Author Topic: First year, Any tips?  (Read 4313 times)

Offline Daftrckr

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First year, Any tips?
« on: June 08, 2017, 12:47:16 PM »
This is my first year attending the Con, been trying for close to 5 years and finally got in! The only thing is what to do when i'm out there? where should I go? who should I go see? what should I bring with me? It also going to be my brother and I.

Offline Angel_

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Re: First year, Any tips?
« Reply #1 on: June 08, 2017, 01:47:54 PM »
What are you interested in?  What are you willing to do (camp out for things, wait in long lines, do off site events, etc)?
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Re: First year, Any tips?
« Reply #2 on: Today at 05:29:54 AM »

Offline Daftrckr

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Re: First year, Any tips?
« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2017, 02:24:11 PM »
Enjoy the full Experience, didn't want to use time waiting. I'm also going to be cosplaying so im sure its gonna be a drag being outside in costume lol

Offline FlamedLiquid

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Re: First year, Any tips?
« Reply #3 on: June 08, 2017, 03:09:30 PM »
Did you get preview night? If not you should dedicate a day to the Exhibition floor. Also if you want to experience everything you should experience camping in line for multiple hours to get into Hall H. :p.

Offline Angel_

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Re: First year, Any tips?
« Reply #4 on: June 08, 2017, 03:10:19 PM »
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Enjoy the full Experience, didn't want to use time waiting. I'm also going to be cosplaying so im sure its gonna be a drag being outside in costume lol

Well I want to be specific because there's too much to do.  Do you like to shop? Video games? Movies? TV? Art?  Special guests? Celebrities? Parties?  All of these things have events going on, but if you have a specific interest it might help people steer your towards events that matter to you. 

One tip is that if you have a large costume I'd avoid the exhibit hall floor.  It will likely get damaged or you could injure people. If it's a more form fitting costume or doesn't have a lot of props, you could probably get by there just fine though.
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Re: First year, Any tips?
« Reply #5 on: June 08, 2017, 05:13:44 PM »
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One tip is that if you have a large costume I'd avoid the exhibit hall floor.  It will likely get damaged or you could injure people. If it's a more form fitting costume or doesn't have a lot of props, you could probably get by there just fine though.
Just curious, where do you recommend hanging out if you are just wanting to show off your costumes? Is there an area people just mill around admiring cosplayers?


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Offline Mel

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Re: First year, Any tips?
« Reply #6 on: June 08, 2017, 07:12:35 PM »
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Just curious, where do you recommend hanging out if you are just wanting to show off your costumes? Is there an area people just mill around admiring cosplayers?


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A lot of cosplayers gather on the back steps for photos and such.
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Offline mark

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Re: First year, Any tips?
« Reply #7 on: June 09, 2017, 08:35:17 AM »
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Enjoy the full Experience, didn't want to use time waiting. I'm also going to be cosplaying so im sure its gonna be a drag being outside in costume lol

First off, you are going to have so much fun :)

If you don't wait to spend a lot of time in line, (and I am much the same,) be aware that will rule out some of the big things like popular Hall H panels or vendors like Mattel and Funko. These can take a big time investment.

Take a glance at the topics here, you'll find lots of tips on what to bring, etc. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

There are some twitter accounts to follow and hashtags to be aware of. For example, some will track the line for Hall H or post when you can just walk right into it. I won't make a list but there will likely be some posts on things like this at we get closer to SDCC.

You don't need to do/follow everything just look for ideas or things that line up with your interests. Panels won't be announced until later, but there are always hundreds of high quality panels where it will not be hard to get in, but be aware that the most important rule about panels is that you have to worry about the popularity of the panels in the same room that are after then ones you are interested in.

To reiterate what others have said, if there are certain things you are a fan of: old comics, vintage toys, posters, some movie franchise, let us know. Otherwise keep an eye on the forum, there are tons of announcements yet to be made about exclusives and events.

Offline Daftrckr

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Re: First year, Any tips?
« Reply #8 on: June 09, 2017, 09:19:53 AM »
Thanks for all the reply's guys, Nice to see people actually care about having a good time as much as I do lol.

But the only thing's i'm looking forward to are the MTG exclusives, i'm a gamer, Comic book fan, Really big Movie buff, and of course love free stuff. Ill try and keep track on the lines if people do post up about them. I was also looking to see what things to do outside of the con, like after parties, Parties in general, Costume meet ups. My costume wont be big, only thing sticking out would be my backpack that's about it. I've seen the essentials to bring like water and small snacks, extra Socks, and comfortable shoes.( also an emergency kit for my costume).

Also how do you see Celeb's? do they by chance be in the crowd on the floor? I know some like to dress up

Offline Angel_

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Re: First year, Any tips?
« Reply #9 on: June 09, 2017, 10:53:41 AM »
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Really big Movie buff,

There will be a lot of movie panels, but some of the bigger ones will have really long lines.  Worth the commitment if you are a big fan, but it'll take up an entire day (or more) for the panel.  I've done it before though and I have no regrets.

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and of course love free stuff.

The Gaslamp is FILLED with people giving away free stuff.  A lot of off sites have freebies as well.  My friend has made it her personal mission to get every single Sharknado freebie available. So far so good haha.


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I was also looking to see what things to do outside of the con, like after parties, Parties in general, Costume meet ups.

There's more outside events than I can possibly list.  Just keep an eye out on the forums and social media.  Parties in particular are varied.  There are big free open parties that will probably have long lines and few celebrities, but are still fun.  There will be ticketed parties which are smaller.  There will be invite only parties that'll have lots of celebs, but are hard to get into.  You won't have trouble finding a party.  Good luck!

