Katsucon 2024
I’ve attended Katsucon for almost ten years and it will be the one convention that I will attend year after year. That being said, Katsucon has become so popular that getting a hotel room at the host hotel, the Gaylord Resort Hotel (Marriott) of Oxon Hill, a situation of luck and speed. Personally, as I was checking out with my credit card, I lost the room. I found out later, that the opening of the rooms was available ten to fifteen minutes prior to the posted time, thus many took advantage of that opening. I am sure Katsucon will fix that issue for 2025. The city of Alexandria is nearby and hotels are plentiful. However, commuting back and forth is a hassle as the great thing about staying at the Gaylord is being able to be part of the con as soon as you leave your room. In the past, I would get a hotel in Oxon Hill as they were all in walking distance. However, a few years ago, the hotels would increase their prices by several hundred percent and also not allow any refunds after booking the room. I did luck out where a friend had a few openings at the Gaylord for this year. The give an idea, the Gaylord of Oxon Hill has 1,996 rooms and not every room is at the Katsucon rate. There are also 110 suites, but also, not at the Katsucon rates. So, it is possible to stay at the Gaylord, however, at a much higher rate per night and usually, most will stay at least 3 nights. I stayed for 5 nights.
As a photographer, the amount of cosplayer is amazing and so many have great displays. Katsucon is known where cosplayers will bring a new cosplay, or their A-game cosplay. There are so many places to take photos inside the Gaylord and along the river. It seems like each year, I am made aware of a location that I never knew existed. The “new” locations spread like wildfire as all of the photographers will eventually find out and explore the location. A challenge for Katsucon for photographers is finding a location that is unique and different. The other challenge is taking a cosplayer away from the main convention scene, especially if the weather is not cooperative.
It seems like every Katsucon, because it is held in mid February, where there is at least one nice day to be outside, but another day where the wind is relentless. When the weather is decent, it helps free up the space upstairs at the gazebo level, which by Friday, is taped off with barriers to allow the group shoots at the gazebo to take place. The lighting is amazing at the gazebo level with their the 19 story floor to ceiling windows and the white marble acting as a great reflector. Photo locations at that level become limited to the decorative black air grates, the grand doors, and a few white walls. It’s why so many people hope for good weather to allow some breathing and less competition of the limited spaces inside that have good natural light.
As usual, I will go to the merchandise area on Sunday. It is a stark contrast between what you see at the Gaylord, and a traditional “grey” convention style grand room for the merchandise. I cannot say that I have ever seen anything different that I would not see at any other anime convention’s merchandise area. Despite my thoughts, the area gets flooded with attendees on Friday and Saturday which being surrounded by that many people is not anything that I look forward to.
An improvement made with badges this year is having the ability to have your badge mailed if you purchased it early. Pricing increases the closer the convention occurs. Years past, all badges had to be picked up and it is known that it can take hours to pick up a badge, whether you stood in line hours before the doors opened, or just staying in line once the doors opened. One option is to pay around $100 for a VIP badge, which has some perks, including being able to bypass the long line. Personally, I have been able to get a press pass.
Earlier, I stated that I was there for 5 nights. A new trend is getting to the Gaylord sometime in Wednesday, which allows a stress-free check in and getting settled into your room. This allows a stress-free Thursday as you can get ready to cosplay, take photos, and even walk through the merchandise area as the vendors are getting set up. Because Katsucon always takes place on President’s Day Weekend, more and more people are staying until Monday. This past Katsucon had such a busy Sunday that it felt like a traditional Friday. Again, there is reduced stress checking out on Monday than joining the crowd of people who normally leave on Sunday.
There are plenty of parking at the Gaylord and there are surrounding garages as well. Remember to hold onto your parking ticket from the Gaylord parking in order to get the reduced rate. There are a lot of restaurants as well, however, due to the around 20K people attending, it can be challenging to get reservations. Waiting can be up to an hour. The Marketplace at the Gaylord is convenient and has a great selection, but be ready to pay a very high price for the food. A lot of attendees will make a food run on Thursday to minimize having to eat outside. One option is to take a ride-share to the MGM as it is only a mile away and has a lot of restaurants inside.
This past Katsucon has been the most chill. I think between security volunteers being more relaxed and with the good weather, there was overall less tension. I noticed many of my old friends did not attend and seeing many new faces whom I have not seen before at Katsucon. It is amazing as different generations leave and a new generation attends, that Katsucon continues to grow in popularity, even though it’s already popular enough. I still remember a time when I was able to book a Gaylord room a few months prior to the event, during a time when being an anime nerd was often held in secret.
