griffin's BotCon 'blog'

[Zippo]

Favor to ask of you griffin?....
Can you pick me up a Bumblebee/Soundwave two pack? Also want the patch. Have no need for Bee or the box and would prefer not to pay full retail price

[griffin]

Favor to ask of you griffin?....
Can you pick me up a Bumblebee/Soundwave two pack? Also want the patch. Have no need for Bee or the box and would prefer not to pay full retail price

Sorry, was only in Orland for the day. Am now stuck in the Disney 'compound' which is 10-15kms away from the nearest stores.

[griffin]

Monday continued...
11am - checked out with just minutes to spare. (packing took longer than expected, as I had to liberate 18 toys to save space.

I was able to have my luggage stored away by the hotel until I came back, and I walked off to the nearby Target store (it was probably only 500 metres away, but the heat had me sweating by the time I got there).
I bought up some more breakfast cereals and some more food supplies for the week at Disney, and decided to call for a taxi. The company that the hotel had recommended were like a private car service, with no actual labelling on the vehicle, and no meter (amounts were guessed or were a set amount based on the destination).
I was glad I did call up the Cab, instead of walking the 4kms (in the heat) to where the TRU store was supposed to be, because the driver was sure that there was no store there, saying that it would have to be a warehouse due to the location.
So I abandoned that destination and gave him the address of where a US Post Office was meant to be located. We drove off, and couldn't find it. This was getting frustrating, because the TRU problem could just be due to Google Maps listing all TRU locations (not just stores), but the USPS address was from the USPS website.

I decided to just head back to the TRU store near the hotel, and the driver only charged $10 after all that running around. Since he was such a good sport, I told him that I was planning to head over to the Disney Hotel later that afternoon, and asked him if he could come back to the hotel at 2pm (saved me calling up again - it counts as an international call for me).

In TRU, I grabbed some Animated Cybertronian Ratchet toys for Demonac (plus for two others if anyone wants them (for AU$20 each)), and recognised some Transformers Fans in the TFs section (the first of the locusts had arrived to start scavenging the local stores had begun). I rushed back to the Hotel thinking it was close to 2pm, but stopped at Sears on the way to buy a cheap watch (because the one I had been wearing was broken - I couldn't alter the time, so had to always keep calculating what time it was in Orlando).
And to prove my point of needing a watch that told the exact 'local' time, I rushed back to the hotel thinking it was just on 2pm (for the taxi pickup), and was promptly told that it was midday... the 10 hour time difference on my watch had me thinking it was 2 hours later than it really was.

Fortunately the concierge was able to contact the cab driver, to let him know that I was ready now, instead of in 2 hours time. (I could have waited out the 2 hours in the Lobby, and do computer stuff, but figured I'd made such a fuss, I might as well head over to the Disney hotel and wait in their lobby for Simon (my roomie - who was the only name on the reservation).
It took about 35 minutes to drive there, passing some theme-parks and quite a few giant, fancy-looking hotels on the way. Entering the Disneyworld 'compound', it really did feel like it was in the middle of nowhere. No suburbia or houses, or civilisation anywhere in the last 10 minutes of driving.
The trip from the Florida Mall Hotel to Disney cost $42 (which I thought wasn't too bad for 35 minutes of travelling in a taxi). The bellboy took most of my luggage away to storage, and I was sitting in the outer lobby by 12.40pm.
The next 5 1/2 hours I worked on toy reviews, photos, BotCon report and playing with toys.
At about 4.20pm, Brian and some of the main FunPub staff walked into the hotel, but didn't appear to have any luggage, so might have been staying there as a holiday before the convention.

At about 6pm, Simon arrived and we checked in, and we spent the next 3 hours talking about toys, and playing with the TFs I brought with me.

At 9pm-ish, we did a bit of reconaissance of the Convention centre, plus checked out the hotel's facilities and restaurants (all very expensive).

Back in the room about 90 minutes later, I ate and did computer stuff (I posted this post, but the hotel internet keeps interferring with links, including clicking on 'post reply', so lost it all).

Was asleep by 11.30.


