AMA '08

Cost: $30 -I didn't go for the VIP ticket which lets you skip lines

Personal Travel Time: 5-8 Minutes by foot.

Parking: God there was no parking, and what parking there was-was in tow away zones.

Swag: The bag literally had a magazine and one other thing in it besides the schedule...I like more things in it...even a cell phone charm would have been nice.

Water Stations: Empty most of the time and not properly guarded at the Rave.

Lines: Long. This makes having VIP well worth it. I was in line for the Rave an hour or so ahead of the scheduled time...so getting to places early means you get in...but you don't get to do anything else.

Dealers Room: Normal selection with some interesting Rave Selections. Oh and to warn people, the tails that you can buy...are usually made out of Fox Fur (from my experience) so ask if you want to be sure its not from an animal.

Art: They had an Art Show and artist alley of sorts, some good things, and they would have an auction at the art show if there were many bidders. I liked this concept, thought it was fun.

Events/Shows: Fun, but yet again the lines for them were bloody long. Though, I didn't see many things to interest me, so I didn't have to worry about going to one thing and missing another.

All-in-all: I give it a 3/5. Not an extraordinary con, but well worth the $30.

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I thought that by giving your reviews for the Cons you have recently been to, it might help other people figure out if they should actually attend or not.

AMA 8 (Also using John's template ^^;)

Cost: I honestly forgot how much the VIP Pre-reg was...but thats what I got. ^^;;;

Travel time: Well, I drove everyday so it was about 18 minutes to and from.

Parking: Friday I got a space, Saterday I went in late, so I found NOTHING at first (Totally drove around the lot for 10 minutes, then I PWNED a space that someone was coming out of. The chick in the blue car behind me was PISSED. But I lawled, b/c that space was MINE! It was really close too...)

Swag: Aside from my VIP pass, the contents of the bag was rather disappointing.

Water Stations: Hm, I thought they kept them up pretty well. (Not the Game Room one though. That one was perpetually empty.)

Lines: Not too bad b/c of my pass.

Dealer's Room: Pretty freekin sweet. I was a bit upset that Pawstar wasnt there, but everything else was really awesome. I loved messing with the guy at the G-LOL booth. xD

Art Show/Artist Alley: Lots of talented peeps (and some not-so-talented peeps...) so I enjoyed myself there. I totally bought a Yaoi Addict badge <3

Events/Shows: I didnt go to any honestly. I spent all my time shopping, poking around in the lobby, and upstairs chillin with my friends in their room. =( Im sad now that I missed them T^T

Best day: Defiantly Friday. We were all feeling frisky that day xD. Saterday WAS crowed, and Sunday was just a chillout day, b/c I was broke and my Friend's checked out of their room that morning. We just chilled out in the lobby all day.

Overall: Ill give AMA a 4 this time around, b/c it was my first con, but Im sure it could've been better.

Other: I met a lot of nice, interesting people, AND I GOT A NEW PET!

AMA 8 (hey everyone else is doing it so why not XP)

Cost: uhh I believe it was 55$ for the VIP pre-reg..

Travel time: about 10 or minutes from my house by car

Parking: eh not super bad..friday we got there a bit early so it wasn't a problem..saturday I gots a space all the way at the end of the lot..left and came back later and got an even closer space..sunday was really nothing with everyone leaving and such.

Swag: I gots a VIP shirt and a Volunteer shirt for helping break down the con near the end..

Water Stations: I uh used a water station uh once i think O.o

Lines: eh they were long but I was hanging out with some friends so its all good..only jumped one line (autos for greg and chris) and it wasn't that long XP

Dealer's Room: hmm got lots of sword stuff XD..Gunblade w/working revolver(more or less)..a Keyblade..Link's master Sword and Shield..Hitsugaya's and Rukia's Bankai swords..then a set of Vongola Rings (minus the sky ring (didn't look like it was supposed too))..and a Death Note x.x .. oh and some finger lights..O.o I think thats it..went in like 7 times on the first day

Art Show/Artist Alley: it was cool enough didn't really peak my intrest very much though..

Events/Shows: hmm they crammed people in there for some of them.. uh i only went to the karaoke, the uncensored panel and the voice actors panel..missed the cosplay due to some fangroup related activites but that was it O.o

Best day: umm friday i suppose i gots 3/6 weapon related items that day..and I got to meet/hang out with Chuck XD

Overall: 4/5 it was better than my first few cons were.. the difference was that i had a group of friends go to this one with me so i guess that made it better..

Other: the random pointing thing was quite entertaining....

Cost: forgot

Travel time: I took a ride with my family there and while we got a bit lost we made it and the way back was really fast.

Parking: Got a spot in the back on Friday and stayed in the hotel so that was all I needed in parking

Swag: None to speak of but got, you know the real estate ad in the program, it was the con chair's so while at the AMA Radio panel he ran I got him to autograph it.

Food and drink: Except for an evil trip to Hardees I was good, I really like the hamburgers and they were only a dollar each so I had alot.

