Hey all, just curious on what age the kids get in free again. I have a friend who was just able to get his hands on a couple of tickets, but they have two younger kids they would have to bring. Do they need a ticket themselves? Or just the paid adult ticket gets them in. Thanks!
Are there age restrictions to PAX Prime?
Nope. But if you’re under 13, please make sure your parents know where you are. Children 6 and under do not require badges when accompanied by adult (however strollers are not permitted in the exhibit hall).
life's a game that you're bound to lose / like using a hammer to pound in screws
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
Hey all, just curious on what age the kids get in free again. I have a friend who was just able to get his hands on a couple of tickets, but they have two younger kids they would have to bring. Do they need a ticket themselves? Or just the paid adult ticket gets them in. Thanks!
Are there age restrictions to PAX Prime?
Nope. But if you’re under 13, please make sure your parents know where you are. Children 6 and under do not require badges when accompanied by adult (however strollers are not permitted in the exhibit hall).
Thanks! Must have been a braindead moment...didn't think of the paxsite. lol!
PAX Tickets: check!
Hotel Booked: check!
Sitter for the kids: check!
Excitement level rising: check, check and triple check!
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whypick1PAX [E] Info Booth Manager~2' from an LCDRegistered Userregular
Hey all, just curious on what age the kids get in free again. I have a friend who was just able to get his hands on a couple of tickets, but they have two younger kids they would have to bring. Do they need a ticket themselves? Or just the paid adult ticket gets them in. Thanks!
6 and under is free without a pass.
One thing I will point out is that strollers are not allowed in the Expo Hall and there is no place in the WSCC to store them.
A question: there is a lot of wildfire in Washington atm, it seems - is there any chance the con will be cancelled? if it happens, can we get a sense of how it would work?
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ShionQueen of the Whiteboard MarkersSeattle, WARegistered Userregular
What is the difference between the merch and merch lite booths? Also how early can we queue up at merch lite? 8am like the expo hall queue?
A question: there is a lot of wildfire in Washington atm, it seems - is there any chance the con will be cancelled? if it happens, can we get a sense of how it would work?
What is the difference between the merch and merch lite booths? Also how early can we queue up at merch lite? 8am like the expo hall queue?
Merch lite sells everything. Merch sells everything Except the limited edition Polygon pin. Lite opens at 9. Regular Merch at 10. I don't think there is a limit on Lite queuing. People have been saying they will queue up as early as 6-6:30.
What is the difference between the merch and merch lite booths? Also how early can we queue up at merch lite? 8am like the expo hall queue?
Merch lite sells everything. Merch sells everything Except the limited edition Polygon pin. Lite opens at 9. Regular Merch at 10. I don't think there is a limit on Lite queuing. People have been saying they will queue up as early as 6-6:30.
Usually Merch Lite does not have as much stock of general non-PAX specific Penny Arcade merch.
What is the difference between the merch and merch lite booths? Also how early can we queue up at merch lite? 8am like the expo hall queue?
Merch lite sells everything. Merch sells everything Except the limited edition Polygon pin. Lite opens at 9. Regular Merch at 10. I don't think there is a limit on Lite queuing. People have been saying they will queue up as early as 6-6:30.
Usually Merch Lite does not have as much stock of general non-PAX specific Penny Arcade merch.
Sorry, I misremembered what Brian said.
The Lite Booth is in the 1st Floor Lobby of the Sheraton. Both booths will have pretty much everything, except the Limited Edition PAX Prime Polygon Pin. THAT will ONLY be at the Merch Lite booth.
Does anyone know if the "Ask a DM" panel normally has a long line or gets filled up? I'm trying to get an idea of which panels to hit up and there's another one that ends an hour before Ask a DM. It's a hike between the two locations but if there is usually a line for Ask a DM it wouldn't be worth it.
Sorry if this has been asked before, but prior to entering a line or while in a line is there a way to know how long the line in the Expo Hall will take? Like is there someone from the booth who can tell you or what? I understand lines will take a good chunk of time, but obviously there are times when I'd rather know if the line will take 45 minutes or over an hour.
If you follow Twitter feed @PAX_lines they let you know when popular lines start forming and will let you know if it is filling up quick, things like that. For example, "Gearbox is about 40% full."
