall make their world! The tribes of the Nation have gathered here, in this sleepy college town. From the towns along the Ohio. Form the cities of the Deep South, and the lands of frozen Minnesota. From the suburbs of New Jersey and Maryland, from the urban streets of New York and Philadelphia. The Otaku Nations have met:For We Shall Otakunize the World!
In our wake we shall leave a changed world, a wider world, a better world! We shall open the eyes of the blind, clear the ears of the deaf, and unlock the tongues of the dumb! We have arrived, and the world will never be the same. You may talk of a coming cataclysm, of Apocalypse and revolution. We have something we must tell you:
The Otakunization is here! We are its agents, and we have come!
* History lesson: The original Stormtroopers, led the vanguard of assaults in the latter years of World War I.
Juuuuust a bit bombastic, don't you think? 😀 Though I'd say that we're definitely much more in the Happy Lands nowadays than back then. Congrats on 30, Otakon! See you in July for our 30th anniversary!
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Good:
- As previously mentioned lines weren't bad, and getting in through the Marriott entrance was a breeze. (I started going more 'bare bones' in the past few years - my phone, camera, a water bottle (w/ cold brew tea), a snack or two in the pockets, pen and paper.)
- I got into most of the panels that I wanted to see, and with few criticisms enjoyed myself at them.
- I love my new camera, and I'm almost positive I took a record number of pix this year. (Special note - Thanks to all the attendees who braved the DC heat to come in costume! You're braver than I'll ever be.)
- So far, so good - no symptoms, and I tested negative for Covid when I got home on Sunday.
- Thanks for putting the poster on the back of the map sheet! I have a copy in a folio with my prints.
- Being inclusive. Was that a Pride fan logo outside the WEWCC? I really didn't go out the main doors, taking the Marriott path for the majority of time.
- I was finally able to bring the last of my stuff for the Otakon museum. (A couple of magazines w/ Ota ads and con reports, and the Otakon bag with the 'limited edition' upside down zipper. 🙂
Bad(-ish):
- I don't know whether it's because the attendee numbers are up, but the panel rooms were really crowded this year. The fewest people I saw at a panel was between 80 and 100 (I took a rough count early, and people kept trickling in throughout the hour.), and most of the others were (probably - I was inside already) 'wait outside and hopefully a seat will open up'. The only solutions I can see are either finding larger rooms or more panel rooms, but I don't know how feasible those are.
- I lost my hand fan somewhere on Saturday. Not a big loss, as I paid maybe $3 for it, but it's an annoyance.
- Too many artists, not enough money to support them.
Bad:
- I did something that messed up my back, so that whenever I sat down for too long it would start hurting. I was constantly shifting and moving to try and relieve the pain.
- The decision to have only 2 registers at the Otakon booth. It took me an hour to go through the line to get merch. (Though I do like the sewing kit. I picked one up to keep in my luggage from now on.) I know that there have been some years where they had more registers and no buyers, it's hard finding the right balance.
- At least one panel I was really interested in was scratched at the last minute. I hadn't found out until I looked at one of the Info Desk screens and saw it wasn't there.
Almost Ugly:
- The Marriott entrance at 8 on Friday morning. The staffers let us through, and when we got up the escalator to the WEWCC entrance the guard at the door was trying to send us back down because she hadn't gotten word that they were open. Only problem was that there were people at the bottom of the escalator so you couldn't go up or down. Thankfully it was resolved fairly quickly, and we were soon allowed in to the con.
Ugly:
- The weather. Between heat and humidity or storms you couldn't win for losing. (I mentioned to one person who had a fairly elaborate costume that she was amazing for wearing it in this heat, and she said that she gave the props to her friends so she could go through the quick line and into the air conditioning.)
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When i write these, I try not to ding the presentations as they are contributing more than I am to the con. I wish I could find the paper where I had some notes, but it's somewhere in the vacation stuff I haven't sorted yet. That being said...
Anime Reboots, Understanding the Brotherhood Effect - Looked at reasons why series are being rebooted years, even decades after the original run, for better and for worse. Some of them being the same reasons why Hollywood keeps constantly bringing back properties.
Demon Slayer Traditions: Exploring the translation of traditional art and music into anime - This was a neat presentation about how music from traditional Japanese instruments is in the soundtrack of Demon Slayer, and how different art styles are included in the designs and background of the show.
