EdKitten
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Posts posted by EdKitten
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Has anyone been to Station Unity Con? It's held at the Gaylord National Resort and Harbor Hotel (near Washington DC). I just found out about it (from upcomingcons.com). It's produced by Katsucon Entertainment, and it's an annual 3-day fan convention for Science Fiction & Fantasy fans. Upcomingcons says it was held in 2021 and 2022.
Sounds intriguing.
It'll be held August 11-13, 2023. url: station-unity.org
The Gaylord hotel is really gorgeous and great for cosplay photos. It's right next to the National Harbor. I usually take the metro to National Airport and take a taxi from the airport to the hotel. It's usually a 15-20 minute taxi drive. (Except once I took the taxi during rush hour -- it took almost an hour to get there! So, I'd advise taking a flat-rate Super Shuttle or some other way if your drive will be during rush hour.)
Hmmm, maybe Youtube has some videos. I'll check it out now.
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On 6/26/2023 at 6:12 PM, Attendee7000 said:
The food court in the convention center near the Marriott entrance has been remodeled and is open again. It must be on an event by event basis whether or not it's used now. The dining area now has a long window that overlooks the main hall (what in the past was the Artists' Alley hall). I got some pictures of it open at last winter's auto show.
Thanks so much for the info and pics. It looks great! Hopefully, Otakon will have it open for us to munch out!
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On 6/21/2023 at 7:04 PM, Revan said:
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.)
Sorry it took a few days to respond -- I use public computers, so it's hard to get in front of a monitor/keyboard sometimes.
Yes, they had the Moroccan/Mediterranean place in the food court next to the Video Game area. I was in the pizza line, and the Moroccan food pictures looked so good, I wanted to try it out, but all the lines were so long, I just stayed in the pizza line.
The food court near the Marriott Marquis was still closed. 🙁 I haven't seen it open for a long time. I kinda miss it, the atmosphere there was fun -- low ceilings and dimmer lights. Hopefully it'll be open for the next Otakon.
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Yeah, the lines to get back into Otakon -- that's why I eat con food too, especially on Saturdays.
$17 for pizza that wasn't even any good? 😲 Last weekend, I got a pizza but I think it was around $12 or $15 (can't remember exactly). Who knows -- the line was so long, things just seemed like a blur, it might have been $17. I just couldn't believe I FINALLY had a pizza in my paws, so didn't even look at the total -- just swiped the card and hurried to find a place to sit down and pig out. The pizza tasted good though. Sorry yours didn't taste good.
Usually each day after Otakon I go to Union Station via the metro, get food and bring it back to the hotel room, to kind of celebrate.
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I can't say that any of this will be the same for Otakon, but just made some observations from being at the WEWCC during June 16-18, 2023.
Nothing was mentioned about covid or checking vaccination cards or wearing masks. Most people did not wear masks. A few here and there did wear them.
Food prices went up a little. Chicken tenders with fries was around $15.50. Cheeseburger with fries was $14.00. Beyond burger (I think came with fries) was $18.00. Bottled water didn't go up (I think), at $4.75.
I didn't eat at all the places selling food inside the WEWCC, but I did at a lot of them -- NONE of them accepted cash! Just cards. Luckily, I'd bought a gift card days earlier, and just used that. They did have a machine at the Food District (can't remember WEWCC's name for that food court -- the one near the Hall which Otakon usually uses for video gaming). The machine turned cash into a card.
Halls B and C concourses for entrance and exit: At Otakon, usually Hall B is an exit only, and Hall C is an entrance only. Awesome Con's attendance is much bigger (sorry to say that), but they do not separate any concourse's hall for entrance or exit. People come and go at both concourses for Halls B and C. And the flow of people does not jam up. To use the concourse as an entrance, people just naturally stayed to the right and used the escalator or stairs. To use it as an exit, people naturally walked on the other side. I never saw a collision. I just wanted to mention that, hoping Otakon might like to adjust their rules for those entrances/exits.
Also, last year I mentioned to watch out for bird poop on the handrails of the escalators coming out of the metro's Mt. Vernon Sq. station. I only saw a tiny bit of poop on Sunday evening. And have noticed the handrails are pretty clean when the WEWCC has an event going on. But when using those escalators on regular days, the bird poop can add up. So, just wanted to mention that again.
I can't wait for Otakon to happen!
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Ooops -- forgot the webpage: awesome-con.com
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Just a reminder about Awesome Con this weekend, June 16-18, 2023, at the WEWCC (same place as Otakon), Washington, DC.
Some guests listed are:
Elijah Wood (Lord of the Rings)
Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings)
Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings)
Levar Burton
Billy Dee Williams
My Hero Academia voice actors
Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy)
Billie Piper (Dr. Who)
Jodie Whittaker (Dr. Who)
Caitlin Glass
Danny Trejo
Terry Brooks (author)
And lots more 😀
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On Upcomingcons.com I noticed Otakon isn't listed on their "Anime" list of conventions. I was just wondering if someone on Otakon's staff might like to list Otakon there for July 2023? Thanks for your help!
