[GenCon] Game Bus?

[nakia]

Someone MUST do this, and videotape it. It would be like the anti-Bang Bus. Or "Gamers Gone Wild. There's a fortune to be made here...

"Show us your dice for a free 'Gamers Gone Wild' t-shirt."

 

[Rel]

Color me intrigued by this idea. I'll be watching this thread with interest.

 

[Shadowdancer]

Cue up The Who and call it "The Magic Bus."
Or The Beatles, and dub it "The Magical Mystery Tour."

If there was one leaving from Austin, or just about anywhere in Texas, I'd sign up.

 

[Buttercup]

Even though I live about two hours from Indy, the bus idea really sounds pretty neat. If I lived far enough away I would sign up for the bus in an instant! Keep us posted on this idea as I would love to hear more about it.

What he said. I also live 2 hours away (in a different direction) so this wouldn't be practical for me, but if it were, I would love to ride the Magical Mystery Gamers Bus to GenCon with my EN World buddies.

 

[Xath]

Sounds like a really cool idea. I'll be watching the thread.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

Gnome Games in Green Bay, WI did this last year. You might contact them and ask about logistics, cost, etc.

 

[diaglo]

Cue up The Who and call it "The Magic Bus."
Or The Beatles, and dub it "The Magical Mystery Tour."

If there was one leaving from Austin, or just about anywhere in Texas, I'd sign up.

Written By Peter Lurye
Cruisin' on down Main Street
You're relaxed and feelin' good
Next thing that you know you're seein'
Octopus in the neighborhood!

Surfin' on a sound wave
Swingin' through the stars
Take a left at your intestine
Take your second right past Mars.

On THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS
Navigate a nostril
Climb on THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS
Spank a plankton, too
On our Magic School Bus
Raft a river of lava
On THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS
Such a fine thing to do!

So strap your bones right to the seat
Come on in and don't be shy --
Just to make your day complete
You might get baked into a pie

On THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS...
Step inside -- it's a wilder ride!
Come on -- ride on THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS!



or Magic Carpet Ride.

or Duran Duran's Crystal SHip

 

[der_kluge]

Probably the cheaper option would be to have the guy just wait at GenCon until we're ready to leave. Otherwise, I would think you'd have to pay for him to drive up there, and then back, and then you'd have to hire a new guy to drive everyone home, and then back to Indy. That'd be 2x the cost. Whatever cost for hotel space for the driver would pale in comparison.

We'd have to figure out a route. I assume that the buses would really only stop at a bus station, but people could drive to the nearest bus station in their area to get picked up along the way.

But I definitely think it could be a lot cheaper. By the time you pay for parking at the convention center (admittedly just one days' worth if you never leave), but gas isn't exactly cheap anymore. You're probably looking at at least two full gallons there and back (depending on how far away people are) which could run around $60. So, just getting there could be around $120 in terms of gas, tolls, and parking.

I'll do some more research on this. Keep in mind that I'm only really interested in setting up a route through Richmond, VA. But, perhaps my research can help others set up bus routes in their areas.

 

[jmucchiello]

Probably the cheaper option would be to have the guy just wait at GenCon until we're ready to leave. Otherwise, I would think you'd have to pay for him to drive up there, and then back, and then you'd have to hire a new guy to drive everyone home, and then back to Indy. That'd be 2x the cost. Whatever cost for hotel space for the driver would pale in comparison.

Hotels nearby would be expensive. And you also have to pay to park the bus. That is a non-trival expense.

We'd have to figure out a route. I assume that the buses would really only stop at a bus station, but people could drive to the nearest bus station in their area to get picked up along the way.

Chartered buses will stop anywhere you want them to stop. That's the point of using a chartered bus.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

I'll do some more research on this. Keep in mind that I'm only really interested in setting up a route through Richmond, VA. But, perhaps my research can help others set up bus routes in their areas.

In order to get more people on board, rather than stop in C'ville, a better route might be:

Raleigh/triangle area>Richmond>Washington DC/Northern VA>Pittsburgh>Columbus>Indy

Raleigh>Richmond>Cville>Indy would be a quicker trip, but less people