DragonCon '07 is Almost Here

I'm not sure who's going to be the big thing in costuming this year. There'll be lots of pirates, I'm sure, and wizards. Transformers, maybe? It is always interesting to see who gets the most imitation.
(Don't feel like you have to come in costume, there will be plenty of normal-looking people, too.)

Aside from the wildly clothed con-goers, the guests are their usual diverse bunch. A couple of Weasley twins (James and Oliver Phelps,) a hobbit, (Sean Astin,) an android, (Brent Spiner,) some Mythbusters, some Ghosthunters, and a bunch of artists and authors, to name but a few. There are 253 guests and bands confirmed for DragonCon so far this year, and over 30 programming tracks, including new ones like Apocolypse Rising and Gothic Shadows and the Whedon Universe, which replaces the Buffy and other individual Whedon show tracks.

Oh! And it's the 10th anniversary of the Dawn Look-Alike contest, so probably there'll be even more skin-baring females around, at least on Masquerade and Dawn nights. Don't foget, DragonCon is very family-friendly during the day, and not very family-friendly at night! Porbably about the time the con stops offering childcare, sometime in the early evening, is a good time to take the kiddies home.

As always, there is going to be way more that everyone wants to do than anyone possibly can, lots of noise, lots of mayhem, a huge parade, and bunches of people with too little sleep and a whole lot of adrenaline having more fun than they ever thought possible!

The dealer room will be crowded all day every day with people spending lots and lots of money on things they just have to have that they waited all year to buy at the Con or just discovered that they cannot live without.

It's a good thing the Con has spread out into the Hilton as well as the Marriott and the Hyatt, because according to Pat Henry, DragonCon's chairman, pre-registration is up 33% over last year, and last year was the largest crowd I've seen in 11 years of volunteering at the Con. But with the extra space, we should be able to stay mobile!

I suggest you go to the DragonCon website and order your tickets now, because the line for tickets on August 31 is going to be hours long. I guarantee it. It's only $85 for the whole weekend. As an entertainment value, it can't be beat. There is something going on 24 hours a day from 1 P.M. Friday til about 4 P.M. Monday.

The Marriott and the Hyatt are sold out of rooms, but the Hilton still has some. The website lists some overflow hotels. We are staying at the brand new Red Roof Inn (which used to be a TravelLodge) just a short walk behind the Marriott, which is not listed but has rooms for less than $100 a night, or at least ours were considerably less than that.

Once you have a place to stay, here are some things to be aware of:

Don't forget to include the cost of parking in your budget if you're coming by car. There is almost no free parking in Atlanta, and none that I can think of near the hotels. Planning on about $8 a day at least is probably wise.

You can survive, and I have survived once, on food from the ConSuite, which is free. It will be basic but Joe and his crew do a fantastic job. I'm not saying you should do this, I'm just saying it can be done. It certainly does help complement a food budget, anyway.

If you really need to, and you can sleep quietly and preferrably sitting up, you can nap in the 24-hour video rooms. Nobody cares as long as you don't snore.

There's a mall with a food court right next to the Con with food that is a lot cheaper than the food in the hotels.

Be prepared to be flexible. A few guests always cancel at the last minute. A few lines get too long for everyone to get in. You may miss a few things you want to see, but with so much going on, there's bound to be something else worth doing.

What are you waiting for? Go get your tickets, and come on to Atlanta over Labor Day for tons of sci-fi/fantasy fun!