One of the Best Anime Conventions in Orlando: AFO 2025

As someone who has been attending cons since 2013, I’ve seen the shift in convention culture. Conventions that once filled small hotel meeting rooms or community centers now take over convention centers and multiple hotels, growing to feature larger talent, sponsors, exhibitor halls, and venues. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it is very different from the conventions of previous decades, and I’m a sucker for the conventions of that era. Smaller, cozier events where everyone knows each other, and yet each year you discover something new. You get to watch your friends and community grow, and there's something nostalgic and endearing about it all. 

I haven’t felt this way about a convention in a long time, but that’s what this year's Anime Festival of Orlando (AFO) felt like. It felt like home. I've been going to AFO for nearly a decade, and I’ve seen the event change and grow over the years, but these last two years feel like a renaissance for the convention, as AFO has found its stride, honing in on what makes this event special. So let’s discuss the Anime Festival of Orlando 2025, where we’ll cover my first impressions, my general experience, and my final thoughts. 

First Impressions 

Friday, walking into the doors of AFO’s new home, the Rosen Plaza Hotel, was such a whimsical experience. Cosplayers and nerdy attendees milled about the hotel lobby area, getting photos and expressing their excitement for the event weekend, while the regular hotel guests smiled in amazement and requested photos. Passing the lobby to badge registration, there was the information desk and the official AFO merch counter. Entering the registration area the line was short, and moved quickly which is always nice and from there, the event was in a simple layout, with main events, the artist alley, exhibitor hall, and 18+ marketplace downstairs, and the panel rooms, gaming rooms, the AFO exclusive Warriors of Orlandia, and the Sweet Tooth Maid Cafe upstairs on the second floor.

Because I arrived early at the event on Friday, foot traffic was light, but the excitement was clear. I started the weekend with opening ceremonies, which was the right move, as I got the opportunity to see what Anime Festival Orlando had in store for everyone during its 3-day weekend. Opening ceremonies covered various sponsors, such as PC/Nametag, Fairvilla, and Holiday Masturi, their partners like Goblin Market and The Center, as well as featuring some of their after parties, talent, and main events of the weekend. The highlight of the main events was the opening act for Anime Festival Orlando’s ongoing Live Action Role Play and Tabletop Role Playing game, Warriors of Orlandia, this year called Champions of Orlandia. The actors/NPCs (Non-playable charcters) were phenomenal, and the simple effects on the large screen on stage added a lot of depth to what was happening, creating an immersive experience. Once the opening ceremonies concluded, I was off to explore what AFO 2025 had in store for me.

AFO on the Bottom Floor

The bottom floor of the Rosen Plaza hotel was filled with the typical convention fare, in addition to the vendor hall, artist alley, and main events, there was also a cafe, access to the pool area, and the general lobby. Starting with the previously mentioned artist alley, I loved the diversity and creativity on display. AFO offered one of my favorite artist alleys to date this year, pulling so much incredible talent from Florida into one area. I admit I went overboard in the artist alley and ended up purchasing way too many things that I do not regret. The layout of the area was easy to navigate, with ample space to walk through, and it was accessible to non-attendees, which I think was great for the artists, as many times I hear my artist peers comment on how they don’t get the kind of visibility they need when they're tucked away in the exhibitor hall. Some of my standouts from the artist alley were RAP1993, Frankie D., and Zombiebass.

Moving into the vendor hall, I will say there weren’t many things that caught my attention, but I did enjoy Lion Gaming Store’s wares, I loved the inclusion of a gacha arcade via Arcade Atlantis, and I was thrilled to see Escape Room Express back again, among a few other booths that sold clothing items, 3D Printed items, and other traditional convention vendor fare such as anime figures, fans, and kimono inspired dresses. This could be because I admittedly attend around 5 to 10 conventions a year, but I would’ve like to see more from the vendor hall. In the vendor hall, past a staffed table for age verification and on the other side of a blackout curtain lay the 18+ vendor hall, which had a surprising amount of unique vendors. In the 18+ marketplace, I got to see “cultured” media of all sorts in the comfortably spaced and secluded area. I always giggle when I enter an adult space, as if somehow I’m doing something I’m not supposed to.  I’m still not mature enough, I suppose. Regardless, all of the AFO staff were kind and way more mature than I, ensuring that attendees in the area walked out into a separate hallway from the regular vendor hall exit upon leaving for privacy and safety reasons. The layout was similar to the regular vendor hall, with plenty of space to see what wares the 18+ vendors have to offer. Fairvilla had an entire themed display filled with anime-themed goodies that are sure to bring a good time. Some of my other highlights from this space were Tom’s Hentai Doujinshi, Cheeky Needlework, and Rotten Girl Gang. All in all, I genuinely enjoyed everything the vendor hall had to offer, and I was pleased with what AFO had curated.

