Dragon*Con 2009 Report
Alrighty! So I'm back from Dragon*Con 2009 - I was only there for a day and a half. Stupid illness. But man were those days chock full of AWESOME or what?
So on Saturday, my dad and I drove up to Atlanta, arriving at about 1 o'clock pm EST. There's a huge line to wait for registration, but we wait through it and what not. So as we're going through the Sheraton back lobby, I look over, and I see this sitting on a booth. I do a double-take and realize that holy crap, it's Tom Felton's birthday cake, and oh look, that's his fanclub's booth! We stop to talk to them (Southernbets, Gidge_8, stormlite02, jjbuck, BSerlori, and aerynblack on twitter), and they tell us that Tom Felton is supposed to be coming by like... right then, and to just chill with them. But don't tell anyone. So we sit there, and it turns out Tom Felton can't come because he has a photo-op, so we're like: ...crap. So my dad and I run off and get registered, and Aeryn and Stormlite02 meet us at the badge pickup saying they're going to give Tom his cake right then, and we could come if we wanted. So we went with them, putting the epic cake on a hotel luggage trolley and rolling it up the street from the Sheraton to the Hilton, into a hotel, to the second floor, and into the walk of fame.
After a few last minute decorations (a heart with the initials of Tom and his girlfriend Jade on the tree), we wheel the cake behind the booth, and end up behind TOM FELTON. And he sits there signing, completely oblivious to us. When he looks up, his face just turns into this huge look of utter surprise. It's the most adorable thing I've ever seen. So then we start to sing Happy Birthday to him, and he's blushing and all embarrassed... And he hugs us all and we have all of this on video. Check Feltbeats.com and you should find it under all of the Q&A videos on that page. Better quality videos are coming though!
After that excitement, we hung out with the Feltbeats girls for a while and helped them get rid of some of the cake and all that. Then my dad and I went to the Walk of Fame again so we could properly meet Tom and get autographs and all of that. So when we get to him, there's clearly a 'no pictures' sign, yes? But we asked the security guard (or his 'handler' as he was called) if we could take one anyway. The handler said he wasn't supposed to, but for whatever reason, he would turn a blind eye just this ONCE for US. So I have a picture with Tom Felton. I could have just... died. Right then. I got his autograph, and he shook my hand. His hands, let me tell you, are even more beautiful in real life than they are in pictures. Goodness.
So after we met Tom, we went around the Walk of Fame. I met Helen Slater, the original Supergirl, and we talked to her for a while. She was just so nice, and awesome! Then we saw Steve Gonsalves from Ghost Hunters coming over to meet her. So we stopped and said hi, and he goes, "Oh! I haven't seen you guys in a while!" ...Is that sad? That he remembers us? Some random lady from Battlestar Galactica saw me walking by her booth and stopped us to ask us how we were doing and were we having fun. (Kate Vernon I think her name was) So then we're walking around... And I'm searching for Gareth David Lloyd, who played Ianto Jones on Torchwood. I finally found him, and he hugged me and autographed a picture for me. And like Tom he wasn't supposed to take pictures, but "[he'd] make an exception for this lady." And so he hugged me and took a picture with me. (And totally rubbed my back, I just about DIED).
Then we went back to the Sheraton, and hung out with the Feltbeats girls for the rest of the day. They were so amazing, I love each and every one of them! They made us honorary members right there. So at about 9 o'clock, my dad and I left the con to go to our friend's house in Cumming, GA, where we were staying. She cooked us a crapload of food, and I went downstairs to the guest bedroom, talked to my friend in England till about 2 am, and went to sleep.
And you guys - this was just the first 8 hours. Holy shit. Damn, tinypic is now being a crapcake, so I can't upload more pictures. I'll update this later with a whole spamful of them, sound good?
Okay, so Sunday. I woke up at around 7:40, took a shower, then we ate breakfast. Breakfast apparently lasted until 12:00, so we got to the con around 1 again. Immediately, I was like: I want to meet Felicia Day, RIGHT NOW. So we went again to the Walk of Fame. As we're walking across the breezeway from the Mariott to the Hilton, I see none other than FELICIA DAY walking by me, going in the opposite direction. I grabbed my dad's arm and go "FELICIA DAY JUST WALKED PAST US" and he says we should turn around and go see her! But I wasn't sure that it was actually her, and we had missed meeting her yesterday, so I didn't want to take that chance again. So we went to the Walk of Fame, and sure enough, she had just left to go eat lunch. We could have BOUGHT her lunch. GRAH.
