I went to cons during 2013-2019 and remember the experiences being way more fun. There were alot more 24/7 cons where the game rooms were open all night. I did not go to any parties during those years.

Now a days after the pandemic, cons have gotten shorter hours on everything. Unless you live in a city like chicago, cons are basically dead after 10 pm or even midnight.

The people who you surround yourself with will make or break the con. One piece of advice I can give any one is, if you feel red flags from some one, fucking run. It's much better to have friends who are real then ones who aren't.