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Just remembered another hotel:
Bethesda North Marriott Hotel And Conference Center (across from the Bethesda North Metro (formerly known as White Flint Metro), it's a bit of a walk to the hotel because the hotel's parking lot is large, but also across from the Metro is a 7-Eleven and a McDonald's -- and about a block away from the Metro is Popeye's restaurant): $165+ (phone: 301-822-9200).
I'm so sorry the high prices stopped you from going to Katsucon, Daniel! There must be others that the high prices are affecting too. I sure hope in the future, hotel prices come down -- or, at least they get in the reasonable range for cons!
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E-gads! I Just looked at those prices. 😞
Did a quick search at the hotels I've stayed at, for a single room for the dates: July 27-31, 2023. They usually gave prices for members (it doesn't usually cost anything to become a member, but am not up to speed on their policies). And of course, staying at hotels near metro stops probably won't have other attendees around, so you'd miss out on meeting people this way. And you might not want to travel around there at really late hours (they are good sections of town, but you know, just a precaution, since I don't know what those areas are like at midnight or thereabouts). But for what it's worth:
Hilton Garden Inn, Bethesda, Maryland (about 2 blocks from the Bethesda Metro, their restaurant is open for breakfast and dinner, many stores, CVS, and restaurants are within a block or two) $131+ (phone: 301-654-8111)
Residence Inn Marriott, Bethesda, Maryland (next to the Hilton Garden Inn, their restaurant is open for breakfast, their rooms are like small apartments): $150+ (phone: 301-718-0200)
Hilton, Rockville, Maryland (across from the Twinbrook Metro, a Safeway Grocery store is next to it): $138+ (phone: 301-468-1100)
Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, Virginia (close to the Crystal City Metro, there's an underground Mall at the Metro, and a short tunnel from the Mall to the Hotel, a RiteAid was there, but you'd want to check with the hotel to see if it's still there, since I haven't been there in years -- and you'd want to make sure the Metro is open (some stations on the yellow line are closed around July, I think -- sorry I don't have time to check on it right now) $185+ (phone 703-920-3230)
Hyatt Regency, Bethesda Maryland (right above the Bethesda Metro): $122+ (phone 301-657-1234)
There's an AC Hotel (by Marriott), Bethesda Maryland, on the same block as the Residence Inn Marriott. I haven't stayed there but it opened recently. I forgot to check the prices for July, but their prices last month were in the $200-$300 range.
I don't know if this will help anyone. But I guess rising prices are something we can count on these days.
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Ooops -- correction -- the hotel's address is Rockville, Maryland. Some webpages say North Bethesda (when it's not listing the official address). It's confusing.
But the hotel's definitely across from the White Flint/North Bethesda metro, which is really handy. Also across from that metro stop is McDonald's and 7 Eleven -- also handy.
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Thought maybe some people who like Otakon, might like this expo. It's really fun and it's the first time they're having it since lockdown.
Small Press Expo (it emphasizes indie comics, graphic novels, and cartooning)
September 17-18, 2022
Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center
The hotel is across from the White Flint metro on the Red Line. (White Flint metro is in the process of changing its name to "North Bethesda" metro.) The hotel address is in North Bethesda, Maryland, but I put "Wash DC area" in the title, since you can get there via the subway which goes through Maryland, Wash DC, and Virginia.
There's almost zero cosplayers though. I think each year I've seen 2 or 3 cosplayers. But it's still a fun expo.
url: smallpressexpo.com
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Such a handy thread! Just some tid-bits:
Binder clips -- for hotel curtains that don't close all the way -- just clip the edges of the curtains together.
Nail clippers or nail file -- in case a nail tears a little, so it doesn't scrape or catch onto clothes, cosplay, etc.
Little packs of tissues.
Gift cards you can buy at stores (personally, I like VISA), in case you want to use a credit card at the con, but don't want to use your regular credit card which has your ID on it.
Extra plastic bags -- especially handy for hotel rooms and/or carrying con merch.
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Glad to help! And thanks again for all the videos!
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Forgot to mention -- there's quite a few other restaurants at Union Station, like Wendy's and Potbelly's. But I've forgotten the names of the other ones.
Whenever I'd ride a train from Union Station, it was always fun to get there ahead of time and get some food from the restaurants to bring onto the train.
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Many thanks for the videos and all the info Steve!! In Part 2, Penn station was mentioned a few times -- I'm pretty sure you meant Union Station?
Not to be negative, but I don't quite agree with everyone in DC being unfriendly, I've met a lot of people there who were really nice -- guess we've had different experiences. I totally agree with not driving around DC unless you absolutely have to -- not driving will save a lot of hassles and cursing.
