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[EAST] First Time to PAX East? Stuff you may want to know lies within

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Posts

  • zerzhulzerzhul Registered User, Moderator mod
    tvethiopia wrote:
    Frugus wrote:
    - It's not fun to walk back home during the Boston Curfew.

    boston curfew?

    I assume he means after the T shuts down for the night. I could be wrong though.

  • RdrRdr Rider Registered User regular
    Some good stuff so far. I'll try to add more as I think of it.

    1) I did some research on cabs earlier this year and learned that there are 6 cab companies that are partnered with the City of Boston. So you can expect the same rate and they definitely can take credit cards. 15% is the standard tip and cannot be put on the credit card. Below is the 6 companies and fare information:
    Look for this medallion to know they're legit
    HackneyLicense_75_tcm3-9957.jpg

    Top Cab
    (617) 266-4800

    Boston Cab Assoc
    (617) 536-3200

    I.T.O.A. Cab Assoc
    (617) 825-4000

    City Cab Assoc
    (617) 536-5100

    Metro Cab Assoc
    (617) 782-5500

    Tunnel Taxi
    (617) 567-2700

    -Per Mile and Tolls: First 1/7 Mile: $2.60. Each 1/7 Mile thereafter .40. Tolls Additional
    -Idling/Waiting Time: $28.00 Per Hour
    -Passenger pays $2.75 toll for all trips from Boston proper to Logan Airport and North Shore Communities.
    -Passenger pays no toll from Boston proper to East Boston, not including Logan Airport.
    Fare calculator(pretty accurate): http://boston.taxiwiz.com/

    2) If you're active in this community you will meet a lot of amazing people online that you no doubt want to meet online when you're at PAX. Make a real physical list of the people you want to meet. Sometimes you just know them by their online handles or they do something and you're like, "Wow I wanna say thanks to that person irl". So, make a personal note of why you want to meet that person and try to get make note of their schedule or what they're going to be doing. Often times you will be in the middle of PAX trying really hard to remember who you wanted to meet and you just can't remember.

    3) Don't over extend yourself. I am guilty of this one. Last year I was an enforcer and hosted a few community events and tried to be part of as many as I could. It can get overwhelming and you might sacrifice some of your fun or precious time with those friends you made a list about to meet.

    I'd say that you should make a list of what you want to do at PAX when the schedule drops. And then you can start adding community events and gatherings to fit around your desired schedule. This should be the same if you're coming to PAX with a group of friends. You all will have different things you want to see and do.

  • cabsycabsy the fattest rainbow unicorn Registered User regular
    edited October 2011
    Honestly if you are going to PAX for the social element, at all, try to stay as close to the BCEC as humanly possible. In 2011 I went with a group who got an apartment in Southie and while it was nice to be able to have all the apartment space to sprawl out, store food, hang around and be lazy, it took entirely too long to get cabs back and forth, we weren't particularly close to a T stop, and when a decent number of the people staying together got sick it became kind of miserable in that we were now 20+ minutes from all of our non-sick friends in an area that wasn't particularly accommodating to getting late night eats. It is so much nicer and easier to be able to text any of your friends and say hey do you want to go get dinner/party/play games and be able to do it immediately instead of having to plan out times and make people wait while you're in transit.

    For me personally I'd say that the best part of PAX is seeing all the people, so I'd say accept that you're not going to be able to see or play all the things you'd like to and cut out a little time to maybe go get a meal off the BCEC campus. There are a few different places within walking distance or the T is really not very difficult to use and of course google maps will give you directions that include T stops, transfers, and schedules if you have a hard time figuring that stuff out on your own (which I totally do). If you are a spaz and you walk into the wrong section of the terminal and use your 7 Day card and then try to use it again immediately afterward, it will lock you out for a few minutes, so don't panic about that and just find a hopefully friendly employee to help you out.

