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Post by Marc Graham on Mar 1, 2014 19:41:56 GMT
Nigel - was online today after chatting with Ali - expedia have a sale on (flights plus hotel) - saw some decent prices even with the convention hotel (Pasadena Hilton) - might be worth giving a look if you are still thinking of going.
I see Botcon have put up an update to their site at last too, listing some guests.
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Nigel
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Post by Nigel on Mar 4, 2014 17:31:41 GMT
Yes, I've seen the update, thanks. Sue Blu is around the top of my Transformers-guests-I'd-like-to-meet list. Hal Rayle, okay; Michael, McConnohie, hmm, coming to Auto Assembly. The first toy (and the theme, for that matter) doesn't particularly grab me, though they're not really a key factor in deciding to go.
I want to go, but the longer they string things out, the more they're putting me off.
I was looking at flight alternatives the other night and found that I could go with KLM from Cardiff via Amsterdam for not that much more than from Heathrow with United. That would mean losing out on flyer miles, but would save on having to pay for London travel and possibly accomodation.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Mar 24, 2014 19:43:19 GMT
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Nigel
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Post by Nigel on Mar 25, 2014 9:51:37 GMT
The guest list is shaping up nicely. The toys and their theme, I could take or leave, though Devcon actually looks quite fun. But still no registration details.
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Post by Philip Ayres on Mar 25, 2014 9:54:34 GMT
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Nigel
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Post by Nigel on Mar 25, 2014 17:38:55 GMT
Please don't. It's too scary.
The Botcon registration has at least been updated - I think it just said "coming soon" before. Now it reads:
We are working on our new registration system. Registration has not started!
BotCon 2014!
An email will go out to all Transformers Collectors’ Club members when registration is online.
If you are not a member, please go to TransformersClub.com/shop to sign up for the club so that you can receive the BotCon discounts.
***** COMING SOON! *****
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Post by The Doctor on Mar 25, 2014 17:51:08 GMT
So if you're not a club member the info will be communicated via telepathy?
-Ralph
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Post by legios on Mar 25, 2014 18:43:28 GMT
I presume it will be transmitted by string telephone or somesuch method.
Karl
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Post by Benn on Mar 31, 2014 12:31:38 GMT
"You ain't a member, you ain't coming in."
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Post by legios on Mar 31, 2014 14:10:31 GMT
"Looks like this is going to be a non-permissive environment. Team Leaders work up plans for dynamic entry by air, and an alternate for infiltration overland."
Karl
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Post by Bogatan on Apr 10, 2014 17:51:08 GMT
Marty Isenberg is writing the comic this year.
They are really messing with me now.
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Post by blueshift on Apr 10, 2014 17:58:39 GMT
So it might be a good one?!?
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Post by Bogatan on Apr 10, 2014 18:24:51 GMT
If during Animated I'd have been told there was going to be a Pirates vs Knights episode I would have been excited. So yeah, suddenly the botcon premise sounds so much better.
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Post by Marc Graham on Apr 12, 2014 14:03:02 GMT
Comicbook can be bought after the convention though!
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KoshNaranek
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Post by KoshNaranek on Apr 23, 2014 4:41:49 GMT
The brochure is finally up at BotCon.com. Looking through it from the perspective of someone who has never been to BotCon in Pasadena before I'd say it's got everything you'd want. As someone who's already been to Pasadena twice, not so much as I've already done everything on the brochure I was interested in doing. The Primus package has jumped in price again and is now up to $395! All i all I'm not regretting deciding not to go this year. I do want the boxset, though, so might save for the non attendee Iacon package.
- Tony
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Post by Marc Graham on Apr 23, 2014 8:46:04 GMT
Nothing I haven't already done, six flags, TF:The Ride - all good stuff though. James Roberts attending. Probably a good convention experience, problem is its an experience already had at previous conventions and given the travelling involved to get to Botcon a new place/location/experience was a draw for me.
Not bothered about boxset so much myself.
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Post by Bogatan on Apr 23, 2014 20:39:45 GMT
Universal being a Friday evening, after hours trip sounds good till you realise most of the people going will only or at least primarily want to go on the TF ride. End of the day it's still Universal Studios Hollywood which lacks most of the good stuff from the Florida Parks. It's possible they have something planned beyond access to the park maybe like a preview of the movie and some of the vehicles like they had in 2009.
No Casino night seems a shame.
Everything else seems the same old. Which isn't bad, but combined with the same old location makes it hard to get excited about.
Annoyingly I am quite liking the boxset.
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Nigel
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Post by Nigel on Apr 24, 2014 13:48:22 GMT
I've just printed off the brochure so that I can have a good read later, and make some investigations, so I can decide whether or not to go.
A quick skim tells me the tours aren't of interest - Six Flags doesn't appeal (though I haven't actually looked into the park yet) and touring LA independently looks like a cheaper option.
I've wanted to go back for years and I was definitely planning to go this year, but FP's half-arsed organisation has put me off so much. Eight weeks away, I would be very excited by now if I'd actually been able to book, but I have no enthusiasm right now.
