I've done nothing but work this week, so I'll spare you the phone calls, the form construction, the call to the help desk to ask "What the devil is that?" and the usual stuff. Yesterday I did thirteen orders and half of an option renewal, then we had soup for supper, and, thinking an evening pre-registration line might be shorter than last year's two-hour ordeal on Friday, headed downtown.

Basically we paid $15 to stand in line for three and a half hours, mostly outside, where there was hardly a breath of air. At one point the line led into a little overhand type area where the hotel was shilling bottles of water at $2 a pop and also beer at God only knows what price. Any air we had outside was gone in there.

As we got close to the door a staffer was announcing that, although it was almost way after ten o'clock (we got in line at 8:10) anyone in line would get badges tonight. I said "What I need is a bathroom!" and was gratefully directed to one, followed by a flotilla about half-a-dozen other women who were overjoyed at this small favor.

When we got inside, at least it was cooler until we snaked through the "Disneyland line," back and forth and back and forth. Eventually they started calling for "last names ending"—as in beginning—with certain letters and with relief at "W-X-Y-Z" we managed to get our badges at 11:40 and trudge back to the garage and home.

The saving grace in this whole debacle was that we weren't in the sun. Almost anything is better than that.

Surely there is a better way to arrange registration at DragonCon. I've never seen registration at WorldCon or a professional convention like Comdex take this long. And by now this is a professional convention.

Okay...need to finish breakfast and off...

Labels: conventions

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. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 8:27:00 AM

Comments:

Have a great time at DragonCon!

# posted by  FiveAcres : 9:01:00 AM

 

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