    If you are from any of the not-new-england states, on my flight out I had a Boston resident tell me that I chose to come in a month where Boston is a "festering shithole" thanks to the weather, and while I would not agree with that 100% it was cold, it was grey, it either rained or snowed, and it was very windy from Wednesday to Wednesday. There was a brief period where it was sunny-windy-cold for a few hours. Basically come prepared with your festering shithole all weather gear if you are a delicate flower like myself who thinks wearing only a sweatshirt in subfreezing sleeting weather is not for you. It may be nice and warm and sunny or it may do nothing but rain, snow, wind, and crud up for the entire week of PAX, because Boston weather is the devil. At the very least I'd suggest a medium weight (or heavier, depending on how warm your regular climate is) coat, gloves, a hat or earmuffs, warm socks, and possibly waterproof boots/shoes; I'd also suggest a light weight hoodie, lighter weight socks, and a few tees in case it is particularly warm. A small umbrella is also a very good suggestion and you can get those at the Mart stores for about $5 so that you don't give a damn if you accidentally leave it on the T or it breaks in the wind.

    cabsy on
  • SammySammy Registered User regular
    oh! something else i just thought of. Surprisingly no one has mentioned it yet.
    It may seem like common knowledge but wear the right shoes.

    you'll be doing a LOT of walking during PAX, be it for any community events or just PAX itself.
    the BCEC is huge, and if you plan on doing multiple things chances are good you'll be going from one end to the other several times. Which means even if you have to wear those ugly as sin shoes, or sneakers with your costume in order to keep you from hating life pretty early on then DO IT.

    the extra pair of socks idea is good, i'm actually going to implement that next year. also if you wear orthotics or any sort of insoles don't forget them! I wear arch supports and thought i would be fine wearing my converse without them for a day. Needless to say i was rather limpy after a while.

    taking care of your feet for an event like this is paramount to how much you'll enjoy everything. lord knows i get grumpy when any part of me is hurting.

    :)

    Go Team !Squirtle!!!! Nurse Joy Pokecrawl '11

    PAX EAST 2012: HOTEL [X] FLIGHT [] PASSES [X] TIME OFF []
  • zerzhulzerzhul Registered User, Moderator mod
    Sammy wrote:
    oh! something else i just thought of. Surprisingly no one has mentioned it yet.
    It may seem like common knowledge but wear the right shoes.

    you'll be doing a LOT of walking during PAX, be it for any community events or just PAX itself.
    the BCEC is huge, and if you plan on doing multiple things chances are good you'll be going from one end to the other several times. Which means even if you have to wear those ugly as sin shoes, or sneakers with your costume in order to keep you from hating life pretty early on then DO IT.

    the extra pair of socks idea is good, i'm actually going to implement that next year. also if you wear orthotics or any sort of insoles don't forget them! I wear arch supports and thought i would be fine wearing my converse without them for a day. Needless to say i was rather limpy after a while.

    taking care of your feet for an event like this is paramount to how much you'll enjoy everything. lord knows i get grumpy when any part of me is hurting.

    :)

    Indeed, the right shoes matter a lot. One thing to keep in mind: do not break in your shoes AT PAX or your feet will hate you. If you're buying new shoes for PAX, try to get them a few weeks ahead of time so they are good and broken in by the time you will need to spend all day in them.

  • FrugusFrugus Photographer MontrealRegistered User regular
    edited October 2011
    zerzhul wrote:
    tvethiopia wrote:
    Frugus wrote:
    - It's not fun to walk back home during the Boston Curfew.

    boston curfew?

    I assume he means after the T shuts down for the night. I could be wrong though.

    Boston clubs and the like all shut down at 2 am. Same time as PAX does. But damn it now you guys are making me wonder if I'm remembering this correctly. It sure felt like that when we walked back on Saturday though.

    Frugus on
    Frugus Eggbeater
    ufCl1ui.png
  • zepherinzepherin Russian warship, go fuck yourself Registered User regular
    On Saturday after the concert PAX stole every cab in the city. We easily passed 8 groups of locals looking for a cab in a a 2 mile go. That was a good night for cab drivers.

  • tvethiopiatvethiopia Salem MARegistered User regular
    Frugus wrote:
    zerzhul wrote:
    tvethiopia wrote:
    Frugus wrote:
    - It's not fun to walk back home during the Boston Curfew.

    boston curfew?

    I assume he means after the T shuts down for the night. I could be wrong though.

    Boston clubs and the like all shut down at 2 am. Same time as PAX does. But damn it now you guys are making me wonder if I'm remembering this correctly. It sure felt like that when we walked back on Saturday though.

    haha, no, you are correct. due to liquor license laws, pretty much everything shuts down by 2am. just the way you said it made it sound like some official city curfew i wasn't aware of.