Edit:
Oh wait, you were asking about expo lines, no, usually not. The only time I've seen something like that is with truly long wait times, like one year when a Disney artist was doing sketches to promote Epic Mickey.
Sorry if this has been asked before, but prior to entering a line or while in a line is there a way to know how long the line in the Expo Hall will take? Like is there someone from the booth who can tell you or what? I understand lines will take a good chunk of time, but obviously there are times when I'd rather know if the line will take 45 minutes or over an hour.
The best thing to do would be to ask an Enforcer who's working that booth/area. For some of the larger lines, I've seen an enforcer near the back holding a whiteboard with the estimated wait time on them, but I don't think that is the norm.
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whypick1PAX [E] Info Booth Manager~2' from an LCDRegistered Userregular
Sorry if this has been asked before, but prior to entering a line or while in a line is there a way to know how long the line in the Expo Hall will take? Like is there someone from the booth who can tell you or what? I understand lines will take a good chunk of time, but obviously there are times when I'd rather know if the line will take 45 minutes or over an hour.
Sorry if this has been asked before, but prior to entering a line or while in a line is there a way to know how long the line in the Expo Hall will take? Like is there someone from the booth who can tell you or what? I understand lines will take a good chunk of time, but obviously there are times when I'd rather know if the line will take 45 minutes or over an hour.
The best thing to do would be to ask an Enforcer who's working that booth/area. For some of the larger lines, I've seen an enforcer near the back holding a whiteboard with the estimated wait time on them, but I don't think that is the norm.
It's really up to the individual exhibitor to estimate how long the wait is since they're the ones who now how long their demos should take. You (unfortunately) won't have a uniform experience in that regard.
I apologize if this has been asked before - is there a designated "queue area" this year given the hall has been absorbed fully in to the Grlatinous Show Floor Cube or do the convention center doors just open at 10am? I am assuming that lining up on the street may be a big no-no rom a traffic perspective...
I apologize if this has been asked before - is there a designated "queue area" this year given the hall has been absorbed fully in to the Grlatinous Show Floor Cube or do the convention center doors just open at 10am? I am assuming that lining up on the street may be a big no-no rom a traffic perspective...
You can either line up in the annex or follow the signs in the main cenvention center. I am sure there will be plenty of Enforcers to help get us to the right spot.
I just want to know which area is best for waiting on Saturday morning: The Annex or the Main Entrance? I am attending to see the Expo Hall, so that's the first place I want to go when doors open. Which entrance has the shortest path there?
whypick1PAX [E] Info Booth Manager~2' from an LCDRegistered Userregular
It honestly depends on which part of Expo you're trying to get to first. If you're trying to get to, say Bethesda, then Annex would be closest. Square Enix or anything on the 6th floor? WSCC.
Is it PAX <insert nearest future PAX here> yet?
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I3izzyNonofficial member of the F5 brigadeFG, ORRegistered Userregular
I just want to know which area is best for waiting on Saturday morning: The Annex or the Main Entrance? I am attending to see the Expo Hall, so that's the first place I want to go when doors open. Which entrance has the shortest path there?
That kind of depends on which side of the sky bridge you want to be on and where exactly they queue people up on the main entrance side.
This is my first year at PAX since I got rid of my credit card (yay!)
It's also my first year at the Sheraton.
Does anyone know if they require a credit card on file for incidentals? Or can I use my debit card for that.
And if I can use my debit, how much do they put a hold on for the incidentals?
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whypick1PAX [E] Info Booth Manager~2' from an LCDRegistered Userregular
Last (and only, hopefully) time I used a debit card to put a hold on my room, the hotel charged the whole amount (which put my balance in the red). This was at the Boston Westin, but they are a Starwood hotel like the Sheraton, so I wouldn't be surprised if they have the same policy.
Don't know about the Sheraton but the Hilton when I have stayed there for previous PAX not only put a hold for the full amount but added $50 a day for incidentals
Fairly sure Hotel MAX did the same (I just can't remember if they did the incidentals thing )
I was under the impression that lining up in the annex for expo will not be a thing. I believe there will be signs directing you towards where to line up for Expo.
