Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Mission Monitor Board 2008: the ultimate MEET-UP at San Diego: wrap-up, pics and sharing experiences

Cali! You'd better go!

It won't be the same without you!

Well, so long as they aren't the Wed - Sunday that centers on July 14th, I should probably be available to attend, and really hope to!

Most likely it would involve flying, as I just don't think I can swing that many days off from work.

DiDio finally confirmed there are plans. Just didn't bother telling us where and when.

woooowwwoooo Suicide Squad, Infinity Inc, Countdown to Mystery!!!! Flash ends with #13?!? what gives? anyway i am looking forward to find out the final fate of Jason Todd in Countdown.

also took a look at JLA #13 - I wonder why Black Adam would be there siding with Dr. Sivana....and is that Validus next to Mongul?? he's supposed to be giant??? Huh?!? confusing and will have to wait til #13 arrives.

But more importantly, sup'mddjr, are you coming to San Diego in 2008?

Kent - thank you for asking me - I have been debating myself on going to SD again this year since I have been gone to La Jolla twice for the business trips. I promised my partner that I would only go to SD two times every year and cannot go for 3rd time. Also, I have not made any reservation yet...I have two friends who are living here in SF and Sacramento who want to go to SD next year - so thought why not wait til next year - perfect timing to celebrate 50th year anniversary. Subsequently, I finally made the decision that I will not be able to attend this year. Would love to go tthere to meet Michael grabios, Jim Drew, Sydne, etc. Sure miss them a lot.

I hope to be there next year. I haven't been since 2003, I think, but since I was there for the Legion's 40th, I'll want to be there for the 50th.

Apparently superboymddjr knows me, but I have to admit that I don't know the name behind the nickname. Sidne Ward goes there every year, and she will be meeting up with me and Jim (plus a number of others) in Las Vegas the weekend of July 5-8 this year for our annual "Legion of Super-Gamblers" (LSG) trip. Next year I hope to have it the weekend before the SDCC so that people can go to both - Vegas from Thursday to Sunday (or later), then Monday and Tuesday for whatever/wherever, and Wednesday to Sunday in San Diego.

Our annual LSG trip is open to all, though of course it's probably too late to make reservations to go with us this year.

Reminder, people - ONE YEAR AWAY!

Thoughts on hotels: Some of us will be willing to pay more to be close to the Con center, while those of us on a budget will be willing to settle for someplace a short hop away. I suggest we try to pin down hotels nice and early - and book before the "official" listings. In '06, we were fairly scattered around town; it made socializing harder than Boston or Dallas gatherings.

Question for MEL, L.E.G.I.O.N.-John, Ravenette, Mechana: how would you rate your hotels last year, as far as price/distance? I know some of us who stayed on Coronado were less than impressed with that locale. To me, Old Town doesn't seem that far, and it's an easy trolley ride to the Con center. While the Holiday Inn and others are closer, too, the Old Town places seemed less expensive, IIRC.

Request for this year's attendees: please post your recommendations/experiences as well.

I'm hoping to get in and get an employee rate at some rooms at the Marriott right next door. At least a better discount that the con rate. If not we're thinking of renting a condo since we are going to be there at least a week.

Have the dates for 2008 been determined yet?

They're not yet posted, Vee, but I just emailed a request for dates.

Scott- I've previously checked out condos on-line; large ones tend to be along the beaches (far from the Con) or else they are amall and expensive downtown. Not telling you ont to go this route, but I do question thier value (for groups at least).

Last year and this, I'm at the Sheraton Suites (mostly because they were one of the only ones I could get). They're quite nice and spacious - there's a separate bedroom and living room with a couch and plenty of floor space. I was going to share the room with my brother and then it turns out my friend Ben and his brother Max needed a place to stay so they'll be with us too.

The hotel is okay for walking to the Gaslamp (5-10 minutes) a little bit farther away from the convention center but as I found last year, the Con shuttles are very convenient to get around.

Oh yeah, I just wrote a blog entry about good places for dessert and hotel hunting for San Diego:
http://www.comics2film.com/b/index....eth&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

Vee (and everyone else):

The Con people got back to me very quickly!

The 2008 dates are:
July 24-27
(Thursday through Sunday, as usual)

That means I'm taking 7/21-8/1 for vacation next year.

Crap! Gotta wait a whole month before I can check employee rates. Only available 11 months out. Totally forgot about that.

Yow! While a bunch of places won't let you reserve/check dates that far in advance, other places downtown are already getting booked solid for the 08 Con already!

Let us know as soon as you guys can what the options are as we may need a bit more time to organise things from the "old country"

we'll have a better crack at hotel listings in August; many places won't even let you check rates more than a year before.

People should put together a ballpark idea of what they want to spend on San D rooms - don't expect cheapness, though. The only rooms in the two-digit range (US dollars) I've seen for this year are many, many miles from the Con.

Those of us who are cheapskates will need to share, or look at youth hostels.

I can't make any promises, especially since this almost never works around the Con, but I can get up to three rooms at my associate rate and can issue a few forms for Friends & Family rates (which generally run cheaper than rack or con). But as I already said, it'll be mid-August before I can even check. The first property I'm thinking of hitting up is our newer one in Gaslamp as I doubt we'll get the convention center adjacent Marriott.

While my current job will easily let me take a room on my own, I would perfer to share.lol more money for comics that way!!!

Side note...I think i'll be flying into vegas first if there's any roadtripers who want to pick me up on the way

If you're booking now before con rates, expect to pay more than $300 per night (I am -- shudder), even for hotels a ways away if they're still on the shuttle route. It's definitely not a bad idea to book ahead of time as a fallback because con rate rooms sell out within minutes, which is why I'm still paying what I am, but at least I'm splitting it.

Yahoo/Travelocity seem to be the best site for comparing July 2008 rates.

The best price downtown looks like the Holiday Inn at $224/night. The Hilton comes in at $325-ish. The two immediately adjacent ot the Con center don't register at all yet.

Hotel Circle or similar distances away (8-12 miles out) bring one down to the 160-190 range... and there are a couple of $125s in the Hotel Circle area out further out into the hinterlands.

With the trolley, almost everything in the Mission Valley area (Hotel Circle) should be quick and easy to get to/from the Convention Center.

...we also have a decent size contingent interested in the Vagas pre-meet.

Is there still interest in an LA-area amusement park pre- or post-Con meet? If so, should it overlap with the Vegas pre-meet, or follow the Con, so people can do both, if they like?

In 2006, Abin, L-John and I travelled from Vegas to San D on Wednesday, arriving just in time for preview night. Town was already packed.

I'd suggest the Vegas-San D road trip be moved to Tuesday in 2008, allowing more time to settle in, and/or see a sight or two en route.

Another option would be to break it up and overnight near Riverside, about 2/3 of the way between the two. This option would allow a later departure from Las Vegas, potential detours ot Joshua Tree and/or Palm Springs (or even LA) on the first part, and Mt. Palomar or the Wild Animal Park on the second part.

Any idea what's public transportation like if I'm still using my 'chair then?

Oh, to be Metron...