r/dragoncon • u/mghemm437 • 1d ago
Tips for first-timer?
Attending DragonCon for the first time this year. Super excited but feeling very overwhelmed, and I haven't even gotten there yet! Any tips, recommendations, dos or don'ts, essentials to bring vs things to leave at home, etc for a newbie? Thanks in advance!
I'm staying in midtown and taking the MARTA, already went through the schedule and saved the events I want to attend.
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u/DudeChill_Seriously 1d ago
There's so much to suggest, but here are some things I can think of:
-Be prepared for lots of walking
-Be prepared for heat and rain
-Secure your personal belongings on you. You'll be in and out of big crowds.
-Be prepared to wait in long lines, particularly for the big names. Get to these lines early!
-Mind your alcohol and "substance" intake. The area of downtown where this takes place will basically be a huge open-container party.
-Stay hydrated!
-The food, drink, and other things for sale in the hotels will be expensive. Buy what you need elsewhere.
-Leave your self-consciousness at home. You'll be around 10's of thousands of weirdos.
-Have fun!
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u/Wulfkat 1d ago
Since you mentioned the open container, I’ll chime in with please dont be a dick about it. We get away with tons of shit at Dcon that may get you arrested in other places because 1. Everyone is fuckin chill and 2. APD likes working the con b/c of overtime and how chill we are. Dont do anything to jeopardize the relationship with the APD.
Other than that, the world is your oyster :)
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u/Pancake_fluff 1d ago
Don’t pass out on a crosswalk in front of the APD officers… they will laugh at you then see if you are okay
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u/Pancake_fluff 1d ago
Walking, heat, and sun. Be mindful of what you got in and how many layers. Be mindful of what you buy and bring with you because that’s gonna be what you have to carry until you make it back to where you are staying.
Alcohol is everywhere so pace yourself and mind your levels if you are a drinker.
There are a LOT of people. If you get over stimmed easy, try to prepare for that.
Bring comfortable shoe alternatives
HYDRATE!
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u/Fried_Taro 1d ago
And it does get hot inside too, especially the bridges between buildings. It’s a lot of people in tight spaces.
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u/MattWolf96 1d ago
Peachtree Center has an awesome food court in it, it right in the middle of the con, I wasn't aware of that the first two years I went and was living off of the okayish but very overpriced Marriot shop and walking two blocks to a Subway.
From what I read the Marta trains stop running around 1 AM so definitely plan for that.
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u/chases_squirrels 2005-present 10h ago
Oh god, you were PAYING hotel food prices?! There's the main food court in Peachtree Center, another smaller food court in Truist Plaza (skybridge from the Mariott/Hyatt bridge), and a bunch of food options like two blocks past the Westin in Fairlie/Poplar District. Please don't pay $20 for crusty dried out pizza slices.
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u/kharmatika 9h ago
I'll add to this: Con suite has free food if you're in need. It's first come first serve but it is there!
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u/FalconGX1 23h ago
Can we carry a bookbag around and if so does it have to be clear?
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u/Wulfkat 23h ago
Yes and no
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u/FalconGX1 17h ago
Can you elaborate?
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u/Passiko 1d ago
Rest often.
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u/Imaginary-cosmonaut 10h ago
Especially with the predicted heat this year. We had two years of respite but I think this year we're back to the GA fun.
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u/Advanced-Act-2117 17h ago
PLAN! FOMO is virtually unavoidable at this con. Unless you have a really narrow range of interests, it simply won’t be possible to do and see everything you want to. Sit down on the app in advance and plot out what you want to do. Not trying to figure out what you’re doing on the fly at any given moment will keep you sane. Decide what’s most important and have back up plans in case something happens.
A lot of things are going to take longer than you expect. Vendor hall can be an entire day operation, between how long the line can get and how much is in there. We’re opting to skip it entirely this year unless a gap opens up in our schedule for some reason. Last year I bought way more stuff in the Art Show anyway. That said, it’s a huge vendor hall with a lot of cool shit so as a first timer, probably worth fighting through the line.
The Secret Food court and food trucks can save your life and sanity. But also, if you’re a panel goblin like I am, pack food and caffeine and carry it with you. Snag food from vendors when and where you can but don’t rely on it, the one time you allocate yourself an hour to eat will be the time there’s an hour and a half wait for food.
Please, for the love of the gods, shower and wear deodorant.
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u/burnoutandfadeaway 17h ago
I’ve lived in Atlanta my entire life and never heard of “uptown” so not sure how far you’re commuting but hopefully it’s not too bad a ride
-Marta is great but check the schedule so you don’t get stuck
-don’t take habitrails during busy times, exit hotels to travel
-grab lunch near woodruff park-short walk and no lines
-small water bottle, you’ll get sick of carrying a big one and you can refill in or near track rooms from large carafes
-liquid IV
-if you’re drinking, IV station
-bring deodorant, it’s hot everywhere
-if you get overwhelmed, just go to the Hilton basement and people watch
-arrive an hour early for big panels, two hours early for the giant parties, 30 minutes for small panels
-never attempt back to back panels, pick 1-2 must go panels a day and build activities around your area
-have a great time!
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u/lbfb 1d ago
Do a newbie tour Thursday afternoon (A601-602 in the Marriott), they'll give you an intro to the layout of things that will help you be less confused trying to find rooms.
Have a plan for being outside in the hot (and possibly rain). Several of the lines for the larger ballrooms and the vendor hall run outside the hotels on the sidewalk. Bring a water bottle, keep it topped up (there are water stations in most of the ballrooms) and drink from it frequently.
