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Colossalcon East 2019<\/h4>\n published 4 years ago<\/span>\n
@necromimicosplay <\/a> as Kida from Disney\'s Atlantis: The Lost Empire<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Colossalcon Texas 2021 Swimsuit Anime Convention<\/h4>\n published 3 years ago<\/span>\n
@themadihatter<\/a> is Kida from Disney\'s Atlantis: The Lost Empire<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Colossalcon Texas 2021 Swimsuit Anime Convention<\/h4>\n published 3 years ago<\/span>\n
Disney\'s Hunchback of Notre Dame<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Holiday Matsuri 2019<\/h4>\n published 4 years ago<\/span>\n
Panel queues are organized into stalls.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Holiday Matsuri 2019<\/h4>\n published 4 years ago<\/span>\n
The inside of the resort is all fine and dandy, but the outside is even better. There\'s a large pool with lots of lounge-style seating, hot tubs, a bar with table seating, water slides, and more. I spent a lot of time around the pool and the area around it. It\'s landscaped with faux boulders that makes for excellent photo backgrounds. Think Disney-style faux boulders with the same kind of quality appearance. Everything is open until 10 PM and is very well illuminated at night. This opens up the possibility for night shooting, which is rare at some conventions. When it\'s just a convention center with no attached hotel, you tend to see the crowds thin out around 6 PM. People have to go elsewhere to eat at decent restaurant or even just to sit down comfortably. Since you are more or less captive at this resort, everyone is out and having a good time until late. It\'s a lot like Katsucon<\/a> or Dragon Con<\/a>.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Holiday Matsuri 2019<\/h4>\n published 4 years ago<\/span>\n
I\'m surprised that this con was significantly less expensive overall than many of the previous cons I attended in 2019. This is the farthest convention that I travel to - essentially the opposite corner of the country from me since I live in Washington State. I once again stayed with some friends that I met at a previous convention, which saved me a lot on the hotel cost. The plane tickets weren\'t too expensive, but the Uber/Taxi rides were. It\'s a 17 mile trip with three toll roads and the late-night ride from the airport was \$50! Altogether, it was well worth the cost. If I had more time and knew more people I would have gone to the Disney parks, which are literally down the road from the convention.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Holiday Matsuri 2021 Florida Anime Convention<\/h4>\n published 2 years ago<\/span>\n
Located in Orlando Florida, Holiday Matsuri is an anime convention and vacation destination wrapped up in a convenient package. With two world class theme park resorts nearby (Walt Disney World and Universal Studios) it’s easy to combine two vacations into one. I can’t think of a better place to be in the month of December than smothered in the balmy subtropical weather.\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Holiday Matsuri 2021 Florida Anime Convention<\/h4>\n published 2 years ago<\/span>\n
It seemed as though everyone in the US was looking at Florida as not only a vacation getaway, but a getaway from the pandemic. Flights were scarce and expensive if you waited until November. Fortunately I bought mine before then and was able to use airline miles, otherwise they would\'ve been over \$500. I visited Universal Studios on the Thursday before the convention and while it wasn\'t too busy that day, I know it was busier closer to Christmas. I left the following Monday but kinda wished I had stuck around and did the Disney parks. Despite the crowds it would have been nice to go since I haven\'t been there for years.\n\nI split a room with some fellow photographers, so that helped keep the costs down. It was still expensive because I stayed four nights and I indulged in the amazing breakfast buffet a few times. It\'s one of the best I\'ve seen anywhere.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Dragon Con 2021 - Celebrating 35 Years<\/h4>\n published 3 years ago<\/span>\n
Flapper Disney characters<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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Dragon Con 2021 - Celebrating 35 Years<\/h4>\n published 3 years ago<\/span>\n
Part of what makes this convention so special is its venues. Dragon Con operates at five host hotels, all within a few blocks of each other. Three of the main hotels are connected by a series of sky bridges, often called “habitrails” by experienced attendees. These hotels are impressive in both their size and architecture. The Marriot Marquis, Hyatt Regency, and Westin Peachtree Plaza were all designed by renowned architect John Portman<\/a> and feature impressive atriums. The Marriot Marquis’ 470 foot tall atrium is so impressive that it has been a shooting location for a number of productions including the recent Loki series on Disney Plus. Interestingly, a large portion of Atlanta’s downtown core was designed and developed by Portman Architects, including the AmericasMart buildings which house the gaming, vendors, and artist alley.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
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WonderCon 2022<\/h4>\n published 2 years ago<\/span>\n
It\'s not hard to get to Anaheim... usually. It\'s where Disneyland is after all! If you\'re local you can just drive. If you are from farther away, the Los Angeles area has five airports including one of the busiest in America - LAX. The closest is the Santa Ana/John Wayne Airport (SNA), which is only 20 minutes away by car. I say \"usually\" because on the average year you can find a lot of flights at affordable prices. 2022 wasn\'t an average year. Coming out of COVID everyone started traveling again and airlines were overwhelmed. After reducing their staff during the pandemic for various reasons they just couldn\'t rebuild fast enough to accommodate the demand. Prices were double or triple the norm, if you could even find one.\n\nI purchased mine later than I should have and ended up paying a lot more than I wanted to. Thankfully I was able to use airline miles for a return ticket that would have been over \$400 one way! Southwest airlines had a decently priced arrival ticket for \$348, which is still a little ouch for a one way ticket. However, the night before the flight they canceled one leg of my flight! I tried calling, but three hours in I knew that there was no way I would get through. I didn\'t know if I would be able to make it to the convention until I arrived at the airport at 4:30 AM (I had a 5:30 AM flight on Saturday morning). Thankfully they were able to book me on a different connecting flight to LAX and arriving around the same time. Phew!\n\nAs far as hotels, you\'re in luck. There are plenty of hotels in the area since it\'s a vacation destination. The only downside is it\'s early April, which means spring break. That makes it a little busier than say, March. Still, there are plenty of rooms available. The convention has room blocks at many nearby hotels, so be sure to check that out if you\'re planning on staying overnight.\n\nI once again stayed with some friends and split the cost. In addition, I only stayed one night, so that reduced it down to \$82. Score! A friend picked me up at the airport which was really great, and I took an Uber down to SNA for my return flight. All in all, it was a relatively affordable convention.\n\nI tend to eat like a mouse at conventions just because I\'m out all day filming. I did go out with some friends on Saturday evening, but otherwise it was just a few grab-and-go type meals.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n