Chicago TARDIS: questions

[ghost2]

I know Chicago TARDIS isn't until November, but I'm thinking things through well ahead of time. I've never been to a convention, and I'm sick of saying, "Maybe next year." At that rate, I'll never get anywhere. I live only a few hours from Chicago; getting there is an attainable goal. It still might not happen, but I'm at least going to try this time.

So... I'd love to hear from anyone who went to Chicago TARDIS in previous years and/or plans to go there this year. What it's like? Do you recommend it? Anything special to keep in mind?

Comments

[prof-pangaea.livejournal.com]

okay possibly i am biased because i LOVE chicago TARDIS, and also i love meeting cool fandom peoples, but YOU SHOULD SO GO OMG. chiTARDIS is small enough to be friendly but big enough so that there's always interesting stuff going on. even if you can't afford to get the whizbang awesome full pass ticket you can do pretty much everything you'd want on the general admission.

chiTARDIS generally has three or four tracks going on every day -- main programming (big guests, the masquerade, etc), alt programming (smaller panels, like paul cornell talking about writing, or a panel on slash fiction, a panel on tie-in books, etc), another alt programming (more of the same), and a screening room that is playing doctor who episodes (or dw related stuff) until the wee hours of the morning. one of these rooms usually gets taken over at various points for autgraphs and photos. there's also a dealer's room where you can drop a lot of cash on awesome stuff or if you are poor like me, watch other people drop a lot of cash on stuff. check the policies for the bigger guests, because they sometimes charge for autographs/photos, but i haven't seen anything above about 20 or 30 bucks (compared to say, patrick stewart charging several hundred for an autograph at SDCC). last year i think the only person who charged was lis sladen (and i think it was arranged like that so that her appearance could still be paid for but the con prices could still be kept low).

for the big guests main programming can get really packed but i've never not been able to attend a panel i wanted to see. the secondary panels are usually my favourites, because frankly i usually find listening to the writers and big finish people much more interesting than the tv actors, probably because the writers and BF people tend to be giant nerds. there are room parties most nights which consist of nerdiness and drinking. people also hang out at the bar and sometimes you can hang out with some of the guests there as well, which is fun.

guests tend to be really friendly and approachable at chiTARDIS, because the con is so small and also because so many of the guests are also anoraks, so they Get It. this year the GoH is paul mcgann, who is decidedly not an anorak and doesn't really get doctor who, so you probably won't end up sitting next to him at the bar joking about anthony ainley. but i've got to say my biggest draw has never been the big actors, but the mid-level guests like paul cornell and rob shearman and nick briggs, and i have got to have interesting conversations with a lot of those guys after panels or hanging about in the lobby or the bar.

meeting other fans is so much fun. the first year i went i went by myself and didn't know anyone at all, and i still had a great time and met some really awesome people, some of whom i'd seen around LJ and some of whom were new, and i made some new friends who i really cherish. and i made more friends the second year. if you went you'd have at least a few ready made contacts attending (like me!), so you wouldn't even have to worry about not knowing anyone.

um basically i think you should go but i want EVERYONE to go because i heart it so and am selfish and want to meet peoples. also if you were wanting to drive i don't think the hotel that it's at now charges for parking (or it's a low rate if so), which i remember was an issue the first time i went. anyway i am available for any questions and/or motivating factors. :D :D :D

[ghost2.livejournal.com]

Very useful info. Thanks!

I went ahead and bought a membership, plus reserved a hotel room for four nights. If I end up not being able to go, the cancellation policy seems really reasonable. Transportation is the main issue left, since I don't have a car. I guess I'll probably go by Greyhound, unless something better comes up. I'll give that whole thing more thought when it's a bit closer to November.

[prof-pangaea.livejournal.com]

is money a big issue? and will the greyhound stop in milwaukee? if so you could take it to milwaukee and then take the megabus from there. if you buy tickets early enough they can be as cheap as a dollar. they usually run around eight to twelve dollars from milwaukee to chicago. the most i've paid is about twenty-two and that's when i've not bought them until the day before i was leaving.

oh i am very excited! it's awesome that you've bought a membership already as i know the organisers are trying to get people to buy them early so they can secure more guests. i cant afford to yet, though. :( but i will be there somehow, even if i have to sell some body parts or something.

[ghost2.livejournal.com]

It would definitely be nice to save money. This is going to be my one splurge for the year. Since my birthday is in early November, I'll probably get some money from relatives that I can put toward the convention, but it's still going to add up.

I was just trying to figure out travel schedules. They're giving me a headache. I could get the Greyhound to Milwaukee and then take Megabus from there to Chicago, except the online Greyhound scheduler sucks and doesn't say where exactly in Milwaukee the Greyhound stops. I have to phone to find out. Once I know that, I can figure out if it's feasible, time-wise, for me to get to the Megabus station for the rest of the ride to Chicago.

No matter how I get to Chicago, once I'm there I somehow have to reach the hotel. Did you take the Megabus to Chicago last year? And is the convention hotel the same as last year (Westin Lombard Yorktown Center)? If so, how did you get from the Megabus stop in Chicago to the hotel?

[prof-pangaea.livejournal.com]

oh, yes, i should have mentioned that the megabus stop is... right outside the greyhound station. :D they are a very very cheap company and don't have stations, just a spot outside where they pick people up and drop them off, and they seem to always make sure it's right near a major train/bus station (this is also why they only go to major cities). so getting from the station to the megabus stop outside should take about three minutes. hurrah!

the megabus stop in chicago is across the street from union station. the con is taking place at the westin lombard again this year, which means it's not actually in chicago proper. but you can do what i did last year (and will presumably be doing this year); take the megabus into town, then take the metra train from union station out to the stop nearest the hotel. the hotel is awesome and will send a free shuttle out to the station and take you back to the hotel so you don't have to worry about getting a taxi -- just call the hotel once you're on the train and tell them when you should be getting to the appropriate station, and they'll have the shuttle there waiting. i am forgetting the names of the stops but i'll be looking them up before i leave so i can share the infos with you. and depending on how things go for me with scheduling maybe we can share some bus/train rides together?

[ghost2.livejournal.com]

Thanks, that sounds like it might work out really well for me. Down the line, we can see if our schedules mesh and go from there. :)