Tea-riffic - I love tea, and I try to go to these panels because people share my enjoyment of it. There wasn't much I hadn't already heard, but I liked the presentation. (The puns on each slide of the powerpoint presentation were cute.)
You will be at my panel - history of the Yandere - I sort of stopped in this one because I needed a spot to sit and eat, but it wasn't a bad panel. They classified Yandere on a scale of danger - 'mostly' harmless to 'this person will kill you', and examples of different characters who are and aren't yandere.
Hell on a Cel: Best anime fight scenes - Another primarily clip show, but there were some fun scenes in there, including when characters fight dirty.
Greatest Asses of Japanese History - A comedy panel about people and things from Japanese history that were either gender flipped or anthropomorphized (the battleship Yamato?!) into anime characters. The presenters gave an actual history of the subjects, and finished each one with a rating of their posteriors. This one started off with a capacity crowd (and beyond), and there was a steady exodus of people who left. Maybe it was because the presenters spent too long on the history, maybe it was because they were hard to hear, or maybe, like me, there's only so many times you can watch the same joke before you tire of it.
Weirdest Japanese Commercials / Japanese Commercials to make you laugh, cry, and think - These are for all intents and purposes the same panel - minimal commentary from the presenter, mostly just showing commercials. Not that I'm complaining about that, as I've been to both of these before and will try to attend again in the future.
City Pop: The golden age of Japanese music - I love going to panels about music (the panel on jazz in Japan back in 2021 is a personal favorite), but this one was actually rather disappointing. The presenter did give a thorough history of the genre and the performers, but TBH, I wanted more music in a panel on the 'golden age' of music.
I'm not old! Anime characters over 30 - This one really appealed to me, mainly because I have Otakon badges that are almost 30, much less myself. 🥰 A discussion of different characters who are in their 3rd decade of life and beyond. Fun stuff.
Differences in Sci-Fi... - I can't really add much that hasn't already been said above, except to echo that I thought it would be more about how the two different types of science fiction developed, and examples of these differences.
Kia Asayama - This was something I did because I didn't really have any other plans, and I'm glad I did. It was fun hearing about how he - in some ways - lucked into a career as a mangaka, trying to draw a manga adaption of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace without actually being given proper reference material, and other stories.
Japanese religion in anime and pop culture - Talked about the history of religion in Japan, and how religions from Hinduism to Christianity have influence to this day. I like this panel, and really want to see Saint Young Men now.
Hey Spidey, get in the robot! A history of Marvel in Japan - Looked at Mavel's collaborations with Japanese companies over the decades, from animated and manga adaptions of Marvel series to Marvel's attempts to emulate the artistic styles of Japan (e.g. the Marvel Mangaverse line).
Sword Lesbians in Anime - This was a bit of irony for this panel and me. I remembered a panel last year on Phantom Thieves, and thought if the same presenters did this one I would enjoy it. After a few minutes in, I realized that I actually went to this panel last year, but didn't recall it until then. Something that made me laugh was when 3 people came in to the panel, one mentioned not knowing what the panel was about but expected it to be about fan service. I wonder if they were disappointed.
Best of Otakon AMVs: Comedy - I've been to every AMV contest, but there are some of these that I cannot remember. There were one or two that made me wonder what the other entries were like if these were the winners,
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I just noticed that you can view the schedule (sans the Video room schedules) from the main page. I did my usual thing of making a list of panels that could be of interest to me, with alternates in case the room is full. Now I just have to figure out the gaps to go to the dealers room and artists alley, as well as returning to my hotel room to restock my supplies. (Usually this is related to which session of the AMV contest I attend.) So many panels, so little time...
Notes:
I noticed there's not RWBY photoshoot this year - not enough people? Did they go the way of most fandoms and slip down the ladder of popularity. (I'm just thinking of the popularity of Attack on Titan and Hetailia cosplay several years ago.) I do think it's cool that there's a Ranma 1/2 shoot, though I may not be able to get to it.
Honestly, I don't know if I'll need an 18+ wristband this year, as I didn't see any panels that made it necessary. (Getting into the adult area of the art show would be a side benefit to having one, but I wouldn't lose any sleep if I don't.)
There seems to be a decent amount of music related panels this year. That definitely piques my interest.
Is there a reason Panel 1 is empty a good amount of time (e.g. between 1115 to 430 on Saturday)? That's a pretty big space to leave empty. Unless more programming will be added later...
