50ish days until con, TIME TO PANIC!!! (Or like the Guide says in big friendly letters, DON’T PANIC).

This, of course, means time to get serious, if you haven’t already. As of this writing, attendance is being capped, and very limited day passes (especially Saturday) are going to be sold – day passes typically go live Aug 1. Remember, all passes must be purchased online. No more on-site registration – it’s going to be badge pickup ONLY. Does that mean you can walk up and buy a pass while in line? Sure, if they’re available. Just an FYI.

Without further ado, here’s the good ole copy/paste.

With all of the insanity that goes into this convention, I like to TRY to keep organized. With that being said, it’s this time of year when I like to bust out the spreadsheets! I keep up with several year-round, but I have three that I like to make and update each year JUST for Dragon…

A Tentative Costume List – This is the one that absolutely changes the most! Things have to be made; costume pieces are scattered about, and it’s hard to find all of the pieces. All kinds of factors can change the list in a heartbeat! The way I format my costuming list includes every piece and accessory needed for a costume, whether or not it is finished, and, finally, whether it is packed. I think this format is the most handy and ensures that you don’t leave anything behind!

A Tentative Schedule – That’s right, I like to check all of the fan tracks and try to figure out WHAT to do – what I want to do, what I have to do, etc. There are also set photo-op times with celebs, so you have to plan around those. This is another one that can change abruptly because, let’s face it – sometimes you lose track of time at DragonCon because of all of the fun you’re having. **A side note about my schedule: I WILL schedule times to go eat something each day because, frankly, it’s dumb to skip meals – even at Dragon.

Room Deposits – If you are the room holder for your group, this is CRUCIAL!!! When I do it, I keep a running tally of what each person has paid me for their share of the room. I let them pay in increments as they can, with a deadline of August 1st (I have the best roommates, thanks again for being on time). This way, people have time to pay, and they know they risk losing their spot if they don’t cough up the dough. This way, no one gets overcharged because I have an accurate running total with formulas in the spreadsheet calculating what their remaining total is. While this one doesn’t change that often, I feel like it is one of the most important spreadsheets.

Now, one may think that with ALL of these spreadsheets, how can anyone focus on the fun of DragonCon? It’s actually not that difficult. The costume list gets chucked once everything is packed and ready to go! That puts me at 1-2. Everyone should have paid their share of the room by the time I get there, so that cuts out another one. That only leaves me with the schedule, which I usually just transfer to the app. And I stray from that schedule quite a bit…of course.

–A side note: Download the DragonCon app. It hasn’t been updated yet, but go ahead and grab it. Events to be added.

A great way to keep up with people is to use Discord or whatever messaging service you have on your phone, if you can get service. The wifi is shit in the host hotels, so actually turning it off and running on mobile data may be your only option. These methods will help you stay in touch with the people you’re trying to meet up with! It is also good to turn off wifi anyway, so it doesn’t eat your battery. Pro tip: Remember to bring a power brick. It’ll come in super handy.

I hope some of these tips and tricks help some of you out and help make your Pre-DragonCon experience a little LESS stressful! Remember, we’re all there to have FIVE+ AWESOME DAYS OF FUN! See you all there!

Next post – Surviving DragonCon!!! Let the fun begin.