Author Topic: WonderCon 2013 Reviews  (Read 29003 times)

Offline Jim Watari

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WonderCon 2013 Reviews
« Reply #15 on: March 31, 2013, 11:34:57 PM »
I had lunch today with friend from San Francisco and she knows someone who helps run WonderCon and the plan seems to to be to have two WonderCons per year . One in SF and one in Anaheim , I guess we will see if that's what they are going to try and do.

I had a good time. I did not go to any panels this year and that was not by design, it just sorta worked out that way because not staying close by to the convention ( I was traveling from home everyday ), real life kept creeping in since I was coming from home every day. Also the panels were not that compelling enough for me to make a big effort to see them. I think to get the full con experience you need to stay at a hotel close by and have the convenience of being  able to drop off stuff in your room and take a small break without your normal life creeping in. I think the what they used to call the Dealer's room was about the same as SDCC.
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Offline TheTFReview

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Re: WonderCon 2013 Reviews
« Reply #16 on: April 01, 2013, 01:54:07 AM »
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You need to remember that this is Anaheim first real major con. Yes they had Blizzard, Anime, and Wizard World two years.

Well, Anaheim hosts NAMM, which is the big music expo that pulls 100,000+ attendees every year and utilizes all the exhibit halls and arena and some venues at the Disneyland resort are also used. But in terms of Comic/Nerd based conventions, this is definitely the biggest one they've done and if they wanted to, they could continue to expand and it could become bigger than SDCC, could you imagine that?! haha.

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Re: WonderCon 2013 Reviews
« Reply #17 on: Today at 07:04:04 AM »

Offline carmitch

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Re: WonderCon 2013 Reviews
« Reply #17 on: April 01, 2013, 02:13:01 AM »
I just went on Saturday.

Pros:

More food options with the food trucks.
More cosplayers.
More LGBT panels.  Last yr. only had 1.  Saturday, alone, had 2.
Liked how they placed the Disabled Services right in the lobby and not down below, like last year.
Great sound and disabled seating in the Arena.
And,...NO RAIN OR STUCK-UP SNOBS FROM DRILL TEAMS LOOKING DOWN AT US!

Cons:

They need to have a better idea of panels' popularity.  The Disney Pins panel had to turn away people.

Wasn't fond of only having the ANIMANIACS panel announced for a week, only to have it then cancelled.  Something tells me, by their lack of initial description, they didn't have confirmation of anything when they put it in the QUICK GUIDE.

They need to have a section outside set aside for the 'holy rollers'.  We don't need unwelcome 'guests' near us.  San Diego doesn't let them (or the worst, the hating Fred Phelp's church) onto conv. ctr. property and neither should Anaheim.

Bummed that they only had a separate disabled/ADA line for the Arena.  For Room 300AB, I couldn't find anyone to help me find a wheelchair spot for quite awhile.  Took 10 mins. for a volunteer to help me.  And, other rooms, it was each to their own.  At COMIC-CON, Hall H, Ballroom 20, and rooms with popular panels had ADA lines and sections set aside.

Also, I thought, with celebs, they were supposed to give you a free autograph only on/in the WONDERCON Program Guide and only charge if not signed in the Program Guide.  CC in '11 had that policy.  Why not with Wondercon?

And, finally, not enough swag!


See ya next year!

Offline Transmute Jun

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Re: WonderCon 2013 Reviews
« Reply #18 on: April 01, 2013, 06:16:36 AM »
I just want to point out that WonderCon has NEVER been a swag con (at least, not from 2009 on, I can't say for before that). I agree, the swag is nothing compared to SDCC, but it never has been. Free comics and lanyards are the normal thing to expect, and that's what we got. In the past the video games booths have given things away for trying out the games and that happened this year as well.

So when people say not enough swag, if you're comparing with SDCC, you're going to be disappointed. If you are comparing with past WonderCons, it was about the same this year.

Offline rabbitwarren

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Re: WonderCon 2013 Reviews
« Reply #19 on: April 01, 2013, 07:28:12 AM »
I don't think anyone expects this to be SDCC nor does anyone want it to be.  I certainly hope it doesn't.  I liked being able to actually browse what the dealers had without feeling rushed because of all the people. 

