Megacon returned to East/West Concourse in Hall D.
For a lot of fans in the Southeast United States, Megacon is considered the “official” launch of the new convention season. It’s one of the largest multi-genre pop culture conventions in the region, held annually at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. This year, the con ran from February 27th to March 1st and had returned to the older side of the convention center in Hall D.
Megacon was my first multi-genre convention back in 2004 and aside from the growing presence of anime and other Japanese pop culture topics, the con is pretty much the same as it has always been. The biggest draws to the con are the guests and the enormous dealers’ hall. Comics still seem to remain the heart and soul of Megacon’s focus, but as I already mentioned, Japan’s influence has definitely made an impact on what the con has to offer and the demographic of the attendees.
That is not to say that there is necessarily a lot to do at Megacon. This con has never been known to offer much in the way of programming, though this year there seemed to be even less offered to make you feel like the hefty $55 price tag of a weekend pass was worth it. In fact, I had always only just attended on Saturday in the past—last year I tried to attend all three days, but was very disappointed that by five o’clock, there was nothing to do. This year, I went back to just going on Saturday with my cosplay group, and we found that there really wasn’t anything being offered by the con that we wanted to see or do at all for the whole day.
Many people pre-registered in anticipation of long lines.
In the past, popular anime licenser FUNimation Entertainment used Megacon as a showcase for new titles and promotions, generally hosting a popular panel on Saturday. However, this year, no panel was hosted and their booth offered nothing more than their usual sale of titles. There was a visible push for D.Gray-man, set to release as a half-season boxed set later this month, but no con incentives other than high-gloss card ads and faux “body tags” with “Death is his gift” emblazoned on them were available.
Perhaps the single most popular event (and an emphasis on single) at Megacon is the cosplay contest sponsored by local Orlando anime club, Anime Sushi, Saturday afternoon. Like many very large anime events, especially cosplay contests, starting on time is always a challenge. This year was no exception for Megacon. I was unable to get inside, as the line at the time the contest was supposed to start was wrapped around the building. I heard later that it was over an hour late and suffered from a lot of technical difficulties. Here are some of the top winners; photos are provided via Cosplay Lab:
Best Individual: Miko as Minato and Orpheus from Persona 3
Best Group: Andrea and Amanda as Almaz and Mao from Disgaea 3
Best Technical: Clutch as Yoshimitsu from Tekken Tag
Best Catgirl: Kala as Lolita Naruto from Naruto
Judges Award: Britt as Lion Sora (Broadway-style) from Kingdom Hearts 2
Megacon also hosts a standard costume contest for all other genres which has always been popular as well. You can view the award ceremony as well as highlights from the convention at this link: Via YouTube.
While some disagree, I personally felt that attendance at the con this year was down. In the past, by noon on Saturday, lines to register for tickets would reach epic proportions and stretch outside to International Drive. This year, I saw nothing like this and the wait to pick up pre-registered tickets went quickly. On the other hand, maneuvering around the dealers’ hall has always been a headache with the crowds. In addition to the dealers, all the guests, artists, gaming, and other booths are located in the same exhibit hall. This causes quite a nightmare as far as foot traffic is concerned and honestly, my patience for it has plummeted over the years. I did very little shopping amongst the dealers simply because I couldn’t move around and see. You would think that after all these years they would expand the additional attractions into their own spaces to free up more room in the isles.
Megacon supposedly was boasting more space than last year, which was held in the newer portion of the convention center across the street. However, many felt the exact opposite. Hall D is considerably more cramped as far as floor space is concerned and I felt that the exhibit hall was smaller as well. Despite the lower numbers at the ticket booths, you really felt the crowd in other places. Security seemed bored as well, for attendees (including myself) were chased out of other areas of the convention center that were unoccupied, making cosplay photography a challenge.
Kingdom Hearts 2 photoshoot hosted and photographed by Ms.Saturday @ DeviantART
Another contradiction was the parking situation many people encountered over the weekend. I have always made a point to arrive at the convention center very early to park close and avoid long lines. This year, many people had the same idea, and even I had to battle to get a decent space at 8:45 in the morning Saturday. Parking fees increased this year as well to $8, causing quite a lot of grumbling amongst attendees. Unlike the newer building that hosts a larger parking lot and easier access, the older building where Megacon was located this year has a much smaller lot—add in the fact that the con always shares their location with another big event (this year a girls’ volleyball competition), parking was a serious problem and many had quite a hike after being redirected elsewhere.
Utada Hikaru's coatdress from the "Passion" music video. Cosplayer: vinylgrrl @ cosplay.com
International Drive, and consequentially, the convention center, is an epicenter for tourism outside of the Walt Disney World (Lake Buena Vista) area. As result, prices for food, lodging, and other commodities are set at premium prices. In the past, there has been a food court open to offer a wide range of quick eats where one could find something within their price range. This year, for whatever reason, the food court was closed and attendees were forced to pay for convenience at smaller snack stands which charged astronomical prices. $12 for a drink and a pretzel? Even for the convention center, it was just ridiculous.
Considering all the criticism Megacon as a convention receives, it is therefore considered to be more of a social convention than anything else and the first opportunity of the season to show off new and spectacular cosplays. Cosplay has certainly exploded within the five years I’ve been attending and the quality of the work is improving. Many have been complaining about the explosion of “fanbrats” and the lowering maturity levels but most would agree that these days, Megacon is what you make of it. No more, no less.
For more photos, check out these links:
March 7th, 2009 at 3:38 am
That Kingdom Hearts group is going to be hard to top, but I think Meagan and her peeps will give them a run for their money at SDCC.
March 7th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Sweet cosplay!
March 9th, 2009 at 5:33 am
Thanks so much for this very comprehensive review of Mega-Con
I know a cosplayer who has attended the con for the last three years and she had many of the same comments
Let the Convention Season Begin