DLCon 7: Recap

[Niji]

So like, 3 people at the con have posted multiple replies now without yet posting their con recap XD! NYUUUU

[Ranmilia]

XD! NYUUUU

Attempting to reconcile with in person impression...
Error 0x000006E

(I'm Alex, by the way.  Hi!  We totally had a conversation!  I forget what it was about!)

Con recap, scattered thoughts, Part 1:

Flights to Indiana were ultimately fine, but stressful since both planes were heavily overbooked (~10 passengers on one, ~6 on the other) and heavily played the Are Your Travel Plans Screwed lottery when insufficient volunteers to have their travel plans screwed could be found.  It was very interesting to leave one plane full of rainbow-ethnic Texan travelers, mostly in cowboy attire or IT industry shirts, and board a second that was chock full of homogenous and unmistakable ruddy-faced Hoosiers.

Never got Brian's cell number before leaving, figured it would be okay - I've got Laggy's, and it's a small airport, what could go wrong?  Answer: Brian and Laggy somehow missed me in the weird plaza thing.  I waited around at baggage claim, call Laggy after a while, no answer.  Checked flight schedules, saw a flight that looked about right for Laggy having been delayed 2.5 hours.  Waited longer.  Called Soppy, he doesn't have Brian's number either, Laggy still isn't picking up.  Small panic.  But then!  Phone rings, it's Laggy.  They were there all along, Laggy had gotten a new phone and not told me.  Thus did we depart and enter the Indiana Death Corkscrew. 

Immediately we went the wrong way on the highway, tried and failed to turn around, and Brian and Laggy discussed Brian's history of driving mishaps in exhaustive detail, which filled me with faith and hope for our mutual future in Kentucky.  We heard the call, and the call would not be denied.  But that would come later.  For now, there was Indiana, with its strange restaurants, chicken wings, and healthcare facilities.  So much healthcare.  Apparently that is the state's singular non-corn-growing industry!

Brian's place was amazing.  KyonBrian and HaruhiAshley are amazing hosts and amazing people and I cannot say enough good things about the time spent there or thank them enough for their awesomeness.  Wallihan, he of the myths and fables, was there too, and not only lived up to but far exceeded his rumored qualities of wit and bro-ness.  We played games, went shopping, ate food, experimented with Noir, and stayed up so late that Laggy and I found ourselves just staying up for the beginning of the Car Journey.

The journey to Florida went smoothly.  We had books, Yomi, an electrical converter to run laptops...  On a whim, shortly before departing, I convinced Laggy to download Katawa Shoujo, a visual novel long on notoriety and varying shades of absurdity, but short on redeeming literary value.  This title, hereafter referred to as Cripple Porn, was read in the car.  Out loud.  With silly voices.  Entertainment value: totally worth it.

[Niji]

I do think i remember you now, shaved head with glasses? I do not recall our conversation either! But i never got your name i think! OR we didnt shake hands after introductions(the only way i can successfully record a name into my memory....usually xD)

[Idun]

He's Mr. Lemonade.

[Meeplelard]

so I might as well say something of actual substance here!

So I'll just reflect on the Universal Studios Trip.  Technically pre-con, but over half the attendees were there, so screw it!


Anyway, started off by standing online, twiddling thumbs, probably making fun of a few people (myself included), because we got there before Park Opens!  Except people have early admissions if they sleep at the on-site hotels, and thus mock us as we stand there.

First ride was Dueling Dragons Dragon Challenge.  Fun as I remember it, I seem to recall most people went on it at least once, with about half of us going on the 2nd time?  Its a pity what they did to the walk to the ride (removing the voice over and what not), and had to change the ride so the 2 did NOT go at the same time (which was one of the neater gimmicks), but alas.

Ok, I'll stop play by play and just do highlights from here:

-River Adventure in Jurrasic Park was fun.  Djinn tried to pet the Stegosaurus (though he claims he was trying to eat it...he has a weird way of approaching things), despite it being a robot, and got hurt by Velociraptors that weren't even there.  Poor saps who didn't go on this ride the first time thought they'd have a chance later BUT WHOSE LAUGHING NOW! (...no one, because most would have gone on it then if they really wanted.)