Tuesday 23rd.
Woke up at 7.30 (set the alarm for 9am), and after getting ready, Simon and I left at 9.30 for the front of the hotel where the busses leave for the different Disney parks. After noticing that we had to go to the lake at the back of the hotel for the ferry to the Hollywood Studios, we were at the Studios by 10.30. First thing we did was go on one of the tours.
Next was an Indiana Jones Stunt show.
Then a Star Wars ride.
Just past midday, on the way to the Car Stunt show, I saw three more of the FunPub staff (Karl, Rick, Pete).
We stopped for lunch at about 2-30 (had a double cheeseburger... of course), and then went to the Backlot tour.
There was a heavy focus on Michael Bay and Pearl Harbour, with an aquatic stunt demonstration.
At 4pm we saw a Jedi Demonstration, which was more entertaining than I expected.
Simon headed off, and after going on the Tower of Terror, I headed back to the hotel a little after 5pm.

I had a shower, ate, watched TV, talked to Simon, and worked on the computer for the next 7 hours - occasionally being interrupted by friends of Simon who wanted to see my toys.

Off to sleep now (half past midnight Wednesday - 2.30pm Wednesday, Brisbane time).
Early start tomorrow (7.30am) with an 11 hour tour to Cape Canaveral (NASA) - an hour bus ride each way. Then pre-registration pickup in the evening.

[griffin]

Wednesday was the NASA tour - 9 hours, and about a hundred photos.
So much space stuff, including a launch simulator, and drive around tour of the actual launchpads of the Shuttles.

Also found in the gift shops, freeze-dried icecream - something I haven't seen since expo 88. I love that stuff, and bought 6 packs (it's only about the size of a deluxe sized TF, for US$5!).

During the trip I found that the organisors had moved the time and location of the registration pick-up that evening, from what it still says on their website.

Ran into TheHandsomeCrab before we left for the NASA tour, and when the pick-up began. He played with a few of the toys I brought, and in return, helped carry all my Botcon sets back to the room.

I checked out some parts-dealers rooms in the evening and found a couple items.

Sold off a few more TFs that I brought with me.
Got to sleep around 1.30am.

Woke up 8am, and spent the next 4 hours cleaning, getting some laundry picked up (it's so hot here, I ran out of clothes - and wasn't able to wash them myself), computer stuff, ate (used up the last of the corn chips and M&Ms).

Coming up on midday, I will have about 5 hours to quickly check out Magic Kingdom and Epcot (I only have a 2-day ticket, so if I start using it today, I can't use it any other day - and no other day has more than a couple hours free).

[liegeprime]

ooooh parts dealers!!! erm seen any Bomb Burst left shoulder wing boss? heheheh

[griffin]

I'll add it to my list of things to find.

So, continuing on from my last post, it was midday Thursday (here) when I left the room and caught the bus to the Magic Kingdom. After waiting 20 minutes for the bus, and taking about another 20 minutes to get there, I was inside by 20 to 1 (you have to have your finger scanned before they let you in).

I figured that I wouldn't have time to do anything, so decided to just do reconaissance instead, so that I'd know if I'd ever want to come back. 30 minutes later, I was about 3/4 through the park, when the camera battery died. This camera has a battery indicator on the display screen, but will show a full-battery icon right up until the last five photos. How are you supposed to know before a long day out, that it hasn't got much power left? Fortunately I was close enough to the end, so decided to go back to the hotel to recharge the battery, and decide where to go next. So after taking 40 minutes to get there, I was only in the Magic Kingdom for 40 minutes, and then spent another 40 minutes on a bus back (2pm at this time).

While the camera was recharging, I went off to 'The Boardwalk' to find an ATM people were saying had a greater limit and less fees.

I was back in the room an hour later, and prepared to leave, when our third room-mate arrived.
I ran off to get the boat to Epcot (the Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow) park, and realised it was just on the other side of the lake to the hotel, so could walk it if necessary.
I was in Epcot for an hour, starting with the World Showcase section (several cultural themed sections), then the Future World section (all the futuristic buildings you are more likely to see advertised, including the giant 'golf ball').