Re: hotels and debit cards: The Grand Hyatt at least only charges for incidentals ($50/night) on a debit card. So for my Thurs-Tues night stay, they said to expect a $250 hold, but not a charge for the entire $1000+ stay. I would call the Sheraton to confirm, as hotels vary!
I was under the impression that lining up in the annex for expo will not be a thing. I believe there will be signs directing you towards where to line up for Expo.
I thought the same thing but the main site says differently:
"So… where do you line up to get in the convention center? That’s a great question! We’ll have two primary “entrances” running simultaneously in the morning – One will be the Convention Center (head to the main entrance on Pike and building staff will direct you where to go), and the other will be at the Annex. BOTH will be let into the show at 10 AM sharp, so you can go to either location in the morning."
You can expect non-byoc people lining up outside the expo, and once the show opens there will probably be a fair amount of traffic through the room as people get up into the expo hall via the Annex (and pc room). On Friday you'll be able to skip that line as you'll be able to get into the building before 10:00am. On Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, we won't have early access to BYOC which means you'll need to be in the general Annex line. It shouldn't be TOO bad, but if the idea of being in a line bothers you, my suggestion is to show up at 10:30am. The lines can feel like they take forever, but only when you're IN them.
So I've been setting up my guidebook, and I've got a whole bunch of questions that I'm hoping someone can help me out with.
1. Besides the panels/events on the guidebook, is there lots of other stuff going on at the convention that I should be making time for? I've heard about something called the "indie megabooth" from previous years, where there is a bunch of games being showcased for people to play. Is that still a thing?
2. For tournaments and autograph sessions, should I expect to be at the event for the full time-slot? I'm especially wondering this for the tournaments, because theres lots of ones where I don't expect to place very far.
3. Also regarding tournaments: is there somewhere online that we are supposed to sign up, or are sign-ups at the convention center itself?
4. I know that the Q&A said that line lengths vary, but is there some rule of thumb for how early we will need to arrive for the "major" panels? For example, how early should I show up to the Acquisitions Inc panel to get a decent seat? (I'm not trying to ignore the Q&A answer here, I just haven't attended many conventions before, so I don't really have any way of estimating)
5. Lastly, something kind of specific: I looked at the GiantBomb Pre-Pax thing and couldn't find a ticket link. For anyone going- is it sold out, or it is a first-come-first-serve kind of thing?
Sorry to spam so many questions lately. I just want to make sure I'm prepared :P
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whypick1PAX [E] Info Booth Manager~2' from an LCDRegistered Userregular
1. There's all the Freeplay areas as well. Don't forget to actually, you know, play games at a gaming convention. The Indie Megabooth is at the very back of the Expo Hall 4F, which is pointed out on Guidebook.
2. Not really. For autograph sessions budget time in line (depending on how early you get there) and a couple of minutes once you actually make it to the front. For tournaments, it depends on the specific tournament.
3. All tournament sign ups are day-of at that department's HQ or Tourney desk.
4. Major panels are usually in the 1-2 hour range. Best bet: follow "PAX_Lines" on Twitter. It will update the status of panel lines throughout the show.
5. Can't help you on that one.
So I've been setting up my guidebook, and I've got a whole bunch of questions that I'm hoping someone can help me out with.
1. Besides the panels/events on the guidebook, is there lots of other stuff going on at the convention that I should be making time for? I've heard about something called the "indie megabooth" from previous years, where there is a bunch of games being showcased for people to play. Is that still a thing?
2. For tournaments and autograph sessions, should I expect to be at the event for the full time-slot? I'm especially wondering this for the tournaments, because theres lots of ones where I don't expect to place very far.
3. Also regarding tournaments: is there somewhere online that we are supposed to sign up, or are sign-ups at the convention center itself?
4. I know that the Q&A said that line lengths vary, but is there some rule of thumb for how early we will need to arrive for the "major" panels? For example, how early should I show up to the Acquisitions Inc panel to get a decent seat? (I'm not trying to ignore the Q&A answer here, I just haven't attended many conventions before, so I don't really have any way of estimating)
5. Lastly, something kind of specific: I looked at the GiantBomb Pre-Pax thing and couldn't find a ticket link. For anyone going- is it sold out, or it is a first-come-first-serve kind of thing?
