Free - Pain and Suffering

[kyburg]

I swear, trying to consider doing Comic-Con this year is making me put my head in my hands so my brains don't dribble out my ears.

Seriously.

Hotel rates for San Diego, year-round, are STOOPID. Okay. That's a known given at this point.

So I tried for the timeshare exchange. No spendable points until October. Okay. I did two trips on exchanges last year, this is fair. So, I go for the "getaway" option - where you pay a bit more, but you can actually buy the points you need.

Getaways can cost anywhere between $250 a week and $1,500 for the same week.

And no, there are no properties selling getaways of any kind in all of San Diego's district, which includes everything up to San Juan Capistrano.

I've already encountered mrotakki's experience with the housing office myself. Don't need to go into it. Wouldn't be pretty.

It's freaking not even March yet - and this convention is already looking hosed. I'm considering KOA or renting a RV at this rate. Or finding a month-to-month furnished apartment rental for July. That's how expensive this is looking.

*sighs*

All I want to do is go look for some independent comics I can stand - and have the same chance to meet some the artists I saw last year. And do a better job of it.

Step up and pay a lot for it, or forget it - gee, what a choice. This year, of all of them.

Comments

[tibicina.livejournal.com]

I don't know how many people you'd have in your group, or if you'd consider sharing hotel rooms. But... I've currently got two hotel rooms reserved about five miles from the convention center and one mile from a trolley station (though not at one of the official Comic Con hotels). We can put up to four people in each room, and we've only currently got 3 'we are absolutely coming' people (which means we could have up to 5 more. We did it this way because we have about 3 maybe people). Sooo, it would still be kinda expensive, but splitting the room costs does make it less so. But yeah, after taxes and everything, it does end up being about $180/night per hotel room... though if you divide that by four people, that's $45/night.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

I've got a long tradition of keeping my hotel space as "quiet space" during conventions...which normally means just me and Jim in them. If people need quiet space during a convention, it usually means they'll be quiet too -

Thanks - we'll see how things come together closer and closer. It's not that space isn't available - it's just the premium it's coming at. Oy.

Weeeelll...

[cecerose.livejournal.com]

If you're just looking for a place to crash for a night or two, I live in Oceanside. I've got a futon couch in the living room.

Re: Weeeelll...

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

We need a coffee date before then - don't tempt me. That's how bad it's looking.

Re: Weeeelll...

[cecerose.livejournal.com]

OK. Just name the date and time. I'm usually here most weekends...

This is a serious offer -- I know we've never met but I sense you're good peeps...

I may not be much of a traveler, but I always enjoy having guests....

[nagasvoice.livejournal.com]

I'm getting Comicon related fliers talking about APE (alternative PRess Expo) up in SF Concourse At Exhibition Square, if you're interested in independent comix. Haven't been to it myself, dunno how it is.
They say check the Comicon website for more info.
That's www.comic-con.org.

Also, re: SD hotels, riding the trolley is right near the convention center, and might put much more reasonable hotels within your reach.
We frequently use Orbitz and similar to get lower rates, just was down there and that shaved off about $30/night.

[mrotakki.livejournal.com]

The trolley is possibly one of the most overrated ideas for the con. Ever.

We used it one year and on the con days proper, it costs money to ride, but at some reduced rate or something. It travels "every thirty minutes" which is a utter lie, and often times, the trolleys just stop running around 9, even though they supposedly continue to ten or eleven.

NEVER AGAIN.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

We saw them - not regularly and not with many people on them (which in an event as dense as ComicCon? Not a good sign).

And heard a lot of complaints from folks not old enough to drive who were using them. We took cabs in and out. Best decision we could have made.

[digitaldraco.livejournal.com]

If you do hit the big CC, make sure you look up latentblue. :)

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

I certainly could -

[moropus.livejournal.com]

Have you considered camping? It is cheap. I promise you know somebody with a tent and a set of gear.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

Considering it. Have the tent and gear. Oh yes. Considering it.

[rosminah.livejournal.com]

I know people who volunteer for the event. Hotel accommodation is paid for, and it's right nearby.

[kyburg.livejournal.com]

*thinks* I think staff and anyone invited is covered. I think part of the issue is that it IS so large, and all of the dealers and so forth have needed that housing block (and gotten their rooms already).

I'm just nobody and cheap on top of it. *laughs*

[rosminah.livejournal.com]

My brother is a volunteer, his accommodation is covered. :)

[djstatick.livejournal.com]

check craigslist