Otafest 101: What to bring and expect

By
Ailin Li
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0
1055

Attention all Otafest newbies: Are you planning on attending Otafest next year and don’t know how to plan your day? Do you know what to pack? Just what the heck even goes on at Otafest? If you have ever thought about any of these things, or are an old-timer just wanting a guide book to making your Otafest trip a success, I have got you covered. This guide will be especially helpful for those of who you don’t want to attend all three days as it will advise you on how to not waste your time unnecessarily. Keep an eye out for more Otafest 101 blogs to come!

This guide is quite lengthy, so feel free to skim through and read the sections that you feel are of help. Please also enjoy some sneak peeks of items I purchased at Otafest.

Navigation

Getting to the University of Calgary may already be a challenge for some, and I can assure you that navigating inside the buildings won’t be much easier. For someone as directionally challenged as myself, a map will be your friend. Before you head off to Otafest, study the layout of the events. They change each year, so even if you’ve been to Otafest before, it’s a wise decision.

Each year, Otafest will post a map of the building layout and highlight where main events will be happening. (http://otafest.com/map)

Scheduling

Unless they decide to randomly change things up, Otafest will also post a schedule along with their map, usually on the same page (this year it was http://otafest.com/map). No matter which day you’re going, check this schedule ahead of time. Events do overlap and chances are you will miss most of them. Each event is held in a different room in a different building. If two of your events overlap or are being held on opposite ends of the campus, make sure you account for this. The panels fill up quite quickly so you’ll want to be there 5-10 minutes early. Even if it looks like no one is waiting in line, you will be glad you’re the first one there.

What to Bring

First and foremost, you will want to bring along your wallet. It's a good idea to take out cash beforehand (although there are ATM machines), mainly to prevent yourself from overspending and eliminates the worry of losing a credit card if you're cosplaying. Warning: They do not take debit cards anywhere, so you might as well not bring that at all. For the 18+ events, they will take ID, so you will need to bring that should you decide to attend.
First and foremost, you will want to bring along your wallet. It’s a good idea to take out cash beforehand (although there are ATM machines), mainly to prevent yourself from overspending and eliminates the worry of losing a credit card if you’re cosplaying. For me, excluding the cost of admission, I like to bring around $80. Warning: They do not take debit cards anywhere, so you might as well not bring that at all. For the 18+ events, they will take ID, so you will need to bring that should you decide to attend.
If you are going to cosplay, bringing a bag might not be your best option because people will ask to take your photo a lot (if it's a good cosplay). Also, if you're not planning on visiting the Vendors or Artist Alley (which would be quite sad), then a small clutch will suffice. If you're a guy and are lucky enough to have pockets, that should be good enough as well. Personally, I'm always over prepared so having a bag full of everything just makes me feel secure.
If you are going to cosplay, bringing a bag might not be your best option because people will ask to take your photo a lot (if it’s a good cosplay). Also, if you’re not planning on visiting the Vendors or Artist Alley (which would be quite sad), then a small clutch will suffice. If you’re a guy and are lucky enough to have pockets, that should be good enough as well. Personally, I’m always over-prepared so having a bag full of everything just makes me feel secure.
Should you decide to bring a bag, don't forget to check it in at the Bag Check before heading into the vendors. If you get into the line (a very, very long line) and realize that you still have your bag, it's going to be a huge waste of time to go check your bag and then have to line up all over again. They will just take the number on your wrist band and you can collect it after your Vendor trip is over.
Should you decide to bring a bag, don’t forget to check it in at the Bag Check before heading into the Vendors. If you get into the line (a very, very long line) and realize that you still have your bag, it’s going to be a huge waste of time to go check your bag and then have to line up all over again. They will just take the number on your wrist band and you can collect it after your Vendor trip is over.
Optional: Otafest is always held in May, and although our weather is unpredictable, it's always good to have an umbrella just in case. I'm also going to say that a jacket is optional because the weather usually is nice during May. I went all three days in a skirt/dress and barely felt cold. Most of the events are inside, and the outside events don't last long. Unless you want to hang out on Cosplay Hill outside and take lots of pictures, carrying around a jacket may not be worth your time.
Optional: Otafest is always held in May, and although our weather is unpredictable, it’s always good to have an umbrella just in case. I’m also going to say that a jacket is optional because the weather usually is nice during May. I went all three days in a skirt/dress and barely felt cold. Most of the events are inside, and the outside events don’t last long. Unless you want to hang out on Cosplay Hill outside and take lots of pictures, carrying around a jacket may not be worth your time.
Optional: I take my 3DS with me most places just to get Play Coins. Otafest is the perfect place to rack up steps, unless you are sitting in the panels all day long, but otherwise walking around the Vendors and Artist Alley will get you lots of steps. Otafest may also be one of the single places where you will find hundreds of people on a 3DS at the same time. If your Animal Crossing town is lonely or your if you Pokémon box is in need of updating, you can find many new friends at Otafest.
Optional: I take my 3DS with me most places just to get Play Coins. Otafest is the perfect place to rack up steps, unless you are sitting in the panels all day long, but otherwise walking around the Vendors and Artist Alley (plus navigating around the campus in general) will get you lots of steps. Otafest may also be one of the single places where you will find hundreds of people on a DS at the same time. If your Animal Crossing town is lonely or your Pokémon box is in need of updating, you can find many new friends at Otafest.