Sorry to spam so many questions lately. I just want to make sure I'm prepared :P
Giant Bomb Pre Pax thing is first come first served. You don't even need a pax badge! Just get in line and hope to get in before they run out of room. It starts at 9, so kind up an hour or so earlier to hopefully get in.
Re: Some of the hotel questions - I've worked in a few now and it's almost always standard procedure to authorize the total amount for the stay at check in, with exceptions occasionally made if it's particularly high (example: they may only choose to authorize the first $1,500). If you've prepaid then they will likely just take a hold for incidentals. Incidental polices vary significantly property to property so it's hard to generalize about them much.
It's rare that they actually charge the card at check in, but the difference between an authorization and a charge is almost meaningless as far as the guest is concerned since that money is unavailable to them either way. Also make sure you're looking at the total and not just the rate, local taxes here are relatively high (in the neighborhood of %13) and can induce some sticker shock. I'd make sure to have some healthy breathing room over the expected total to avoid potential problems.
BekerChild's Play Program DirectorSeattleRegistered User, Penny Arcade Staffregular
For convention center access in the morning before 10am, if you don't know where to go once you have your badge, head to the 7th and Pike entrance, and there will be an army of WSCC staff guiding people to the queues. Or skip the morning line and have a nice breakfast by showing up at 10:30ish after the lines have been let in and just walk right in.
life's a game that you're bound to lose / like using a hammer to pound in screws
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
So It looks like I missed the ticket sales for the dinner thing by one day
Are there any other any other cool events going on the night before PAX that still have slots available?
Edit: So I think I want to go to that ID @ Microsoft event. It doesn't look like there is any info for tickets - is it just open to everyone?
Last year, there were buses that picked people up behind the WSCC. It was open to anyone - no need to sign up or get tickets or anything, it was just first come first served.
is the Saturday morning panel listed as "people doing panel" in the mail hall at 10am still just a placeholder or is it that vague on purpose because its some big secret thing?
What time are swag bags/programs given out at the Westin on Saturday? Hopefully before 10AM? And last year I totally missed out on them since they weren't in the queue hall. What kind of stuff is typically in them? Can I get the program without going to the Westin?
There's Instacart and Postmates, but neither are very price-effective for small-ish orders. Might want to see if you can bundle an order together, though.
Instacart charges for delivery, minimum order is $10, and charges a premium on Costco items, between 10 - 20%, it looks like. The economics might work out slightly better if you can get a bunch of people to pool an order, or go in on a Zipcar and a Costco / Fred Meyer / Target run.
I just checked Instacart, they are offering free delivery on your first order. But if anyone wants to go in on a zip car and take a ride to Costco I'm down with that. I have a membership!
In kind of a weird coincidence, Amazon launched Prime Now in the Seattle area. Just need a Prime membership, delivery windows of 1 - 2 hours. Food prices are marked up a little, but not hugely bad. Food, snacks, beer, liquor.
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whypick1PAX [E] Info Booth Manager~2' from an LCDRegistered Userregular
What time are swag bags/programs given out at the Westin on Saturday? Hopefully before 10AM? And last year I totally missed out on them since they weren't in the queue hall. What kind of stuff is typically in them? Can I get the program without going to the Westin?
Posts
6 and under need no badge.
from the faq on paxsite:
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
Thanks! Must have been a braindead moment...didn't think of the paxsite. lol!
Hotel Booked: check!
Sitter for the kids: check!
Excitement level rising: check, check and triple check!
6 and under is free without a pass.
One thing I will point out is that strollers are not allowed in the Expo Hall and there is no place in the WSCC to store them.
The fires are very far from Seattle, not an issue
Sorry, I misremembered what Brian said.
Thanks for any info.
Edit:
Oh wait, you were asking about expo lines, no, usually not. The only time I've seen something like that is with truly long wait times, like one year when a Disney artist was doing sketches to promote Epic Mickey.
The best thing to do would be to ask an Enforcer who's working that booth/area. For some of the larger lines, I've seen an enforcer near the back holding a whiteboard with the estimated wait time on them, but I don't think that is the norm.