    <3 Daintier. Smarter. Better dressed. <3
    7YIpfE5.png
  • FrugusFrugus Photographer MontrealRegistered User regular
    zepherin wrote:
    Also check out the business district. I found a room about 2 miles away for 95 a night. I saw 3 other pax people staying there, and it wasn't in the pax block. I think even though the business district is close to pax they don't let events chew up their hotel rooms. On the flip side because it isn't in the pax block you miss out on some of the pax after events.

    I want to respond to this but Rdr will loose any respect I he has left for me.




    Frugus Eggbeater
    ufCl1ui.png
  • SmallLadySmallLady Registered User regular
    tvethiopia wrote:
    Frugus wrote:
    - It's not fun to walk back home during the Boston Curfew.

    boston curfew?


    yes, what's this? and does it need to be added to the FAQ?

    "we're just doing what smalllady told us to do" - @Heels
  • burnttoast45burnttoast45 Registered User regular
    tvethiopia wrote:
    Frugus wrote:
    - It's not fun to walk back home during the Boston Curfew.

    boston curfew?

    By Boston Curfew, I think Frugus means most things shutdown by 2am. Bars close at 2am and the T is generally closed by 1am (if not earlier: check schedule beforehand!!!). After 2am, depending on your location, you may start competing with bar attendees/clubbers for the available cabs.

    There is no legal curfew but it gets a bit harder to get around after 2am.

  • peetsnackpeetsnack Team Green Poké Assist, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, Head Girl House Hufflepuff The Cleave LandsRegistered User regular
    Jumping on the 'right' shoes conversation, at the last PAX, I ended up taking off my shoes halfway through the first day, and wore flip-flops the rest of the week, excepting when I could get away with being barefoot. It was one of the best decisions I made that week. Wearing the 'right' shoes, socks, insoles, supports, and other foot devices can sometimes mean not wearing them and, like most advice in this thread, only you can know what works best for you.

    7B14287.png
  • HeleorHeleor SeattleRegistered User regular
    peetsnack wrote:
    Jumping on the 'right' shoes conversation, at the last PAX, I ended up taking off my shoes halfway through the first day, and wore flip-flops the rest of the week, excepting when I could get away with being barefoot. It was one of the best decisions I made that week. Wearing the 'right' shoes, socks, insoles, supports, and other foot devices can sometimes mean not wearing them and, like most advice in this thread, only you can know what works best for you.

    I wonder if fuzzy slippers would be a good idea...

  • territoiresterritoires Upstate NYRegistered User regular
    On the topic of business cards: don't go overboard.

    Last year, after diligently taking in all the advice that was offered to me, I came prepared with many needless things, one of which was a box of 1,000 business cards.

    I returned from Boston with 996 business cards in my suitcase, and 1 in my wallet. That's right folks, I managed to give out 3 cards.

    The issue can be twofold, however. If you're an international (United Kingdom here), and Port of Entry decides to search your bags, a box of 1,000 business cards might just go some way to suggesting that you're on the hunt for employment. It didn't occur to me until I was coming back over, and an officer asked me if I had any 'resumés or business cards' in my suitcase. Just a heads-up is all.

    I ignored the one-shoulder rule for my bag, and spent most of the weekend with shoulder pain. Mind you, I never feel secure carrying my belongs on my back where I can't see them.

    Lastly (until I think of other things), don't feel like you have to bring everything mentioned on these forums. I made that mistake and wished I had been a little more chilled-out about things. But hey, fail to plan, plan to fail, right?

    If it's any use to first-timers, here's a little post I put up following my sojourn in Beantown: http://unamournumerique.blogspot.com/2011/03/post-match-analysis-pax-east.html

    I write about games on a few websites.
    Gaming blog
    @lamournumerique
  • bushisprezbushisprez Registered User regular
    Pax 2011 I stayed in somerville hotel for 3 days. Worst thing about it was a 10min walk to train, then training to BCEC, not being able to stay around as late as I would like too for free-play when not native to the area.

    Hoping I can benefit from my contacts and get a closer hotel location *westin?.

    [x] Hotel booked
    [x] Ride Booked
    [x] 3-day Pass
    Will be more prepared than ever for the show than the previous year. XP!!!!!
  • bushisprezbushisprez Registered User regular
    Rdr wrote:

    I'd say that you should make a list of what you want to do at PAX when the schedule drops. And then you can start adding community events and gatherings to fit around your desired schedule. This should be the same if you're coming to PAX with a group of friends. You all will have different things you want to see and do.
    This is what I did and it turned out to be decently fun experience though I may have missed some gems around the convention like great indy games, retro console free play, and panel exclusive swag :( Uncharted panel first day. If a line has 6hour wait *oldrepublicdemo@paxeast2011 its probably not worth it considering everything else on the show floor and how limited its hours are.