Lines: Well I just yet lines form around me for the Risemboll panel and the autographes on Sunday(though I did book it to the Ayeres's(s) line. Other than that stayed in line for Guest Uncensored with everyone, grabbed into the back of the line for the concert, came into Karaoke alittle later than I meant(missed my brother do Cha La Head Cha La) and didn't even bother with Cosplay(watched the Nascar race in the hotel room) or the dance(watched Adult Swim, I want to finish Death Note you know) So they were horrible but I managed.

Dealer's Room: I bought too much, Pretty Face volume 5,Genshiken(manga) volume 3, A.I. Love You volume one, Ranma 1/2(maga) volume 2, the first Full Metal Panic novel(finished), Full Metal Panic: the Second Raid volume 3, Maze, complete collection, a Overman King Gainer figure(It was Gainer), and a Haruhi wallet.

Art Show/Artist Alley: I didn't even know the had one :doh:

Events/Shows: Did a fair amount, 4 episodes of Second Raid in Main Events, the AMA Radio panel, Beck panel, Mario Kart Wii tourny(got to second round), went and watched the first 2 episodes of Devil May Cry, came into Karaoke late, Guest Uncensored, all on Friday.

Saturday I went to Will's panel and saw he make a mistake about DBZ, went to the Risembool Ranger Panel, waited in line and got no autographes from the Ayeres, went to the Funimation Brand preview, sat in on the Voice Acting panel a bit, went to Vic's concert(best part of the weekend), had him autograph a Fumoffu postcar I am trying to get the whole cast to sign and the Full Metal Alchemist movie when he was signing autographs, and blew off the Smash tourny(apperantly that thing sucked more than the one I ran at the ODU con.

On Sunday watched the first 5 episodes of GaoGaiGar then sat down with my Full Metal Panic novel and wait for autographs, move over to the Ayeres line and got Greg to talk about changes of clothes and sign some Beck stuff, and Chris signed my program book, walked back over and snuck in one last autograph with Vic in my program book, then hung out in main events waiting for ending ceremonies, did that, and afterwards got Chuck to sign my program book.

All in all not as active as I like but writing it all, I was very active it seems.

Best day: It was just so nice to be back at a con, and this was my first one knowing you guys so being able to hang out and do stuff made all days nice but if I had to choose the second half of Friday and the first half of Saturday that 24 hour period.

Overall:Critically 3, Enjoyment 5

Other: I hate Hardees, and am so going to Nekocon and hopefully more cons.

And we should try to get Vic to come to the con if we try to make a new one.

I'll make a real review later....

I just have to say that I really doubt we'd be able to get someone like Vic to come to our con. What was the most well-known person we ever had at our tiny little con? I think they prefer to go to places with attendance numbers at least four times what ours were (and that's being conservative).

nah i think we COULD get someone like him to come.. i just dont think we could AFFORD it...from what i know you can get a VA to come but you have to pay quite a bit (plane ticket, any other travel expenses, hotel fees, food, and actual pay (though it differs for each VA i think..))

That probably belongs in a different thread, like ideas for a con...this is rate the con you've been too :P

I only went for Friday night because of work, but from what I saw/experienced, it was fun. Karaoke was a ton of fun, and I enjoyed participating in it (yet traumatizing at the same time....). It was also great to see everyone again, if only briefly.

I forgot how crowded that place could get! o_o

There seemed to be a lot of miscommunication among the staffers, which I thought could have been handled better, but for the most part, they did a good job.

If they come back next year, I'll probably go. Otherwise, I won't make the trip out to NoVa to see them.

AMA 2008

Cost: $30 (eh...)

Personal Travel Time: About thirty minutes, but it's close to my church and I know a nice road to take that's good to listen to the "Meet Joe Black Soundtrack".

Parking: Ha. Hahaha. Haaaa.... Glad I'm on good terms with all Mariots (sp?).

Swag: Pretty much nothing interesting. That's kinda why I put mine in Ryto's bag. :3 Woulda liked more. Nekocon gives you more.

Water Stations: I don't really need to drink too much so long as I don't think about it. And I didn't go to the rave. Jail bait. Lots of Jail bait. (sorta an inside joke. You know who you are.)

Lines: Long, but so long as there's company I'm fine.

Dealer's Room: Had some nice things and some cool dealers I met at Nekocon. But the security was really low. I felt bad for the dealers. And there wasn't too much that I would want. I'll spend my money at another con (Jason...).

Art: There was some cool art there. I kinda wanted to get a few key chains. But I didn't in the end. I'll get them at another con, lol.

Events: Didn't go to a lot because most of them weren't interesting enough for me (and the good ones were during Sabbath sooooo... :( ) I did see a little bit of the Amv contest, though. That was good and funny too. But I got a lot of phone calls and my friend showed up with his kids and I had to say , "Hi". I guess the events were okay.

Overall Rating: 3/5 It was fun, but not great. I've been to better and I don't think I'll go to this con again unless someone convinces me. But I did like pointing at the cielling (sp?) Mwahahaha!