-Idun wants me dead after Dudley Do-right (SP?) Ripsaw Falls.  Part of this is because, you know, being me, at the end where people can pay money to shoot the on-coming boats, guess who the entire DL decided to shoot at .  Kappa was also in our vehicle, but Kappas are naturally attune to water, right?  Someone claimed they learned something about Canada there, can't remember who it was <_<

-Hulk, Spider-man AND Harry Potter at 70 minute waits?  Sounds like a perfect time to jump over to the other park!  Huzzah for multi-park passes!

-Simpsons was awesome.  Pity about lack of Kwiki Mart when were there...

-I got #2 overall in Men in Black at 200k+!  Soppy sort of kicked everyone's asses horribly, getting well over triple my score, kind of what happens when you know the mechanics of the game <_<

-Djinn AND Scar picked for Disaster as "Evil Villain" roles?  There's definitely something very meta about that...no, I refuse to explain what that is.  Also, Disaster is a notable improvement over the original Earthquake if only because the stuff beforehand is more "Hey, lets have fun!" rather than purely "Hey, THIS IS HOW WE MAKE EARTHQUAKE MOVIES!"

-2 hours~ of waiting in the rain!  Some of us went to see Shrek 4D, I didn't (Saw it already), instead sat in Restaurant while Djinn hit on 3 Japanese girls...all while half of us were on the other side of the Cafe without us knowing.  This makes sense if you were actually in said Cafe.

-Speaking of Djinn, he likes having Spider-man on his crotch, and playing with his balls.  True story.

-Ripride Rocket trolled us...a lot...I'll let someone else explain that

-Harry Potter was fun, and I say this as someone who knows jack all about the series other than "Some Nerdy Kid whose a wizard."  I'm sure its more appreciative if you've read the books/seen the movies.

-VSM actually tried to pass on the Spider-man Ride.  VSM.  Pass on Spider-man Ride.  Think about that! Granted, he wasn't feeling well and reservations for a ride like that are understandable, I'm just glad I talked him into going on it because...seriously, THIS RIDE WAS MADE FOR VSM.
Also, the two of us spent the night before beating each other up over who the 6th member of the Sinister Six on the ride was, somehow saying "Its gotta be Scorpion!"  Turns out there were only 5 and that's why #6 never came.
ALSO, I must say, really like how they've redone the ride; the CG just looks so much better.

-Dr. Doom's Foot Dive Free Fall was disappointing and I do not regret skipping it every year I've been there. 

-More Djinn nonsense!   That being Idun served him 3 times in a row in DDR.  Yes, I felt that was necessary to bring up.  Additionally, HOW DO YOU HAVE AN ARCADE IN MARVEL LAND WITHOUT AN MvC2 (or its predecessors) MACHINE!?

-...oh yeah, Djinn missed his chance to ride the Caraseusal on 3 separate occasions...mostly because I refused to let him.  He did however get inspired for a new pick up line from it!

-Hard Rock Cafe was a good way to end the trip.  People tired, hungry, etc., and Grefter gets his fill of Music obsession that we couldn't get from Rip Ride Rocket (due to not going on it), and food was better than I expected, mostly because I had a sense of variety of things to eat there!


I didn't cover everything, no, but I decided not to on purpose, just because saying "hey, this ride was fun!" a lot gets boring.  In general, I had a lot of fun at Universal, because going there with a bunch of friends is a different experience than with family, and it was something different from all the gaming we were going to be doing the rest of the way.  Plus, ACTUAL OUTDOOR ACTIVITY FOR THE DL OMG!?!?!?  Seriously, I get the feeling most agree with me they had fun, but maybe I'm jumping the gun and probably going to get shot...possibly for reasons having nothing to do with any of this post.

[Captain K.]

Also, the two of us spent the night before beating each other up over who the 6th member of the Sinister Six on the ride was, somehow saying "Its gotta be Scorpion!"  Turns out there were only 5 and that's why #6 never came.

A common misconception.  Despite being one of Spider-Man's most notable classic foes, Scorpion was never a member of any version of the Sinister Six or Sinister Syndicate.  I happen to know this because there was much WTFing when Scorpion did not receive the Sinister Syndicate team ability on his Heroclix figure.

[Meeplelard]

Actually, he was on the Sinister Six before!

...in the 90s Animated series <.<;


Given the ride is anything but canon, I highly doubt the criteria go beyond "SPider-man Villain"; I mean, Scream of all people was one of the 5! (pretty much because they needed a female villain and Spdier-man female villains kind draw a huge blank...)