This is NOT a free trip. (The Costs. A parent's nightmare)

[Admin]

Ok, I've worked on ways to make this make you feel better every step of the way. There will be a ride fee, which I hate to do, but it's hopefully understandable at this point in time.
10 bucks per kid for a ride. Not bad, considering the overall price of gas is 4.35 a gallon, and it's quite a ways down there.

Another Cost that I will most definitely not help with: The cost of your AX ticket, the most important part of all AX, without this you can do pretty much nothing all the time we're there. It was 60 bucks pre order, and 65 bucks at the door. Pretty cheap as far as conventions go.

The Hotel, we will work out what's fair when we get more than a couple people fully committed to coming. It's an average price of $300 for the four days and nights we spend there. But this could change, I'm guessing by what the costs were this year.
One bedroom with two beds, a TV, a Bathroom, a table, a desk, five outlets, and three chairs cost us 350 dollars for the four nights we spent there. The last day of AX we pack up and head back for home at about... 3-4p.m.

Anime Expo goes on the 2-5 officially. There is however a day called 'day Zero' that we usually attend. This day is reserved for pre-bought tickets only, so keep that in mind. We will leave the first, at about 8-9, which means the day before, I hope to have everyone either at my house, or ready to go.
Sleepovers are wonderful for getting ready to hit the AX road. I adore them, and so will you.

The last thing I will not buy for your child is food. Think of that when you give them spending money.
More to come in this topic, words of advice on how to save money!

[Admin]

Alright, this is the EASIEST way to save five bucks, and make sure your child isn't left out of Day Zero activities.

Buy your ticket Pre-Order. I'll post more information about the tickets when they get them out. This is sooo simple. Don't miss out, and don't make your kid miss out either.

[Admin]

http://www.themetroplazahotel.com/content/index.php?section=Home

First off we will need at LEAST two hotel rooms.

Each room is going to be a Double Queen Non-Smoking Room. This means: $99.00 + $99.00 + $99.00 + $99.00 which totals out to $396.00
Plan on paying at least $110.00 for your kids housing while they are at the hotel. It might be less, or it might be more. I'm not saying anything for sure right now.
We need one boy's room, and one girl's room. Costume prep can be in either one, along with storage. That means if we do a lot of large costumes, they'll be piled up in one corner of the room with whichever room has the least amount of people.
But for now, let's say we have one boy going, and me going, two hotel rooms, we each pay 396.00.

That's Fair.

But let's break it down.

Four girls going, and two boys going, that's six people total, and the price for our hotel rooms just dropped from 396, to 66.00 apiece.

Be rational, reasonable, and realistic. This hotel is NOT the best in LA. There is no Pool, there is however a working shower with plenty of hot water, enough floor space for what we need, a closet with enough space, a mini-fridge with nothing in it, a TV, and two queen sized beds.
If you don't like the idea of your kid sleeping next to their friends like they do in a sleep over, then send them with an air mattress and a sleeping bag.
There will be no boys sleeping in the girls room, or girls in the boys room. I don't care if you feel crowded, or just so tired you crashed when you were sleeping, no. You will not sleep in each others rooms even if I have to drag you out myself, which I think everyone knows I will do!

[Admin]

Ok, honestly, how many people can blame me for wanting to charge $10.00 for gas when I will be driving the group down to LA, and than back again?
Gas is ridiculously high, and 10.00 per person is NOT going to cover it all, but I will pick up the tab.

However, I will not turn down tips. I adore tips, they are loved, and I thank you for them if you decide to give them to me.

[Admin]

At the convention Center, food costs an arm and a leg, and I mean it too.
Up to 21 or even 30 dollars for a decent meal consisting of a Cheese burger, drink, and french fries.

The best way to avoid this?
There's a subway right next to our Hotel, we can grab dinner there, and breakfast is taken care of by the hotel if we get up early enough for it, which leaves lunch and snacks.

The most important thing we need to bring.

WATER.
Why? Because water is the base of everything, and I will be carrying around a backpack full of icy water bottels in plastic bags so they don't leak, but I will still carry them.
Our costumes will be hot, if they cover us fully, and I mean face, neck, head to toe, none of us will be walking around in anything indecent.

I go through almost a half gallon of water every day at AX, why? Because I am in a costume where there is no circulation for cool air, and I barely get air in through my air hole without shifting every few minuets because my eyes are fogging up.

We will not have ANYONE dehydrate. Not one of us, and if you don't like water? Tough. You're drinking it to keep you healthy in that costume.

Alright, another way to save money on food?

Give us Ramen cups. Cup of Noodles, so on and so forth. Not the packages though! >.< We'd need bowls then, and that just gets messy! Especially since our hot water is coming from the coffee machine and we don't have anything to cover the packets in.

Also, cheap chips, soda's, and some fruit would be wonderful for us to snack on while we're there. Now, when I say we, I mean all of us in general.
Let's say person number one brings a bag of chips, and person number two brings the same kind. They can share with themselves, and everyone else, to be nice about it. Everyone must bring some type of food, and food to share!

Parents think about this:
Buying a small flat of cup of ramen noodles costs less then buying four individual ones. Nearly 3 bucks less. Not bad eh?
Also, don't buy the little snack baggies, we'll be taking a food bag with us to AX every day for snacks and such while we're there. The snack baggies just take up space that could go to a big bag of chips or something.
However, beggars can't be choosers, we'll take whatever you want to give to us!

[Admin]

Two of the two Queen Sized bed rooms. These will be fore about 6-7 of the same sexed people, to sleep together in. Sure it'll be a bit stuffy, but if we absolutely have to, we can always make more room for it.

The Main room I'm considering investing in is the Suite King with Living Room Non-Smoking Room. It's cost is $169.00 + $169.00 + $169.00 + $169.00 =$676.00
Thus, if we get three rooms, the two Queen Sized Bedrooms, as well as the Suite King with Living room, we won't be crowded in the least. I know the King Suite is very large, and comfortable to stay in. There will be plenty of room for our costumes, and it will be very, very comfortable since the bathtub is very large, with water jets. *Hearts in eyes* Aw well, I'll be staying in one of the Queen Sized bedrooms, keeping order among the kids, and I will check on the boys, as well as the girls staying in the King Suite.

Of course, we may only still need to rent two rooms, the Suite King and then one Queen sized. It'd be easier since the girls could all fit into the king very easily, and boys just crash where they sit so yeah, be pretty simple for them. Remember, the things we do at the hotel while at Expo:
Eat Breakfast and Dinner.
Costume Prep.
Sleep.
1/3 of our time, if that, will be spent there.

The total cost for the rooms now is $679+$436.00= 1,085.

We have 6 People going right now, which means it will only cost us 180.83 for our hotel costs, if everyone who says they are going do go.
For sure we have myself, and that's the only one I will speak out for. xD When it gets closer, we'll do all the math ok?