Whether it’ll be your first time attending Anime North, or you’re an experienced congoer looking to find out what’s new about this convention…I’m sure this guide will have everything you need to know about AN this year!
Name: Anime North Date: May 26-28, 2023 (AN usually takes place the same week of Victoria Day Holiday) Location: Toronto Congress Centre and surrounding hotels (Toronto, Ontario) Website: https://www.animenorth.com/live/ Hotel room availability: Farther hotels easy but closest hotels very difficult (the closest and most popular hotels sell out minutes within opening) Costs Weekend Pass: $70 CAD ($75 CAD at the door) Hotel rooms: Around $150-200 CAD (booking under Anime North convention block) Parking: Free parking at the convention centre during the day, low cost parking overnight at hotels Budget: Approximately $300-$400 CAD if lodging with 3 other roommates ($100 for hotel, $60 for food, $60 for weekend pass, $30-$50 for gas if you plan on driving, $50-$100 for items in the dealer’s room). Overall costs: This convention is cheap for a big con!
Oh Anime North! I’ve been going to this convention for years, so I definitely know a lot about it! And that’s why I wanted to make this Anime North guide. For those who don’t know, here are some quick facts before we get started:
Toronto's Anime North 2019 Brings Thousands Of Fans Together
If you’re one of my loyal readers from Toronto, then you should skip this section since you probably already know your way around Anime North. But for those who’ve never been to this convention, then read on with my Anime North guide!
Anime North is located on the outskirts of Toronto beside the airport. This makes it very easy to access the convention by car, as the area is surrounded by numerous highways. Whether you’re coming from areas close to Buffalo or Detroit in the west, or from Ottawa/Montreal in the east, all you have to do is take Highway 401 all the way to Toronto and get off at the Dixon Road/Martin Grove Road exit.
Tip: There’s plenty of free parking during the day at the Toronto Congress Centre. However, do not use the SOUTH main parking lot entrance at Dixon Road, as it is jammed with traffic all day and with tons of attendees crossing at the intersection, you’ll have a tough time getting through. A better idea is to drive a few blocks up on Martin Grove Road and enter using the NORTH entrance, which is far less crowded.
Cater And Vil Spotted At Anime North!!!
For parking overnight, most of the hotels at Anime North offer free parking. There’s a few like the Delta that charge close to $20 a day, so be sure to set aside some money just in case. $20 a day isn’t so bad when you consider other places charge a lot more (I’m looking at you Youmacon!).
While there aren’t any Greyhound buses or VIA Rail that go straight to the airport, they do stop in downtown Toronto and from there, you can easily get to the airport and Anime North. From downtown Toronto, you can take either one of 2 options to reach Anime North by public transit:
1. Toronto Transit Commission – Toronto’s local public transit system has an extensive network of subway lines, buses and streetcars that can get you anywhere in the city, including Anime North! The 52 Lawrence West bus (branches A, B and D, NOT F) is the main bus serves the Anime North area and comes very often. The bus runs 24 hours, so you’ll have no problem getting to and from Anime North with the TTC. It costs $3.25 cash to take the TTC one way.
File:anime North 2017 Gashapon Img 5004.jpg
2. Union Pearson Express: There’s a premium express train that goes from downtown all the way to the airport in less than 30 minutes! The Union Pearson Express is super convenient, but pricier to use than the TTC. A one-way ticket will cost you $12.35, and $9.25 with a Presto card (although if you’re not from Greater Toronto Area then it’s not worth purchasing it). Once you get off at the airport, you can take the shuttle bus to your hotel.
If you’re pressed on time, then I recommend taking the UP Express going to Anime North, and then taking the TTC when the convention is done.
Anime North is conveniently located close to Pearson International Airport, which is the main airport for Toronto and surrounding areas. Chances are, you’re probably staying at a hotel near the airport or the convention. In either case, you can take the 52 Lawrence West bus east to the Toronto Congress Centre, where Anime North takes place.
Disney Cosplay, Animation Industry Talk At Toronto's Anime North
Because Anime North is located around the airport area, the area is kind of bland (like most neighborhoods near an international airport). Fortunately, there’s a bunch of quick eats and restaurants surrounding the convention centre, so you won’t have to venture out of the area if you’re looking for food. We’ll cover that later in this Anime North guide.
Let’s talk about the actual venues for Anime North, starting with the Toronto Congress Centre. There are actually two buildings: the south building and the north building.
The south building isn’t too aesthetically pleasing to be honest, with its warehouse-like interior and dark flooring. It reminds me of a flea market, which is coincidental because this dealer’s room and artist alley happens to be. I guess the aesthetics is not the fault of Anime North, but they really should consider renovating it.
The Funniest Thing I Saw At Anime North
The north building is really nice. It’s very modern-looking and beautiful. Unfortunately, the convention hardly ever uses this building and I wish they used it more often. Of all the times I’ve been to Anime North, only once did I ever get to enter the north building, and that was for the closing ceremonies. There’s a political convention that takes place every year the same weekend as Anime North. So that’s probably why the south building is used a lot more. For 2023, maybe things will be different…and you’ll get to see the beautiful north building.
Anime North is different in that unlike most conventions, the life and activity of Anime North congregates outside in the parking lot of the Toronto Congress Centre. It’s where congoers lounge and socialize with other people. An area where cosplayers do their photoshoots. It’s where the outdoor rave takes place. Where the idol dance groups and DJ’s play their music and perform
The parking lot is like a street festival for geeks and attendees. And as a Canadian who puts up with crappy weather 75% of the year, I find it AMAZING when you put Otaku street festival+beautiful spring weather together. It truly is a nice experience.
Chag's Anime North 2011 Adventure
The Delta Hotel across the street from the Toronto Congress Centre is the second main building used for Anime North. It’s a pretty nice hotel and they recently underwent a renovation. Inside the hotel there’s a Starbucks, along with a couple of convenience stores and higher-end restaurants. It’s kind of small for a convention hotel, at least compared to other cons I’ve been to.
Almost all of the panels take place in the Delta, along with the main and special events such as the Masquerade, maid café and video rooms. The Delta Hotel gets very crowded in the lobby hallways, especially on Saturday. So whatever you do, do not ask for a cosplay photo in the middle of the hallway! You’ll get some dirty looks from a lot of congoers if you do this. Ask them to move to the side if you want a quick photo (there’s actually a lot of unspoken rules of cosplay photo etiquette).
The third building is the Sheraton Hotel. This is where all the gaming stuff happens (video games, board games, card gaming). In one room, you have all the console and computer gaming. The next room, you have all the rhythm games like Dance Dance Revolution and Rock Band. In another room, you have the card games and board games. Like the Delta Hotel, the Sheraton Hotel isn’t too large and you can walk the entire hallway in less than a minute. But it seems to fit all the gaming programming into one building! Getting here from the Toronto Congress Centre or the Delta Hotel is a hassle though.
Matenrou Opera To Appear At Anime North In Toronto, Canada This Spring
Unlike those two buildings, the Sheraton Hotel is separated by a long highway bridge you have to cross a long highway bridge in order to get there. It’s about a 10-15 minute walk from the Sheraton Hotel to the Congress Centre and Delta Hotel.
When it’s hot outside, it can be a real hassle to do this walk! Anime North does have shuttle buses to and from the Sheraton hotel, but you do have to wait a while. This is where the TTC pass comes in handy, because you only have to take the bus 1 stop to get to each venue. I did this and it was so convenient and fast because the 52 Lawrence bus comes every 10 minutes or less. So if you’re big on the gaming and plan on spending good amount of time here, consider buying a TTC weekend transit pass to make your
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