DragonCon 2016 Parade

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Correct Cadet. As I mentioned I'm just waiting for the shuttle information so we know what time and location is going to work best. I'd guess the same location for the shuttles but you know how they like to change things up so as soon as I have that, we'll make a time and a place to meet up.

Listen folks....I know that some of you who marched last year we're unable to make it to the meet up on time. That meant that link4044 had to wait around to see if people would show up. We're not going to do that this year as it just causes issues of trying to find where the first group is staged etc. so please make it on time.
 
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Slight sidebar. But is there any info regarding the weapons policy for the parade? I know weapons have been cracked down on recently at cons, just wondering if we have specifics for the parade.
 
I'll get you all the info I can on weapons asap.

Still waiting on the email with respect to times for the buses but let's all count on more than likely meeting up at the same location as last year - Marriott main floor in between the two main doors in front of the escalators. It was just a quick jaunt out the back to get to the buses so hopefully that will be the same location this year.
 
The following was posted in the Dragon Con Parade FB Group:

PARADE PARTICIPANT SHUTTLE INFO. Preliminary information only. More to come. Attaching the parade participant shuttle route map. It is the same as last year. One pick up at the Marriott (Courtland Street side) and one drop off at staging (North Ave, Presbyterian Church). The shuttle will run from 7:00 AM until 9:30 AM (last pick up at the Marriott). I do not yet know how may actual buses will be dedicated to this route. The regular Dragon Con shuttles will also be running (refer to the web site for that information). WARNING: DO NOT TAKE ANY SHUTTLE TO STAGING THAT LEAVES THE MARRIOTT AFTER 9:30 AM. YOu WILL NOT MAKE IT TO STAGING IN TIME TO GET INTO PLACE BEFORE WE LAUNCH THE PARADE. DO NOT DO IT! JUST DON'T.

More comments regarding taking the shuttle.
1. While the route map shows the drop point at Courtland and North, you might be dropped on Peachtree Street. Depends on the traffic and the shuttle driver.
2. There are TWO (2) gated entrances to staging - one is on Courtland and the other is on Peachtree. You will be asked to show your wristband AND badge to get into either gate.
3. WHY NOTHING AFTER 9:30? Last year several hundred participants caught later shuttles and did not get to staging before the parade launched. Once we launch, you will be held outside the gate and most likely will not be marching with your group or section.
PLAN TO BE INSIDE THE STAGING AREA NO LATER THAN 9:50 AM, regardless of how you get there, period. Detailed staging information will be sent to registered participants next week.
4. If you are NOT in the parade, please do NOT take the Parade Participant shuttle. Grab a regular DC shuttle when they come by - they should all have stops a or near the same area.
 
Thank you, Cadet. This was posted this morning as well:

HOW TO GET TO STAGING
1) Walking from the host hotel area - staging is approximately 8 blocks NORTH on Peachtree from the Hyatt Regency's front door. It's about 9 blocks NORTH on Courtland from the Marriott/Hilton.
2) MARTA - the North Avenue Station is a block from staging. Exit the station and walk one block on North to Peachtree. There we are.
3) Parade Participant Shuttle - runs from 7AM-9:30AM with one pick up at the Marriott (Courtland side) and one drop off at staging. Other DC shuttles can get you to staging on Saturday morning but there may be other stops on the way so plan your timing accordingly. DO NOT TAKE ANY SHUTTLE THAT LEAVES THE MARRIOTT AFTER THE SCHEDULED 9:30AM PICK UP.
4) Driving - use your GPS but note that we do not supply parking (you're on your own) and your car will not be conveniently located to the end of the route.
5) Uber, Lyft, taxi and the like. Call them and they will get you there.
Crowds will be amassing on the sidewalks early. Cross streets along the route will begin being barricaded no later than 9AM. Traffic will become a challenge...

STAGING, GENERAL INFORMATION Staging will take place from 7:30AM-9:45AM, Saturday morning in the North Avenue Presbyterian Church parking lot/garage located at 607 Peachtree Street. Participants will be staged in line up order in the parking lot/garage. Vehicles, with a few exceptions, will be staged on Peachtree Street in the block between Linden Avenue and North Avenue. Those few exceptions will be staged in the parking lot/garage with the appropriate group/section. You will be getting a map that lays out the 'approximate' location of your parade section in the parking lot/garage. Vehicle owners/drivers will be sent an email with more specific instructions about when to arrive and where you'll be staged, etc.
There are two entry points into the parking lot/garage - one on Peachtree and one on Courtland. BADGES AND WRISTBANDS ARE REQUIRED TO GET INTO STAGING. VEHICLES WILL GET A DASHBOARD SIGN THAT MUST BE DISPLAYED WHEN YOU ARRIVE.
Parade team members and volunteers will be there to assist you getting in place and ready to roll.

REMEMBER: I'm picking up the wristbands. You don't need to worry about that.
 
Alrighty....Weapons Policy!