Vendors and Artist Alley

Again, be prepared for crazy lines. The Artist Alley doesn’t fill up as quickly, but there are some who line up outside the vendor area 30-50 minutes before they even open. If you don’t feel like standing in a line for that long, you’ll probably just have to suck it up, but you can pull out your phone, DS, or talk to that person beside you there (so overrated, I know) and the time should pass quite quickly.

I suggest visiting the vendors during a block of time when there are no panels or other special events that you plan on going to. Overall, a trip to the vendors will take a toll out of your schedule (and wallet). Unless you only plan on browsing and not buying, set aside 1-2 hours for roaming the vendors. The Artist Alley I also suggest setting aside an hour for, but the wait is not nearly as long.

The vendors are only open during Saturday and Sunday, so don’t come on Friday expecting them to be open.

Panels

One of the things that makes me slightly irritated is the fact that Otafest does not advertise what their panels are. Some of the events, such as Cosplay Battle Chess, are pretty self explanatory by title. Although, there are some events called Anime Things or Themed Torture Tag that make you wonder just what the heck is going on. Should you decide to take a chance and visit an ambiguous panel, don’t feel obligated to stay if you would rather attend something else. If you are a true Otaku, it will be quite unlikely that you end up in a panel you don’t enjoy.

There are AMV showings and an improv show which are both very popular (for good reasons) so you’ll want to make it there very early in order to get a good seat for these two.

Food (Trucks) and Maid Café

The University of Calgary cafeteria is packed with different types of foods, so there should be something that strikes your fancy. The prices are quite high (unless you’re going to A&W or Orange Julius), with a meal ranging from $6-$10, so be sure to set aside an appropriate amount of your spending money for food.

The food trucks are even more expensive, and they also tend to run out quite quickly. If you’re planning on going to a food truck, it would be best to head over before 4:30 p.m. – 5 p.m. just to make sure that anything you want to eat will actually be in stock.

I’m not sure if this will be applicable every year, but the reservations for the maid café were crazy this  year. If you want to get in, it’s best to make your reservations right at 9:00am when the doors to Otafest open. I didn’t end up making it any of the days I was there so I can’t give a solid opinion, but the friends I talked to said that the maid café was quite good this year.

Other General Thoughts and Tips

I love walking and I can walk for a very long time without getting tired. For some, this may not be the case and walking for five hours every day for three days might not seem fun. Wearing comfortable shoes (cosplay or not) is going to prevent you from having some very sore feet.

Set a limit and stay within it. Take out a certain amount of money beforehand and budget it so that you don’t end up spending too much (like I probably did).

Bring a water bottle with you or buy some sort of beverage for your trip. You will get thirsty at some point and if you wait until lunch, the lines will be quite long for food.

Have a camera or a phone with a good camera because I guarantee you will run into at least one person you will want to take a picture of/with. But just remember that cosplay does not mean consent! Don’t creepily take people’s pictures without their permission.

Enjoy your time at Otafest!