You can spend $5k for BotCon. Hell you can spend $10k. But (at least for people who don't need to make international flights), that's far from the norm. You can do BotCon much cheaper than $5k. You can drive, split a hotel room with people, bring your food / get it from a grocery store, and just do general admin, and just spend a few hundred total. Or you can fly, get every option and toy FunPub offers, stay in a hotel room to yourself, eat at the (undoubtedly overpriced) hotel restaurant, and splurge big time in the dealer room and spend thousands and thousands.

 

That is very true, but like xZAOz mentions, you can also "trim the fat" and still have a great time. I have lots of fun seeing people I only get to hang out with for a few days out of the year.

 

That is an interesting question.

It's only been explicitly stated that you have to have a Primus Package to buy the Frank Welker VIP Package.

No where did it state that the VIP Package is only 1 per Primus Package.

So in theory, one could get a Primus Package, get 4 friends on the Minicon Package, and 5 Frank Welker VIP Packages. Which would mean that if you piggy-backed off a Primus, Welker's autograph would only cost you about $300.

That is, unless Pete says that the VIP Experience is limited to 1 per Primus until all 300 sell out.....

 

Oh absolutely. In fact if I ever go again it will be the cheapest way, General Admission as my back and knees are so injured that the last time I went and spent 4+ hours in line getting my admission stuff I was so messed up that I was in pain the rest of the weekend and wound up in bed for a few days after I got home. The next year I asked for a disability accommodation and was told I would have to buy a Golden Ticket to not have to be in line. That finished me with anything pre-reg at Botcon so yeah if I go it'll be on the cheap so I don't hurt myself again.

 

It's disgusting that they made you do that. I would actually see if you could file a complaint somewhere because conventions should be accommodating of disabled persons beyond telling them "fork over cash and we'll take care of you." That's a terrible stance to have.

 

I'm pretty sure you'd have a case against them because it sounds like they violated the Americans With Disabilities Act. They cannot force you to buy something extra to accommodate you if you are disabled.

 

Yeah. That's why I Was thinking. My mothers cousin is disabled due to having lost most of the use of one of his legs due to polio when he was younger and he went to a race at Daytona and they didn't accommodate him with any sort of real help and now there's a federal case pending against them because of that, and it was the state who has filed it on his behalf. So you should definitely be seeking some sort of legal action. Do you have the emails and whatnot yet? Because that would be key evidence.

 

It's sounding like he's not technically disabled though. FunPub may have been worried he was "faking it" or something. I'd like to think that surely if he had disability proof they'd have accommodated him. I dunno.

If he's not technically disabled, but has knee and back problems, god knows standing in line for conventions will surely kick him over the edge soon enough...although I'd heartily recommend sitting instead, like a lot of us do for those long lines.

 

You could bring a wheelchair. You could also just get your stuff Friday morning. Takes minutes instead of hours. You just run the risk of souvenirs selling out by doing that.

 

I hope someone here gets Wheelie (either the GDO or legends version) signed by Mr. Welker  

 

Well I could pull up the back of my shirt and show everyone the scar over my spine.

 

I think we were all fairly sympathetic to your story. No need for that.

 

Sorry, I was referring to xZAOx saying FP thinking I was "Faking it"

 

Totally would as wheelie is my fav character but I can't make it this year  

 

Calm down, friend! I'm just trying to see both sides of the situation.

I think the best advice was already given - don't stand in the Thursday line. Just show up Friday and walk right in. Hell, it's what I do, and I don't have any disabilities.

Edit: FWIW, I'm not saying FP shouldn't make concessions for you. I'm just saying it's an easier problem to avoid than to get FP to change their policies, most likely. Remember how much persuasion it took us to get them to drop the fax machine? Hah.

 

No I was not mad at you at all. If I am going to miss out on getting extras by doing that I am not going to give people that insulted me a cent more than I have to and I'll go Gen Admin like I said before.

 

I'm kind of curious what will be the final tally as far as Megatrons vs. Soundwaves vs. Everyone else that get signed.

 

You won't miss out on extras. It has been *several* years since stuff was sold out on Friday morning. They have mentioned they were cutting back on addon amounts this year though, after 2013 and 2014 where the only addon that sold out was the rainmakers on Saturday.

All that said - they limit (or are supposed to) the amount people can buy, so that there is no risk of it selling out until general admission on Saturday, where the limits are removed. You're totally fine to just wait until Friday morning (like me!) and get it then, if you do decide to do Primus again some time.

Watch them botch the numbers and make me a liar this year, hah.

 

Again though it comes down to me not wanting to give them any more than I have to, and the toys have been lacking in recent years in my eyes anyway.

 

Couldn't agree more there.