Jan Price who is the parade organizer told me directly that they are following the DCon Weapons Policy for the parade itself.

PLEASE GET YOUR WEAPONS CHECKED BY CON STAFF AND PEACE BONDED PRIOR TO THE PARADE.

Remember that your weapon cannot be functioning ie: cannot file a projectile of any kind including nerf, ping pong, water or silly string.

I'm going to guess that weapons check will be at the Sheraton where badge pick up etc. is. Likely in a booth/table outside of the hall for badge pick up. Please make sure to take your weapon with you in a bag of some sort. Don't just wander around the streets of Atlanta with it, peace bonded or otherwise. We've had a recent incident with some members at an event in a mall where police were called. Let's do our best to avoid that situation.

Just for clarity, there are the rules for weapons at DCon:

Dragon Con has a clear *no weapons* policy that will be enforced. All weapons must be non-working and peace bonded. No functioning projectile weapons - including water pistols, silly-string guns, and ping-pong pistols.

Bladed weapons must be cased or sheathed at all times. No clowning around or showing off in the common areas. Any weapon used in an offensive manner will be confiscated and rule #7 enforced. We expect you to use good judgment; with your help, we can continue to allow peace-bonded weapons - thanks!

Real firearms are not allowed at Dragon Con. This includes those attendees who maintain a Georgia Weapons Carry License or a similar permit from another state. Dragon Con security, hotel security, and local law enforcement officials will treat anything that looks like a real weapon as a weapon. Attendees who choose to ignore this policy may be asked to leave the convention and will have their membership revoked. Since violators can also be arrested, you should know that Dragon Con does not post bail. (Sworn law enforcement are excused from this policy.)
 
All kinds of info coming in today! This information below relates to some changes because the parade is going to be broadcasted. Just as an FYI - we have submitted a little write up about the 405th that hopefully will be read as we go by.

HOW THE CW LIVE BROADCAST CHANGES THINGS First, and this is not a change, be yourself and parade like you've always paraded in the past. It's what makes us so wonderful and got us on TV. :) Enjoy the experience. If all goes well, we might be able to do it again in the future.
The parade is tightly scripted this year. There will be commercial breaks. There will be parade host interviews with DC guests on the broadcast riser while the parade is passing by. There may be 'i...n the street' interviews as the parade passes by the CW camera position (Peachtree and Pine) as well. We will be live on the CW for one hour. We want to make sure the entire parade is seen within that time. It is imperative that we all work together on this. Keep moving!
BE IN STAGING ON TIME. Absolutely no later than 9:45 AM and that's inside the staging area and getting into place. We will lock everything down and start moving the parade into position for launch at that point. Having everything and everyone in place and ready to go is critical to our success. Late comers will be held outside the staging entry gates, period. We are moving people AND vehicles out of the gate on Peachtree this year and it cannot support 'two way traffic'. If you are late, do not plan on marching with your group or in the appropriate section. :(
THERE MAY BE PAUSES BETWEEN PARADE SECTIONS as your section approaches the CW camera position. Pay attention to any instructions you get, visual and/or spoken.
THE CW CAMERA POSITION IS NOT A PERFORMANCE STOP. Let me repeat that - NOT A PERFORMANCE STOP. Please keep moving at the normal pace of the parade when you get there. Do not stop to "mug" for the camera or hog the air time doing an 'extended' version of whatever you were planning to do along the route. For examples, if you are doing a fighting demonstration, please be brief, continue moving along the route while you're fighting, or think about not doing it at all until later on the route. If you are singing, do not stop to complete a song for the camera. Remember that if everyone registered shows up, we need to get well over 3300 people and 60 or so vehicles past the camera within that one hour of air time.
DO NOT DO ANYTHING THAT WILL EMBARRASS DRAGON CON OR YOURSELF. Please! Please! Please! DO NOT. Remember our Guidelines for participating in the parade. We will remove anyone from the parade when we see a Guideline violation or other inappropriate behavior.
Thanks for your understanding and cooperation! :) DCTV will be broadcasting LIVE from their location near the Hyatt. You will have two excellent opportunities to be seen on camera this year!

Last year our members were super engaging with the crowd and we did a good job of keeping up - just be extra aware this year of making sure to keep up with the group in front of us. And as always - no pointing of your weapons at people - especially children and definitely never ever any tea bagging.

For everyone who is bringing a handler - I still need to ensure I have names so I don't give a wrist band to someone else. Please get all names to me by this Sunday so I can create our final list. For our handlers, we're going to need to be extra aware of what's going on around us so that we follow all instructions for the cameras. More than likely people in helmets are not going to hear/see those instructions so we're going to have to be extra aware.
 
JUSTINIAN 117 - totally fine. Thanks for signing up!

