Let me start by saying that if you can afford it, VIP tix remain a nobrainer. With that said, for those have been around for two or even three years, I think I can say without question that the experience has gotten markedly worse this time around. I don't expect this to change. If anything, I'm guessing the downward trajectory will continue next year, but I thought I might detail the biggest changes anyway.

The biggest and undoubtedly worst change has been a major population increase. This means panels have actually run out of VIP seats, which doesn't bug me all THAT much. But it also means that staff no longer feels comfortable hanging out in the VIP room.

Two years ago, the staff hangout area was the same thing as the VIP room. Last year, there may have been a split, I'm not really sure? But this year, the split is complete and total. The VIP room is way on the edge of the convention, and whenever staff do come in, which is rare (I saw Jack), they're mobbed by non-staff.

This mobbing was a common occurrence. There were literal lines of VIPs waiting to talk to staff at the VIP party. For the past two years, the VIP party was a place to casually say hello and then move on. This year, there were some staff members that I genuinely felt sorry for, because they couldn't get away from the mob.

This actually dramatically improved after midnight, when the party turned into a bar and the under 21 crowd had to leave. Take that for what you will.

I love being a VIP. I love getting into panels early and doing a lot of extra cool stuff. But I hate the sense that my VIP crowd has turned, this year, into what is basically just another burden for the staff to deal with.

Like I said at the beginning, I don't see a solution for this. It's just a thought I wanted to air