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Post by Bogatan on Apr 24, 2014 14:47:43 GMT
Registration is due (at the moment) the week of the 5th May. But if you are planning to go I recommend looking at flights soon. I've been keeping an eye on them for a while and they might be starting to rise a little.
What ever you do don't do the Hollywood tour. I missed it, but Marc or Tony can speak to the utter disaster that the last one was. And they weren't on the worst of the coaches.
You'll enjoy 6 Flags as much as you enjoy roller coasters.
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Post by Marc Graham on Apr 24, 2014 21:33:15 GMT
In my opinion LA is the most hideous city in the US, beats even Las Vegas. Hollywood isn't an overly pleasant place, the FP tour was a farce alright, usually overpriced.
Six Flags I enjoyed - but I went with a group of friends and we had a blast.
You thinking of going this year Andy? Feel a little sad missing the 30th anniversary, especially after 9 years of Botcon attendance. I'll get a 10th in at some point I think.
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Post by Bogatan on Apr 24, 2014 22:56:06 GMT
I've never quite gotten to the point of thinking about it, I have been open to the idea if anything had been announced that blew me away. So far not happened.
The location pretty much killed any serious interest. I personally really like Pasadena (also Santa Monica and Anaheim and various other parts of LA) but having done it a few times I don't really have any interest in doing it again by myself. Almost any other location I probably would have gone, especially if it was new to me and I could have an explore, but not covering the same old ground just for the sake of it!
The really frustrating thing is that if I hadn't been going either of the last two years I probably wouldn't have wanted any of the exclusives that much. Electro is the only one I know I would have gotten hold of, oh and Kick Off. But this year when I'm 95% sure I'm not going I'm liking the boxset.
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KoshNaranek
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Post by KoshNaranek on Apr 26, 2014 16:06:02 GMT
The LA tour was just boring and the tour guide was atrocious. Six Flags was good for roller coasters as Andy said, but it just doesn't have the atmosphere Disney has and some of the voice over guys on the rides may or may not be a bit spaced out!
I actually quite liked Pasadena, even if there's not actually that much to do there. The heat is bearable, whereas I found Las Vegas to be uncomfortably hot even at night.
It's definitely a shame there's no Casino night as that's usually a lot of fun, although the auction afterwards did tend to drag a bit and unless you bid and win early there's not much chance of actually getting anything.
The biggest draw seems to be the Universal party on Friday night, but when you consider that the Transformers ride is going to be queued solid all night it becomes less appealing and there aren't that many other good rides. I don't want to sound overly negative as it's a good experience the first time around so it definitely worth doing for anyone going for the first time.
I'm going to miss the banter and the craic with the gang this year, but as for the convention itself, been there and done it all already. FunPub needs to move BotCon around, preferably to new area's and personally I'd like to go back to the east coast to take some of the travelling headache away.
- Tony
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Nigel
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Post by Nigel on Apr 28, 2014 13:28:53 GMT
Botcon is advertised as running Thursday-Sunday, but am I right in thinking that aside from the tour and customisation class, the only thing on the Thursday is registration in the evening?
Actually, what happens on the Friday?
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kayevcee
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Post by kayevcee on Apr 28, 2014 20:17:40 GMT
If I recall past Botcons correctly- tours/events in the day, then some big event in the evening.
-Nick
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Post by Bogatan on Apr 29, 2014 1:09:03 GMT
Thursday night is registration for anyone not doing either tour or class on Wednesday or thursday. It's also the first chance to buy the add on sets.
Friday is usually further registration time and competition set up time. At lunch the dealer room opens and panels start.
With the Universal trip on the Friday this year it might be a bit different though.
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Nigel
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Post by Nigel on May 7, 2014 11:34:29 GMT
Thanks. I'd be looking at spending a few days in LA then moving out to Pasadena, so I need to know when to move.  |
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Post by Nigel on May 12, 2014 10:28:07 GMT
Registration finally opened on the weekend. They left it too late for this fan, though. Having slowly been drained of enthusiasm by FP's "organisation", I decided last week that I would instead put the money aside for a year or two, until Kiera can go with me and we can make a holiday of it together. I'm a bit disappointed, as having wanted to go back for some time, I was definitely going to go this year, but not that disappointed, as there hasn't been that much that I especially wanted to experience. Scorponok and Susan Blu were the only things that particularly grabbed me, and Universal would have been nice. Still, I know that I will definitely be going in some future year.
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KoshNaranek
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Post by KoshNaranek on May 29, 2014 23:38:22 GMT
After missing out on the Iacon package last week when they first went online, I got in tonight as soon as I got the e-mail telling me they were back up. As good as that was for me to actually get in there and snag a boxset, I don't think it bodes terribly well for the actual convention attendance. I think there are probably a few reasons for that, but I believe that there were many who had the same thoughts as you Nigel. FP really did drag their feet on putting the pre-reg up this year.
- Tony
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Post by Philip Ayres on May 30, 2014 6:14:09 GMT
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kayevcee
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Post by kayevcee on May 30, 2014 7:34:43 GMT
If anybody knows someone who's only buying a single set of figures at Botcon, could they possibly put me in touch with them? I always try to have at least one of everybody available on Toy-fu, and I have a weird feeling that the add-ons this year will be where the magic is.
-Nick
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