Fan Expo New Orleans: My Nostalgic Reality Check

This wasn’t just another con weekend. This was the trip.

Not my first time flying solo, but definitely my first time flying solo this far for pure pleasure. And not in that “hop on a flight, show up, snap some selfies” way—this was full-on “overthink every possible detail, what-if-I-forget-how-to-human” mode. Anxiety in full effect.

Crowds freak me out. Doing things alone? Also freaks me out. New places? Yep, sign me up for a panic attack. But I still did it—because honestly, you can’t wait for the perfect time to do something for yourself.

Day One: The Hotel Hellhole

Day One was all about getting there… and immediately second-guessing everything.

When I landed in NOLA, I spent nearly an hour traveling to the hotel I thought was near the con—nope, nowhere near it. Awesome start. So then? Another hour back in the opposite direction.

Where did I end up? Oh, just a motel straight out of a horror movie—like one of those places you see in slashers where you’re sure you’re not checking out in the morning. I stayed one night, took the hit for the other nights because there was no way in hell I was staying there. After four hours of bouncing around, I finally found a decent hotel about 20 minutes from the venue. The building? Let’s just say it was older than Doc Brown’s DeLorean in the third movie. There was a gap between the door and the wall wide enough for a ghost to slip through—so when the wind and rain started howling, my bed turned into a fridge. 😂 Cozy? Not exactly. But I was safe, and that’s all I needed.

Day Two: First Day at the Con (Friday)

No bag checks at the con, which was weird as hell considering what had just happened in New Orleans days before. But I wasn’t there to be paranoid—I was there for the Back to the Future cast.

I headed straight to the back, hoverboard in hand—because if I was gonna do this, I was gonna do it right. My plan? Get this bad boy signed by the legends themselves.

But of course, even if you already bought your autograph tickets online, you still had to stand in this endless line to get a “ticket for your ticket.” Like… why? So I waited. And waited. And waited.

Finally, I got my “ticket for a ticket” for MJF. Sweet—moving on. Oh wait, now I had to go stand in another line for the rest of the autographs. This line? Took me nearly an hour and a half to get through. I was one of the first couple hundred people in the con, and still… endless lines.

While waiting, everyone was complaining, swapping horror stories, and there was almost a fight. At one point, I was near the front of the line, but my full cast photo op time was coming up fast. The announcements? Couldn’t hear jack sh*t over the noise. So I grabbed a staffer and was like, “Can you check? I can’t miss my photo op.” She came back—“You’re good, they haven’t finished yet.” Sweet relief.

Finally, I got that “ticket of a ticket,” and bolted to the photo op area, psyched to see the whole cast. I picked Friday for my photo because I figured they’d still be fresh. Saturday? They’d be exhausted and I wanted a solid pic—especially for the price I paid.

I got there, so excited—“Sorry, we’re done with that photo op.”

Wait. What!?

I explained that someone just told me I was good. “Sorry, you’ll have to reschedule for tomorrow.” Wow. Just wow. So now I was on this wild goose chase around the con trying to find the spot to reschedule. Another half hour gone, just like that. I was defeated, pissed, and low-key heartbroken. I’d still get the photo, but it meant rearranging my entire Saturday and dealing with a cast that was probably going to be tired and over it.

But hey—con life, right?

After that, I tried to salvage Day Two. Next mission: Michael J. Fox’s autograph. Another hour-long line, but worth it, because I’ve been a fan since I could remember. Family Ties, BTTF, his books, his Parkinson’s work—I was hyped.

But man, what a letdown. I didn’t expect to sit and have coffee with him, but I thought I’d at least get to say “thank you.” Nope. It was an assembly line: you hand off your hoverboard to staffer A, it goes to staffer B, MJF signs it without even a glance, and staffer C hands it back. Three hundred bucks for… that. Felt like a private signing I just happened to be standing near.

The rest of the day? Wandering. Checking out some artists, vendors, random celebs. The con vibe was fun, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of “damn, was this worth it?”

Day Three: Redemption Arc (Saturday)

No bag checks again, but at this point… who even cares. I had stuff to do.

I wanted to buy more cool sh*t, but my hoverboard was already maxing out my carry-on game. Vendors and artists? Killed it. Some seriously cool stuff.

I hit up a couple panels first, and I gotta say: they were actually solid! Not everything was a total mess. Then it was time to get back to what I was there for: finishing my hoverboard autograph mission.

Saturday was Doc Brown, Biff, Lorraine, Strickland—let’s f*cking go.

Christopher Lloyd? Pretty quiet, not much interaction, but I told him I liked his sweater. Total grandpa vibes, but hey, he pulled it off. Lea Thompson? An absolute sweetheart. She told me she liked my hat (which I’m pretty sure was just her way of saying “you look like a grandpa too, bud”), and she even let me snap a few pics of her holding my hoverboard. Total legend.

I saw Strickland (James Tolkan) chilling at his booth—no line. Had to get it. Sweetest little dude. Fist bumps, “SLACKER” scribbled on my board—chef’s kiss.

Then Biff (Tom Wilson). No line either. I asked him: “If Biff was more like you, how would he have been?” He just deadpanned, “Not funny and overweight.” 😂 Tom Wilson, never change.

The final touch? Marvin Berry himself (Harry Waters Jr.). Not a huge part, but I had to get it. He wrote the lyrics to “Earth Angel” from the Enchantment Under the Sea dance. Pure gold.

I wanted Claudia Wells too, but my wallet said “nope,” and I already had a signed photo at home. Next time.

Photo op time rolled around again. Another cattle line—“don’t touch anyone, move fast, smile, NEXT!” I had this whole plan to say something cool, but as soon as I got up there and saw them all? My brain just… shut down. I put my hand on the back of MJF and Lorraine’s chairs—barely a touch—and that was it. That smile? That’s the most real smile I’ve ever had.

The rest of the day was Wild Bill’s soda, talking with artists, and finally feeling like the trip was worth it.

Day Four: The Vibe Check (Sunday)

Sunday was my “do I even go back?” day. My flight was later in the day, but I had a 3-day pass—so why not?

Sunday was all about mingling. No lines, no stress, just soaking it in. I hit a couple panels, thanked the staff for sticking it out after Friday’s mess. They deserved it.

Then I noticed a voice actor—Brittney Karbowski—who had the same last name as me. No line, so I went for it. “Hey Brittney, I’m not familiar with your work, but we’ve got the same last name so you gotta be awesome!” She lit up. Said she’d never met anyone outside her family with our name. We talked for a bit, and then she asked me for a photo. Mind. Blown. Thanks, Brittney—totally made Sunday worth it.

One last stop: Biff again. No line, so I asked him that same question again, and he cracked up—“Not funny and overweight.” 😂

After that, I just wandered, talked to artists, chugged Wild Bill’s soda like it was life itself, and soaked in every last bit before heading home. My hoverboard, covered in autographs, was ready to hit 88 MPH back to Michigan.

To Be Continued…?

Real Talk: Eco-Friendly Travel Wins

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Final Thoughts

If you’re thinking about hitting up Fan Expo New Orleans, or any con—go for it. Even if it doesn’t go how you pictured, you’ll come back with stories. Maybe a little heartbreak. Definitely some unexpected magic. And that’s the fun of it.

Got questions? Drop ‘em in the comments. Want to share your own con horror stories? Let’s hear ‘em—I’m all ears.

Until next time—✌️