At first, I registered for FE and they changed their hotel booking this year to have early bookings based on registration tiers (which can be argued is pay to win). I've paid extra to go up one tier with Sponsor so that I can avoid the free-for-all web traffic strain from last year and better guarantee a room, only for there to be delays for Sponsor and General, with rooms getting sold out oddly fast for the highest-paying tiers. It didn't help that said hotel is still doing some construction, further limiting available rooms.

Anxious about likely not getting a room and having a long-anticipated vacation go up in smoke despite paying a little extra, it was a big weight off my shoulders that I was able to get a room in Atlanta's overflow hotel for FWA as a back-up plan initially, but over time, I found that one to be more appealing (that and I've already been to FE now). The Toronto con just announced the new date for booking portal access, but I've already made up my mind and put in a refund request for FE after signing up for FWA.

Shortly after registering for FWA, they announced on Twitter that a few more rooms for the Hilton (which is connected to the con itself) opened and was able to get a room there, then cancelled the registration at the overflow hotel.

Seeing what they got in the Atlanta con earlier this year while job stresses got me really wanting to go to another one like FE was what motivated me to try going to the states for the first time with Furrydelphia.