But I'd like Wondercon to be Eli to SDCC's Peyton Manning, may not produce the gaudy results year after year, but still gives you a solid performance and may even put up something memorable. 

« Last Edit: April 01, 2013, 07:49:59 AM by rabbitwarren »

Offline Chris

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Re: WonderCon 2013 Reviews
« Reply #20 on: April 01, 2013, 08:15:45 AM »
Any complaints that I have are so minor that they are not worth mentioning. 

I had a great time.  Got a nice pile of comics and some autographs.  And got to hang out with friends and exhibitors that I only get to see at shows.

Offline MacAttack

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Re: WonderCon 2013 Reviews
« Reply #21 on: April 01, 2013, 09:34:35 AM »
From the standpoint of a family who's only previous con experience has been attending SDCC over the past several years - WonderCon was exactly as expected and we were not disappointed.  Pretty much echoing all the good points posted already.  We were able to see some vendors, gaming tables, artists, and small press booths that we normally missed at SDCC.  A few of the little things that also made it nice: 

*Badge pick-up was a breeze; we were never asked for ID.
*The convention center lobby was easy to navigate; we encountered only helpful, not bossy, security.
*Personally, I appreciated the smaller crowds and more personal booths; the kids (ages 12-15) however, prefer the large displays/booths at SDCC - big surprise.
*The outdoor plaza area and fountain was a great central location to cosplay watch, eat, and rest.  The fountain group photo taking place that we observed was all of the batman villains. 
*Coming from the southern side streets (instead of the east, on Katella) helped avoid most of the traffic/parking mess.
*Shorter lines/less congestion/pushing (most of the time).

I kept my eyes peeled for other FOCCI lanyards, but alas, no sightings.  Was thinking about what I would call out if I saw a lanyard - Foxie (FOC-CI)?  It might work, or get me slapped.

Attending WonderCon really amped us up for SDCC, making the wait until July even tougher!


Offline Jim Watari

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Re: WonderCon 2013 Reviews
« Reply #22 on: April 01, 2013, 09:44:05 AM »
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From the standpoint of a family who's only previous con experience has been attending SDCC over the past several years - WonderCon was exactly as expected and we were not disappointed.  Pretty much echoing all the good points posted already.  We were able to see some vendors, gaming tables, artists, and small press booths that we normally missed at SDCC.  A few of the little things that also made it nice: 

*Badge pick-up was a breeze; we were never asked for ID.
*The convention center lobby was easy to navigate; we encountered only helpful, not bossy, security.
*Personally, I appreciated the smaller crowds and more personal booths; the kids (ages 12-15) however, prefer the large displays/booths at SDCC - big surprise.
*The outdoor plaza area and fountain was a great central location to cosplay watch, eat, and rest.  The fountain group photo taking place that we observed was all of the batman villains. 
*Coming from the southern side streets (instead of the east, on Katella) helped avoid most of the traffic/parking mess.
*Shorter lines/less congestion/pushing (most of the time).

I kept my eyes peeled for other FOCCI lanyards, but alas, no sightings.  Was thinking about what I would call out if I saw a lanyard - Foxie (FOC-CI)?  It might work, or get me slapped.

Attending WonderCon really amped us up for SDCC, making the wait until July even tougher!

Random meetups just won't work in most cases, but I did meet Yzrfan :D

SDCC will be even worse for randomly meeting people.

For SDCC we will have to get more organized with specific places, dates and times.
The more things change, the more they stay the same

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Offline MegaDoug

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Re: WonderCon 2013 Reviews
« Reply #23 on: April 01, 2013, 12:02:36 PM »
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Random meetups just won't work in most cases, but I did meet Yzrfan :D

SDCC will be even worse for randomly meeting people.

For SDCC we will have to get more organized with specific places, dates and times.
Random meet-up TrueStorySwearToGod: when I went to see The Dark Knight Rises in IMAX at the theater in Irvine in July, I wore my 2012 Batman Comic-Con t-shirt and was stopped by a lady wearing the same shirt. Ran into her on Friday on the show floor, she was surprised and happy I remembered her. She said she got tickets to SDCC, so maybe I'll perchance another run-in with her.
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Offline Transmute Jun

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Re: WonderCon 2013 Reviews
« Reply #24 on: April 01, 2013, 12:31:22 PM »
MacAttack, I feel the same way! This only whets my appetite for SDCC and now I'm more anxious than ever for July to arrive!

