A couple weeks ago, I had the chance to attend the Vampire Diaries Official Reunion in New Jersey held by Creation Entertainment. It was such a special occasion -it was my birthday-, and spending a weekend with one of my favorite casts and fans was magical!
The line up was big and top tier: Ian Somerhalder (Damon Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries), Paul Wesley, (Stefan Salvatore in The Vampire Diaries) Daniel Gillies (Elijah Mikaelson in The Originals), Michael Trevino (Tyler Lockwood in The Vampire Diaries), Michael Malarkey (Enzo in The Vampire Diaries), Charles Michael Davis (Marcel in The Originals), Candice King (Caroline Forbes in The Vampire Diaries), Riley Voelkel (Freya Mikaelson in The Originals), Chris Lee (Kaleb in Legacies), Quincy Fouse (MG in Legacies), Ben Levin (Jed in Legacies), Zane Phillips (Ben in Legacies), Steven Krueger (Josh in The Originals), Chase Coleman (Oliver in The Originals) and Micah Parker (Adrian in The Originals). The weekend was filled with workshops, music, laughter and unforgettable moments.
Friday June 23rd
The Vampire Diaries Reunion takes place from Friday to Sunday, unlike any other convention I have ever attended. People could come to registration and start enjoying the convention straight away! Smaller guests from ‘Legacies’ were primary there on Friday, but Riley and Steven Krueger came too and had so much fun on their panels. I didn’t have any activity on Friday, so I just walked around after my registration and watched the panels. It was relaxed, but very fun!
It wasn’t too crowded, so every activity went smoothly. While fans waited for their activities, they could enjoy some food in the hotel lounge or sneak around the vendors area, where a lot of exclusive merch was being sold.
I must highlight the crew’s help with my registration. I had a general admission ticket, which didn’t allow a front row seat for panels. When I told them I needed to be in front row, they immediately gave me a better pass and a front row seat. I truly appreciated the help and speed.
Saturday June 24th
Bigger guests were coming today: Daniel Gillies, Charles Michael Davis, Michael Trevino, Michael Malarkey and some of the Legacies cast. There were so many more people coming today. It was crazy since minute one, but the crew handled everything very well and it went smoothly. There was some delay in some activities, like autographs. It was very well handled to not let it affect future activities.
I was surprised photos were going SO fast. I’ve been to comic cons and crowded conventions before, and it was never this fast. I guess it was a logistic matter, but everyone left happy and no one missed a photo. It was very funny when it was my turn for Daniel: instead of being super rushed, he just took his time to acknowledge that I had crossed the pond to meet him and have a small chit chat. It was great, and I’m thankful for the staff for not pushing us.
The panels were so much fun and ran smoothly. The only thing I didn’t like was the echo in the room, which made it difficult to understand people who were talking.
Autographs were smoothly, in general. They were quite fast and short, but it was enough to have a small catch up. Some autos got delayed or ran longer than expected, but no one truly cared.
Sunday June 25th
Sunday was definitely THE BIG day. Today, the biggest guests were Ian, Paul and Candice. It was pretty noticeable, the hotel was full, and you could feel the excitement. The activities started late, since the boys were flying in the same day, but once it started, everything went super fast and smooth!
Ian’s photo was the first thing in the morning, and it ran a bit longer than expected because he loves to have a small chit chat. Not that anyone was complaining. It was adorable seeing everyone so happy after their photo and trying to process everything. When he saw me, his surprise was quite obvious, and he insisted on having a small chat before and after our photo. The staff was so cool about it and didn’t rush us, which I truly appreciated. I didn’t have other activities until afternoon, so I hung out in the hotel between the lobby food and the panels happening in the theater.
The next activity I had was Ian and Paul’s panel, which was hilarious and so chill! After that, I had Paul’s autograph – which went way better than our first encounter -, and next I had Ian’s. I was afraid I’d miss Ian’s autograph, since it was scheduled at the same time as Paul’s; but they ran incredibly slow and late because Ian loves to chat. They started at 5pm – a bit late – and ran until 10pm. I was the last one, and I was incredibly happy with the experience.
The Vampire Diaries Official Reunion New Jersey Review
It was my first time traveling overseas and attending a convention with this organization, and it was an amazing experience! They have some things and details I didn’t like, but they managed to deliver a smooth, close and amazing weekend for fans and guests.
The location of the convention hotel was a bit wild for me. It was probably because in New Jersey everything is very far away, but this hotel seemed to be in the middle of nowhere! Luckily, a parking lot was available, and there was always an Uber to get there. They had a food stand, so we didn’t have to go crazy about lunch, what was truly appreciated.
Concerning the organization, I think they managed pretty well. Their calling system for activities is very smart: they will call number slots and/or pass type so people know when to go to the queue. This avoided big crowds and helped run everything way better. I also liked that they wouldn’t rush fans. Even if they were running late, they wouldn’t push fans to just leave.
The only thing I didn’t like is their digital photocopies system. We have to PayPal the photographer, and we’ll get the photo as soon as he gets to it. Problem is, it can take up to weeks! I prefer the old fashioned way where I can go to the website, look for my photo and buy it. Comic Cons organizations do this, and it’s a great system. Apart from that, I loved everything else. Can’t wait for the Vampire Diaries Reunion in New Orleans in August!
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Hello! I’m Paula, a Spanish deaf girl who absolutely enjoys and loves watching movies and shows, as well as traveling, reading and writing. I grew up reading adventure books and writing fictional stories, and continued watching cartoons, movies and shows. I soon found myself enjoying that SO much that it became my special place and a way to escape from reality and problems, while it helped me to learn a lot and grow. My friends call me Dori and/or minion, but it's only my distinctive aspects that make me unforgettable. Don’t believe me? Well, consider yourself challenged to prove me wrong.
