DragonCon* 2010

So I think we are all in consensus that we would like to go to DragonCon*. The main hotels are booked, but there are a few overflow hotels that still have rooms that I could book next time I get paid. James, you have more experience with this than I do- do you think we should book in an overflow, or will they open up more rooms later?

I would say hold off on the over flows for a little bit longer. The main hotels say they are booked, but in all actuality, they are not completely booked yet. Keep trying, like every week, as as the con gets closer they do open up more rooms for that weekend. Last year the one person we know managed to get a room like two weeks out (although I wouldn't recommend waiting that long ) in the Hyatt becuase they opened more rooms up, even though they had been "sold out" for months.

I have booked the Westin Peachtree as our overflow hotel for Dragon*Con.
Take a look at the proximity on this map:
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I am pretty pleased with the proximity. I reserved two rooms side by side, each night being $225 per night (if four people in room, I went ahead and had them add the extra person charges.) However, they did require a night's deposit for each room, so I have taken care of that $450 deposit for now.
I am able to cancel by August 31st and get the full deposit back, so I recommend someone call the other hotels to see if we can get in one of the main ones. I have decided I won't be calling, ($450 being my contribution and all). If you find a hotel with rooms, let me know. Otherwise, I will assume this is our plan.
I will also need your help if this is to be our plan. The two rooms for 3 nights will end up being $1,350 (don't freak out yet, it's only $168 per person the whole weekend with 8 people.) However, I'm not going to be able to have people pay me back after the matter, or even at the con at that this time, as I will need to have the money in my bank account before we go.
That being said, I recommend we follow this timetable I'm proposing to make this go smoothly. I have used a similar schedule for a con in college and it worked well.:

MARCH 1, 2010: I would like to have a casual preliminary commitment that you will be rooming with us. Nothing official yet, just a preliminary headcount.

JULY 1st, 2010: We will need to have a solid commitment and a serious headcount by July 1st, 2010. I think that gives people plenty of time between now and then to figure out schedules, etc. To make this headcount more official, (put your money where your mouth is, so to speak) I would like a $50 deposit per person by July 1st. (I will work out with individuals on a case-by case basis if this is a problem.) This deposit will be applied to your total on the hotel. I will refund this deposit to anyone who cancels by August 1st, 2010. Late commitments will be worked out on a case-by-case basis, and voted upon by Pizza Club members, majority rules. Individuals wishing to room with us who the majority have not met before the event are required to attend one (1) Pizza Club gathering or event where the majority is present. A Pizza Club majority rules vote will be held after the initial meeting to see if it is a good match. They will then be required to place a $50 deposit. If either I do not receive a deposit or work something out with you individually by July 1st, 2010, I will assume you will not be staying in our hotel room.

AUGUST 1, 2010: Last day to cancel and get your $50 deposit back. After August 1st, I will be keeping the deposit of those who cancel (extreme circumstances not-withstanding, I'm not Hilter. I'm Polish. God-forbid, if something bad happens to you and you can't go, I'm not going to keep your money.) The reason that I am doing this is because if people cancel at the last minute, it makes the final bill more expensive for everyone. People need to know in advance how much the final bill will be so they can save up, and so I will be able to put the money in my bank account before we leave. I will not be accepting any commitments to room with us after this date (barring extreme circumstances, etc.)

FRIDAY, AUGUST 20, 2010: I would like to please have the remaining money for the hotel by this date so I may put it in my bank account. Please contact me before this date if you have any problems with this date, I will work something out on a case-by-case basis. I want all the stress about money to be out of the way well before the con so we will all enjoy it, so the price of the con (which is based on amount of people in our room) will be clear and not changed higher right before the con.

Disclaimer: Hate the rules? Hate paying early? Hate me? Reserve your own room! See Dragon*Con.com for more details on hotel options!

SO...What does that mean for you?
To take the guesswork out saving money for your hotel room, I have come up with a neato saving plan!

If we get 8 people: $168 per person
Between March-August gives you six months to save the money- that would be $28 per month

If we get 7 people: $192 per person
Save $32 per month

If we get 6 people: $225 per person
Save $37 a month

Also if we get less people, the hotel will bill us cheaper I believe. I will call the hotel with our final headcount if less than 8 and pass the savings onto you after August 1, 2010.

Thanks for your understanding in this matter. Like I said, I am willing to work with individuals if you are having trouble meeting these dates. I want everyone to have a good time and know exactly what to expect so none of us will be left in the dark (or left holding the bag.) I'm happy to reserve the hotel for everyone and take that burden off your shoulders. I would also understand and step down from that duty if you think I am too strict.
Thanks!
Heather

Very official and organized I don't think its too strict at all, Heather, I think you are doing a great job. This plan gets my seal of approval.

