Thank you everyone who interacted with us and supported us. We could not have had a better weekend and I am so happy I could share it with everyone.
I want to say this experience was phenomenal. YMMV, and I certainly would never discount the bad experiences people have had, but I will say that we had a really good one.
I was very visibly queer this weekend. I had something rainbow every day and I wore pride pins on my badge. There were a ton of others who did the same. I also wore things that made it abundantly clear that I’m a Heller. I received no backlash and several compliments (including multiple compliments from staff on some of my rainbow gear).
The staff was incredibly helpful. I had some conflicts and they were happy to answer questions and even let us go to the front of the line for one of my photo ops so I could make it to autographs.
Several of us asked questions (including one of us being chosen but never getting to the mic for Misha). There was only one time that any of us was asked what we were going to say (and that was super early). Does this mean they have decided to stop screening questions? Possibly. Regardless, it wasn’t an issue this weekend as far as I saw. I will also say the person with the mic was so nice to me when I asked Al Cal my question (I was shaking so fucking hard, y’all. RIP to me).
It was honestly easier to navigate and more organized than other cons I have been to (primarily Wizard World).
None of this is to invalidate the negative experiences people may have had, but I wanted to reassure people that it is possible to have a good experience. I feel like only the negative experiences get posted and it gave me some anxiety pre-con.
Advice for future/first-time con goers below the cut.
I also thought I would give some advice to anyone who may be going to their first con in the future. Take it if you want it, ignore it if you don’t.
Adjust your expectations. You may not get much interaction even if you have an autograph or photo. The autographs can get really rushed. The Misha ones were super rushed on Saturday. My guess is that it was because he was super late. He also looked exhausted which is understandable because it was such a full day. The actors are human beings. They get tired and have other shit happening in their lives. Even if they wanted to and had the energy to take a long time with each person, it just isn’t possible. In fact, all my love to AlCal who was taking time with each person, but that line was absolutely brutal because of it. He is so awesome, though.
The photos are super quick as well and you won’t be able to talk to the cast members (especially with the plexiglass). They also weren’t allowing the cast to hold props (you could obviously hold them). Be ready. Know what you want. If you have a complicated request, try to have a picture or diagram or even just write it out.
Preparation is critical. One of us did an excel spreadsheet that broke down where we all needed to be and when. It was the greatest thing ever.
If you miss something or if you have a conflict, talk to a staff member. I know of people they worked in after missing their photos/autographs. They also will tell you: go do this first and then come back.
Bring snacks! We didn’t manage to do lunch on Saturday at all and we barely shoveled in food at like 5pm for lunch on Sunday.
Do all the things! Karaoke was one of my favorite experiences. Panels that I wasn’t super into on paper ended up being some of my favorites. The concert was a blast!
DJ Qualls is lovely and he takes his selfie game very seriously.
I loved the Baby photo op. The owner of the car takes so many pictures for you
Love to my fellow con goers and specifically the group represented here. It was one of the best experiences of my life. Truly, the best part of the weekend was getting to spend time with y’all.
I asked Alex a question about Jack's story and the themes of adoption and family. He was lovely. He said he liked what they did. He feels bad about killing Mary. He supports the idea that we choose our family. He would have liked an evil arc. He was super nice.
Someone asked Ruth how she would have changed the finale. She joked she would have changed Sam's wig. She felt the second to last episode spoke to her more. It's hard to say because the people who did film it did so much to make it happen.