Offline MacAttack

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Re: WonderCon 2013 Reviews
« Reply #25 on: April 01, 2013, 02:07:36 PM »
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This only whets my appetite for SDCC and now I'm more anxious than ever for July to arrive!

I must admit, this past weekend was a test to see if WonderCon would **hopefully** take the edge off and satisfy the family's craving of attending SDCC.  As obtaining badges to SDCC becomes more competitive each year, the harsh reality is that we will not always be fortunate in obtaining them.  But, my plan backfired.

Offline Chris

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Re: WonderCon 2013 Reviews
« Reply #26 on: April 01, 2013, 02:33:59 PM »
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I must admit, this past weekend was a test to see if WonderCon would **hopefully** take the edge off and satisfy the family's craving of attending SDCC.  As obtaining badges to SDCC becomes more competitive each year, the harsh reality is that we will not always be fortunate in obtaining them.  But, my plan backfired.

Big and mini cons were my backup plan too, but then they became the part of my routine.  They are a lot of fun.

Offline Khaaaaaaanh!!!

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Re: WonderCon 2013 Reviews
« Reply #27 on: April 01, 2013, 04:46:10 PM »
There is still a lot of room for WC to grow as the floor spacing was a bit tight in some areas but super easy to navigate in other areas though it certainly felt like you could walk and see everything by mid-day. A few more big booths promoting events like signings or giveaways or just about anything will help draw crowds and give them something to do for longer stretches of time. There was certainly more places to sit down on the ground and not get yelled at though I'd assume as it gets more crowded that they'll start cracking down on that and generally speaking, there was a lot of space to just hang out outside, get some sun and people watch without getting run over by the shuttles like in SDCC.

Sucks some people had issues w/ rude security but it just wasn't something I experienced or noticed. Most were, if not helpful then very polite saying good morning/afternoon, etc and doing their best to keep things organized and orderly. There were enough warning signs on the way to the arena about being booted if you run so you didn't see that crazy mad dash that puts people in harm's way and they were pretty quick to descend on people using electronic devices during panels to make sure that they weren't recording. A bit amusing but also nice that there weren't smartphone lights distracting during a trailer, clip, etc.

There could definitely be more panels but I did thoroughly enjoy the panels that were held especially the Sunday ones w/ Much Ado followed by Nerdist and Arrow. The crowd was more quiet and "polite" while still enthusiastic which actually was actually a nice change of pace from the rabid screaming typical of most SDCC panels. As previously mentioned, I'll just chalk it up to being Easter Sunday. At the minimum though, I think WB will continue to have a big panel presence whether TV or movies and hopefully more studios follow suit after seeing the success of the show and the size of the crowds.

Without knowing how busy (or in this case how not busy) things were, it was difficult to schedule an official hang out for forum members. Hard to get folks to commit without knowing where they would be. I'm thinking Saturday's masquerade ball would make for a very fun meetup followed by dinner in the future and also if the start time remains about the same, maybe a coffee meetup in the food court most mornings since there isn't that massive must-be-in-line-early vibe to the panels or the exhibit floor.
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Offline Car_Low

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Re: WonderCon 2013 Reviews
« Reply #28 on: April 01, 2013, 05:33:03 PM »
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I'm thinking Saturday's masquerade ball would make for a very fun meetup followed by dinner in the future and also if the start time remains about the same, maybe a coffee meetup in the food court most mornings since there isn't that massive must-be-in-line-early vibe to the panels or the exhibit floor.
I think that dead period we had between the exhibit hall closing and the masquerade would be a perfect time for a quick meet up.

Offline Transmute Jun

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Re: WonderCon 2013 Reviews
« Reply #29 on: April 01, 2013, 06:00:17 PM »
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I think that dead period we had between the exhibit hall closing and the masquerade would be a perfect time for a quick meet up.

Not so dead! We were at the Under the Dome panel during that time.