Colossalcon North 2023
No better time for a waterpark anime convention
The wave pool at the Wisconsin Dells Kalahari resort.
Colossalcon North is an anime convention held at a waterpark resort in Wisconsin Dells, WI. As the newest of four Colossalcon events, you could consider it the baby sister convention. It’s younger, smaller, and seems quaint when compared to its older siblings. This is in contrast to the resort in which it’s held.
Colossalcon North isn’t crowded, rooms are easy to book, and it has most of the anime convention elements you’d expect: artist alley, vendor hall, gaming, concerts, a cosplay contest, and more. The convention follows the same pattern as the other Colossalcon events. This should come as no surprise since it’s operated by the same people. It hosts many of the same guests and the main events are similar.
The easygoing, do as you please feel of Colossalcon events was in full effect at Colossalcon North. It’s November and you’re in Wisconsin. What else is there to do but meander around the resort, attending some panels, playing in the arcade, or relaxing in the hot tubs?
Alcohol is widely available and room parties are everywhere. You can loosen up and put aside the concerns of daily life. There’s a large room full of video games of all types. There are board games and a manga room if you prefer a quieter environment. Panels are entertaining and run late into the night. There’s a cosplay contest too, although this year’s was stricken with organizational issues and staff reportedly yelled at some contestants.
Colossalcon is often called out for doing something wrong and this event was no different. Some people even boycott Colossalcon, but most attendees are unaware of the drama and enjoy it in blissful ignorance.
Cosplaying is, of course, a popular activity at Colossalcon North. While I didn’t see anything especially mind blowing and you won’t find very many social media influencers or veteran cosplayers in attendance, it's still fun to see people dressed up and enjoying themselves.
The Kalahari Resort
The Wisconsin Dells Kalahari waterpark and convention center is the first Kalahari resort ever built, opening in 2000. The Kalahari brand has four locations in total, each with a Colossalcon event:
- Colossalcon - Sandusky, Ohio
- Colossalcon East - Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania
- Colossalcon Texas - Round Rock, Texas
- Colossalcon North - Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
The design and theming of the hotel is marginally worse than the Ohio and Pennsylvania resorts, exposing the inexperience of the owners during their first attempt at building an African themed resort hotel. Each successive resort improved upon the last, culminating in the Kalahari resort in Round Rock, TX, which is easily the best looking resort.
The African theming in the Wisconsin Dells location is nice in some places like the updated convention center, but looks tacked on in other areas. It’s as though the building was constructed and then the theming was added rather than it being included as a design element from the start. The hallways are cramped and the lobby feels small and boxy. There’s a skywalk which runs the length of the convention center and across the street to the Sands wing. It feels odd because it is odd.
For their first resort, it appears the owners didn’t have the foresight to leave enough room for improvements. They perhaps had no way of predicting how successful it would be. With four resorts currently operating and a fifth under construction, the Kalahari business model is obviously very successful. You can see how the Wisconsin resort was expanded over the years by looking at a map. The original layout made sense as just a mid-sized waterpark resort and convention center, but as time went on the resort needed to expand. New slides and attractions were added as well as more room for events.
In 2011, the convention center and indoor waterpark were expanded and the Tom Foolerys Adventure Park added. The old layout revealed its flaws, though. It was impossible to place Tom Foolerys near the waterpark like it is at the other resorts. There was no choice but to place it at the end of one wing resulting in a long walk to the end of the resort. The waterpark is nestled against the I-90/94 freeway so it can only be expanded in one direction. It’s long and skinny compared to the more spacious waterparks at the other resorts. If they want to expand the outdoor waterpark they would have to tear down part of the hotel, which probably doesn’t make financial sense. These aren't necessarily deal breakers. The resort has the same attractions so you’re not missing out on anything. You could view it as a benefit that you’ll be getting your steps in at this resort.