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Also how do you see Celeb's? do they by chance be in the crowd on the floor? I know some like to dress up

There are celebs everywhere.  SDCC is a celeb encounter heaven.  In my experience, bumping into them on the floor is rare, but the go out to eat and drink too so that's where I've encountered them the most.  I've seen many celebrities in bars and restaurants.  Just be respectful.  Let them eat their meal without mobbing them for selfies.  Bars are a bit more lax as it's a social environment, but sometimes they just want to have a drink in peace.  Still, this is where most of my celebrity encounters have happened.  Except for that one random encounter with Peter Capaldi in an elevator.  Oh, right, elevators! Also peak celebrity encounter territory.  Best 10 second encounter ever.  THOSE EYEBROWS DUDE.
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Offline Daftrckr

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Re: First year, Any tips?
« Reply #10 on: June 09, 2017, 10:57:13 AM »
That would have been awesome! lol got to meet him, Clara, and the master at Dallas Fan Expo last year. Was amazing lol

Offline Zero

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Re: First year, Any tips?
« Reply #11 on: June 09, 2017, 04:09:31 PM »
[member=7264]Daftrckr[/member]: You might also want to look into our ever-growing "Tips/Advice for First Timers and Veterans" thread for more info.

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(I may merge this into the afore-mentioned thread I just linked at some point...)
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Offline perc2100

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Re: First year, Any tips?
« Reply #12 on: June 13, 2017, 02:04:25 PM »
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This is my first year attending the Con, been trying for close to 5 years and finally got in! The only thing is what to do when i'm out there? where should I go? who should I go see? what should I bring with me? It also going to be my brother and I.

First, know that reading the first sentence made me smile wide!  It's easy to find bitterness from folks who haven't gotten badges & I'm legitimately happy for you to experience the unique fun that is Comic-Con!
The important question is how many/which days are you attending?  W/out knowing, here are some general tips I would give after almost two decades of SDCCI attendance:

1) The only tip you need to constantly remember/remind yourself is to HAVE FUN!  There are so many great things to do/see/buy/experience as long as you remind yourself to have fun (vs, say, complain about uber long lines) you will enjoy your experience!
2) KNOW that you WILL miss awesome stuff: like, dozens of awesome things!  You'll read about missing a celebrity spotting, or an amazing party, a bunch of panels you missed, panels that were epic that you didn't even know existed until reading about it later; you'll miss out on an incredible exclusive, you'll miss out on awesome free swag, get locked out of a panel, or miss a cool offsite event.  It will happen and there's nothing you can do about it: there is just a plethora of stuff and things going on!  Enjoy what you DO end up seeing/doing/eating/buying/experiencing and enjoy coverage of what you miss later on; don't get too caught up on what you missed.
3) keep your head up always: you don't want to be THAT person that bumps into someone because you're not paying attention (I was "that guy" a decade+ ago when I ran into Stan Lee and knocked him on his butt accidentally - he was very cool about it, but I feared for my life for a few minutes there).  It will also help you see the sights better, catch a celebrity in the wild, etc.
4) keep your ears to the grindstone (twitter/FB/FCC/everywhere): this is a way to find out where to go when for awesome swag.  Or maybe a great giveaway at a booth is happening in 20 min. and it was just announced on Twitter.  Or look: Zach Snyder is 20 yards away in the Batmobile throwing out free shirts & hats!  Be aware of surroundings so you can maximize your experience.
5) talk to strangers.  This one is REALLY tough for me (I'm pretty introverted - weird because I'm also an outgoing teacher), but the people around you in line have similar interests and generally enjoy talking to you about yours.  I've been to hundreds of concerts, music festivals and other large events besides SDCCI and SDCCI by far has the generally coolest and nicest crowd.  For the most part people are helpful and will even go a little out of there way to do you a solid in a pinch.  Make conversation while in lines and you never know how that minimal effort could help you out down the road.
6) plan out your time pretty well: have plan B's.  I know you're already grateful for what you've seen and not bumming about what you're missing.  But having a plan is essential to enjoying SDCCI in my experience.  Once the panel schedule goes live I'll plan out my day to the minute for the most part so I always know where I want to be when.  That being said, have options.  If, say, a panel you want to attend has an impossible looking line, odds are there is a cool smaller panel you can get it w/minimal waiting somewhere else.  Or maybe there's a real cool off-site event and you have to choose between that and trying to get in line for an autograph or something.  I have a rigid-but-flexible style of planning and knowing what your options are can mean the difference between standing around disappointed you missed a panel vs 'well I missed the Hall H panel but the [adult swim] panel was wildly entertaining.'
7) remember to have fun: that's why you're here, amiright?!?!

Offline Mel

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Re: First year, Any tips?
« Reply #13 on: June 13, 2017, 07:52:30 PM »
My most important advice is go with the flow. You will not be able to do everything you want to do and you might not end up getting do to the one thing you REALLLLLLY wanted to do, but something totally unexpected will fall into your lap and you will be like, "woah, I never would have experienced this awesome thing if I hadn't missed out on that other thing." Remain open, in both your eyes and heart, unexpected awesomeness will find you.
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Offline Chris

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Re: First year, Any tips?
« Reply #14 on: June 13, 2017, 09:29:08 PM »
To add to what perc said:  Have fun.  Relax.  Enjoy being there.

Some people forget this and get upset that they missed stuff.  Just enjoy.