Another Anime Weekend Atlanta is in the books, and this time, the venue was moved to the Georgia World Congress Center after years of being at the Renaissance Waverly Convention Center.
At first, I thought I wouldn't like the new location because it was in the same spot as MomoCon and would feel similar, but Anime Weekend was unique in its own way.
There was more space, more panels, and more things to do at Anime Weekend. There was never a dull moment.
There were growing pains, but that's expected when moving to a new venue.
My Likes and Dislikes of Anime Weekend Atlanta
As I mentioned, Anime Weekend was a great experience, even though I only went on Saturday due to Lauren's school and work schedule. There were a lot of fun moments, some of which frustrated Lauren and me. Let's start with what we liked.
1. Space- Having space to walk around without feeling crowded was fantastic! I felt free to move around without missing anything. However, there was so much space that it required quite a bit of walking. All three floors of Building C were in use, so plenty of activities were happening everywhere. Thank goodness I wore comfortable shoes!
2. Staff- The volunteers were very helpful when I needed assistance, such as answering my questions.
3. 18+ Panels- As a mother, I appreciate the fact that identification is checked for the 18+ panels. In the evenings, these panels often include adult-themed content, and volunteers at the entrance ensure that attendees are over 17. I'm also grateful for the Guidebook app used by Anime Weekend, which provides warnings about what to expect in the 18+ panels.
4. Panels- This year's panels were entertaining. There were so many to choose from that they overlapped with several I wanted to see. It was too bad I had to decide which panel to go to.
5. Guidebook App- I love that there is an app for planning my day. I personalized my schedule and had it alert me when an event was about to start. Also, a map on the app lets me know where everything is located.
6. Food Options- Plenty of food options were available for any budget, including fast food inside the venue, food trucks outside, restaurants surrounding the convention center, and restaurants at local hotels such as Signia Hilton and Omni.
7. Drag Show- We attended our first drag show at the convention, and it was an exciting experience! This drag show had been trying to get approval to come to Anime Weekend for the past three years, and they finally succeeded. I believe it is a great addition to Anime Weekend and should be regularly there yearly.
8. Vendor Hall- Lauren loved the variety of merchandise sold at the vendor hall. There was so much more to choose from, and she was able to find unique items to add to her growing anime collection.
These are my dislikes:
1. Vendor Hall Prices- The prices at the vendor hall were inflated! I know being at a larger venue and the time of year costs vendors more money, which makes the prices go up, but I feel they are purposely overcharging. $70 for an old DVD is crazy!
2. Vendor Hall Closing Hours- Why does the vendor hall close at 6 p.m. daily? That seems unreasonable! If the hours were extended to at least 8 p.m., it would give vendors more time to make sales, potentially helping to lower the cost of their goods. I spoke with a vendor I frequently see at several conventions. He mentioned that due to the time of year, the location at the Georgia World Congress Center, as well as hotel and parking prices, his costs have gone up. As a result, he has to raise his prices. He much prefers the old location at Waverly.
3. Parking- Anime Weekend needs to alert guests ahead of time to prepay for parking. I learned the hard way years ago when attending MomoCon and couldn't find parking because parking becomes prepaid only when large events happen. Also, parking online costs less if you prepay.
4. 18+ Section in Vendor Hall- The coverage of the 18+ section needed to be better. Just having a black wrap around the section where people can easily peek inside isn't good. Also, I feel sorry for the vendors facing the 18+ section since people didn't realize their booth was next to it.
5. Need Tables and Chairs- There should be a designated area with tables and chairs for people to eat. Many individuals have been forced to eat while sitting on the floor.
6. Game Room- The previous game room at the Waverly was always small, but now that it has moved to the World Congress Center, it feels even smaller and needs more video games to fill the space. They should bring in more gaming systems next time, especially retro ones.
As you can see, there was more good than bad.
It's exciting to witness how much Anime Weekend Atlanta has grown. The convention's creators should be proud of the hard work they put into it each year.
Also, I heard that 2025 will be in December again, and 2026 will return to the regular scheduling around Halloween time, so we'll have some normalcy returning soon, just no more Waverly. Waverly is now a thing of the past.
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