World of Warcraft®

Blizzcon 2016 has been announced ladies and gents!

The gist of the information is as follows:

Dates: November 4 and 5th
Location: Anaheim, CA at the Anaheim Convention Center

Tickets Go On Sale through UNIVERSE this year, NOT EventBrite (THANK YOU BLIZZARD)..
Make sure you have an account with Universe before tickets go on sale to streamline the process.

1st Batch: April 20, 2016 at 7PM Pacific
2nd Batch: April 23, 2016 at 10AM Pacific

Price: $199 USD + Taxes, limited 4 per household

Tickets include:
One Blizzcon Badge that lets you in.
Blizzcon Goody Bag
In Game Goodies
Virtual Ticket

What should I know about Blizzcon first and foremost? Any hints and tips for me?


So, talking from a point of view as a Blizzcon attendee since 08, there are a few things you should do and know.

Come in early. Do NOT come in on Friday, DO NOT Come in on Thursday, unless you absolutely can't come in any other day. Wednesday is one of the best days I had last year and was VERY fun.
You absolutely NEED To see the opening ceremony on Friday morning. It's the absolute best and shouldn't be missed.

DO NOT LEAVE ON SUNDAY. LEAVE MONDAY OR TUESDAY. Saturday night is a HUGE party night. Want to meet Metzen face to face? Done.. Want to meet Samwise face to face? DONE. You can basically find and mingle with any major Blizzard employee or Blizzard competitor (met the entire C9 HOTS team last year) or Twitch streamer on Saturday night in the Hilton Lobby. Wouldn't it suck if you had to leave the party at 10PM just to catch your 6AM flight the next day? Yes, yes it does.

Do not stay 2 miles away just for a nice price. Do not stay 2 blocks away. It's not worth it. Stay in one of the hotels that's less than a mile away and you'll be fine.

I will be editing this post with more information regarding hotels, food, a list of con goers, etc. I will be attending from the 1st-7th and hope to see CC people there. :-)

Cenarion Circle/Sisters of Elune Attendees:

Araceli/Micah/Armaya - <Salvation> / <Modas il Toralar>
Mingonashoba - <Ishnu Por Ah>
Genevra / Trenetir - <Conclave> / <Modas il Toralar>
Higgenbothum - <Conclave>
Bohemian - <?????>
Draggonoth - <Dragon Stalkers>
Vaporeon - <Dragon Stalkers>

Travel

Where should I buy a plane ticket from?

You can buy a ticket direct from whatever company you desire, Delta, American Airlines, JetBlue, United, and Southwest are going to be your top ones to look into.. You can also get a ticket from the companies below:

Expedia.com
Orbitz.com
Hotwire.com

There are more, if you google "Purchase plane tickets", you can find your own site, I'm sure.

When should I buy the plane ticket?

Right now (4/6/16), for me it's about $450 average from VA to SNA and $400 from VA to LAX.

Personally, I'll be holding off on the ticket til around August/September. Most of the studies/research I read stated about 7-8 weeks out from the date you're flying is the best time. So hold off there quick fingers, unless it's a major deal, then go for it!

What are the airports in the area?

John Wayne Airport - Orange County, CA - SNA
Los Angeles Airport - Los Angeles, CA - LAX

It'll take about an hour+ to get from LAX to Anaheim, if you're lucky in terms of traffic.
It'll take about 30 minutes+ to get from SNA to Anaheim, if you're lucky in terms of traffic.
SNA is MUCH SMALLER And far easier to manage then LAX.

What about other methods of travel?

• Greyhound - Directly into Anaheim, bus station is located at 2626 E Katella Ave.
• Amtrak - Directly into Anaheim, again located at 2626 E Katella Ave.
• Drive
• Mage Portal - Don't we all just wish?

How do I get from the airport/bus station to my hotel?

• Taxi - Expensive!
• Uber/Lyft - If you don't have these things where you come from, research them! They are amazing. I think we spent $25 for three of us to get from the Marriott to SNA last year, so that was less than $10 a person. I used Uber to go everywhere last year, I really enjoyed it. For $12 4 of us went from Marriott to Disney, and for $20 4 of us went from Hilton to the Pirates dinner.
• Shuttle Program - SuperShuttle (about $20 and I'll never use it again, was stuck in a SS for 2 hours (NOT IN TRAFFIC), just picking up people from all their hotels. It was terrible. I'd save the time (and money), to take an Uber.
• Hotel Shuttle - Some hotels offer a pickup/drop off, you need to call the hotel and see if they offer it.
• Public Transportation - Check out the area to see if there's any metro buses that can take you to and from the areas.

Hotels

Where should I book my hotel at?

https://aws.passkey.com/event/14866323/owner/3369/home - Through Blizzcon Website
Expedia.Com
Travelocity.Com
Hotels.Com
Kayak.com
Orbitz.com
Priceline.com
Directly Through Hotel Website (See Hotel Listings below)
Basically Google "I need a hotel" And you'll find a website that can help you book. Be sure it's an official website, and I recommend sticking to the ones I listed above.

