If both my wife and I are going- would it be better for us to each sign up for a badge separately and therefore have two different chances on the hotel lottery?

Is there any downside to doing it this way?

Yes you would want to each buy your own badge. This gives you two entries into the lottery.

The only downside to this is if you plan on having your badge and tickets mailed to you. You will have to pay the $10 shipping charge twice, once for each account.

If you are doing Will Call, then there isn't a downside, as you can still purchase event tickets in May on one account for any friends.

The downside to Will Call is that this year, on Thursday morning,the line was over an hour, maybe even more. If you can get there Wednesday, then WC is not that bad

My wife and I are having to go lottery this year. My badge is paid by the company I volunteer for but I must go the reimburse route.
So, fingers crossed we get downtown and not some "No tell-Motel" at the airport.

grrrrr.

Good luck in the lotto man!  The Will Call line was still a 30 min wait on Wednesday at 1:00 p.m.  (My buddy had to go to it)  BUT compared to that line on Thursday!!  It was worth paying the $10 to have my badge and everything shipped to me.  (My buddy said he won't make that mistake again)

I wonder if there was less staff or just more Will Call customers. I know some people might not have the opportunity to pick up their badges before Thursday, but if you can do so. Even if its in the middle of the night late Wednesday early Thursday.

I would say the difference lat year is that everyone bought separate tickets for the lottery picks. That adds $10 each to the price of a badge. Before you could stick 3 people on one order and $10 wasn't bad. I will be buying three separate badges for me and my boys so we will get three lottery chances. Saving $30 at will-call is worth it to me. I plan to come in Tuesday night though.

Will Call is not so bad as long as you can get it done before Thursday morning.

On Wednesday afternoon, which is probably busiest Wednesday time, my group waited in line.  It took nearly 30 min (more than previous years), but you spend that time hanging out with people and talking about games, the Con, flipping through the onsite booklet, etc. 

I would not want to deal with that if I arrived on Thursday morning, though.

This year it is said they will be doing Etickets so the price for shipping may be no longer needed

If they go the all e-ticket route, that will pretty much do away with Will Call madness. Joy!

eTickets... interesting 
so will they be connected to the badge?

SO 4, 3, and 2 years ago I did Will Call. Most of the years I waited an hr-ish. Then 2 years ago I only waited 1min. Literally it took me longer to walk around the little lane dividers than it did for me to wait in the line and be called up. I showed up Wednesday around 2pm
Last year I had a bunch of system credit and I had it mailed to me. I was a little upset because my last name is really late in the Alpha and I had to wait FOREVER for my badge. HOWEVER I was overjoyed when I saw the Wednesday night will call line(which I'll often wait for) was outside the door and around the block. 
 

Hi,

Yes, e tickets are connected to badges.

Marian McBrine
Event Coordinator
Gen Con LLC

An odd question: If you get a hotel through the hotel lottery, what do the prices run?

BUT the 400 is a off case when you get one of the deluxe suites offered at some places. 

More likely 180-250 downtown normal room. 
 

Marian McBrine
Event Manager
Gen Con LLC

Their hotel pricing page is already up for this year.

Click on 'Attend' and then 'Hotel Information' at the top of the page.