    [x] Hotel booked
    [x] Ride Booked
    [x] 3-day Pass
    Will be more prepared than ever for the show than the previous year. XP!!!!!
  • FrugusFrugus Photographer MontrealRegistered User regular
    On the topic of business cards: don't go overboard.

    Last year, after diligently taking in all the advice that was offered to me, I came prepared with many needless things, one of which was a box of 1,000 business cards.

    [Snip]

    Agreed. The general idea is to have something handy so you can share your general contact information between gamers. Stuff like gamer tags, twitter names and forum nicks... This being said, you probably don't need an excessive amount of cards.

    Speaking of which, you don't need an actual business card either. If you just want to pass along info you can do pretty much anything you want, such as printing your name on a few slips of paper. In my case I was pressed for time before leaving and the few slips of paper. It's not as convenient nor as resistant as a business card but it did the job. I ended up passing out about 15 of them.

    Again, your "card" can be anything. My favorite one I got was a full color print on a small slip of robust cardboard paper. It looked pro, like some token you would get from a board game, and was half the size your small finger. On one side you had a bunch of 8 bit characters and on the other you had and e-mail address and a twitter name. My guess is that one single sheet could produce three dozen of these. It was the smallest card I was given but it's part of those that stood the test of time.

    Another thing you could do is go with the famous PAX Collector card thing. Wait until whoever is responsible puts up a thread for the next PAX.

    Frugus Eggbeater
    ufCl1ui.png
  • DeefuzzDeefuzz Registered User regular
    On the topic of business cards: don't go overboard.

    Last year, after diligently taking in all the advice that was offered to me, I came prepared with many needless things, one of which was a box of 1,000 business cards.

    I returned from Boston with 996 business cards in my suitcase, and 1 in my wallet. That's right folks, I managed to give out 3 cards.

    I made my own "Contact Cards" for 2011 PAX East, but managed to give out none of them :( I really didn't meet anyone there, which I guess comes from all of us having our faces buried in our portable gaming systems while in lines. I think mine have my gaming handles for XBL, PSN, and Steam, as well as my Twitter handle and maybe email address.

    But at least I still have them to bring with me in 2012! :) Hopefully then I can meet more people and be more social.

    [ Web: Twitter | Blog ]
    [ XBL: NemesisFuzz | PSN: Deefuzz ]
  • zepherinzepherin Russian warship, go fuck yourself Registered User regular
    Lastly (until I think of other things), don't feel like you have to bring everything mentioned on these forums. I made that mistake and wished I had been a little more chilled-out about things. But hey, fail to plan, plan to fail, right?
    Yes. Remember you are in a major metropolitan area. This is not camping. If you need some of the odds and ends and you didn't bring something, there is a cvs and a 7/11 less than a mile away.

  • FrugusFrugus Photographer MontrealRegistered User regular
    zepherin wrote:
    Lastly (until I think of other things), don't feel like you have to bring everything mentioned on these forums. I made that mistake and wished I had been a little more chilled-out about things. But hey, fail to plan, plan to fail, right?
    Yes. Remember you are in a major metropolitan area. This is not camping. If you need some of the odds and ends and you didn't bring something, there is a cvs and a 7/11 less than a mile away.

    I think that the general idea is that you don't want to end up there empty handed nor do you want to encumber yourself with needless things. In my opinion, planning a trip for a convention is very different than planning for a trip where you play tourist.

    I've went a few decent cons since PAX 2010. Almost every time I would bring pretty much everything people would tell me to bring and then some, but with every passing day and every passing event I would shed off stuff that just felt like dead weight (at least to me) and revised my list.

    This is now the stuff I consider "Absolute musts" to bring at the event itself.

    - Good shoes, broken in
    - Water bottle
    - Tote bag or backpack with some empty, available space
    - Smart phone of any digital communication device.

    I'm not saying I don't carry more stuff than that, but those are the key items that would be the key for a good experience. Anything else I would consider "nice to haves". Prepare in view of what you want to do. For instance, you obviously can't forget your DS if you plan on playing Pokemon and so on. I also bring only ONE line game. Don't need more than one. Ever. Cthulhu usually wins because it's quick to explain, easy to understand and it's fun to watch when it's not your turn to play.

