The days of a simple convention for comic book fans are long gone. With the increased popularity of comics, science fiction, gaming and the like, the comic con has become a huge spectacle across the country. Allow me to share a story of once comic con experience and let you know why we should have chartered a bus.
If you have ever attended a Con you know that they tend to be quite crowded with all sorts of people. People enjoy dressing up in imaginative costumes based on their favorite characters, books, movies, etc. This is known in the industry as Cosplay and the costumes can get very elaborate.
It was not all that long ago when my friends and I decided we wanted to attend a Con that was about a four hour drive from us. Since none of us owned a vehicle large enough for everyone we looked at two options; charter a bus or rent a large van. I can tell you now we made the wrong choice with the van. If only we had spent a few dollars more we’d have had a much better experience.
First of all the gas was expensive and the fuel economy was awful in that van. A charter bus would have alleviated our need to fork out all that cash each time we had to stop for fuel. Although the charter would have needed to stop as well, it most certainly would have done so while we were inside and enjoying the festivities.
But that really was not even the main concern. When we arrived the line to get into any of the nearby parking lots was longer than the lines inside to see an actor that once played a villain on an old Star Trek episode. We arrived in what we thought was plenty of time to park, get our costumes together and start enjoying ourselves. Instead we spent almost 90 minutes trying to park this huge van. Nearby we could see busses pulling up to the entrance to the convention center and dropping off their guests while we sat idle. It was frustrating to be sure, but at the end of the night the frustration was at its peak when we tried to leave and go to our hotel. Had we just chartered a bus like some of those other groups we’d have been well rested for the second day of the Con.
However parking was not the only reason the bus would have been better. Inside the bus there was room to move around thus giving riders plenty of room and time to get their costumes and make up done. Instead, we had to wait in line to get into the restrooms to take care of that. So before we could ever get started in enjoying the show and meeting the stars we had to impatiently wait for our turn in the bathroom.
A typical Comic Con can cost a lot of money to attend especially if you are the type to gather autographs and memorabilia. And just where is everyone going to find a place for all of that in the van? Unfortunately Dalek and R2D2 replicas takes up substantially more space than you’d think.
The charter bus experience is perfect for your group to attend a Comic Con. You’ll have plenty of room to walk around and get ready, you’ll get dropped off right at the front door and there will be plenty of room for a few extra friends on the way home. Add in the fact that if you have chartered a bus you can partake in a few adult beverages while enjoying the con and you have a win-win situation. So the next time you and your friends decide to travel across the state to see 100 people dressed like Doctor Who; take the bus. You’ll be very happy you did.