5pm I walked back to the hotel to get ready for the 6pm opening of the Club Store at 6pm. I was early enough to 'only' take 40 minutes this year.
When I was done, I proceded to take photos of the Convention toys display, but was told to leave by one of the volunteers, because they didn't want people loitering after they were done.

With our third arrival in the room now, we didn't end up going to sleep until 1.30am.
The alarm was set for 6am...

Friday, 25th June.
Had to be at the Club store early for extra sets of toys before the panels started, which meant waiting in line an hour before they opened.
When I had done that (and spoke briefly to llamatron and THC), the line for the Panel room was at least a couple hundred long.

Today's panel's:
- Collector Club Magazine (not much news worthy)
- TakaraTomy Designer (very insightful, with a JP perspective for a change)
- Bob Budiansky (very interesting, with heaps of early info about how he developed the characters and storyline for Transformers)
- Fan Film Fest (entertaining)

There was a 1 hour break before the dealer room opened up, so I went back to my room (most people just went straight to lining up outside the dealer room).

2pm - dealer room was opened, and I looked for the IDW exhibit. This year they seemed to be very hard to find, and they didn't have much on sale either.

There was the usual Hasbro exhibits, Activision exhibit, artist tables, and Stanbush at a table. Plus, a yellow/black Camaro car next to the statue of Bumblebee that was at last year's BotCon.

I got a signed CD off Stan Bush, who says that they are still intending to release copies of their concert last year but had some trouble with the audio.

I found out that BotCon is at Disney because of Hasbro (to cash in on the holidaying families at the resort).

Found Rokdog, who arrived the day before. And chatted to Eric Seibenaler (Hasbro Designer who worked in AUS for a year recently).

The dealer room closed at 5pm, but since I was the last in the Hasbro interactive Autobot Alliance game (You use a Nerf gun at moving targets - Details later), I didn't get out of there until 5.30pm.

I had a craving for a burger, so went to one of the hotel's restaurants and had a burger with Onion Rings (the best onion rings I have ever eaten).

Was back at my room around 6.30pm, and spent six hours checking over toys for defects, checking photos, doing computer stuff, and sorting stuff for tomorrow (will have to be up early again, as I have to meet up with someone to get their convention toys.

It's just past midnight here (now Saturday), and am about to go to sleep.

Tomorrow is 7 hours straight of panels, which will only give me about an 30 minutes in the Dealer room *all day*.

But we have the big panel tomorrow - Hasbro. Can't wait.

[griffin]

Forgot to mention - despite tracking down about 50 toys for others, I did manage to buy 6 toys for myself today.
JP Animated Blackout
JP Animated Ratchet
US Animated Freeway Jazz
US Animated Soundwave w/ Ratbat (now have all US Animated toys so far released)
Mighty Muggs Movie Optimus (completes the set)
Universe Leo Prime (white) (not released in AUS)

Plus 3 TPBs from IDW, 2 posters, and a Stan Bush CD.

[Sleeve]

5pm I walked back to the hotel to get ready for the 6pm opening of the Club Store at 6pm. I was early enough to 'only' take 40 minutes this year.

A hell of a lot better than the five hours we had to endure last year.

Which IDW artists are there this year?

[griffin]

A really pathetic turnout by IDW this year. They only had a 2-table exhibit in the dealer room, with just 3 people (none I recognised) manning it.
The IDW panel only had 4 people, with only one being an artist (Casey Collier).

On my table at the Awards dinner, even Jim Sorenson commented (to someone else) about the poor turnout of IDW people this year.

Freelance artists in the dealer room, drawing and selling stuff - Dan Khanna, Matt Moylan and Alex Milne.

[Sleeve]

A really pathetic turnout by IDW this year. They only had a 2-table exhibit in the dealer room, with just 3 people (none I recognised) manning it.
The IDW panel only had 4 people, with only one being an artist (Casey Collier).

On my table at the Awards dinner, even Jim Sorenson commented (to someone else) about the poor turnout of IDW people this year.

Freelance artists in the dealer room, drawing and selling stuff - Dan Khanna, Matt Moylan and Alex Milne.

Wow, that's pathetic. Hopefully a better turnout next year. My intended commission subject - Blot.