Interest in this meet-up has been more than I thought (which was, like, three), so that's good news. Keep on commenting and we'll see what happens!
To keep the ball rolling and perhaps create a little water hole of information, here are some basics to know about ACen, which seemed interesting in the forums.
On the weather...
Chicago can have four seasons all in one day, though May tends to be a very good month weather-wise.
Please proceed to knock on some wood.
As the con is in mid-May, expect warmer weather, probably in that zone between spring and summer temperatures. If anything's going to deter the outside conditions, it would be humidity and/or wind.
Suggested gear for the concerned: Windbreaker or a hoodie will work just fine.
On parking...
Lifted directly from the forums (but cleaned up for coherency):
It costs $30 to park at the Hyatt with "in and out privleges" (I'm assuming that means a sort of 'weekend pass' kinda deal). It costs $11 or $12 dollars per entrance for the convention center parking garage, which is across from the hotel and behind the convention center.
If you plan on leaving your parking spot several times, then it would probably be best to try and park at the Hyatt. If you don't plan on leaving, then try to go with the parking garage.
- Note - On gas prices: Yeah, Illinois is pretty crappy with gas prices, and the con is rather close to the infamous Memorial Day weekend. Expect $4/gallon (which brings me to tears whenever I think about it).
Update: The Hyatt parking garage only has 375 spaces, which will probably go fast. The con center, however, has 8,000 spots. However, it is technically the "Rosemont public parking garage" and, as such, is a much longer walk to the Hyatt.
On the skybridge...
A sort of underground but famous part of ACen is the skywalk, which is essentially a walkway between the Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Sofitel, the Hyatt, and the con center. A PDF of the layout can be seen here.
On exhibit hall hours...
For the dealer's room:
Friday: 10AM - 6PM
Saturday: 10AM - 6PM
Sunday: 10AM - 4PM
For artist's alley:
Friday: 10AM - 7PM
Saturday: 10AM - 7PM
Sunday: 10AM - 4PM
These still may be modified slightly, namely due to the fact that the dealer's room and artist's alley have been in the same room in the past.
On food...
The kicker, I know. Insider the dealer's room (at least last year) was a small food stand that sold things like hot dogs, pizza, soda, etc. But they were expensive. In the Hyatt lobby, there's a place called Sarah's Panty (which is where the unofficial official myOtaku meet-up was last year), which sells various drinks and snacks. Also over-priced ($3 for a soda, which brings back a very memorable experince...anyways...)
But let's face it, this is like a tourist trap, so you're going to have to shell out.
Suggestions:
If you're going to be there for one day, then eat a large breakfast, pack a snack, and buy a late lunch/early dinner.
If you have a hotel room, bring a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter or something. Many hotels have mini-fridges in the room, so you can even bring milk, etc., for cereal. Meal-replacing drinks are also good options, as they are nutritious and stuff. Buy dinner or something.
Though if you have the money, then go for it. There are several restaurants in the area (list here), and a good amount will deliver. You can always ask the Hyatt for information on places to eat.
Super special awesome and so-tentative-it-isn't-funny idea!
The friend I'm rooming with (who shall henceforth be called D, like L in Death Note) knows a handful of voice actors. I know, lucky soul. This idea came to me, and while it seems a bit improbable, it's worth a shot.
One of D's voice actor friends is Travis Willingham, best known as Roy Mustang in Fullmetal Alchemist. And guess what, he's attending the con. Do you see where I'm going with this?
I'll see what I can do, but until we know what his scheduling is, don't hold your breath.