Unfortunately I won't be able to see much (if any) of the 1995 AMV contest, as I'll have a train to catch. It has a couple of my favorite AMVs - Captain Nemo by Sara Brightman to Nadia, and IIRC Self Control by Laura Branigan to Devilman and My Euthanasia by Spike Jones to various anime. (Funny story, although I may not have all the details exactly right after almost 30 years - waaaaay back in 1995 the AMV contest wasn't separated by divisions / groupings, they just played them all in a row. There was one based on Grave of the Fireflies to The Eagles' Love Will Keep Us Alive that was extremely depressing. (It is Grave of the Fireflies after all.) At the end of the video the room is completely silent, and in the darkness someone yells out "The next video better be f***ing hilarious!!!" which brought the room back to having a good time. And I believe the next one was f***ing hilarious - a DBZ one possibly.)
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It's funny, because not an hour ago I was just telling someone how they should be going out soon.
It's interesting how they don't have any mascots on this year's badge - just thematic and location appropriate imagery. Also interesting is that's a hole for the lanyard this year, not a slot. (Though this does allow me to put it on my Otakon Influencer lanyard I got when I ordered some stuff during the Otakon sale in...November? December?
Edit: For some reason, the activation page doesn't want to recognize my badge numbers. I guess I'll try again in a couple of days and see what happens.
Either way, Otakon here I come!
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You wouldn't happen to know if the... Moroccan(?), Mediterranean(?) place is still there? IIRC it was in the food court next to the Video Game area. They had something on the menu there last year looked interesting - rice, vegetables, hummus, etc. (I want to say chicken tagine, but I don't think that's quite it.), but I had already stocked up my meals for the con at the Safeway on Thursday. (I can't think of the last time I paid convention center prices for food. I still have money on a Visa gift card that I didn't spend when I went on vacation last year, so I might just drop the money to at least try the meal if it's still around.
Do they have anything in the area near the Marriott Marquis entrance? It had the anime themed food places there the first few years, but I don't recall anything being there after that. (Though that could be my clueless self missing the obvious.)
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My brother and I drove down to Baltimore every year. (I used to love taking Route 1 back to the Philadelphia area on Sunday afternoon - it was a great drive on a sunny summer day.) The day I heard Otakon was moving to DC, I immediately decided 'We're taking the train down.' Yes, we're dependent on SEPTA and Amtrak*, but it's so much nicer not having to sit in traffic. (I can't stand 'Stop and Stop traffic'.) Factor in the price of parking at the hotel (What is it for the Marriott? $70 a night?), and it's pretty much better to take the train, even when I get business class tickets. (My brother prefers the legroom, and assigned seats let us sit together, unlike coach.) Sure it's more expensive, but Ota is normally my big vacation for the year.
* Case in point 1 - in 2017 there was an accident (a death, to my understanding) on the line between NY and Philly, so that delayed the train about 2 hours. The biggest downside was that by the time we got there, we just missed being able to hit the breakfast buffet and the Hampton.
Case in point 2 - last year, Amtrak ran late, so instead of having 20-25 minutes before the SEPTA regional rail left 30th Street, we had maybe 10. And with SEPTA tickets not valid after 3 days, I couldn't get them on Thursday for use on Sunday. Cue my brother & I 'sprinting' up the ramp to a ticket machine, trying to get tickets for the current train instead of having to wait another 2 hours for the next one.
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Quoting Ultraman Connection.com
"On March 22nd, 2023, Jiro Dan passed away at the age of 74. Dan was known among Ultraman fans for his role as Hideki Go, the human host of Ultraman Jack, in Return of Ultraman.Dan reprised this role several times in the 52 years since Return, bringing a sincerity and inner strength to the character for decades. He will be remembered with warmth, and Ultraman Connection mourns his loss."
Further news:
To honor Mr. Dan, who has left for the Ultra Star, the final episode "Ultra 5 Oaths" will soon be launched for free on TSUBURAYA IMAGINATION on YouTube.
Link to video (just went up ~16 hours ago at the time of this post) N.B Video will be available until April 30th.
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This series is free this month on Amazon Prime video:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B08QN5859T/ref=atv_hm_hom_1_c_LzQwT3_brws_8_20
A series of lectures on places to visit in DC, if you have time before or after the con. I go in a day early, so this is good to see what's around. (I've hit several of the Smithsonians, the National Gallery, and the National Mall in the past few years.) It's from 2019, so the information on how to get in may have changed since then, but it could be a good source of inspiration for sightseeing.