It's really up to the individual exhibitor to estimate how long the wait is since they're the ones who now how long their demos should take. You (unfortunately) won't have a uniform experience in that regard.
Prime: '10, '11, '12, '13, '14, '15
West: '16, '17
East: '14, '15, '16, '17
South: '15, '16, '17, '18
You can either line up in the annex or follow the signs in the main cenvention center. I am sure there will be plenty of Enforcers to help get us to the right spot.
That kind of depends on which side of the sky bridge you want to be on and where exactly they queue people up on the main entrance side.
It's also my first year at the Sheraton.
Does anyone know if they require a credit card on file for incidentals? Or can I use my debit card for that.
And if I can use my debit, how much do they put a hold on for the incidentals?
Fairly sure Hotel MAX did the same (I just can't remember if they did the incidentals thing )
Credit card all the way these days
Are there any other any other cool events going on the night before PAX that still have slots available?
Edit: So I think I want to go to that ID @ Microsoft event. It doesn't look like there is any info for tickets - is it just open to everyone?
I thought the same thing but the main site says differently:
"So… where do you line up to get in the convention center? That’s a great question! We’ll have two primary “entrances” running simultaneously in the morning – One will be the Convention Center (head to the main entrance on Pike and building staff will direct you where to go), and the other will be at the Annex. BOTH will be let into the show at 10 AM sharp, so you can go to either location in the morning."
Edit: David also spoke on the matter.
So I've been setting up my guidebook, and I've got a whole bunch of questions that I'm hoping someone can help me out with.
1. Besides the panels/events on the guidebook, is there lots of other stuff going on at the convention that I should be making time for? I've heard about something called the "indie megabooth" from previous years, where there is a bunch of games being showcased for people to play. Is that still a thing?
2. For tournaments and autograph sessions, should I expect to be at the event for the full time-slot? I'm especially wondering this for the tournaments, because theres lots of ones where I don't expect to place very far.
3. Also regarding tournaments: is there somewhere online that we are supposed to sign up, or are sign-ups at the convention center itself?
4. I know that the Q&A said that line lengths vary, but is there some rule of thumb for how early we will need to arrive for the "major" panels? For example, how early should I show up to the Acquisitions Inc panel to get a decent seat? (I'm not trying to ignore the Q&A answer here, I just haven't attended many conventions before, so I don't really have any way of estimating)
5. Lastly, something kind of specific: I looked at the GiantBomb Pre-Pax thing and couldn't find a ticket link. For anyone going- is it sold out, or it is a first-come-first-serve kind of thing?
Sorry to spam so many questions lately. I just want to make sure I'm prepared :P
2. Not really. For autograph sessions budget time in line (depending on how early you get there) and a couple of minutes once you actually make it to the front. For tournaments, it depends on the specific tournament.
3. All tournament sign ups are day-of at that department's HQ or Tourney desk.
4. Major panels are usually in the 1-2 hour range. Best bet: follow "PAX_Lines" on Twitter. It will update the status of panel lines throughout the show.
5. Can't help you on that one.
Giant Bomb Pre Pax thing is first come first served. You don't even need a pax badge! Just get in line and hope to get in before they run out of room. It starts at 9, so kind up an hour or so earlier to hopefully get in.
It's rare that they actually charge the card at check in, but the difference between an authorization and a charge is almost meaningless as far as the guest is concerned since that money is unavailable to them either way. Also make sure you're looking at the total and not just the rate, local taxes here are relatively high (in the neighborhood of %13) and can induce some sticker shock. I'd make sure to have some healthy breathing room over the expected total to avoid potential problems.
In the Lumines tournament, which version of Lumines and what gamemode will be used? Thanks.
@b0wser @rabies
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
Last year, there were buses that picked people up behind the WSCC. It was open to anyone - no need to sign up or get tickets or anything, it was just first come first served.
It will be Lumines for PSP, although I'm not sure on the game mode.
Sorry for the rapid-fire questions!
In kind of a weird coincidence, Amazon launched Prime Now in the Seattle area. Just need a Prime membership, delivery windows of 1 - 2 hours. Food prices are marked up a little, but not hugely bad. Food, snacks, beer, liquor.
Programs will be available in other locations in WSCC as well.