    As for the digital communication device... Let's just say that you'll want to keep in touch with the internet when going to an event where everyone is tech savvy. I was not a fan of Twitter until I went to my first PAX. Follow the right people and search the important hashtags : you will end up well informed about all the little things that are going on. Heck, you may even end up making a new friend or two by accident.

    Frugus Eggbeater
    ufCl1ui.png
  • finkledinklefinkledinkle Registered User regular
    - going back about the ATM and cash

    Take cash with you for different venues you may go to outside of pax, not trying to start a PSA or anything but,

    Last year two things happened while I was in boston, the Starbucks in the doubletree I stayed at would add their own tips on to the sale regardless if I authorized it or not (had to deal with starbucks corporate on that)

    Someone at one of the vendors I went to took my card number on a swipe and had to deal with my bank on this issue (happens in today's society)

    Just use your head on certain vendors and watch your bank account if you are like me and use your debit card for everything and carry very little cash.

  • zepherinzepherin Russian warship, go fuck yourself Registered User regular
    Frugus wrote:
    Cthulhu usually wins because it's quick to explain, easy to understand and it's fun to watch when it's not your turn to play.
    Sounds like an interesting game.I would like to know more

  • whypick1whypick1 PAX [E] Info Booth Manager ~2' from an LCDRegistered User regular
    zepherin wrote:
    Sounds like an interesting game.I would like to know more

    Cthulu Dice

    Is it PAX <insert nearest future PAX here> yet?
  • zepherinzepherin Russian warship, go fuck yourself Registered User regular
    whypick1 wrote:
    zepherin wrote:
    Sounds like an interesting game.I would like to know more

    Cthulu Dice
    looks fun.

  • EmpharaEmphara Registered User regular
    How long after the group hotels rates go up do hotels usually sell out? I know they go rather quickly, and I've heard they sold out around January last year, but how long is that from when they go on sale? (I know there's no exact answer because it will vary), but I would really appreciate if anyone had an estimate. Is it something that needs to be done the day they go up, or do we have a few days or weeks?

    signature.png
  • RegimentRegiment Registered User regular
    edited October 2011
    zepherin wrote:
    (Cthulhu Dice) looks fun.
    It is. I'll be bringing my set. It's a great game for lines, everyone likes it, and you can fill any amount of time with it. It's also dirt-cheap and you can only get the fancier colors of dice at the booths at PAX (or online, I guess). Best $5 you'll spend at PAX.

    I'd also suggest that anyone with the slightest interest about Magic: TG bring a deck. Wizards gave out free 30-card starters in the swag bags for the last two years, so there's always someone to play against if you have a while.

    There's something very nice about showing up for a panel two hours early and just relaxing with some games and the invariably awesome people next to you who had the same idea.

    Regiment on
    I never lose, I just win sideways.
  • MxWoodMxWood Registered User regular
    tvethiopia wrote:
    Frugus wrote:
    - It's not fun to walk back home during the Boston Curfew.

    boston curfew?

    I also would like to know what that meant...


    Anyway my biggest advice is don't try to do everything, its too hard.
    first pax east, I just went and had fun, last year I tried to go do everything, and it was too much for me.
    So this year I will try to actually find a balance, but the pokecrawl is a must.

  • whypick1whypick1 PAX [E] Info Booth Manager ~2' from an LCDRegistered User regular
    tvethiopia wrote:
    Frugus wrote:
    - It's not fun to walk back home during the Boston Curfew.

    boston curfew?

    By Boston Curfew, I think Frugus means most things shutdown by 2am. Bars close at 2am and the T is generally closed by 1am (if not earlier: check schedule beforehand!!!). After 2am, depending on your location, you may start competing with bar attendees/clubbers for the available cabs.

    There is no legal curfew but it gets a bit harder to get around after 2am.

    Is it PAX <insert nearest future PAX here> yet?
  • ChorazinChorazin Lancaster, PARegistered User regular
    On the topic of business cards: don't go overboard.

    Last year, after diligently taking in all the advice that was offered to me, I came prepared with many needless things, one of which was a box of 1,000 business cards.

    I returned from Boston with 996 business cards in my suitcase, and 1 in my wallet. That's right folks, I managed to give out 3 cards.