Anyway, so we stood in line for like an hour while she ate, and then she came back. So we went up and met her, and she signed something, took a picture with me, and after we told her what had happened, we got a video of her "asking me to lunch" with a really hilarious expression on her face. It was so fun! (I have a massive girlcrush on Felicia Day, you guys have no idea).
Then after that, we saw John Schneider (Dukes of Hazzard), and he was talking to The Hulk. (The original one. Lou... something or other). We took a picture. That was cool. So then we walk around and get in line to meet The Ghost Hunters, Jason and Grant. Now, I have a little story about Grant. We have some history.
In 2006, I came to Dragon*Con for the very first time. I was dressed up as Kiba Inuzuka from Naruto. I went to a Ghost Hunters panel, and they had a microphone set up in the middle of the room so you could ask them questions that they would answer. I get to the microphone, all ready to ask my question, when suddenly Grant goes, "IS THAT KIBA!?" I'm just like: 'YES!' but... meekly. And he tells me that I'm awesome and says to stop by the booth later. So later on, I stop by the booth, and he asks me IF IT'S OKAY IF HE TAKES A PICTURE OF ME. WITH HIM. WITH HIS OWN CAMERA. Pft. Like I'd say no. So we took that picture, and talk a while, and then I leave. My last day at the con, he CHASES ME DOWN in the hotel lobby to tell me that he sent the picture of us to his family in Vermont and that they loved it.
Every year since, he's recognized me, geeked with me, and all of that good stuff. This year was no different.
I walked up to the booth, bought a photo for them to sign (because all the times I've met Grant, I've never gotten his autograph. I don't remember why), and all that. So the girl in front of me moves on. Grant looks up and sees me, and abruptly launches himself ACROSS the booth to grab me and pull me into this massive hug, saying 'COME HERE YOU!' as he does. And he asks me how I've been and everything, and I think Jason is just really confused. It was so nice though! I really love Grant. And we said hi to Steve and Tango, who both remembered us as well.
At this point, we are out of money, I've met all the famous people that I wanted to meet, initially, and I am one freaking happy camper. So then... we came home. And thus ended my Dragon*Con experience. Life is GOOD.
So on Saturday, my dad and I drove up to Atlanta, arriving at about 1 o'clock pm EST. There's a huge line to wait for registration, but we wait through it and what not. So as we're going through the Sheraton back lobby, I look over, and I see this sitting on a booth. I do a double-take and realize that holy crap, it's Tom Felton's birthday cake, and oh look, that's his fanclub's booth! We stop to talk to them (Southernbets, Gidge_8, stormlite02, jjbuck, BSerlori, and aerynblack on twitter), and they tell us that Tom Felton is supposed to be coming by like... right then, and to just chill with them. But don't tell anyone. So we sit there, and it turns out Tom Felton can't come because he has a photo-op, so we're like: ...crap. So my dad and I run off and get registered, and Aeryn and Stormlite02 meet us at the badge pickup saying they're going to give Tom his cake right then, and we could come if we wanted. So we went with them, putting the epic cake on a hotel luggage trolley and rolling it up the street from the Sheraton to the Hilton, into a hotel, to the second floor, and into the walk of fame.
After a few last minute decorations (a heart with the initials of Tom and his girlfriend Jade on the tree), we wheel the cake behind the booth, and end up behind TOM FELTON. And he sits there signing, completely oblivious to us. When he looks up, his face just turns into this huge look of utter surprise. It's the most adorable thing I've ever seen. So then we start to sing Happy Birthday to him, and he's blushing and all embarrassed... And he hugs us all and we have all of this on video. Check Feltbeats.com and you should find it under all of the Q&A videos on that page. Better quality videos are coming though!
After that excitement, we hung out with the Feltbeats girls for a while and helped them get rid of some of the cake and all that. Then my dad and I went to the Walk of Fame again so we could properly meet Tom and get autographs and all of that. So when we get to him, there's clearly a 'no pictures' sign, yes? But we asked the security guard (or his 'handler' as he was called) if we could take one anyway. The handler said he wasn't supposed to, but for whatever reason, he would turn a blind eye just this ONCE for US. So I have a picture with Tom Felton. I could have just... died. Right then. I got his autograph, and he shook my hand. His hands, let me tell you, are even more beautiful in real life than they are in pictures. Goodness.