The Hilton Anaheim - 777 Convention Way

The Anaheim Marriott - 700 Convention Way

If you really want in on the action, these two hotels are going to be where you want to stay. Right beside the Convention Center.

However, as of right now, as of 4/6/16 at 3:12PM EST, the Hilton is selling rooms starting at $469 a night. on Expedia, and $499 on their official website.

The Marriott has yet to open up availability. I got off the phone with a direct representative from the hotel earlier after BC was announced and she stated that they have not opened up ANY reservations for that hotel for those dates yet. She stated they are in works with a contract with the Housing Bureau to get them listed there for Blizzcon dates. So keep an eye out.

Anabella Hotel - W Katella Ave - .38 miles from Con Center

A nice and usually quiet hotel, just around the corner. Most people remember this from when WoWhead used to have their big parties at the pool area here. Rooms are averaging from $200-$300.

My tip: book directly. I did and got a deal about $250 cheaper then Expedia. You do have to put in a deposit for this place, wherever you book, but you can cancel up to 3 days before and you get your deposit back.

Desert Palms Hotels & Suites - W Katella Ave - .33 Miles from Con Center

I heard fantastic things about this place last year. This place is right around the corner as well and I heard the rooms are splendid, clean and that the staff are amazing.

Cortona Inn & Suites Anaheim Resort - S. Harbor Blvd - .27 miles from Con Center

A lovely hotel that I don't hear much about but I pass it all the time. It's away from the street and looks reallly nice, plus they have a family suite with 4 queen beds, so if you have a guildie group, you may wanna look into this place!

Others include:

Hyatt Place at Anaheim Resort/Con Center - .28 Miles

Homewood Suites by Hilton Anaheim Resort - .28 Miles - Brand New Hotel, With VERY NICE Suites and Studios!

Sheraton Park Hotel at the Anaheim Resort - .29 Miles

Red Lion Hotel Anaheim REsort - .29 Miles [Heard they got redone a year ago and are much better then they used to be.]

Courtyard by Marriott Anaheim Resort - .29 Miles

Double Tree Suites by Hilton Anaheim - .33 miles

Food


Not in Downtown Disney

Hilton Food Court [Sbarro, Baja Fresh Express, Just Grillin' and Submarina, Starbucks] - $
Marriott Food [Pizza Hut Express, Starbucks] - $
Carl's Jr - 2119 S Harbor Blvd - $
Taco Bell - 2144 S Harbor Blvd - $
Jack int he Box - 2210 S Harbor Blvd - $
Food Trucks - Always food trucks located usually Fri and Saturday in the area between the Marriott and the Hilton.. Expect to wait at least 30 minutes during prime time and dinner to even order. Great food though, will update more when the food trucks are announced. - $$
Denny's - 1610 S Harbor Blvd - $$
IHop - 1560 S Harbor Blvd - $$
California Pizza Kitchen - 321 W Katella Ave #104 - $$
Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles - 2110 S Harbor Blvd - $$
Bubba Gump Shrimp Company - 321 W Katella Ave - $$/$$$
Fire & Ice Grill & Bar - 321 W Katella Ave #215 - $$/$$$
P.F. Chang's - 321 W Katella Ave - $$$
The Cheesecake Factory - 321 W Katella Ave - $$$
Morton's The Steakhouse - 1895 S Harbor Blvd - $$$$$
Ruth's Chris Steak House - 2041 S Harbor Blvd - $$$$$
PLUS 500 MORE. Okay not that much, but there's A LOT of food choices in the area, and a quick uber/lyft drive away there's even more. Do your own googling/yelping... ;-)

In Downtown Disney

Earl of Sandwich
Catal Restaraunt
Taqueria at Tortilla Jo's / Tortilla Jo's
Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen
ESPN Zone
House of Blues
Rainforest Cafe
Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria

Parties/Shindigs

Coming Soon.

So I wanna go to Blizzcon but need help finding tickets and roomies. Where can I go?

On Facebook there are a few groups for looking for tickets and roomies. The ones I list are respectable (for the most part):

https://www.facebook.com/groups/BlizzNerds/ - Blizznerds
https://www.facebook.com/groups/BlizzardStuff/ - BlizzStuff
https://www.facebook.com/groups/BlizzCon2016LFG/ - Blizzcon 2016 LFG hosted by BlizzStuff
https://www.facebook.com/groups/battletoblizzcon/ - The Battle to Blizzcon

Then I know of only one website dedicated to tickets/roomies/rides:

LFBlizzcon.com - It's ran by Elvine who's a popular twitch streamer.

What is there to do at Blizzcon, besides Blizzcon?

Disneyland - This might come as a shock but Disney is right around the corner, as is Disney California Adventure. Last year Blizz released special ticket prices, so hold off just yet if you're looking to buy some. There's also a Disney desk at the Hilton where you can sometimes get special prices.