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I don't know if this technically belongs here, as the forum header says 'Serious discussion'. Close enough for government work, I suppose.
What for years had only existed as a promo video with bad sound has been found, apparently in the Library of Congress of all places. It definitely was a thing. What that thing is, I'm not quite sure.
Pilot episode (Watch at your own risk. Though it can't be as bad as Spaceballs the Animated Series. I had a friend yell at me when he watched that, despite my warnings.)
Immediate takeaways (don't know if I want to watch a 2nd time:
- I'm wondering what the director was thinking, "Don't show any emotion, no matter what."
- Was the princess' name Sailor Moon? The narrator seems to think so.
- They did have the designs of several of the 7 Great Youma from season 1, though the 'You can't kill the baddies' in American cartoons of the time is still in play.
- The 'tap him on the shoulder and slug him' gave me a chuckle.
- "To the vortex, and beyond oblivion!" totally ripped off by Toy Story.
- Tuxedo Kamen was even less of a character here. Practically a 'Sir Not Appearing in this Film.
- Was the attack on Jupiter in real time, or a memory? They went from fighting to class in a dissolve.Finding Saban Moon: The Western World of Sailor Moon (part 2) The story of its discovery, though I haven't watched it, as the video is 2+ hours long, and I just found out about this a half-hour ago.
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I was curious about this myself, but wasn't sure about broaching the subject. I've read that Gencon, with ~50K attendees and a similar masking / vaccine policy, had reports of people getting Covid at the con. One speculation for this is because Indiana's vaccine rate was in the 50s while DC is up around 80%, and people actually caught it outside the con while attending. I can't say whether that's true, but it does sound plausible.
I haven't had any symptoms, and I tested negative twice a week after the con. I stayed masked whenever I was outside my hotel room - Septa, 30th Street Station, Amtrak, Metro, Smithsonian, National Gallery, Marquis lobby, WEWCC - with a few exceptions when outside and sufficiently distant from anyone else.
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5 hours ago, .taro. said:
Did anyone take advantage of the badge pickups stations for those who stayed at the Marquis or Renaissance? How was the process for you?
I was at the Marriott Marquis, and it was fairly painless. I went down the 2 escalators, showed them my vaccination card, my driver's license, and my badge (I get it mailed.) and got the band. Took only a few minutes including the escalators. The only downside was they didn't have the 18+ bands there, and when I asked the person about it they said they should have thought to bring some to this station.
Edited to add: This was at about 4 on Thursday.
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Long post, as I tend to go to panels almost exclusively at Otakon anymore. I think I've got all the ones I hit. (I lost the paper I was using for my schedule and notes, and I've been really busy at work lately.)
Dubs vs Subs -The presenter was good, and the presentation about how Japanese and Western theater influenced their acting styles. (Like Japanese Noh encourages broad, exaggerated performance and Western acting tends toward a smaller, closer style because the camera focuses in on the actor.)
However, it seems to me that a fundamental point was missed. Per the description: "How did this fight come to be in the first place? And why?" The presenter missed an (IMO) fundamental point about the whole issue - In the early days of anime distribution (circa 1990), a lot of the early dubs just plain sucked, and this kept a lot of people firmly in the subtitle camp until the dubbing improved.
Japanese commercials to make you laugh, cry, and think - I've been to this type of panel before, but I never saw the 'Long, Long Man' series before, which were hilarious. Fun stuff.
Yakuza: Fact vs Fiction - As noted above, 1st half good, 2nd half not so much.
Anime in 1992 - Always a good panel to remind me of those older shows. A lot of landmark anime came out that year, and I remember watching a lot of them when they did. Man, I'm old.
Awesomely Bad JMVs - Another panel I've attended previously, and I still love them.
Anime Food -This panel was about foods that are commonly shown in anime (e.g. onigiri). The presenter talked about them, then brought up videos on how to make them and her experience trying to make the foods. A lot of audience interaction and a lot of laughs.
Now What? - I've heard of some reasons certain series stopped being made, but some of these were real doozies.
Craziest Japanese commercials - There was a certain amount of overlap with the other panel, but still entertaining. Oddly this one was in the AMV theater while the other one was in a panel room.
J Music Room - I only sat through part of this panel, more to hear examples of the music and maybe listen to more of it later . Not sure if JPop is my thing, but the music was decent enough.