The Westin is a good back up hotel.

I actually already made plans/committed to rooming with Marshall on the drive back from Dragon*Con 09, when he booked the room for this year like before we were out of Georgia.

That's what I figured- no problem, we'll meet up with you at the con like we did last year. The Westin seems to be as far away from the action as the Sheraton is, so that is cool. Has anyone contacted Jerry to let him know of our devious plans? Oh, and should we invite him to the Pizza Club forum as well? Or does he have to wear a black mask and recite by memory the Pizza Club Manifesto by candlelight first?

Ok I have a suggestion that everyone may possibly hate, but lets say it ends up were only Pizza Club goes, that'd be 5 of us since James will be rooming with Marshall. If that happens do you guys think we should only get one room? I know we'll be squeezed tight but it saves money and I don't think 5 people really warrants two rooms considering it can be first bed (Heather+Tina), second bed (Alex+Brandy), floor (yours truly). Again thats only if we are the only 5 that go. What do you guys think?

That sounds fine, but any more than five is pushing it. I can always cancel a room if need be.

So we're getting a little stressed out about the hotel since its expensive. I know a lot of us are in financial straights right now. I think we might need to sit out this year for dragoncon since we're not making enough money to really afford it this year. Although I hate to say this, Im just being a realist as Heather and I can not afford to pay out the cost for the rooms. (I used my tax return on paying off Heather's medical bills, :[ but its something I had to do). I dont want heather to be stressed out since shes been stressed so much about work that I suggested she cancel the room if she was so stressed about the issue. If we have enough money after a few months we can still do what we did last time or if someone reserves at another hotel for cheaper maybe we could swing it but right now we just cant do it.

I dont want you guys to be mad but if we cant afford it then we cant afford it. I cant use my credit card as I've been buying gas when we're low on money and right now I have 906.70 on my credit card alone. I advised Heather to go ahead and cancel the rooms. Heather doesnt plan on going since we're probably not going to be able to afford it without going deeper in debt.

No problem and I'm not mad at all. I really wanted to be able to get you guys my part of the money on time, but really I have next to nothing and I don't want to ask my parents to let me borrow money. I understand completely though, and I hope Heather doesn't stress out too much over this.

Its a shame since it would have been fun, but at least we'll have more time to get the Ghibli cosplays done. Seriously though very few of us can handle going financially speaking, so no worries.

I really hate to be a stick in the mud, but out of previous experiences comes much paranoia on my part. The conversation the other night made me feel as though no one really would have any money to pay for the rooms, costumes, or even badges at Dragon*Con. Truth be told, Tina and I weren't exactly comfortable with sharing badges at Ohayocon. It's kind of like the Larry David jacket sketch. I bought the jacket, why shouldn't I be the one to wear it? I can't afford $1,200 worth of hotel rooms. I need your help, but it worries me when I feel like I'm getting signs that maybe I'll be stuck holding the bag. I know that none of you would ever do that on purpose, I can understand getting to that time and just being flat broke. I mean, we all want to go! It just makes my spider sense tingle when people are talking to me predicting they won't have enough money, and I'm sitting here with the Doom of Damocles a.k.a. $400 deposit waiting to go on my credit card which is almost paid off (I'm planning on canceling it when it is, I can't wait!) and I have a choice to make on what I should do.

I need your help now too. You're my friends, and I don't want anything to come between us, and money makes me personally more bitter quicker than a lot of things. Please tell me truthfully whether we are going to Dragon*Con this year, so I'll know what to do: Keep the rooms (or a room), and stop worrying, or, cancel the rooms and get my money back.

I say, because I can't guarantee when I'll have money, to cancel the rooms and hope we can go next year. I understand where you are coming from, financial issues are one of the leading causes of friends fighting and we need to avoid that at all costs (pun?). So yeah I have no money currently, and if I get hired on after my internship this summer, I'm not sure how much they will be paying me, so I say cancel the rooms.

If you guys can afford it, go ahead and go without me, but I don't feel comfortable making any promises on my account right now, so I'm going to go ahead and say I'm not going.

a very bad pun. I think if we cancel one room and keep the other just until july marker to see if people are able to pay up then that might be good or I suggest going to a smaller con that would cost considerably less? I know I've been tooting omgcon but it is smaller, cheaper, and closer.

so besides jake, (meaning alex or brandy) what do you guys think?

StarTrekRules wrote:

so besides jake, (meaning alex or brandy) what do you guys think?

I haven't seen either on the board in awhile, you might have better luck just calling them.

Torgo's Pizza wrote:

I haven't seen either on the board in awhile, you might have better luck just calling them.

Or being patient, as it was only two days since Tina posted her thoughts.

