I'm convinced 99% of complaint posts are from ppl who've never done AX before
Every year for the past almost decade was this crowded. Artist Alley was always this crowded, and South Hall was honestly more walkable this year than previous years. Entering the con has never been easier and faster (previous years it would legitimately take 3-5hrs just to ENTER from outside). They did a good job shutting down the entire section of road when previous years did little to nothing to prevent car and pedestrian accidents. The security did a great job keeping crowds moving and dividing the hallways for traffic.
Only complaints I agree with are the on-going lack of places to rest, the over-selling of badges, and ppl constantly getting yelled at for taking a breather, even in places that are completely out of the way. That and them moving 18+ to the basement resulting in crazy stagnant hot air and the basically halving artist alley.
Other than that, lines were long for events and big tickets panels, but they always are. Lines for booths moved fast more often than they didnt (remember 2023's horrible line issues in the exhibit hall).
Yes AX is corporate now, it has been for a decade at least. Idk why every year is new complaints about how AX doesn't feel cozy anymore when in reality it hasn't since before most of these posters were old enough to attend. It's the biggest anime convention in the western hemisphere and draws massive crowds from all over the globe, its going to be big, crowded, and impersonal. It's going to cater to big industries.
AX, like many things in life, is a case of fun my vary, and you get what you put into it. If you can tolerate heat, crowds, and waiting, it's a blast to attend. You can find anything you're looking for if you give it a chance. If you want a cozier feeling, try chatting with booth runners or artist alley sellers, more often than not they're huge enthusiasts also looking to gush about their interests. If you want to mingle with con goers attend some of the cosplay meet-ups or after-hours events where people are more open to friendly chatter and the hellish crowds associated with the main halls are gone. Lot of smaller panels also host open mic Q&As with basically no lines to get up and converse.
Basically, yes crowds suck and lines suck, but this is crowd and line con, it has been for years, and honestly it's immensely better than it was say 4-6 years ago. The runners *do* learn and improve on their crowd management in every consecutive year, believe me. AX is the biggest beast an anime fan will face without a passport, but if you can go with the flow it's still the funnest experience you can have, loaded with money or on a shoestring budget.