JoeCon 2018
The main reason for our trip to Chattanooga was to attend JoeCon. Brad has always wanted to go, and this year was the last year for it. Since it was so close to home, we decided this was the year to attend. I have broken down each day from my general perspective below, but Brad has more detail and knowledge on his blog which is included under each day.
Day One - Thursday
We arrived on Thursday which was sort of the second day of the convention. The first day was on Wednesday. There was a customizing class, tours, and golden ticket pick ups. On Thursday, they had another customizing class, tour, and golden ticket packages could still be picked up. But we were also able to pick up our packages since we registered in advance. Registered guests could start pick up at 6 pm. However, your ticket number from when you registered determined what hour you could actually pick up your package. We were unaware of that, but it worked in our favor.
We arrived around 6:45 pm and found a LONG line. There were actually two lines at this point. One line was to enter the private club store, and the other line was for package pick up. You had to pick up your package before you could attend the store though. Our time for package pick up was at 7, so we got in the back of that line and began waiting. I did let Melody run around a bit while Brad searched for the end of the line!
We ended up waiting in line for almost two hours just to pick up our package.
Luckily Melody had her tablet and snacks to keep her entertained. She was a trooper and waited in line the entire time with us!
After we finished with our pick up, we headed to the other line to enter the club store. We waited about an hour to get in, but Brad was able to get everything he wanted. He bought 3 figures, then he received a box set plus a free gift of weapons for the figures from his registration packet.
Below are some of the items that were available.
Day 2 - Friday
Friday was our big day at the convention. First off, we all wore matching shirts Brad had me design with my Silhouette Cameo.
Melody came prepared to the Con with her baby doll and water cup, of course!
We started the morning off in a panel which Melody did really great in thanks to our tablet.
Since we just made her sit for an hour, we let her run around a bit to burn a little energy.
Then we went to the parachute drop. We had heard great things about this from years' past, and Brad thought it would be a fun treat for Melody. Well this year was far from pleasant. The parachute drop is supposed to be for the kids, but adults were running over the kids to get the figures that were being dropped from the parking garage. Brad pulled Melody out to prevent her from getting hurt as did a lot of parents. It was really insane to be honest.
After the parachute drop, we let Melody run some more while we sat and surfed the internet on our phones.
Then we attended one more panel before heading to get lunch at City Cafe Diner.
After lunch we came back to visit the vendor halls. It was SUPER crowded, but today was exclusive to registered guests. You could not buy a day pass to the convention this day, so everyone wanted to get first grab at the vendors. We walked around for a bit and Brad bought a few figures.
Meanwhile Melody fell asleep on our way into the vendor hall, but that did not last. And because she did not get her nap out, she became a terror to handle. So back to the hotel we went!
Also, at some point we snapped this picture throughout the day. There was a few backgrounds set up for pictures.
Day 3 - Saturday
On Saturday, we didn't arrive to the convention until lunch time. There wasn't much we were interested in that morning, and we took Melody to the Creative Discovery Museum instead. We decided to eat lunch at the convention to save some time. They had a little corner set up selling various food options throughout all days at the convention. I had a wrap with fries while Brad had a burger and fries.
After lunch, Brad went and grabbed a spot in the panel while I let Melody finish her lunch. Then the two of us entered.
We continued sitting in our same seats for the very next panel. Unlike some conventions, they did not make the room clear out before letting people enter for the following panel. We liked having our seat near the doors so we could sneak out if Melody started acting up. It was adorable because whenever the crowd would clap during the panels, Melody would start clapping as well. Too cute.
We attempted to leave, but it started to storm. We didn't want to deal with waiting in the rain for the bus, and it looked like it would pass soon. So we went to view some of the exhibits. They were actually really neat to see. The amount of detail that went in to most of those pieces was incredible.
We then visited the vendor hall again. It was far less crowded, so we were able to let Melody walk some when she wanted to.
Day 4
The last day of the convention was Sunday. We didn't really have much to do this day, but we made the best of it. We checked out of our hotel and headed straight to the convention center. We decided to drive instead of taking the bus just to save some time. We did have to pay for parking, but it was worth the time saved.
We went to the vendors first. Brad bought Melody her first set of GI Joes. She loved them and still is obsessed with them today!
We then went and grabbed lunch at the convention setup again. I took a few pictures of their offerings.
We ate lunch outside of the panel room. Melody actually made a new friend while we waited, and we spoke with them for a bit. Then we went to the only and last panel of the convention. It was ok. It was really meant for people who had attended over the years.
Overall the convention was a lot of fun. It was Melody's first multi-day convention, and she did amazing! It really is too bad it was the last year for the convention!
