Sunday 14 April 2019

I'm also going to UK PonyCon!

Note the lack of a booking fee, something I really appreciate with UK PonyCon
I said yesterday that I was going to the Griffish Isles convention in May. I've now bought my ticket for UK PonyCon in October! As long as all goes well and I actually make it to Nottingham, this will be my sixth successive UKPC, which tells you something about how much I enjoy the con. I do still feel a slight disappointment that it wasn't somewhere by the sea given the "Ocean Adventure" theme, but I'm mostly now looking ahead with cautious optimism.

This year, I've stepped back down from the top-tier VIP ticket I bought in 2018 and plumped for the mid-range Supporter option. This is what I had in 2017, with a mention your name in the con book, a button badge and (yay) an extra £5 donation to long-serving UKPC charity the RDA. I did enjoy being a VIP last year, but the price went up considerably this year (from £70 to £97) and I don't want the seapony plush as much as I wanted the 3D printed Britannia last year. Still, VIPs sold out in an academy record 19 minutes this year, so the demand is clearly there!

It will be quite some time before I get round to booking a hotel for UKPC. I certainly don't think I'll be doing it before Griffish Isles is done and dusted, and quite possibly not for a month or two after that. The one hotel that this might matter for is the Premier Inn in Goldsmith Street, the closest of all to the con venue. I'm very unlikely to go there, though, as the price premium over other budget hotels that are almost as convenient is too high for me to justify.

One reason I'm not booking yet is that money will be tighter this year (partly my fault for doing two cons!) and so I can't be certain I'll be able to afford a three-night stay. I'd certainly like to, as it makes things a lot less stressful, but I can't be too silly with my finances. No, not even in this fandom. :P Anyway, I now look forward. Given that UKPC will probably take place at about the same place as the end of FiM, it could be quite an emotional occasion!

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