    Haha, I had the same issue. I compounded it by this year changing my Gamertag, which meant I needed new cards. I ordered them...and now my phone # changed and I'll need new ones again.

    This year, I'm going to make a business card website, and get only around 200 cards made with a scannable code on the front that'll take people to the website for all the "extra" info and just have my handle, real name, and phone # on it.

    Twitter//@chorazin
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    3DS Friend Code: 3823 8527 9997
    Wii U NNID Chorazin
  • CreamsteakCreamsteak Thrall Registered User regular
    I'm tempted to have a My Little Pony themed "Friendship" Card, as opposed to a business cards. Gotta collect them all.

  • FrugusFrugus Photographer MontrealRegistered User regular
    I keep seeing posts about curfews...

    Yeah guys... I'm sorry, I've been corrected by a few people telling me that I've been wrong about this. There are no curfews in Boston. Instead, as per tvethiopia, liquor cannot be served in bars past 2.

    Why did I say there was a curfew? To be honest it's something I assumed from seeing how many people were going back home around 2 am, and I'm not talking about the PAX crowd. Since my hotel was a further from the site I also ran across a good number of people who were on their way back from various St-Patrick celebrations. That plus all the police officers in the streets... Oh well, I should have guessed that cops would be there for night when a lot of celebrating is going on.

    So sorry folks, I assumed, and assumption is the mother of all gooseups.

    Frugus Eggbeater
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  • DurinthalDurinthal Registered User regular
    About info cards: last year the trading cards were pretty successful and attempting to collect as many as you could turned it into something of a game. Hopefully they'll be making a return this time around.

    Creamsteak wrote:
    I'm tempted to have a My Little Pony themed "Friendship" Card, as opposed to a business cards. Gotta collect them all.
    There were several unofficial badges available for the trading cards for common interests (e.g. a d20 for tabletop games); maybe someone could make one for MLP. I'll give it a try, if nothing else.

  • ChimneyImpChimneyImp Shifty Eyes BostonRegistered User regular
    edited October 2011
    On one of my areas of expertise: con food.

    1.) 2 balanced meals a day, no exceptions. The people who mentioned this upthread are totally right: you'll collapse, maybe even literally, without 2 good meals, particularly after the first day. This means protein, carbs, fruit, and veggies, not just meat and fired something. The difference in energy you have after a good meal, vs. after a bad meal, is phenomenal.

    2.) The food in the convention center is reasonably good, but way overpriced. If you can, bring something from outside the con that travels well - a big sandwich and some fruit works well. You don't want to pay $8 for a small sandwich like I did.

    3.) Drink water. Soda won't get it done, you need actual water. You can get dehydrated without even realizing it because of the incredible amount of walking you'll do at PAX. Again, if you're well hydrated you'll have way more energy and you'll be able to sleep less and see more without falling over.

    4.) Bring some gentle caffeine. Don't mainline the stuff, just drink some at lunch or in the evening when your energy is lagging to give you a boost. Everyone has different tolerances, but I'd recommend diet soda, coffee, or black tea - not an energy drink, if you're like most people it'll make you crash hard eventually. If you feel like you need an energy drink, you're probably either not eating right or didn't get enough sleep.

    5.) Bring something you can munch on. I brought GORP (Good ol' raisins and peanuts) last year and it kept my party alive. Protein is good (nuts, basically), mix in some dry fruit and maybe a little chocolate and you'll have something that's filling and full of energy. It also lets you avoid buying overpriced con food - did I mention the con food is overpriced? It's overpriced. And bring enough to share if you can - you might make a new friend over snacks.

    Last year, I was sick over PAX and I still managed to only miss about 6 hours - and I made a 6 hour drive back home without falling asleep and killing any of my passengers. Follow my advice, and you'll be well on your way to having the energy to stay up late screaming at the Protomen concert and still get to the con before the doors open.

    ChimneyImp on
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  • TrandescentTrandescent Registered User regular
    If you're still thinking of going to PAX East (and for some reason you are reading my comment), Buy atleast a day pass if you're in somewhat appropriate driving distance. I got a 1-day Saturday pass and hauled from CT to Boston, and next thing you know im setting up 3-day travel plans with a nice couple that I met at the con when I sat down on the bean bag chairs.

