Every summer , resident of Atlanta and geeks from all over the world get quick forDragon Con , a meeting of sci - fi and fantasy fans . The convention , which have situation over Labor Day weekend , attract a bunch . Attendance in 2011 was around 46,000 people , from buff to dealers to guest [ rootage : Dragon Con ] . The convention spans five hotel – the Hyatt Regency Atlanta , the Marriott Marquis , the Atlanta Hilton , the Sheraton Atlanta and the Westin Peachtree Plaza – and its Saturday dayspring parade stops traffic downtown .
This may not sound like much compared to Comic - Con , which blow more than 140,000 attendee , orCES , which has to categorize its seller listings so people can notice their way around . But Dragon Con has its own signified of overwhelming , nerdy fuss and its own hazards . Here are some suggestions for making it through the weekend without misadventure .
First , get through enrolment as too soon as possible . If you hold out in the Atlanta area , or if you ’re arriving on Thursday , stop by enrollment and pick up your badge on Thursday , the earlier the good . The convention wo n’t have officially started yet , but you ’ll be able to get your badge , broadcast book and air hole program , and stay around for some of the concerts and meetups that have sprung up on Thursday dark .
If you ca n’t make it to registration on Thursday , endeavor to get there early on your day of arrival . While arriving earlier wo n’t necessarily stand for less time spent in line of work – queue up up early has become a Dragon Con custom – it should mean less fourth dimension spend in line while the rule is actually going on . Dragon Con switched to a barcode system for 2011 to make the registration process smoother , and the Daily Dragon ( the prescribed rule newssheet ) offer othertips for making registration go quicker .
If you ’ve never attended Dragon Con , Thursday night is also a just time to get acquainted with where everything is , before the rest of the normal bunch arrives . The Hyatt ’s floor plan can be a little confusing , so take a good look at the single-valued function and research the hotel on your own . For convention veterans , this is a good time to check out anything that may have change from previous year . You ’ll also find some unofficial parties and meet - ups going on : theDaily Dragonhas a tilt .
Regardless of when you get to the conventionalism , your badge is essential . You ’ll need to wear down your badge the entire time you ’re at the rule . If you lose your badge , you ’ll have to buy a new one . It ’s a good estimation to fetch or purchase a lanyard that will guard your badge securely . you may also keep the clip close by envelop it with a small rubber band . Also , verify your badge ’s laminated cover is completely seal so that the interior of the badge does n’t slip out .
The pocket program will tell you what ’s locomote on at the rule . To do thing the old - fashioned way , pluck up a copy at registration and model down with apenor a highlighter and mark everything you want to attend on the schedule grid . But here ’s a caveat : Because of last - minute changes and updates , the pocket program is usually out out of date before the convention even begins . If you ’ve got a smartphone , your best bet for making sure your schedule is up - to - engagement is one of the prescribed apps . There ’s one for Android , one foriOS devices , and one foreverything else .
The convention organizes its scheduling into track so it ’s easier to find the panel and events that interest you . You may need to take a feel at what ’s go on in all of the tracks so you do n’t miss something that may have been fun or interesting . If you ’re interested in fame event , verify to take a careful tone at everything that ’s happening in the hotel ballrooms . These larger rooms are commonly the venue for the most salient guest panels .
Next , we ’ll look at some melodic theme for progress to it through the convention itself .
Dragon Con Tips for Everyone
Since Dragon Con take berth during summertime in the South , the weather tends to be spicy and humid , and sometimes the area gets drenched by the remnants of a hurricane or tropical violent storm . Crowded condition and long origin make it seem even hotter and stickier . As in all big crowds , microbe can spread quickly . Here are some ideas for staying cool and hefty during the convention and for getting from place to place .
deal taking MARTA , Atlanta’spublic transportationsystem . If you dwell in Atlanta , or if you ’re staying at a hotel that ’s not within walking distance of the convention , taking MARTA may be less expensive and more commodious than endeavor to park downtown . The Peachtree Center MARTA station adjoins the normal hotels . If you do decide to drive and park , arrive early , since hotel heaps fill quickly . If you park elsewhere , check that to follow all posted instructions about payments and when you will require to move your car or bear for another solar day .