Off to the right of registration and various marketplace areas was the cafe, which served a discounted menu for AFO weekend. The menu offered several affordable meal options that included an entree, a side, and a drink, all for under 12 bucks, which is a steal considering how much convention food normally costs. Across from the cafe was the outdoor pool area, where many cosplayers were taking photos, joined by general patrons lounging around the pool. Passed the cafe, and the elevators were the elevators separate from the main crowds, which was perfect for disabled patrons, as it was out of the way of the main walkway that got crowded throughout the day.

AFO on the Top Floor

The Top Floor of the convention had so much amazing stuff happening, I kind of got overwhelmed. Starting in the gaming rooms, the Tabletop room had two sides with a plethora of activities to engage in. On one side, there was a board game library, mahjong tables, which were super cool,  and miniature painting sessions hosted by Donnie Dynamo. On the other side of the room, role-playing games were hosted by Kristian Eros, a talented voice actor and D&D DM (Dungeons & Dragons, Dungeon Master), whom I watched in one of his sessions for a while and found myself captivated by his storytelling. There was also the gaming room that had a standard array of games on different systems and hosted gaming tournaments throughout the day. 

One of my favorite areas of the con was the panel rooms, where I spent a lot of time. The panels are all located in one area, with the panel numbers clearly labeled outside of each room, along with a room-specific schedule where you could check to see what was happening depending on the time. In the center of the panel area was a table and plenty of space to chat and take photos. Outside of the panel rooms, there were tables of the convention partners and vendors alike showcasing upcoming events and shows in the area. On the opposite side of the upstairs area was the Warriors of Orlandia Tavern and Sweet Tooth Maid Cafe. Warriors of Orlandia was top notch this year, offering an entertaining storyline with all of the usual Orlandia features, such as the many gaming “quests” you can take on, crafty activities, NPC volunteer interactions, and of course, playing the game Warriors of Orlandia. Collecting experience points and coins for the game is exciting and sometimes frustrating, as some of the tasks required to get in-game currency are challenging; however, it’s all in good fun. The game itself has changed quite a bit, as in previous years, the game was called Champions of Orlandia, but the game functioned similarly, so I picked it up easily despite the changes.

Sweet Tooth Maid Cafe actually heals my soul every time I attend. I am biased when I say that, but I still think anybody attending is sure to have a good time. I’ve covered Sweet Tooth in depth last year, which you can read here, but I have a new experience review ready for you from this year, as well. The most important thing you can take away from a Sweet Tooth Maid cafe experience is that it's good, lighthearted fun for everyone, and if you’re at AFO, you should take the time to attend for sure.

Main Events @ AFO

If you like to party, then Anime festival of Orlando had you covered, as each night there was something fun and energizing to get into. Starting on Friday evening, we got a pair of performances from Azazus and Mac Ro, bringing anime hiphop vibes. Friday also hosted a drag race hosted by Oriana Peron, an Ongaku All Night dance party hosted by Ongaku Overdrive, who brought out the Talent Mega Ran, an 18+ cosplay contest, and a Baldur’s Gate-themed Burlesque Show. Saturday brought an equal amount of exciting events, like an aerials show, which, oh my gosh, an aerials show, the cosplay rave, CosplayRavia, hosted by Tiny Waves, and my favorite event of all, the Idol Fest. 

Idol Fest was a thrilling 2-hour show hosted by Project Appleverse! It featured 13 acts, including Project Appleverse, and maintained a packed audience for the majority of the show. Some standout performances from Idol Fest include Jubsey, who did an Apothecary Diaries-themed act, and Solaris, who did two songs by Sanrio’s gothic vampire cat group, Beatcats and H.E.A.R.T.FU.L Idols. Of course, all of the idols put on an unforgettable show that left me stunned and smiling the whole way through.

Final Thoughts

Anime Festival of Orlando is a staple convention in the Orlando area, and there’s a reason why: it’s because they’re the best at what they do. A convention with over 20 years in the game can run its course, stagnate, and fizzle out quickly; it takes a lot of time, dedication, and attention to curate an event that evolves but still holds onto its core values and original spirit, and AFO has done that wonderfully. I think AFO still has some room for improvement, but overall, they put together such a solid showcase this year, and they are actively working to grow the event in a way that feels fun, modern, and considerate of all of the anime fans that attend for the first time or return year after year. If you haven’t made it to an Anime Festival of Orlando show, you are missing out on one of the best convention experiences Central Florida has to offer.