A TF.N/JC Gathering at Celebration III

Is it this year or next? And where exactly?

I think the name-tag thing is a great idea. Should sock-abusers wear them all?

 

Ok, so who is from Indy, is over 21, and would welcome a beer guzzling animal like me into their home?



I know I wouldn't. So what, we get a reduced rate at the hotels? If we book ths early, could we save a bundle?

 

So what, we get a reduced rate at the hotels?

To be honest, I see the rates rising ridiculously for that period of time. No matter how you do this, it's probably going to be pretty expensive.

 

Not if I rent a winnebago and charge geeks a pantload of money to ride with the King, E-famous Bobafetish!

 

I am going to make it this time! I am! I must!

Twould be weird though. Might run into some interesting people there.

 

Ok, so who is from Indy, is over 21, and would welcome a beer guzzling animal like me into their home?

I suspect any JCer meeting those criteria is going to be making as much of a killing as the hotels renting out their house.

 

Can someone post any info on when you can begin making hotel reservations or any kind of special deals?

 

Can someone post any info on when you can begin making hotel reservations or any kind of special deals?

Dashy, I'd bookmark www.starwarscelebration.com if I were you.

Pass and hotel info will get posted there first.

The fan club booked blocks of rooms at the Mariott (I think) for fan club members for C2. Although I am a fan club member, I stayed at a different hotel back then, and I'll be back at the same one next year. I'm sure you could try making your own reservations at those places.

 

To be honest, I see the rates rising ridiculously for that period of time. No matter how you do this, it's probably going to be pretty expensive.

Actually, they usually cut the rates a bit for huge events like this. I attend GenCon, and for a normal night the rooms normally run upwards of around $200+/night (depending on beds, people, ect...) Last year the room was aprox. $140 I believe. And that was for a large room with 2 king size beds. When you split that between 4 (or more) people, it actually comes out pretty resonable.

When registration opens for reserving a room, just make sure you mention that you are attending C3 and they normally kick in a special deal. What happens is that the hotels set aside a huge block of rooms just for this specific event, and they want to make sure they can fill all of them - therefore a lower than normal rate.



Wow, I sound like a professional! I'm in the wrong buisness - I should be a hotel manager!

*edit*
BTW, I am hopeing to be able to make this one.

 

Yeah, but if LFL charges us to essentialy watch ads for their next movie(Hyperspace), should we really trust that they are negotiating the best deal possible for us?

Don't they have Econolodge and places like that in Indy? 50 bucks a night, and all the hookers...um..I mean..room service you can handle?

 

I seem to remember a Red Roof Inn being around the outskirts of Indy when I was at C2 (hopefully, an Indy citizen can either confirm or deny this). I and the person I was with stayed at a Comfort Inn about ten minutes drive from the Convention Center, and the rates weren't too bad.

You might want to look into staying somewhere that's not exactly near the Center, if only because not everyone will want to do the same thing, and since rates in hotels that aren't in a downtown area are more likely to be cheaper. Of course, it definitely helps to have a car, and an idea of the parking situation around the area (which was pretty bad for us, but we didn't show up very early, either).

 

Sebulba could probably give us some good feedback on lodging in and around Indy.

 

Is there a campground nearby? That would be the best.

 

The supposed "deals" LFL gets us are only for the rich and famous it seems. For CE II, the only hotels you got discounts on for going to the CE were like the most expensive ones in the city anyway. A room that was normally $250 a night was reduced to $215 a night. Yeah, that's really going to help us common people out.

However, on the outskirts of town there are slightly more reasonable rates. We were going to stay at a LaQuinta. Pretty far from the convention center, but *much* cheaper. And I know there are tons and tons of others. Actually, I have stayed in Indianapolis many times on vacations before, and there are definately some nice, afforable lodgings. Just not the most conveniant for getting to the con center. Would sure be nice to stay at that hotel that's connected with it (if my memory serves), but that's one of the most expensive ones. I don't need to stay right there. Just being there, meeting JCers and other SW fans would be enough. I am really going more for the social end than anything else.

 

If you don't want to / can't afford to stay downtown, staying in a hotel on the I-465 loop is probably your best option, as the rates are significantly less. You'll get better deals staying on the East or West sides of town...I'd avoid the North side like the plague...the prices, though not as high as downtown, are higher and the traffic is a 1000 times worse. From the East/West sides, you have a straight shot downtown via I-70.

You'll have to keep in mind, that by staying out there you'll have to deal with driving to and from downtown each day, finding and paying for a parking space, which will run you about $3-20 per day. Finding a space isn't that bad really. Parking in one of the 3 or so Circle Centre Mall's lots are the cheapest.

Campgrounds...I'm not big on camping, and when I do, I usually leave Indy to camp...but searching Indy.org gave me this reliable result. I think the ones listed there which are the closest to downtown, are more for any of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway races...not general camping. So I'd probably call someone and ask ahead of time.

 

Thanks for the info, Sebulba.

 

Any sort of bus/metro system there? I mean, so people woudln't have to drive from the outskirts to downtown?

 

I'm liking the campground idea. I may really rent a Winnebago and gat a group of people to divy up the cost...probably be a lot less to rent a Winny for a week, plus I won't have to put that mileage on my car. Plus, there will be no pesky concierge trying to shut down the party when it gets going. I could even pick people up on the way from Boston, if you aren't to far out of the way. Got to be over 21, though, as there will be booze and things on board.We could get a Winny with wireless hookups and post pics from the trip as they happen.

I may even film this. It'd make either the coolest or most patheticaly funny road trip documentary ever. Who's in?

 

I'm about 95% confident I'll be there at Celebration III. I will not, as others have speculated, be wearing yellow pants and a black shirt.

 

There's chitter chatter about creating some sort of rail system to heard people in and out of town, but I think that's 10 years down the road. The current "IndyGo" bus system is on the verge of collapsing if you believe the local news, which wouldn't suprise me since it takes 3 hours to get anywhere a car would in 10 minutes. If you follow that link it will show you the rat's nest that is it's route system. Most of the buses are relatively new and nice...I'd just rather drive.

Nothing else though. The Greyhound & Amtrack stations are relatively close to the Convention Center if you arrive that way. The airport has a relatively cheap taxi service back and forth. If you work at the IU, Methodist, or Riley Childrens Hospitals you can ride a mini-monorail that takes you around to those three places...so were only 30 years or so behind Disney World in our public transportation options.

 

I don't know.. he says he can bench like 400 pounds.

386 as of Sept 17th, 2003. But if I see you at Celebration III, I will take you to a gym nearby and show you I guess.

 

Trust me, I've seen pics of GS and he can definitely bench 400 lbs. He just does it in 20 lb increments.

*Runs

 

It would seem fun to go, but the chances of anyone coming within talking distance of me aren't there.

So, yeah.