Knott's Berry Farm - Although you'll need to taxi/uber/lyft here, it's another theme park that has a lovely Halloween thing that might be still going on during Blizzcon. They'll be open on average from 10-6 most of the BC Days, but check out their calendar just in case.

Medieval Times Dinner and Pirates Dinner Adventure - Both are dinner adventures, where you eat and see a show. Pirates usually has their Halloween themed "Vampirates" show which IMO, is MUCH better then their normal show (which I saw last year). You will need to lyft/uber/taxi there.

Universal Studios and Hogwarts - Another thing you'll have to taxi/uber/lyft to, but we've all been waiting for Hogwarts for years now so you can strap me to the top of a car and I'll get there. It opens on April 7th, so it's brand new.. Expect a lot of Blizzconers to head to this place this year, so you may even be able to carpool!

Los Angeles Tourism - There is lots to do in LA for tourism. I suggest doing a bit of research on your own, but there's some nice day long tour that'll pick you up and drop you off depending on what hotel you stay at. Google and research 'em.

So I'm At Blizzcon, What Do I Do Now?

ENJOY!

First and foremost. If you're running alone, or if you're with people, just remember everyone is there for Blizzard games, just like you. Someone wearing a shirt reping their Horde pride? Scream out that FOR THE HORDE, I'm sure you'll get a huge smile and people may join in with you! Someone wearing a priest shirt? Start chatting with them about the class. Maybe someone's intently watching the Starcraft games on the TV of the line you're in, start chatting with them about it, who do they want to win?
It's not hard, remember, we are all fans, and BlizzCon is like no con I've ever been to.

Personal Hygeine

I really shouldn't have to say this.. but remember, people are people and we can smell you. Make sure you shower/bathe, deodorant, change clothes out of the ones you vomited in the night before.. Just be clean. Make sure to bring some general medicine with you, tylenol, advil, aleve, allergy meds, etc etc. If you need them and don't have them, there's multiple drug stores/gas stations you can walk to and easily get them if you do need them. In fact, if you know me, just send me a text. I bring all the essentials.

Pick Up Your Tickets

You pick up your tickets from 9AM to 9PM on Thursday November 3rd. If you need to, you can pick them up on Friday and Saturday as well from 8AM to 10PM. [code][/code]

I've got a suite at Desert Palms reserved, now just have to sit tight for ticket sales. As a note for the three closest hotels, the Anaheim Marriott looks to be sold out, Hilton Anaheim wants nearly $500 a night for their cheapest rooms, and Sheraton Anaheim "At The Park" wants $350 a night (both after taxes/fees).

The Marriott hasn't opened up yet for booking. I spoke with a rep earlier that said she could see all the rooms available but wasn't allowed to book yet because they are currently in works with the bureau to block out some specifically for BC prices.

As for hotels, I have one double Queen booked at the Anabella for $199 a night, and a double Queen studio at the Homewood Suites for $250 a night.

Add Higgenbothum and myself. We are going to try both days for tickets. Not sure which hotel yet, have a couple reservations but they could change based on some other shenanigans planned.

I'm going to try for a ticket this year, and hope they don't sell out before I get to the little "confirm booking" button. I will have a Friday class in the fall, so I'll be driving up after my class ends at noon. I don't mind missing the opening ceremony since it means I'll miss the biggest part of the crowds. Won't hit as much traffic as last year, too. :) Parties and all that aren't a concern of mine either, being under the drinking age and all. I just plan on wandering around, having fun!
And we need to have Rainforest Cafe shenanigans again!

Edit: Also, if any of you want to go to Universal Studios for Harry Potter stuff like on Thursday before the con, hit me up and we'll drive up there! Shouldn't be crowded since it's a random week in November.

Lithhhh! RAINFOREST FOR SURE. I want that drink again... xD Or several.

I know Genevra and I are planning on a Universal Studios thing but we aren't sure what day.

I didn't manage to get a ticket this time! I'll try again on Saturday, and if not, I'll be checking LFBlizzcon.

Good luck those who didn't get tickets. Got mine!! Also: What happened to the BlizzCon forums??? :((

I got tickets!

Queued up 3 seconds after 7pm, didn't get a thing. Going to try again Saturday, then debate if I reaaaally want to spend $750 for the charity dinner + ticket.

Be sure to try the Thunderbrew.

What do you plan on doing with the scalpers that got most of the tickets this year?

Looks like eBay is selling blizzard tickets now.

Draggonoth and Vaporeon will be there again this year! Alliance side on CC, The Dragon Stalkers.

Still no tickets for me. :( I refuse to buy from a scalper on eBay, and none of you should, either. Wait for tickets to show up in LFBlizzcon within the next few weeks/months and buy from there for the same price you would've gotten them today. My brother and I are now looking for a pair of tickets.