(Please remember, Mr. Letterman, that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.)

For those of you who either have never been to Dragon*Con before, or you’re feeling at odds about what to do next, this Canadian duo of roving reporters give you the top ten list of things you must do before 5PM on Saturday at Dragon*Con.

10. Watch at least an hour of DCTV. Because the people who create the content are built of awesome, and you might see a panel you couldn’t see because you were at that other panel that you needed to see. Oh, and Bob and Carl rock.

9. Offer at least five “high-fives” to people wearing costumes that are so fanatabulous that you can’t believe your eyes. (Discretion is crucial here; please politely ask before doing so.)

8. Go to at least one panel in the big rooms [Centennial Ballroom (Hy), Atrium Ballroom (M), or Peachtree Ballroom (W)]. Yes, they are always worth the wait in line, even though it’s a really long line.

7. Visit the Dealers’ rooms. Because if you wait, all the good stuff will be gone, gone, gone. Trust me, I’ve been disappointed when I waited until Sunday or Monday.

6. Check out the Walk of Fame in the Grand Ballroom (Hil) and stand in line to talk to at least one star that you’ve always admired. Or that you kinda like. Or maybe that your third cousin on your mother’s ex’s side thought was interesting back when they wore oversized sweatshirts and used way too much mousse in their hair. Because the stars in the Walk of Fame want to meet people (that’s why they’re here), and you’ll have something to brag about at school/work on Tuesday morning.

5. Visit the Consuite. Because they have free food, and it tastes good, and the people who volunteer there are working very hard to help you stay fueled this weekend. (Feel free to thank them while you’re there; it makes them feel all warm and fuzzy inside.)

4. Donate blood. The entire process takes around an hour (probably less), you’ll be saving three lives, and they give you a free T-shirt and yummy snacks. And let’s face it, we want to beat Comic-Con’s butt.

3. Go to the parade. Because it most certainly is NOT a typical parade. If you’re reading this after the parade is over, then your back-up plan is to attend either the Masquerade on Sunday at 8:30PM, Centennial I-II-III (Hy), or one of the concerts – see the Live Performances track for more info.

2. Download the Dragon*Con App (available for iOS, Android, and WebOS for Windows and BlackBerry). If you’re not convinced, ask someone who’s already using the app. It is so full of feature goodness that you will never look at the pocket program the same way again.

1. And the number one thing you MUST do before 5PM on Saturday…spend an hour in the lobby of the Marriott because that’s where all the good cosplayers hang out. And if you can’t make it by five o’clock, fear not, young Padawan. If you drop by after 11PM, you’ll be in for a sweet eye-candy treat!