I am in agreement with everyone. Since I have to plan our spending week by week, I'm not seeing Dragon*Con in the future, unless someone actually hires me. Why can't I get a retail job?! REALLY?!

But according to Brandy, Jerry is dead set on going, and he doesn't want to go alone, so it will still be my goal to go. I just don't really see it happening unless I can change the way I'm making money. Just trying to be a mixture of realist and optimist.

Prinny-O wrote:

Or being patient, as it was only two days since Tina posted her thoughts.

I am in agreement with everyone. Since I have to plan our spending week by week, I'm not seeing Dragon*Con in the future, unless someone actually hires me. Why can't I get a retail job?! REALLY?!

But according to Brandy, Jerry is dead set on going, and he doesn't want to go alone, so it will still be my goal to go. I just don't really see it happening unless I can change the way I'm making money. Just trying to be a mixture of realist and optimist.

I just hadn't seen you on here lately. And don't get me wrong, I'd absolutely love to go, but I just don't feel comfortable making any promises right now. There is a chance I'll have enough money by the time DragonCon comes around, but I'm just not sure at this time.

I have thought long and hard about Dragon*Con - about keeping the hotel rooms, canceling them, etc. Although we had a lot of fun last year, the prospect of going to Dragon*Con this year has really soured in my mind, mainly because our uncertainty about money. Every time I think about going I feel sick and keep thinking about us not having enough money to pay for the hotel room: I no longer am excited about going. The only reason I would go is to hang out with everyone and have fun, which I could do right here in Kentucky. Therefore, I have made a decision that I will not be attending Dragon*Con this year. As the hotel room is in my name, and therefore can't be willed to anybody (since you'll need my credit card and photo ID at check-in) I will be canceling the rooms. However, there is still plenty of time for someone else to book another room. I apologize for the inconvenience, but this has been a stress and a burden for me for the past three months, because of the money uncertainty. I hope you guys have fun, and I still plan on making the Ashitaka costume, of course! Thanks for understanding. In the future, I will be making separate plans for myself for conventions that we plan on attending, and hope to see you all there.

I was still debating on whether I'd be able to go or not, so I understand. I think I'll have enough money by the time (not earlier though sadly) but the money that I make with my internship could probably be better going towards something else (namely grad-school which it won't even make a dent in). As for the Ashitaka costume, that'll be awesome cause Dragon*Con or no Dragon*Con I'd still like to cosplay Ashitaka somewhere else.

I really want to go. That is all.

MAAAAAAJOR...minor update. I've booked us a room for Dragon*Con. It's the Renaissance Atlanta Hotel Downtown, which according to Google Maps, is only 15 minutes walking distance (3 minutes driving). And considering the amount of walking we'll be doing, that's not bad. We could even go back to the hotel to rest if need be. What's also not bad is the $139.00 a night charge, and with just one room, it's much more affordable.

I went ahead and put it on my card since one of us going would have to provide the credit card at check-in. I'll get the price for everyone once we have a confirmed list. So far, I only know myself, Brandy, Jake, and Jerry (and Jerry is the only one to already have his pass out of the four). Tina and Heather?

Shiite, I need to think up another thing to cosplay as. Any ideas?

Brandy offered to make me something, that offer still on the table?

Torgo's Pizza wrote:

Shiite, I need to think up another thing to cosplay as. Any ideas?

Brandy offered to make me something, that offer still on the table?

I'm making multiple henchmen costumes ala venture bros and if you have something else in mind just let me know.

Currently working on Yoko. Should have everything I don't need to order done before the weekends over. Next I start on Dr. Mrs. Monarch and/or Power Girl. I'm setting dates for completion of costumes so as soon as you know what you want I'll set a due date!


ALSO: James, let me know when you can bring down the Kamina material and we'll get right to work on that. It should take a day at the most for slacks and cape to be made. I'm sure you can handle burning and weathering. Would be interested in doing a more weathered, from battle version of the characters?

ALSO, if any of you ladies can't get something made in time and you still want to join the gurren lagann group come D-con time let me know and we can get the Nia stuff ready. ^_^


ALSO, I'M PUMPED AND WORKIN' 24 SEVEN! No night before con for me this time around....maybe. haha.

Yeah I am so not in Dragon*Con mode, I think Tina is going but I am still teetering back and forth. I'll try to have an ashitaka costume done in time, but maybe not the props. You're going to have to talk to Tina about this.

FlyingStewardess wrote:

Yeah I am so not in Dragon*Con mode, I think Tina is going but I am still teetering back and forth. I'll try to have an ashitaka costume done in time, but maybe not the props. You're going to have to talk to Tina about this.

I really hope you decide to go, Heather. I think you'd have a great time.