The tea is greener in Japan - I was at a panel of their in Baltimore, so I wanted to update my knowledge about the subject. I feel that panels like this are like cooking shows - I may not ever use the information, but I do enjoy watching it.
A history of phantom thieves - The presenters did their research, as their history included characters I always thought of as kind of obscure (e.g. Fantomas). The only thing I would ding them on was that one presenter tended to rely heavily on the expression 'Like, you know.' when going off script.
A century of Japanese stop motion - This was a really pleasant surprise, as I learned things that I never knew. (e.g. A Japanese studio was involved with the Rankin Bass holiday animations made decades ago.) I enjoyed this one a lot.
Sword lesbians in anime - Presented by the same people as the phantom thieves panel, and my comment above still applies. They again did their homework, with a history of an all women's theatre and its influence on creators and anime (e.g. Sailors Neptune and Uranus visually exemplify the archetypes of the 'female lead' and 'male lead' of that theatre respectively.), and how the trope has split into different subtypes over the years. Entertaining and informative.
Anime cinema crash course: the return - I was at this panel before. It's still more of a clip show, but it's an entertaining clip show.
Fan parodies - I bailed on this after about 20-30 minutes. Only one video really made me laugh (the Pokemon / Jojo mixup)- maybe it's because I'm older.
Sarcastic history of video game consoles - I laughed a lot, but the presenter had the (IMO) annoying habit of saying 'You're late, but I'll mark you as attending.' every time someone walked in on the panel.
1994 video contest - Amusingly (at least to me), the presenter from the previous panel came in late to this one, so I whispered to him 'You're late, but I'll mark you as attending.' I didn't remember most of these videos from waaaay back in the day, but the Fields of Gold / Every Little Thing are 2 of my favorites. IIRC another couple of my favs are in the 1995 contest - Nadia to Captain Nemo by Sarah Brightman, and Devilman to Self Control by Laura Branigan.
N.B. There was a panel about drawing and music that I came in a little late on, but I can't remember the name of it. I liked the music, but drawing is not my forte. If anyone went to it, how did you get the drawing materials? Just curious.-
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On 8/4/2022 at 4:29 PM, Michael said:
Many non-Otakon guests who must of thought we were crazy.
Waaaaaay back in 1995 or 96, I was AnimEast in New Brunswick. The hotel was hosting the con as well as a wedding on that Saturday of that weekend. The reactions of people looking at the cosplayers was... unique, especially (if I'm remembering this correctly, it's been 25+ years) someone who was playing as Little Red Riding Hood's Wolf dressed as Grandma, but with something bursting out of the chest or stomach. I think it was one of those moments where everyone in the wedding party pulled the 'We'll wait for the other car.'
Then there were the early years at the BCC when Otakon only used half the building and there were other events going on at the same time. The one year there was a... congregational convention?... I just remember a lot of dour people in suits giving disapproving looks to the attendees.
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20 hours ago, windseeker said:
There are two large grocery stores nearby (Giant and Safeway) and some smaller convinience stores.
As of last year you could enter the phone number 202-867-5309 to get the club card discount at Safeway. It may work for Giant as well, because using the local area code plus the Jenny phone number works for a number of stores in my area.
As for things to bring, a couple I haven't seen mentioned:
- hand sanitizer (you never know)
- utensils (for those of us who buy food from Safeway, etc.)
A couple that are more for me:
- canvas shopping bags (it is less wasteful, DC charges for plastic bags, and it's really easy to go through a bag check when you just have to hold it open)
- tea (Cold brew bags that I can drop in my water bottle and let sit in there for a while. I don't drink coffee, and I need something for a caffeine hit.)
- pen & paper (I like to make notes at the various panels I attend, and just in case I need to leave my brother a message.)
- earphones (To my knowledge, SEPTA and Amtrak both have quiet cars, and I'm sure not everyone would appreciate my music choices, Philistines that they might be.)
- a book (I need something to do while I'm on the train or waiting in line, and I like to read. The question is which one: should I continue my current book (I, Claudius) or the RPG I picked up for s***ts and giggles? (The Spawn of Fashan - old school grognards will know about that one.)
- cold-eze (Ever since I started taking cold-eze and immune boosters, I having gotten even a whiff of con plague. Especially relevant nowadays.)
