For many nerds, their first interaction with a major fandom from Japan was the American counterpart to the Tokusatsu Super Sentai TV series, Power Rangers. High-flying fighters, crazy acrobatics, wild monsters, and epic battles with tons of flames kept many kids and adults alike glued to their television sets as their favorite colorful, shiny spandex-clad defenders fought off the forces of evil with their top-notch martial arts skills, cheesy clapbacks, and signature moves. As a lifelong Power Rangers fan, I always enjoy the opportunity to interact with the fandom. For the most part, outside of digital spaces, I never really get the chance to enjoy Power Rangers at conventions aside from a few of the actors making appearances and a cosplayer showing their love for the franchise. That is, until November 14th-16th, 2025, at the SeaWorld DoubleTree in Orlando, Florida.
RangerStop Orlando 2025 was a full celebration of everything Power Rangers hosted by true Power Ranger fans. From star-studded panels with all of your favorite actors to community activities, this was the ultimate space to engage in the fandom. There is a lot to cover about this event, so I'll be going over the highlights, some thoughts on the RangerStop Orlando, and if you're a Power Rangers fan looking to attend the next one, what you could expect from the next RangerStop showcase.
General Experience
Walking into the convention space for the first time was exciting. Everyone attending was buzzing, exchanging small talk, casually stopping each other to start deep lore conversations, and snapping pictures together. The vibes were immaculate as a DJ played high-tempo jams, keeping everyone grooving as they moved throughout the venue. Speaking of the venue, the Seaworld DoubleTree is not a large hotel, but it was the perfect size for the intimacy of this event. Before entering the event, we entered through a security checkpoint and then walked through a backdrop walk where attendees could snap photos in front of the RangerStop logo. From there, the venue was split into three areas: the main panel room, the main hallway, the vendor hall, as well as the outside terrace, where many had taken the space to take aesthetic photos.
The vendor hall was a collector's haven filled to the brim with Power Rangers and Super Sentai memorabilia, nostalgic media merch, and nearly two rows of Power Rangers royalty, such as actors and stunt performers. It was lovely to see Power Rangers actors whom I'd met before at other events, fully in their element and meeting with fans. On the collector's side, we had a ball looking at the different morphers from singing some unique custom pieces and collectibles from similar franchises like Voltron and Gundam. In the panel room, we got to see our favorite on the main stage recounting their time as rangers, behind-the-scenes information from the Power Rangers crew, highlights of the series from the cast, and so much more.
While all of the panels were a treat to attend, I was particularly fond of the Forever Red: The Leaders of the Morphin Grid, Power of Yellow: The Spirit of the Team, and Props and Power: Crafting the Morphin Gear panels. During the Forever Red and Power of Yellow panels, we got to meet red and yellow Rangers from across the Power Rangers franchise. Iconic red Rangers like Steve Cardenas, Brandon Jay McLaren, and Rorrie Travis shared their experiences as red Rangers from their casting process and origin stories in acting to fun banter between the actors. I enjoyed the energy and camaraderie between Hunter Deno and Russel Curry, who shared the screen in Power Rangers Cosmic Fury. As for the yellow rangers, it was so exciting to see Karan Ashely, Nakia Burrise, and Lesean Davis alongside the other amazing yellow rangers. Their experiences and love for the fans and fandom were on full display, hyping up audience members for their encyclopedic knowledge of Power Rangers episodes and giving cudos to their fellow rangers throughout the panel. The love that was shared between the yellow rangers on the stage was warm and infectious, and had me smiling ear to ear the entire time. All in all, all of the panels were fairly enjoyable and a worthwhile experience for fans of the shows.
Aside from the vendor hall and the panels, there were a handful of other activities to participate in, such as the professional photos you could book, trivia, Karaoke, and an after-party everyone could attend Saturday night. Despite these activities, we did feel like the convention could've expanded on its offerings. Regarding panels, it would've been swell to see a few fan panels in addition to the curated panels by RangerStop. Additionally, I think it would've been nice to have more kitchy experiences. Maybe something like Power Rangers TTRPG (tabletop role-playing games) or board games, a Power Rangers video game free play, a Power Rangers viewing room for attendees to watch the show during the event, or any other fun Power Rangers experience. After going through the vendor hall and attending a few panels, I found that there was quite a bit of downtime that would've been great to spend doing more activities. That said, the BN'K on Tour team had a blast chatting with attendees and guests, snapping photos, and nerding out with our fellow Power Ranger fans.
Final Thoughts
RangerStop was a Power Rangers convention for the true Power Rangers fan. The energy that surrounded the event, the closeness that we felt walking around, was unlike anything you could experience at a larger convention. I think this convention shines in its ability to make everyone feel like family and bring this feeling of comfort and coziness. As I walked around, I asked a few attendees about their experience attending RangerStop, and I continued to hear the same sentiment from everyone. "I feel welcome,". That's what makes RangerStop special: it's a welcoming space where every fan is treated with respect and the joy of Power Rangers is celebrated by everyone. A huge congratulations is owed to the entire staff of RangerStop Orlando, as they hosted a wonderful event and absolutely contributed to the atmosphere of the event. If you yourself are a fan of the series and are looking for an opportunity to enjoy a community surrounded by your favorite fandom, I highly recommend catching the next RangerStop Orlando when it comes around, or trying out RangerStop's sister convention, Ranger Stop & Pop in Atlanta, Georgia.
Comments
Post a Comment