    8elUgf9.png

    PAX East 2018 4-Day Pass [X] BYOC Pass [X] Hotel Reservation [X]

    See y'all at PAX East 2018!
  • ironysparklesironysparkles Lowell, MARegistered User regular
    I'll put my few cents in on con food:

    Like everyone will tell you, con food is overpriced, especially for the portions. A mostly cold burger with maybe a couple toppings was at least $5 (my bf insists it was more than that). The food court area had a good variety but the lines were long, the prices high, and the seating very full.

    A godsend for our party last year was talking to our hotel's front desk. Friday night we asked them if they knew any local places that would deliver late. And there were actually 3 to choose from! So we ordered food for that night and cold subs to carry with us the next day. Lunch meat keeps well at room temp for some time, and if your hotel room has a fridge or even an ice bucket you can keep them cold overnight, at least. Skip anything with mayo and you have a portable meal.

    Drinking enough water can not be stressed enough. My first PAX (2010) I was very broke and didn't eat much all weekend or drink anything the first day. Needless to say I was lightheaded and sick before the end of Friday! Dehydration can really kick your butt, so don't be a silly goose and keep that water bottle filled.

    Try to keep the soda/coffee to a minimum. It'll just make for more trips to the bathroom, anyway.

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  • FrugusFrugus Photographer MontrealRegistered User regular
    I approve of what ChimneyImp and Iornysparkles said.

    I for one was able to refill my water bottle within the BCEC. There's usually a drinking fountain next to the bathrooms. I clearly remember using two that were in the gaming area and one that was near the coat check.

    Frugus Eggbeater
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  • ChimneyImpChimneyImp Shifty Eyes BostonRegistered User regular
    Frugus wrote:
    I approve of what ChimneyImp and Iornysparkles said.

    I for one was able to refill my water bottle within the BCEC. There's usually a drinking fountain next to the bathrooms. I clearly remember using two that were in the gaming area and one that was near the coat check.

    Yeah, there's water fountains everywhere if you know where to look. IIRC, there's a set near every bathroom, and there's also a water cooler in every panel. If you can find one, ask an enforcer - they know.

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  • KorvasKorvas Registered User regular
    Frugus wrote:
    zepherin wrote:
    Lastly (until I think of other things), don't feel like you have to bring everything mentioned on these forums. I made that mistake and wished I had been a little more chilled-out about things. But hey, fail to plan, plan to fail, right?
    Yes. Remember you are in a major metropolitan area. This is not camping. If you need some of the odds and ends and you didn't bring something, there is a cvs and a 7/11 less than a mile away.


    As for the digital communication device... Let's just say that you'll want to keep in touch with the internet when going to an event where everyone is tech savvy. I was not a fan of Twitter until I went to my first PAX. Follow the right people and search the important hashtags : you will end up well informed about all the little things that are going on. Heck, you may even end up making a new friend or two by accident.

    this is the single most important thing I learnt last year at my first pax... there was so much I missed from awesome free swag, to awesome panels... I was just not in the know of where I should go... I was mostly wondering around like a kid in a candy store, my eyes as big as beach balls in awe, not knowing what to buy/taste first so I didn't get a chance to get anything lol

  • tvethiopiatvethiopia Salem MARegistered User regular
    A godsend for our party last year was talking to our hotel's front desk. Friday night we asked them if they knew any local places that would deliver late. And there were actually 3 to choose from! So we ordered food for that night and cold subs to carry with us the next day. Lunch meat keeps well at room temp for some time, and if your hotel room has a fridge or even an ice bucket you can keep them cold overnight, at least. Skip anything with mayo and you have a portable meal.

    i think this already happened in the faq but then it broke so i'll say it again. foodler.com is an amazing way to find who delivers to any particular address. just put in the address of your hotel and voila! all the tasty affordable food options you could want, delivered right to your hotel lobby. we did a lot of that last pax and i honestly can't imagine how we would have gotten fed real food otherwise. also, unlike the handful of menus the hotel might have, there's TONS of stuff on foodler. right now i'm counting 33 places that deliver to westin, and that's not including restaurants that use delivery services (and so usually have a higher minimum/delivery fee). if you include those it's over 80! remember, it may LOOK like you're in the middle of nowhere, but you are in boston and it's not a big city, so you're still in delivery range of a lot of stuff.

    <3 Daintier. Smarter. Better dressed. <3
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  • slamonellaslamonella Clue-by-Four Boston, MARegistered User regular
    +1 on Foodler. I live in Boston and we use it all the time.

    Some people are like Slinkies. They have no practical use whatsoever,
    but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
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