MY THOUGHTS ON MEGACON 2023

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I want to begin with how completely honored I am that headphonesthoughts invited me to attend and also be a part of the press this year at MegaCon 2023. I have been to MegaCon’s in the past however this was different for me as I now attended all 4 days and not only one day “usually Saturday,” which is the busiest day. There were many things to see and experience so it’s important to plan ahead to ensure you try your best to get the most out of this conference. Part of the planning suggestions should include be prepared for early arrival, dealing with crowds, food, parking, what panels you would like to attend and if there are items you may be interested in looking for on the showroom floor. Let’s take a moment to discuss, “My Thoughts on MegaCon 2023.”

Although I may not include all my moments, I want to make sure I mention some of my good and disappointing moments. You see, I believe like anything that may have growth, there are important things to learn and pay attention to in order to only do even better in the future. Obviously, it is hard to determine how much planning and MeganCon crew members are needed for such an event, however without proper planning you will have some hiccups and some letdowns.

THINGS I APPRECIATED:

Let me begin with some of the things I sincerely appreciated. These included: allowing the press to come in early before the Con officially opened daily. This meant entering the showroom floor earlier and enjoying all the exhibits and vendors.  Also, I want to make sure to mention that noticed all the crew members trying their best to help and keep order with lines for panels and crowd control. There was this one crew member, “Travis,” I continued to see at every panel for the 4 days. He was an ‘MVP” in it all, especially during the most hectic moments.

THINGS THAT DISAPPOINTMENTED:

Some disappointing moments included the increased pricing of parking per day which was $31 and was way too high. However, this detail was not included anywhere prior to arrival. So, you would not know how much you would pay for parking until you pulled up. Now if you were in a car line you just paid it, however there were other options that were later told as you entered MegaCon. In order to save, extra planning had to be made for the next few days, which included now parking further on an offsite available and either taking a long walk or taking a shuttle provided by MegaCon.

On Friday (Day 2) of MegaCon, parking offsite was fine, however there were no shuttles, and finding where they were was not clear. There was no signage and no one you could chat with. So walking over 2 miles to get to MegaCon was what I decided to do. However, in the last 2 days (Day 3 and Day 4) now there were signs and shuttles more accessible. It seemed to me that there was not enough planning regarding this detail for sure. But I was glad to see it getting better over the weekend which is usually the busiest days at MegaCon.

I have to admit Saturday seemed to be the busiest day and I knew it would be as I have attended only on this day of the week in the past. However, once again it felt as though there was not enough staff and so many did not have answers and/or were unsure. The crowds felt dangerously like too much at times and I honestly also wished there were more visible police and security everywhere personally. But as mentioned earlier, crew member “Travis” was excellent at maintaining clarity regarding panel lines and keeping crowds moving.

It was a little scary at one of the times of waiting on one of lines for the next panel because we heard the announcer telling the inside crowd to use the side doors where we and lots and lots of other people were waiting outside of them. If those people came out those doors we and others could have definitely been hurt and possibly stampeded on (I am not exaggerating. This felt like a serious fire hazard). We did not understand why the announcer would have told them to exit using those doors because we even saw on the door a sign that said, “NO EXIT, DO NOT USE THESE DOORS.” So some on the line with me decided to hold the door close so those inside would understand the door was not meant to be used and thankfully no one was hurt. It was just surprisingly interesting that common sense did seem very common at certain points at the conference. Those working at MegaCon need to have proper instructions and helpful answers. It is my hope that they work out the mistakes and be prepared for bigger crowds because I can see MegaCon only growing more honestly. Safety needs to become a priority as much as mindfulness about not raising prices. They also need to make sure they prepare more transportation options, shuttles, and parking.

SHOWROOM EXPERIENCE:

Many enjoy the showroom at MegaCon because there you can find exclusive items. Those who really love comics, gaming, art and so much more will find things in the showroom that you may not easily find somewhere else. For this reason, many want to experience the showroom during MegaCon. I especially enjoyed the Star Wars experience, some art, comics, and cosplay. Some dress up so much like the characters from various movies, shows, and even games, which makes it fun to see. I really like leggings and was happy to meet “The Legging Lass” I also really love unique socks and found bright yellow Charlie Brown socks at “Oz Wars Toys and Promotions.“

Her Universe has really lovely items to choose from too. There were many exhibits with Funko Pops, art, and very exclusive items. These rare finds make you feel as though you are on a scavenger hunt and when you find the treasure it is very rewarding.

