Dragon Con – A First Timer’s Perspective
For two of the team who attended Dragon Con this year it was our first time. Angel and Clare have put together some of their thoughts for those who might be considering attending the convention in the future.
What IS Dragon Con?
Dragon Con is a 5 day pop culture convention in Atlanta Georgia. It is unlike any convention I have ever attended. Taking place across 5 city centre hotels (the Marriott Marquis, Sheraton, Hyatt, Hilton and Westin) over Labor Day Weekend, Dragon Con 2019 attracted over 85,000 fans.
Dragon Con is, without doubt, a fan event. Hundreds of panels take place across the weekend, on a variety of “Tracks” – most of which are fan coordinated and run – on almost any pop-culture subject you could possibly imagine. From Alternative History and Urban Fantasy, to the Brit Track (Doctor Who) and Skeptics, there’s literally something for just about everyone!
As we were told on the tour given to new reporters, Dragon Con is first and foremost a FAN event, not a media event. We were allowed to request interviews with attending guests, but they were by no means guaranteed. That’s because it’s about the fans getting time with their idols, not us. Out of our possible 15 interview requests we got 6, in one interview (more on that later). This was mostly because the others we requested had such phenomenal demand for autographs and photos that there would not have been time to take them away from the Walk of Fame. And rightly so. When we saw the demand for Matt Ryan for example (overflow line almost out the door) we understood why he had said no to interviews!
What we learned
- A lot of walking. Sure, as DragonCon is spread over a few hotels and 4 floors of vendors, you may plan on walking. But plan more. Lots and lots of walking. We love walking, so we thought it was awesome. But plan the right shoes!
- Con veterans love the old, retired, Marriott Marquis carpet pattern. You will see it everywhere, even on the food.
Carpet Pattern Cookie!!
Source: Atlanta Marriott Marquis on Twitter - DragonCon loves giving back. You can even donate blood at the con in what is the single biggest planned donation event in the US.
- DragonCon organizers know how to plan. Everything moved swiftly and well oiled, without making me feel like I was just a number.
- There were hardly any “Cosplay isn’t Consent” reminders, because DragonCon attendees don’t need to be constantly reminded. Incredibly conscientious, considerate attendees and cosplayers.
- Your fandom will be represented by a cosplayer somewhere! You may not see it, but that show you loved that lasted less than a season, or the obscure 80s film you thought no-one else knew, probably has at least one cosplayer.
- The crowds. 85,000 people attended DragonCon this year, so expect to bump shoulders, wait out bottlenecks, and scoot around large cosplay costumes. It will be worth it.
- The elevators. You sometimes have to go up to go down, and vice versa. Don’t expect to ride alone! Do expect spontaneous group singing with your new elevator pals, and discussions about Worbla and explaining your fandom-in the elevator and while waiting to get on one.
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The DragonCon celebrities are top notch. No matter how big they are, all were gracious and accommodating.Even with overflow lines in a separate area from the celeb, your wait time is at a minimum, and you can connect with fellow fans in line!
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Angel – I don’t read her books, but I might take a bullet for Sherrilyn McQueen(formerly writing under Sherrilyn Kenyon) after sitting in on her Q&A.
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A lot of celebrity selfies/autographs/table merch are cash only! This is true at most cons, but there are a lot of celebs you’ll want to see here. There are ATMs on the Walk of Fame, but they have been known to run out. Plan accordingly, go early!
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Night time is adult time at DragonCon. There are NSFW panels and events, such as the Bunny Hutch party, Kilt Blowing and live Body Painting. The more risque costumes can also be seen after dark.
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Your internet will be slow at times without Wifi, just sayin’.
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Don’t take pics of the celebs without paying in the Walk of Fame. Signs are posted, but some people will still try by using a zoom. This can get you removed from the event if you get caught (and you most likely will) so it’s not worth the risk!
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There is swag if you look for it!
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There are roving cosplay repair people that fix costumes at no charge. They also carry bandaids and superglue for anyone that needs them.
Our Recommendations
- Download the official Dragon Con app, and sync up schedules with your friends so you can keep track of panels and events you want to attend.
- Join groups. There are plenty on Facebook to help you navigate the event, from finding hotels or room-mates to share with, to cosplay and swag groups. Search Dragon Con and you’re bound to find someone who can help you!
- Hydrate. There are water fountains all over the venues, so bring a reusable bottle with you and keep it topped up. With the Georgia heat and humidity, plus all the walking, you’ll be thankful for it.
- If you aren’t used to the heat and humidity of the South (the Brit holds up a hand), dress light and bring a fan. You can buy the brilliant hands free neck fan Jenn used (and the celebs kept trying on) from Amazon.
- Go eat at White Oak Kitchen and Cocktails. Especially the devilled eggs. So good we went back twice! They also have a secret hamburger not on the menu-but it may not always be available: http://whiteoakkitchen.com/
- Another godsend for us, cos we did partake of quite a few adult beverages (seriously, this event is one long party), were Redee patches. A few in our group suffer from redness caused by drinking alcohol, and these absolutely work to stop it!
- If you want to attend the cosplay parade on Saturday morning, get out there EARLY. We made the mistake of not heading out early enough and the streets were jammed with people.
