The Secret Ninja Way; Navigating the Con

The first and foremost piece of information you need to know about navigating the spaces at Dragon Con is this: The hotel is your friend. If you should find yourself in a navigation pickle, unable to get an elevator or unsure of how to get where you need to go, find a hotel staff person. They can help you get where you need to go. They can comandeer elevators, they can show you secret paths, they can get you to your panel. Dragon Con staff, though, can NOT do any of those things. We know some about the habitrails (Interior tunnels, and skyways for the uninitiated) and easier routes, and we'll post what we know here as soon as we can. But when you are at the bottom of a staircase of the Hyatt, and we are in the Sheraton, the hotel is who you need to turn to.

Elevators, especially in the Hyatt and Marriott, are trouble. We know that. We warn every conmember that comes thru Dragon Con Disability Services [DCDS] about that. Its in the handout that accompanies your reasonable accommodation sticker. .. and every year DCDS is requested to do something about them. Unfortunately, Disability Services/Dragon Con cannot staff elevators. We cannot boot people off of them. We cannot designate one elevator as Disability Priority. Dragon Con cannot do any of those things. The hotel, however, can. If you are stuck at a staircase, or wait more than a reasonable amount of time at an elevator, contact the hotel. All hotel personnel wear badges of some sort. In each elevator bank, there is a (usually white) phone. Get a hold of someone who works for the hotel you are currently in, and tell them your predicament. They will help you.

Really.

We promise.



The ultimate map of DragonCon with shuttle routes, habitrails, and more!
Thanks to Scott Filipek for his hard work creating this!

Special Tip
When arriving at Dragon Con, program these numbers into your cellular phone.

Hilton - [tel:404-659-2000 404-659-2000]

Hyatt - [tel:404-577-1234 404-577-1234]

Marriot - [tel:404-521-0000 404-521-0000]

Sheraton - [tel:404-659-6500 404-659-6500]

Westin - [tel:404-659-1400 404-659-1400]

If you are stuck and need assistance to travel, and you can get cellular service, call the number that corresponds to the hotel that you are in. Ask to be transferred to security

Hyatt:

 * Elevators are almost always packed to the gills. Find a hotel staffer and Hyatt_elevators.jpg for help.
 * The habitrail that connects the Hyatt to the Peachtree Center Mall is no longer accessible, unless you can handle stairs. As you are facing the bar at the back of the lobby, a corridor goes off to the right. Unfortunately, this habitrail has two sets of stairs. There was a lift, but it has been removed. Your only options now are through habitrails to the Marriott, or on the street.
 * To travel to the Marriott from the Hyatt, there are two routes. On the left side of the bar, on the lobby level, a corridor goes out to a habitrail. This leads to the Atrium level of the Marriott. The other route goes out the bottom level of the Hyatt. A door right next to the Harris room leads to a hallway that will emerge right next to the motor lobby exit. From there you would cross the street and go into the Marriott on street level.

Marriott:

 * Elevators are frequently packed to the gills. Find a hotel staffer and ask for help.
 * The habitrail to the Hyatt enters the Marriott on the Atrium level. The habitrail that goes to the Hilton exits the Marriott on the Marquis level, two floors down, on the back side of the hotel, just past the escalators/elevators that go down to the bottom floor.
 * The habitrail where it enters into the Hilton has a handicap ramp that has a switchback that is a sharp left turn. This will not accommodate some mobility scooters or electric wheelchairs due to turning radius. You will have to take the elevator on the Marquis level down to the bottom level, exit out the back entrance and cross the road to enter the front of the Hilton.

Westin:

 * The Westin entrance on Peachtree Street goes into the sixth floor and is only accessible via steps. If you're in a wheelchair or scooter, go down the side of the building on Andrew Young. There's a WESTIN_DS_ENTRANCE_crop.jpg about a half a block down (across the street from Pittypat's Porch) that that takes you into the lobby, which is on the fifth floor. (Hat Tip mrcell on LiveJournal)
 * I have heard there is a bathroom whose "accessible" stall is located at the top of a couple of stairs. If you get me a picture, I'll post it here, and we can all have a good laugh.
 * The Plaza Ballroom is rumored to be accessible only via an escalator. This is not true. And the rumor that directions to the accessible route contains the words "second star to the right and on until morning" is also not true, although it is close. We should have signs up to help you find the accessible route, which will go thru service corridors and a service elevator. And, as we've said before, hotel security is your friend. Any time you can't get where you need to go, ask to speak to a hotel security person. They can open up locked doors, show you secret routes, get you into service elevators... all those things that DCDS staff just can't do.

Sheraton:

 * The elevators at the rear of the Sheraton access all the floors and usually are not crowded except between panels. Now that Brittrack is in the Hilton, the Sheraton shouldn't be crowded at all.

Hilton:

 * The habitrail from the Marriott comes into the Hilton with a wicked switchback ramp, barely navigable by larger scooters. Several people have reported getting stuck.

Peachtree Center Food Court:
Overflow Hotel Holiday Inn Express & Suites Atlanta Downtown 111 Cone Street Northwest
 * The habitrail that connects the Hyatt to the Peachtree Center Mall is no longer accessible, unless you can handle stairs. As you are facing the bar at the back of the lobby, a corridor goes off to the right. Unfortunately, this habitrail has two sets of stairs. There was a lift, but it has been removed. Your only options now are through habitrails to the Marriott, or on the street.Navigation_hazard_2.jpg
 * There is a habitrail leading to the parking garage between the Hilton and the Sheraton. This route is easier than the sidewalks on that hill. You come out on the 7th floor of the parking garage. You will need to take the elevator down to the ground floor. As you come out into the sunshine, the Hilton will be half a block to your right, the Sheraton will be just over half a block to your left. Still some rough sidewalks to traverse, but at least not on a hill.
 * There is a third habitrail leading to the Marriott. Find Yami Yami, the sushi place. On the DQ side is the habitrail to the Hyatt, and those two sets of stairs/lifts. Go to the right, past Yami Yami, and look for a small corridor leading out behind it, towards the windows. That will take you to the Marriott.
 * This hotel, as are all official overflow hotels, IS on the Shuttle route, but does not have a good place to unload wheelchairs or scooters due to unlevel ground.

America's Mart Dealer's Areas

 * The area on the street, directly behind/across the street from the Westin around their motor entrance, the curb cut going into the America's Mart building there (bldg. 3?) is very steep and at an odd angle. Scooters have reported nearly tipping over here.