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I felt like inside the exhibit hall was lackluster. My favorite thing about comic con besides panels is the experiences you cannot have anywhere else. Besides the lil Monster High game everything else felt like a store. Even the Marvel booth seemed quiet (giveaway hr non withstanding). Was excited for Netflix and Disney+ and the first one was a mess and the second a store. I missed WB/DC. After roaming around for a few hrs I was done with it which I found kinda sad. Masking rules were very well enforced imo and I hardly saw anyone maskless indoors anywhere. I loved loved loved the offsites. Did everything except Gray Man, DBZ, Nintendo Switch and Bob's Burgers/Multiverse of Madness. FX was fun and quick, I liked how streamlined it was. Disney+ was lots of fun with great swag, kinda wish I had gone back for an Arcadian mug. HotD was really cool and yet the line management made it almost unbearable. Severance was amazing and prob the most immersive offsite I've ever participated in. The DBZ concert was super fun even for us who don't really know that show. Abbott Elementary was cute and gave lots of nice swag, I used that bag all thru con. Prey screening was also a highlight for us and my predator loving dad. WD party was amazing too, wish I could have stayed a bit longer, alas Hall H NDL called. Ghosts was also very cool even if the palm reading line was ridiculous, I blame that one girl who stayed sited there for 15 min straight. Did Hall H Saturday for the first time and enjoyed it. That line was a disaster, we were there for wristbands for more than 2 hrs and we weren't even that far back and yet still got Cs, very weird. Sunday Hall H was also a disaster right when the panels actually started, so glad for ADA or we wouldn't have made it. Overall I had a great time and will gladly go back next year. I did/got 90% of the things in my list so it felt like a successful con. BUT, most of the problems like line management seemed like could have been avoided with more planning and better enforcing. I get that there was staff turnover and things out of their control but it was waaay to messy. Really hoping the exhibit hall comes back next year with better stuff, or well, maybe not cause that way I won't feel FOMO if I'm outside doing offsites instead like I didn't feel it his year. PS. Their IT system is horrible, I feel so bad for the volunteer manager who had to deal with it. TLDR. The best part of comic con was the parts outside of comic con (Hall H not included)
Join the club. The little earthquake helped me to get up.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I thought I felt tremors! Everyone else slept through...my first earthquake! Yeeehah.
As a TV-focused person, I found the TV panels to be in short supply this year. Some that would have been in Ballroom 20 in other years ended up in Hall H and I couldn't get in due to lack of commitment to lining up early. I also attended two TV panels that were "virtual" because the cast didn't show up (Rookie and Abbott Elementary).
Sounds like I wasn’t the only one who had problems with the Netflix booth. The worst. Gave up. Yeah ABC/ Disney used to be better. Skipped it since it was just a store though they did have cute photo ops along the back. The line was always capped and didn’t move much so never got a chance to do it. Yeah usually marvel is walk to wall and you can’t even get in there.
Weird Ideas I came up with that will never happen, but discuss:+ Making the aisles one-way in the exhibit hall, similar to how grocery stores did this at the beginning of the pandemic. + Selling Exhibit Hall-Only badges+ Creating a Hall H Only badge
I thought the same thing about "one way only" aisles in the exhibit hall.In regards to Hall H, I think that if they have a day like Saturday where Marvel is at the end of the day, preventing people who are only interested in GoT or Trek from attending those sessions, they should split Saturday into two sessions with a panel clearing in the middle. I know that the con doesn't want to empty for EVERY panel. They said so at the Talkback. But, ONE panel clearing would double the number of wristbands, wherein everyone would have to choose either morning or afternoon. If they get the afternoon, they would have to do Standby for the morning if they want to attend both sessions OR they would be able to do something else. Hall H was pretty easy to get in except on Saturday. Saturday was the challenge.
-The Petco zone was garbage with almost nothing there.
I have to agree. I think it took me longer to get through security, a first for the Interactive Zone, than I actually spent in it. I really didn't understand the super long line in the middle just to get a little cup of a drink.Normally the Interactive Zone is filled to the brim with little offsites. This year there were only a few and even though they were spread out, they didn't really hide how empty the Zone was.
I had such a dualistic experience.PROS-I got to stay at The Omni which was amazing.-On Wednesday I had a Preview Night Funko slot and got everything I wanted.-I was able to go to the Fandom party and had an incredible time.-I was able to go to Fundays and had an even more incredible time.-I was able to go to the NatGeo "party" and I had a blast.-Got to do a lot of great offsite (IMDboat, FX, Nintendo, DnD, Franklin gallery)-I found the Yesterdays coin and got the XMen pin.-I was able to get friends into the Pac-Man party and they had a wonderful time.-I was able to get my mom into the Lord of the Rings party WITH the golden ticket and she had a fantastic time.-I saw the Interview with the Vampire panel with my mom (who's an Anne Rice fanatic) and she was like a little kid which warmed my heart.-The Cat Cafe is an annual tradition for my wife and I and it was wonderful as always.-The energy and the enthusiasm for SDCC seemed to be cranked to 11 and that was electrifying.-But my favorite part was that I met a LOT of forum/Discord members and I loved every second of hanging out with each one.CONS-The bag had one variety and there were no pins.-No printed program and no boxes with pins.-The floor was... bad. I just didn't really care all that much which is so strange. The absence of WB and especially DC was enormous and I could feel the void.-Funkoville was cool and all but couldn't come close to making up for the hole left by WB and some other companies that pulled out.-Adult Swim on the green not having their annual space sucked (but what they did do there instead was pretty funny. Also the giant inflatable floating thing was great.)-The panel selection was uninspiring. There wasn't a whole lot I cared to see.-Comics (my main attraction) were almost non-existent. I went back to 2013-2016 and counted the comic panels. Each publisher had around 25 EACH. This year, Marvel and DC had something like four or five each.-The SDCC perch was cheap and the Line to get in was SLOW.-The Petco zone was garbage with almost nothing there.-The security was atrocious and they felt almost aggressive and angry at people instead of cheerful and helpful.Overall, A LOT of the show felt like taped/glued together. Almost like taking out and eating a cake that isn't quite ready yet. Everything seemed like it was done to minimize cost while giving out the bare minimum experience. I completely understand that they took a pandemic hit, but they did get over $4M in relief funds that were forgiven and put on the special edition. As I type this, I realize that most of my pros have to do with things/companies outside of the convention and most of my cons have to do with aspects of the convention. OOF. There's more I'll think of an edit later probably. Over all, I had an awesome time and I'm counting down the days until 2023.