DRAGON CON PARADE GUIDELINES
1. You MUST be a member of Dragon Con to participate in the parade. Convention badges must be worn and visible on parade morning along with parade participant wristbands.
2. Advertising and/or promotion of any type of commercial entities is strictly prohibited in the parade unless approved by Dragon Con Senior Management prior to the parade. A sponsorship agreement must be in place. This prohibition extends to any “street teams” that might be working the parade spectators.
Banners and flags are welcomed in the parade as long as they do not contain advertising or promotional information such as commercial company logos, web sites, addresses, phone numbers, etc. This includes information regarding other fan conventions as well.
Fan organizations/groups, clubs, DC programming tracks, etc. are exempted from this and encouraged to carry to their banners.
3. The Dragon Con Parade is a politics-free zone and not the appropriate venue for political actions or activities that impact our everyday lives outside of Dragon Con.
4. Non-working or prop weapons (as part of your costume) are OK. Any weapon carried at Dragon Con, including in the parade, must be approved and peace bonded by Dragon Con Security. Please take care of this BEFORE Parade morning to avoid potential confiscation of questionable items. The Atlanta PD and Dragon Con Security escort the parade and may make swift response to any action they deem inappropriate or threatening to the public. Think about how you brandish your weapon.
5. No flash pots, explosive devices, fireworks, loaded devices of any kind, or use of open flames. Absolutely not allowed, period.
6. Photography and videography by participants is always welcome as long as the progress of the parade is not hindered while you take your shots. Use of DRONES for filming the parade is PROHIBITED for your and the spectators safety.
6. Small throws/tosses (candy, beads, coins for instance) are permitted as long as do not cause street litter and are placed directly into the hands of the recipients. No random tossing, flinging or otherwise launching into the crowd.
7. Fliers/flyer, coupons and/or leaflets, business cards, etc. distribution is NOT permitted under any circumstances. This prohibition extends to any “street teams” that might be working the parade spectators.
8. We are rated PG/PG-13. Remember the parade is held on city streets - public safety and decency laws will apply. Watching the parade is open to the public, small children and other impressionable beings will be along the route. Additionally street/everyday clothing, unless it's identifiable with a character, isn't appropriate for the parade. We are a costumed event. Please choose your costume wisely.
9. Children 13 years of age and under participating in the parade must be accompanied by an adult.
10. At this time, live animals are prohibited from the parade with the exception of service animals and selected Dragon Con sponsors.
11. Use common sense and show courtesy for all involved with the parade.
12. Show up on time and be patient during staging/line-up. Be ready to move into place when your parade section is called on deck.
13. Prepare yourself for the weather (bring water, don’t forget sunscreen, etc.).
14. If you have a question about whether or not something will be allowed - ask beforehand!! Contact us at dc_parade at dragoncon.org.
15. Have fun! Have fun! Have Fun!
We reserve the right to remove any person(s), vehicle(s), or prop(s) (including banners, flags or signs, and weapons) from the parade that is considered offensive, potentially dangerous or otherwise inappropriate, or that do not comply with the above stated guidelines for the event , at any time and without prior warning.
 
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Info dump for sure. Thanks Fangs for tracking that down. I'm thinking the Plasma rifle may come out for the parade...just to be safe hah. This should be quite the glorious event. I wonder anyone know if the CW airing will be available online after the fact? Probably getting ahead of myself.
 
Hmmmm....that's actually a good question since those of us IN the parade won't get to see anything other than what happens directly around us. Plus, we'll want to see how fantabulous you all look....;-) Lemme see what I can find out.

Do we have anyone here that is JUST coming on Saturday? There is some concern about you not having your pass prior to the parade. Remember that everyone must have their DCon pass on them to march.

Now, a little aside.....I've been doing this for a LONG time with the 501st and not once did anyone come and check badges or wrist bands. However, let's do our best to try to nip any issues we have ahead of time so we can comply to the best of our ability.

Handlers - we have several of them and I'm going to put you to work. I'm asking that all handlers carry 2 or 3 bottles of water. Certainly enough to cover yourself and who you're handling but if you can carry a couple for others who are in costume as well, I would GREATLY appreciate it.

Costumers - I'm going to get a little Mama Fangs on you but if I or one of the handlers tell you to drink some water, please just do it. We'll see signs of you suffering from heat stroke way before you will and nothing will ruin your DCon faster than getting sick. So please, just humor us. I'd rather be wrong and make someone who didn't need it drink, rather than not make you drink and discover you really should have. Heat stroke happens fast and we spent all of that time pre-parade up in the sun so please do your best to hydrate. If you can bring a hat to wear while we wait, please do, we'll figure out a way to carry it for you when it's time for the buckets to go on. Bring your own water to staging so you can drink while we wait so you start out hydrated. Get a good sleep the night before. I know it's hard at DCon but for one night, humour me. Definitely eat before the parade and if you can, stash a granola bar or something just in case you need it.
 
Here you go!

The CW is rebroadcasting at 8 PM Saturday night. They are also uploading the video to their web site but not sure of the details on that. DCTV will be replaying their own coverage (but not the CW's) at various times over the weekend.
 
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