ANAHEIM, California -- Just last year, you couldn't make it across the Anaheim Convention Center lobby without getting swept up in a Vidcon tradition: the teen stampede.
Of the more than 20,000 people who come here to see their favorite YouTube stars, the overwhelming majority are teen girls. And from their fervor sprang one spontaneous bum-rush after another -- one fan would spot a mark, start running and shrieking, and the horde would follow (whether they knew who they were chasing or not).
Here's what happened when "The Fault in Our Stars author," YouTuber and Vidcon co-founder John Green came through in 2014:
Those days appear to be over. This year, it's downright peaceful in here.
A handful of security guards who spoke with Mashable all said the same thing: They were told to strictly enforce a "no running" rule.
"That's why I'm here," said one yellow-clad guard who was situated in the middle of the floor, his eyes darting around the lobby even as he spoke with me. "To stop people from running before they start."
What fans are allowed to do: Line up politely for a hug, quick chat and a selfie with their favorite YouTube channel makers. The lineup process was also new on the convention floor this year, although it wasn't all that organized -- these were just spontaneous meet-ups -- and it was happening everywhere you looked.
Here's Lexie Lombard (313,000 subscribers), who attracted a line of more than 20 fans at any given time:
And here's Evan Edinger (123,000 subscribers) and Dodie Clark (190,000) who chose the group-around-me format over a line:
That isn't to say there was no running or screaming at Vidcon 2015. Here's a minor skirmish I caught on Friday afternoon:
Besides tighter security, there are a few more factors at play here.
This audience is a year older, with many returning fans. A lot of those fans have started channels of their own -- just look at all the kids off on the sidelines, shooting on selfie sticks and tripods -- making them less likely to be starstruck.
But perhaps the most important factor: The biggest-name talent doesn't even travel via the convention floor anymore.
Digital stars now get ushered around in black cars with tinted windows instead of golf carts @GloZell says of #Vidcon changes— Saba Hamedy (@saba_h) July 24, 2015
Whatever the reason, the days of this seem to be over:
Maybe Vidcon, in its sixth year, has finally grown up.