Make a survival kit . This can be diminished enough to fit into a bag or backpack and include introductory necessity that you may need during the day , such as :
Wear comfortable place . Even if you plan to adhere to upshot in only one of the convention ’s three hotels , you ’ll still be spending a great deal of clip on your feet .
Bring a sweaterif you tend to get inhuman . It will in all likelihood be blistering out of doors , but all of the convention hotels areair - conditioned . You may find that you get chilled while sit down in cool group meeting room or after come in from outside .
Prepare to queue . Many of the biggest event at Dragon Con are also in the most requirement . If you go for to see a control board featuring player from television set show like " Warehouse 13 " or personalities like Felicia Day or Stan Lee , you may be in for a prospicient wait . Sometimes , dark horse events nose up drawing unexpectedly long line , like the 2005 Buffy Prom , the 2006 Serenity Shindig and the 2007 Colonial Fleet ball . These lines can sometimes stretch outside of the building . In improver , a distinctive convention security practice session involves clearing a elbow room completely before the next upshot begins . In other words , unlike at Comic - Con , you ca n’t guarantee a good seat for a panel by sitting through the anterior one . There ’s no Dragon Con equivalent of bivouacking out in Hall H all day .
Keep moving when you get off of an escalator . This may sound trite , but stopping head to traffic muddle . Traffic jams lead to harried security guard and frustrated fans .
Prepare to wait for an elevator , particularly in the Hyatt . Although some formula - goer abide by the " go up to go down " regulation , it ’s often easy just to take the steps . Also , leave theelevatorto make room for disabled attendees .
Be conservative after iniquity , particularly if you ’re bring child to the convention . There are lots of nighttime parties at the hotel , and there ’s often a lot ofalcoholserved at the parties and in the hotel bars . In add-on , the costume on display after shadow have a trend to become increasingly telltale .
Wearing a costume to Dragon Con can have its own pitfall . We ’ll depend at costumier - specific Dragon Con summit next .
Survival Tips for Costumers
Costumesare a big bargain at Dragon Con . Some costumer have puzzle out for a year or more on what they plan to outwear . Organizations like the 501st Legion even have precise standards for members ' costumes . Good costumes can get a fate of attention at the convention , but they can also create unexpected headaches for the people wearing them . Here ’s how to annul some of the more common issues .
persuade an emergency stitchery kit with you . This should include :
Do what you may to make your shoes comfortable . comfortable shoes are a natural part of some costume . When this is n’t the case , use cushioned insoles to add a small extra cushioning under your foot , and break your shoes in good before the rule .
Remember the pragmatic side to wearing a costume . At some point during the daylight , you ’ll need to eat , drink and bring down the public toilet . If your costume is uncompromising – or inaccessible – this may be a challenge . You ’ll also necessitate to be able to get up and down stairs andescalators . Dress trains , scuff hems and outskirt can get in escalator clause . If your costume has exceptionally long sleeve – like the dresses from the " Lord of the Rings " films – you may want to immobilise them out of your way while corrode or taking pictures .
Stay coolheaded . Large , heavy costume can make a heavy impression at Dragon Con . However , many of these costumes become very raging , very quickly . Here ’s how to lower your chance of overheating :
fetch Febreeze or another odor removerif you plan to wear the same costume more than once . Atlanta is blistering , and it ’s virtually guaranteed that you ’ll sudate in your costume . If you ’re go to wear a costume for more than one 24-hour interval , either lap it out or spray it down , and get it air out out overnight .
Be creative when it come to bags . Many costumers are tempted to go forth their bag behind for make their costumes more exact . This induce it harder to keep track of everything from your notecase to your scoop program . Another option is to find a bag that complements your costume . For example , military bag like Alice battalion or European olive tree drab messenger udder might expect good with Battlestar Galactica or Stargate uniform costumes . A silver hurler can be a suitable bag for a Galadriel costume .
Do n’t overpack . While it may be tempting to add all of your costumes , you believably wo n’t have time to change into many of them . If you have spate of costume , a good regulation of ovolo is to bring no more than one for each 24-hour interval , one for each evening and one for each competition you plan to attend .
To memorise more about costume , Dragon Con and related matter , see the tie on the next page .