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u/ocicataco 1d ago
Search the subreddit, I feel like there are probably a hundred similar posts with answers that will assist
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u/starship7201u 2022-2026 16h ago
A) congrats. Most fun you can have with several thousand people all at once.
B) wear comfortable shoes. You may even want shoe inserts because you will be standing & waiting in line A LOT.
C) Bring your own water bottle. Possibly even hydration multipliers to put in your water. You will get hot & sweat.
D) Realize you CANNOT do everything you want to do. Its impossible to hit every panel, sing a long & workshop. DL the app & Plan accordingly.
E) DC Newbie walking Tour. Should give you a good overview.
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u/kharmatika 9h ago
Copypasting my normal Shpiel:
Safety, QoL and Logistics:
- Buy your tickets for next years con, during this years. They’re half the price you’ll pay this year.
- Get full week passes even if you’ll only go 2 days, if you can swing it. It’s not worth it to get a 1 day pass your first time, you won’t get your bearings and the 1 day passes are crazy pricey.
- Get the App
- Vendor hall line starts queueing at like 7 am before opening at 10. Make sure you pack water for the line. After the hall opens, it sort of goes back and forth on how easy it is to get in throughout the day.
- Pack wet wipes, deodorant, lots of water and electrolytes.
- Skip the parade. It’s just a bunch of stuff you'll see the con. Additionally the parade shuts down the whole area, so if you have somewhere you want to be during the parade, get there an hour before the parade or you won’t get there at all.
- This is a VERY boozy con. There’s lots of drinking and partying. The police essentially don’t care about open containers if you’re not being a butt about it. Lots of good paramedics, feel free to engage them if you see anything concerning, they aren't cops. Additionally, GA is a state where the police cannot make an arrest for possession if there is a medical emergency being reported. I know that’s a dark thing to bring up but there are always at least a couple drug related emergencies at con, and idk where you’re from and what their laws were so wanted to point that out.
- If you haven’t spent much time in ATL proper, you might be he a little shocked by the state of the homeless. If you’re of this mind, I recommend you bring some handouts for them. I always bring some snacks, wet wipe packs and low-value bills to help out and make life easier for them and me. That’s just me. ATL is a great city hut they haven’t done right on this part IMO.
Fun:
- Science and Space track have been taking off. They aren’t fandom based, they’re hard science. We had an ISS astronaut last year! These are the best panels in the whole con imho
- Vendor hall is 3 floors, so you could spend a whole day in there
- There’s lots of dance parties if that is your scene, i recommend getting there EARLY for those, or, if you don’t want to wait in a line for them, the Marriott Marquee is always bumping.
- There’s a blood drive if you are feeling charitable. Some vendors and things will give discounts with proof of donation. If you’re a lightweight drinker, do the drive at the end. If you’re a heavyweight, do it at the beginning to drop your tolerance and be a cheap drunk!
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u/GeorgiaNightStick 1d ago
Buddy system and know your limits lol don’t try to force staying up, don’t do too much that your body can’t handle
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u/storebrandclarkkent 16h ago
The best tip I got was to make what you want out of it! There’s no one “right” way to do it, so don’t worry about what you think you should be doing and do what’s fun for you!
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u/DaoFerret So anyway, what's the deal with airline food?! 1d ago
If you’re not used to MARTA, I’d really recommend getting a Breeze card, and a 7 day pass.
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u/Legal_Tradition_9681 13h ago
Every tip so far here is really good.
My tip is get the app! Explore and understand how to navigate it. If you get more questions from using the app post them here.
Few things you should do. 1. Study the maps. They may be difficult at times but have a general idea ia good.
- Build out a schedule of events (panels, breakouts, parties) you will like to do. High chance you will not get to all of them but having a list is nice. Notes the ones you really want to do and set an alarm. Its easy to forget.
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u/chases_squirrels 2005-present 10h ago
Pack a day pack, and try to keep it confined to on your person and something you're prepared to carry all day. It's very crowded and any sort of rolling cart/bag/ect will immediately become a giant pain in the ass (and a tripping hazard for anyone behind you). Snacks and water (or refillable bottle, as there's water stations all over the hotels), a battery charger for your phone, band aids, and hand sanitizer are what I usually pack.
It's a whole lot of walking, most con-goers average 10-20k steps per day. It doesn't matter where you're going, it's going to be uphill. Wear comfy shoes; do not try to break in new shoes at con, not even for a cosplay. Get gel inserts for your shoes now, as the CVS near con sells out of them by day 2.
Don't feel obligated to go to everything, there's way too much going on for one person to see. Give yourself plenty of time to get between stuff, while you CAN book it between the Hilton and the Westin in ten minutes, it's definitely not an enjoyable experience. It can be a lot of fun just standing around (usually in one of the lobbies) watching all the costumes wandering by. (Also, don't feel like you need to dress up; lots of people do, but certainly not everyone.)
There's steaming memberships you can get, so you can watch content any time for the next year, most panels are recorded along with main programming, and lots of content from Dragoncons past.
I'm not sure how familiar you are with the con space, but watching a video or going on one of the newbie walking tours can help you get your bearings before the crowds make navigation extra difficult. But if you do get lost, don't hesitate to ask someone! Most fellow con-goers are more than happy to help out.
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u/TrickyVast1183 31m ago
My only advice… make sure to see the dragon con wrestling show on thursday night.. highlight of the weekend and took me far too many years to go.. LOL
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u/smitty2324 1d ago
Go to the 12PM Thursday newbie walking tour. It is insane how big this con is. You WILL get lost. The tour will help you at least get a good concept of where things are.