PANELS I ATTENDED

Obviously, I could not attend everything I may have wanted but I did enjoy the panels I did get to attend. These included:

Thursday:

Friday:

Saturday:

Sunday:

Every day that I attended included panels which I really enjoyed. Hearing the voice actors Ashley Eckstein (animation voice actor for Ahsoka Tona), Tara Strong who was in various animations (i.e. Raven from Teen Titans, My Little Pony and Harley Quinn and more) made my experience at MegaCon lots of fun.

Mario Party voice actors: Kenny James, Samantha Kelly and Charles Martinet brought the audience so much joy and laughter. You were able to put a face to the voices you hear. Also, Shameik Moore from “Into the Spiderverse” inspired you as you recall the animations enjoyed in this movie. So much fun.

Voice actors George Newbern and Susan Eisenberg did a great job sharing their experiences with playing Superman and Wonder Woman in Justice League and Justice League Unlimited animated series.

Getting to not only see but hear from the actors like Katee Sackoff and Mercedes Varnado, and Carl Weathers from Star Wars/Mandalorian were also so much fun. Mercedes had her cute corgi with her along with her WWE belt. It was fun to hear them share their acting experiences and some of Mercedes’s times of wrestling and how they were chosen for their parts. Carl also shared some of his experiences with “Rocky” and the original “Predator” movies. Lots of great inspiration from these actors.

Rosario Dawson inspired us as she shared how she originally went into acting and now is a part of StarWars/Mandalorian too. I especially loved when she expressed, “Own your yes.” Stop giving in to ‘imposter syndrome.” You were invited to be a part of this so accept it. Great words of encouragement.

I am an original Karate Kid fan like many and to get to see and hear from the actors in Cobra Kai was rather exciting. Ralph Macchio, William Zabka, Xolo Mariduena, and Martin Kove shared there current experiences with Cobra Kai and it was lots of fun to hear.

Brec Bassinger shared some of her experiences and how she even got the part on StarGirl series and I have to say I really enjoyed her interview. I also appreciated hearing some updates at DC panel. Shazam actor Zachary Levi shared some of his experiences in acting too. It was great to hear and see James McAvoy who plays “The Professor” in X-men. He shared some of his acting experiences and it was wonderful to hear him include his early acting experience from “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.”

I have to be honest another of my favorites was getting to see and hear from the “Born Again” series actors Charlie Cox and Vincent D’Onofrio. Both were very down to earth and seemed to really appreciate the fandom without arrogance. Looking forward to their future projects.

These are the panels and actors I enjoyed getting to hear and see during this year’s MegaCon 2023. Hearing the actors express to remember this like story telling so you must play the role well. I have to admit I really loved how each of them express the importance of not quitting and not comparing oneself to others. It was great to hear that although they each have had to deal with many rejections, it only takes that one role to make it big, so be determined to push through the hard times and be prepared for the “Yesses.”

Again, I want to express how much I enjoyed MegaCon 2023 and look forward to upcoming various comic-cons I will try to attend in the future too. It was an honor to be gifted with the press pass this year and experience all 4 days. Thank you so much for reading my thoughts and experiences. There is much more I could include but for now I ask that you make sure you go to my social media pages where I shared some of my experiences too.

Fun Moments shared on YouTube Instagram

Let me know your thoughts. Have you visited any Comic Cons too? What are your favorite things to experience? Thank you for taking moments with me and sharing your thoughts.

You may want to also read: “WonderCon and MegaCon” “Star Wars Fandom” “My Thoughts on Spiderman No Way Home” “My Thoughts on Black Widow“

Check out No Load Time for full MegaCon panels listed.

Disclaimer: ExamineThisMoment owner – Pastor Natalie Young – was in attendance with Headphonesthoughts who was invited by FAN EXPO HQ this year 2023 as an approved member of the press. Headphonesthoughts was gifted with two Press passes to all four days and will promote MEGACON 2023