May I add that at Union Station, along with the restaurants Steve mentioned, there's also a Shake Shack, Chick-Fil-A, some sub restaurants, two gift shops and Walgreens. Lots of shops are still closed.
The escalator at Mt. Vernon Square metro -- I hope it's ok to say this, but just as a caution -- the handrails on the escalators going up to the street level, sometimes have bird poop on it. (I know from experience. 😝) So, please watch where you put your hands. Last year they cleaned the handrails really good and I didn't have any encounters.
White Flint Metro (on the red line, towards Shady Grove) -- probably not too many people will be using this station, but it's in the middle of changing it's name to "Bethesda North." But the only place I've seen the change is right at that station -- about half the signs say Bethesda North and half still say White Flint. Anyhoo -- right across the street from that station is a McDonalds, and a 7-Eleven is next to McDonalds. They're really handy.
Thanks again for your videos Steve, and am looking forward to the next one!
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2 hours ago, Kewshi said:
You will have to have your vaccination status checked and you will be given a wrist band you are required both to gain entrance to the con
OMG, thanks for the info! I hadn't even read Otakon's policy about vaccination status -- good to know this stuff WAY beforehand! Guess I'd gotten relaxed about covid policies for a while, because in the area where I'm puttering around, most everyplace doesn't require a mask anymore. Though I wear a mask anyway. 🙂
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On 6/30/2022 at 6:11 PM, Revan said:
... I would like to know about the proof of vaccination process for those of us who are getting badges mailed.
I'm not staff, but at the WEWCC near the beginning of June 2022 for Awesome Con, vaccination cards weren't even mentioned. We just had our bags looked into by security officers. Can't guarantee that for Otakon, but just wanted to let you know.
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Hi! I'm not staff, but it seems it'd be handy to get the vaccination card in English, just in case someone at Otakon/WEWCC needs to see it. If someone from Otakon doesn't respond too quickly here, perhaps you can phone the WEWCC and ask about their rules?
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Hi! Just a reminder: Awesome Con will be held this weekend, June 3-5, 2022, at the WEWCC in Washington, DC: www.awesome-con.com
Some stars that are scheduled to appear, in no particular order (and always subject to change):
Wil Wheaton
Anthony Daniels (C3PO)
Sean Astin
Kel Mitchell
Melissa Joan Hart
Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)
Meng'er Zhang (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)
Noah Schnapp
Sylvester McCoy (Doctor Who, Lord of the Rings)
Timothy Zahn (writer, Star Wars novels)
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P.S. Forgot to mention when you're entering the WEWCC, I think they have a separate line for Accessibility people, but if they don't, try going up to the entrance doors and explaining to the staff that you're an accessibility person.
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I'm not staff, but if things are done the same way they have in the past -- when you enter the WEWCC, the registration area will eventually be on your left. Right before the big "Registration" sign, there will be a big sign saying Accessibility, or Member Accessibility, or something like that. In the accessibility section, they'll give you a ribbon to put on your badge that says accessibility (or a different word?).
Most of the staff recognizes the accessibility ribbon, and all you have to do is show them the badge and they'll let you use the elevators. There's one place where I've had problems with the staff letting me use the elevators (and I think it's mainly the WEWCC staff). It's when you're walking on the main hallway/concourse at the "Exit Hall B" area. There's an elevator there which they let accessibility people use (so it's an "entrance" (not an "exit") for accessibility people). Usually the staff recognizes the accessibility ribbon and lets you right on through to the elevators. But there's been quite a few times where the staff member tells me that this area is for "Exiting" only. I just remain polite (which is hard to do after a while), show them the accessibility ribbon and keep explaining what the ribbon is for. The staff person usually lets me through after asking for a while. Once though, there was a staff fella (I think he was with the WEWCC? he had a red jacket on), who wasn't going to let me through. I finally asked to see a supervisor. And the guy agreed (he was always polite the whole time). A supervisor just happened to be walking nearby and he flagged the supervisor over. The supervisor explained about the accessibility ribbon to the other guy, and they let me through to use the elevator. Whew!
So, I just prepare myself to expect a delay, just in case there is one -- this way I don't get upset. If there is a problem, I just have to remember to be polite, and they'll eventually let me through to an elevator. But most of the time, there's no problem and the staff lets me right on through to use the elevator. 😀
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P.S. Their "Shop" link shows the most variety of their dolls.
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At an art festival last weekend, a booth had the most gorgeous, but highly expensive, Kokeshi Dolls. I don't normally collect these, but they were so beautiful and gave off such a fun atmosphere, I would've bought one -- if the price hadn't gotten in the way.
But thought someone here might be interested. Url: www.hodsdonkokeshi.com
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