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Follow up related to Wild Bills: I bought some items from them during Otakon online 2020 and now have a couple of their coupons for all day refills. Do staff members get free soda as a perqusite, or do they have to pay it? I'm more than willing to drop the coupons off at the Otakon booth in the Dealers Room (or somewhere else) for someone on the staff to use if they want. The 32 oz mug I bought is more soda than I'll drink in an entire weekend, much less filling it multiple times, so I'm never going to use these coupons.
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Got mine yesterday as well. I like holograph(?) effect as you move the badge - the mascots go from normal appearance to more of an... isekai(?) look. (One dresses in a fuku with a Crabby topped wand. Who's the blond character on the badge? I don't recall seeing that one before.
I also like how you have the hours* listed for the Convention Center as a whole, Dealer's Hall, Artist Alley, and Gaming Hall. I still wouldn't bet against multiple people asking what time the Dealer's Hall closes on Saturday.
* Interesting that the WEWCC will close at 1:30 AM Friday and Saturday. I guess the overnight cleaning may not be as stringent as last year when they closed at midnight. Also interesting is that Artist's Alley closes at 10 on Friday and 9 on Saturday. To the best of my recollection they were open pretty much all night previously, but then again I'm sure the artists would like to have time to do things besides sit there with their wares.
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I'm hoping they do a wristband pickup on Thursday. I could swear that I picked up an 18+ band on a Thursday down in DC previously (obviously not 2021). I've been getting badges mailed since Baltimore*, so I know it wasn't just picking one of those up.
Then again, if I could get both wristbands on Thursday, that'd be even better.
* Less habit and tradition than convenience of not having to wait in the pre-reg line. Though if I have to wait in line for all this on Friday, then I threw my money away.
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I expect the mask policy* to be better enforced than at Too Many Games last weekend. It said on the website that masks were mandatory, but there were a good 30% of the attendees sans masks.
* As long as you have the same people who did it last year, I have no doubts that Otakon will do a better job than TMG. I have 2 incidents from 2021: 1 I witnessed, 1 anecdotal. A) One staffer stopped a panel when the panelist went down into the audience after he left his mask on the stage. She gave him the option of putting a mask on or going back onto the stage. He did the rest of the panel while wearing a mask. B) I was told that a guest last year was escorted back to their room to get a mask.
I would like to know about the proof of vaccination process for those of us who are getting badges mailed.
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On 4/14/2022 at 8:08 AM, KyoKyo said:
Anime conventions seem to be the outliers.
From their site (bolding mine):
Currently, verification of vaccination or proof of negative test are not required for admission to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center or Anime Central...
In our recent vaccine and mask policy change announcement, we stated that face coverings may be required in some areas of Anime Central or at the request of our guests of honor at their events...We strongly recommend wearing masks in all lobbies, hallways, public spaces, and restrooms.
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An attendee of Colorado Anime Fest said they were given a wristband when at badge pickup when they showed proof of vaccination. If Otakon goes that way, I wonder how that would work for those of us who went with mailed badges. (Conversely, I'd love to be able to pick up the vaccine verification and an 18+ badge on Thursday, so I wouldn't have to stand in line on Friday.)
Do all hotels supported by the con have discounted parking?
in Otakon 2024
Posted
The biggest 'advantage' to the hotel garage at the Baltimore Hyatt was that they could add the parking bill to your hotel bill. It made it easier (for me) to track the totals for splitting the bill. I have to admit I'm a little surprised that it's only $50 / night for the Marriott - that's how much the Hyatt charged, and that was 8 years ago. (Has it really been that long? Time flies...)
The minute I heard Otakon was moving to DC, I told my brother: We're switching to Amtrak. I figured the cost of the tickets versus the cost of gas & parking makes it at worst a push - if I were to go back to coach instead of business class (my brother prefers the leg room and assigned seating), Amtrak would be the clear winner. Admittedly, we're dependent on both SEPTA and Amtrak* to get us to DC and back, but the fact that we don't have to worry about DC traffic (and 95 North from Baltimore up). We take the Red line from Union Station to Chinatown and walk to the hotel from there, so it's not too bad. Add on the fact that the Metro system is just so darned useful for getting around DC on the Thursday before the con. I just top off my card (which I got in 2017, and is still good) every couple of years w/ $20, and I'm good to go.
* In 2018 there was an incident between New York and Philly, which delayed our train by a good 1 1/2 - 2 hours while they investigated it. You pays your money and you takes your chances, but overall it's been a positive experience for me.