MegaCon lowers prices, adds Princess Bride star to guest lineup

There is strength in numbers, especially where pop culture fans are concerned.

When the three-day admission to Orlando's MegaCon comics and pop culture convention jumped to $83, fans jumped on social media. "We have taken a lot of criticism on our Facebook page," said MegaCon Executive Director Beth Widera, in an emailed response to Orlando Business Journal. Widera went on to explain that the $23 increase from the 2014 show was a result of the increasing costs of a celebrity guest list. "Much of this is due to the raising airline costs, but it is also because we are bringing in current expensive talent."

MegaCon 2014 brought more than 80,000 fans to Orange County Convention Center and generated an estimated $23 million in economic impact, based on industry standards.

In comparison, prices for the 2014 Tampa Bay Comic Con were similar to MegaCon's 2014 event, ranging from $30 for a one-day pass to $60 for all three days. The guest list, however, could not be compared as MegaCon 2014 featured Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee and several actors from AMC's The Walking Dead, including fan favorites Steven Yeun (Glenn), David Morrissey (The Governor) and Danai Gurira (Michonne). The resulting attendance numbers — approximately 80,000 fans — clobbered previous MegaCon crowds, but without a major price hike.

MegaCon's 2015 guest list is far from complete, but there are already some notable names included. A growing list of stars from the sci-fi cult hit Firefly includes Adam Baldwin (Jayne Cobb), Summer Glau (River Tam) and Alan Tudyk (Hoban Washburne). And Westley himself from The Princess Bride, Cary Elwes, was recently added. "I tried to hold off (on price increases) because times have been hard for everyone, but I just can't do it anymore if I want the show to be able to compete with other shows our size."