Since all Colossalcons are held at Kalahari resorts, they all have the same feel. It’s an odd mix of African theming and anime weebs. If you stumbled through time and landed randomly in one of the Colossalcon events, you’d have a hard time knowing which one you were at based on the convention center. Despite the age of the facility, this one is quite nice-looking and well maintained. It’s heavily African themed, of course, but this one seems to do it better than the others. Only the Texas resort stands out due to its more modern, clean and sophisticated design.
The resort’s design and layout doesn’t lend itself to video or photography as well as the other Kalahari resorts. Attractions are spread out, requiring you to walk long distances. That means cosplayers are also spread out. The Tom Foolerys Adventure Park (arcade) is at one end of the resort, the waterpark is in the middle, and the convention center is at the other end. Restaurants and shops are scattered throughout. The walk from the arcade to the distant Sands wing is longer than a city block and takes at least 10 minutes to complete.
The waterpark feels cramped and unattractive for photos. It works well as a water park, but not as a shooting location. I did a full lap around the park before I realized I completely missed the wave pool near the entrance. It’s small and oddly shaped compared to the other Kalahari resorts. Given the time of year, natural light comes in at low angles and is restricted by the relative lack of windows. The outdoor pools are closed, leaving just the indoor park. It’s too cold and ugly to shoot outside except perhaps at the wooded area behind the Sands wing.
The arcade is still a good photography location, but you’ll want to plan your shoots. There aren’t enough cosplayers to happen upon them randomly as I usually do. I quickly made the decision to not make a video at all and instead did a few photo shoots with friends. This allowed me the time to actually enjoy some panels which I rarely do anymore. I was entertained and surprised by the knowledge some attendees had of obscure video game music. One panel had us guessing which hentai image was AI generated. I apparently don’t know my hentai because I was wrong pretty much every time 😅. I’m okay with this.
Getting There
All of the Colossalcon events are hard to get to and this one is no exception. I guess part of what makes a resort town a resort town is being far away from large centers of population. Wisconsin Dells is 50 minutes away from the nearest commercial airport in Madison, WI. Chicago, IL and Minneapolis, MN are at least 3 hours away. You really have no other option than to drive there. The weather was actually pretty good this year, but imagine if there was a snow storm. The road conditions could become dangerous. This restricts its attendee base to locals and crazy people like me. Given the choice of Colossalcons, I recommend attending the one that’s most convenient for you.
It was hard to estimate attendance at Colossalcon North, but I would put it in the range of four to eight thousand attendees. With things being so spread out at this resort there was never a time when everyone was in one place. Some people were in the arcade, some in the waterpark, and others in the convention center. I heard one employee say they’ve never seen the parking lot so full, indicating that Colossalcon North is one of the larger events at the resort. There were times when it didn’t seem like there were that many people there, but the resort was at capacity and simple math would lead to such numbers. With 756 rooms at the resort, that’s somewhere around 1,500 to 4,500 guests, depending on how many people are in each room. As we know, anime convention attendees tend to pack rooms beyond capacity. Also, not everyone stays at the resort, although it is highly recommended.
The Tom Foolerys Adventure park is a highlight of the resort. It’s an arcade of sorts which features a Ferris Wheel, raised go kart track, mini coaster, climbing wall, escape rooms, a full bowling alley and more. It’s located all the way at the end of one hotel wing, about a 5 minute walk from the indoor waterpark. You can play games by loading a card with credits, earn points or tickets by winning, and convert them into prizes. It has a lot to offer and seems to have the most variety of attractions out of all the resorts, beating out all but the Texas resort in terms of size.
The convention center is at the other end of the resort from the arcade. Thanks to an expansion in 2011, it looks good and offers plenty of space for this convention. Finishes and decorations are professional and aesthetically pleasing. It’s well maintained and has some of the cleanest bathrooms I’ve ever seen.
At just two years old, Colossalcon North is doing well for itself. It’s the newest Colossalcon at the oldest Kalahari and I predict it will likely continue to grow just like the other Colossalcon events. If you’re in Wisconsin or the neighboring states, it’s worth checking out. Round up your friends, book your room, and plan your cosplays.
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