So after we met Tom, we went around the Walk of Fame. I met Helen Slater, the original Supergirl, and we talked to her for a while. She was just so nice, and awesome! Then we saw Steve Gonsalves from Ghost Hunters coming over to meet her. So we stopped and said hi, and he goes, "Oh! I haven't seen you guys in a while!" ...Is that sad? That he remembers us? Some random lady from Battlestar Galactica saw me walking by her booth and stopped us to ask us how we were doing and were we having fun. (Kate Vernon I think her name was) So then we're walking around... And I'm searching for Gareth David Lloyd, who played Ianto Jones on Torchwood. I finally found him, and he hugged me and autographed a picture for me. And like Tom he wasn't supposed to take pictures, but "[he'd] make an exception for this lady." And so he hugged me and took a picture with me. (And totally rubbed my back, I just about DIED).
Then we went back to the Sheraton, and hung out with the Feltbeats girls for the rest of the day. They were so amazing, I love each and every one of them! They made us honorary members right there. So at about 9 o'clock, my dad and I left the con to go to our friend's house in Cumming, GA, where we were staying. She cooked us a crapload of food, and I went downstairs to the guest bedroom, talked to my friend in England till about 2 am, and went to sleep.
And you guys - this was just the first 8 hours. Holy shit. Damn, tinypic is now being a crapcake, so I can't upload more pictures. I'll update this later with a whole spamful of them, sound good?
Okay, so Sunday. I woke up at around 7:40, took a shower, then we ate breakfast. Breakfast apparently lasted until 12:00, so we got to the con around 1 again. Immediately, I was like: I want to meet Felicia Day, RIGHT NOW. So we went again to the Walk of Fame. As we're walking across the breezeway from the Mariott to the Hilton, I see none other than FELICIA DAY walking by me, going in the opposite direction. I grabbed my dad's arm and go "FELICIA DAY JUST WALKED PAST US" and he says we should turn around and go see her! But I wasn't sure that it was actually her, and we had missed meeting her yesterday, so I didn't want to take that chance again. So we went to the Walk of Fame, and sure enough, she had just left to go eat lunch. We could have BOUGHT her lunch. GRAH.
Anyway, so we stood in line for like an hour while she ate, and then she came back. So we went up and met her, and she signed something, took a picture with me, and after we told her what had happened, we got a video of her "asking me to lunch" with a really hilarious expression on her face. It was so fun! (I have a massive girlcrush on Felicia Day, you guys have no idea).
Then after that, we saw John Schneider (Dukes of Hazzard), and he was talking to The Hulk. (The original one. Lou... something or other). We took a picture. That was cool. So then we walk around and get in line to meet The Ghost Hunters, Jason and Grant. Now, I have a little story about Grant. We have some history.
In 2006, I came to Dragon*Con for the very first time. I was dressed up as Kiba Inuzuka from Naruto. I went to a Ghost Hunters panel, and they had a microphone set up in the middle of the room so you could ask them questions that they would answer. I get to the microphone, all ready to ask my question, when suddenly Grant goes, "IS THAT KIBA!?" I'm just like: 'YES!' but... meekly. And he tells me that I'm awesome and says to stop by the booth later. So later on, I stop by the booth, and he asks me IF IT'S OKAY IF HE TAKES A PICTURE OF ME. WITH HIM. WITH HIS OWN CAMERA. Pft. Like I'd say no. So we took that picture, and talk a while, and then I leave. My last day at the con, he CHASES ME DOWN in the hotel lobby to tell me that he sent the picture of us to his family in Vermont and that they loved it.
Every year since, he's recognized me, geeked with me, and all of that good stuff. This year was no different.
I walked up to the booth, bought a photo for them to sign (because all the times I've met Grant, I've never gotten his autograph. I don't remember why), and all that. So the girl in front of me moves on. Grant looks up and sees me, and abruptly launches himself ACROSS the booth to grab me and pull me into this massive hug, saying 'COME HERE YOU!' as he does. And he asks me how I've been and everything, and I think Jason is just really confused. It was so nice though! I really love Grant. And we said hi to Steve and Tango, who both remembered us as well.
At this point, we are out of money, I've met all the famous people that I wanted to meet, initially, and I am one freaking happy camper. So then... we came home. And thus ended my Dragon*Con experience. Life is GOOD.