As you all know, I frequently attend nerdy conventions with Lauren every year here in Atlanta.
The major ones are MomoCon and Anime Weekend Atlanta, but one that has been missing from our list is Dragon Con, the biggest nerdy event of them all!
I didn't blog about it, but we did attend Dragon Con for the first time on a whim last year. I felt I couldn't give it a good enough review because we went on a Thursday and didn't do much since we spent so much time in lines and walking around trying to find things.
This year, we were better planned.
About Dragon Con
Dragon Con is the largest multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction & fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film in the Southeast.
It has taken place annually on Labor Day Weekend since 1987, drawing over 80,000 con-goers each year.
We didn't attend Dragon Con until last year because I was told the convention was more adult-themed and not suitable for my children.
Now that they're adults, we wanted to give Dragon Con a chance.
Last year, I noticed that most con-goers were my age or older, though some younger children attended with their families. I think we should have given Dragon Con a shot while my daughters were younger; I think they would have enjoyed it.
But I will say, there are things about this convention that I liked and disliked. Here are my thoughts:
My Likes
1. Hosted in 5 Hotels and two AmericasMart Buildings: Downtown Atlanta sure does come alive for five days for Dragon Con! People are everywhere, showing off their costumes and hopping from hotel to hotel and AmericasMart buildings.
I have never seen conventions hosted in so many places at once.
Each hotel (Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Hilton Atlanta, Courtland Grand Hotel, Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel) is a different vibe and feel; it's like a party going on in almost all of them!
Think of it as an early adult Halloween-themed party in each hotel.
I like the Westin hotel the most, since it's more chill, and I'm not big on partying.
2. Vendor Hall: Vendor Hall is 4 floors in one of the AmericasMart buildings. What stands out about Dragon Con's vendors is that they put effort into their booths and the products they are selling.
What I have been seeing a lot lately at conventions are vendors selling cheap stuff that you can find on AliExpress, blind boxes of junk that didn't sell, and 3D-printed garbage, but not at Dragon Con.
Dragon Con vendors put thought into the merch they sell, with most items made by the vendor.
Prices were reasonable too.
3. A lot of Food Options: There are so many food options to choose from at Dragon Con. You can eat at the Host Hotel's Restaurants; there is a food court at The Hub at Peachtree Center (my favorite option), restaurants throughout downtown Atlanta, food trucks at Courtland Hotel, and food vendors at AmericansMart.
Honestly, Dragon Con has the best food options, in my opinion.
4. Friendly People: Dragon Con has some of the friendliest, most helpful people. While waiting in lines, I talk to the con-goers to pass the time and get helpful tips from them. Also, the staff is friendly. This really makes my time worthwhile.
My Dislikes
1. The Lines: I hated the lines last year and this year. Imagine standing in different lines for hours outside in 95-degree weather. I was so hot, sweaty, and miserable.
Last year, badge pickup took two hours in the scorching heat! Thankfully, since I went on a Friday this year, there was no line. However, the line to get into the vendor hall was over an hour.
Something needs to be done about the lines to make them move a lot faster. I could have suffered a heat stroke since I don't do well in heat.
2. Badge Pickup: It doesn't make any sense when the only option is to pay for your badge online and pick it up at the Courtland Hotel during the event.
Dragon Con does not offer mailing badges or early badge pickup. And remember, Dragon Con has 75,000 visitors yearly, so imagine the lines outside, waiting for hours to pick up your badges.
They need to follow MomoCon's lead by mailing badges to you and offering early badge pickup throughout Atlanta at partner locations.
FYI: It seems like Thursday is the worst day to pick up badges. All the people with 5-day badges are there, along with Thursday badge holders.
3. The Layout: Although hopping from hotel to hotel is fun, it is also a bad layout, especially if you want to see panels. It's hard to make it on time if you have panels scheduled close together.
We had a better experience this year because Friday offers more activities than Thursday. The vendor hall is closed on Thursday, and Lauren was particularly interested in shopping, which she was able to do this time.
Now the question is, will we continue to attend Dragon Con?
Unfortunately, I don't see us going back because of the heat. It's just too hot to be continuously outside when it's almost 100 degrees.
Even some of the hotels are hot inside because there are too many bodies bunched up together. It's a hot, smelly mess!
But a round of applause to those in hot costumes, enduring the heat!
They are the real MVPs! They make me complaining about the heat in regular clothes look like a sissy brat.
Tips for First-Time Dragon Con
If you're going to Dragon Con for the first time, here are some tips:
1. Download the Dragon Con app so you know what events are going on, can plan your schedule, and know where everything is located, etc.
2. Wear comfortable shoes. You'll do a lot of walking and standing, especially up and down hills and being in lines.
3. Stay hydrated! I can't stress this enough. Drink a lot of water.
4. Dragon Con is family-friendly during the day, but it does turn into a huge night party for adults.
5. Use the ParkHero website to find parking near Dragon Con.
6. Make sure to have your phone fully charged because you're going to need it for GPS, and use the Dragon Con app to get around.
Have you attended Dragon Con before? If so, what was your experience?
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