Author Topic: Tips/Advice for First Timers and Veterans  (Read 244960 times)

Offline cciveg

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Re: Tips/Advice for First Timers and Veterans
« Reply #645 on: April 09, 2018, 12:22:54 PM »
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Hi everyone,

My name is Phil and I’m over the moon to be going to my first SDCC this year for the 4 days.

I’m traveling with my partner from Australia and have a few questions for those who have been before

- is there any gluten free options at sdcc? My partner is a celiac, should we take her food or can we get it there.

- buying stuff, here at Aussie cons if you get statues or expensive prints etc the stores hold them for you or its a short walk to the car. What is the best advice with buying things and storing them so you don’t have to cart them around? 

The convention center nachos help you get through the day, with extra jalapenos. I can remember when they were only $4.

Some places will hold items but it depends on the vendor and the space they have. The big toy placed seem to want it all gone asap.


Offline puppy

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Re: Tips/Advice for First Timers and Veterans
« Reply #646 on: April 24, 2018, 08:56:22 PM »
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Others have answered in regards to autographs.

For panels, it all depends on what type of panels you want to see.  If you want to go to regular comics panels, most of those are walk-ins.  For movies and TV related panels, it is possible to attend some and not wait in line.  It's a matter of what ones you select.  Hall H panels, except for Thursday and Sunday require waiting in line.  Some Ballroom 20 panels require it too.  But, I've also walked straight into Ballroom 20 for some panels.

If you are averse to lines, it IS possible to minimize line-waiting by carefully selecting what to go to.  I totaled just one hour of line waiting last year.

The best thing to do is to check demand.  When the schedules go up, many people use their Scheduling tool and it's possible to see how many people are interested in different panels.  If something is in the top ten, it's guaranteed to require waiting in line.

OMG that is the best advice.  I use the app, but I didn't notice they show how many people scheduled something.  Will look closer next time.

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Re: Tips/Advice for First Timers and Veterans
« Reply #647 on: Today at 05:24:57 AM »

Offline cabler30

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Re: Tips/Advice for First Timers and Veterans
« Reply #647 on: April 25, 2018, 11:36:56 AM »
This year i may try check out a panel if able to just walk in and no lines lol, then can take pics or video of the panel so can show i saw whoever by chance at time. have not been to any in years since any i saw are from youtube that are posted. seeing how i just roamed around the con before and after a job i can try check any but i dont know till it happens and note what i wanna really see and where.

Offline cire_raeb

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Re: Tips/Advice for First Timers and Veterans
« Reply #648 on: April 25, 2018, 12:00:17 PM »
This probably belongs in transportation as well, but note that parking meters are not enforced on Sunday.


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Offline vegasndn

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Re: Tips/Advice for First Timers and Veterans
« Reply #649 on: April 25, 2018, 12:19:23 PM »
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This probably belongs in transportation as well, but note that parking meters are not enforced on Sunday.


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We have parked at the park next to seaport village for the swag swap meetup on Sunday night and since it’s Sunday it’s free.


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Offline SamTurtledove

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Re: Tips/Advice for First Timers and Veterans
« Reply #650 on: April 25, 2018, 08:10:57 PM »
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This year i may try check out a panel if able to just walk in and no lines lol, then can take pics or video of the panel so can show i saw whoever by chance at time. have not been to any in years since any i saw are from youtube that are posted. seeing how i just roamed around the con before and after a job i can try check any but i dont know till it happens and note what i wanna really see and where.

You have to do the Funko line or volunteer for Sails for one day.  That's an enlightening experience.  You can still schedule a late volunteer shift.  Do you like anything in Hall H last year?  Youtube can't replace fan excitement!

Offline puppy

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Re: TIPS/Advice for First Timers List
« Reply #651 on: April 26, 2018, 01:57:18 PM »
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If your badge is lost or stolen you can get a replacement. Yes, it's another line to stand in but at least it doesn't mean the end of your con.


I know this is a reply to an old post, but now that we have scanable badges, why would anyone steal them?  We would obviously report them stolen in order to get a replacement, and the old one would get deactivated, right?  It's not an issue anymore, is it?

Offline cabler30

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Re: Tips/Advice for First Timers and Veterans
« Reply #652 on: April 26, 2018, 02:03:49 PM »
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You have to do the Funko line or volunteer for Sails for one day.  That's an enlightening experience.  You can still schedule a late volunteer shift.  Do you like anything in Hall H last year?  Youtube can't replace fan excitement!

i didnt try to do hall h any last year, since from what i read and having to make sure i check in for job and all. i have had chance years ago before badge stuff sold online, but cant do unless i able to just walk in before or after a job by chance. i have experienced the excitement before and fans or audience do go nuts depend on what they see or who they see at time lol.

Offline cabler30

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Re: TIPS/Advice for First Timers List
« Reply #653 on: April 26, 2018, 02:06:12 PM »
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I know this is a reply to an old post, but now that we have scanable badges, why would anyone steal them?  We would obviously report them stolen in order to get a replacement, and the old one would get deactivated, right?  It's not an issue anymore, is it?

so far i have not read any get stolen or lost at anytime, so not sure if it ever was and how u was able to go if had to get a replacement any.

Offline angi

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Re: Tips/Advice for First Timers and Veterans
« Reply #654 on: May 18, 2018, 07:19:37 PM »
Don't overpack. That is my advice. People will have you bringing everything.  Pack the things that won't be easy to find around the con, and hit up the Rite Aid and CVS or the shopping mall if you have to.

Bring essentials:
-spare battery and wire for phone charging
-water bottle (you can get locally easy too)
-sunscreen (you can get locally easy too)
-lightweight jacket or sweater, it can get cold at night
-a small blanket and/or yoga mat and/or lightweight foldable chair for camping if you plan to camp
-2 pairs of good shoes so you can alternate

For grownups/old people:
-One nice outfit and shoes for going out for at least decent dinner during your trip. There are some great places to eat and celebrate the end of the con.

Make friends with your line partners. It will save your butt and you can make lifelong friends, for real.

If you're super organized, plan a panel A and B plan if one of the panels is going to be impossible to get into.  Hall H requires hard work, but Ballroom 20 and 6BCDE has great planning too and less lines.

Have fun :)

Offline cabler30

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Re: Tips/Advice for First Timers and Veterans
« Reply #655 on: May 18, 2018, 08:58:52 PM »
Yes, as said above only pack what u know u need. cause if u going solo then u may be carrying it around all day unless u have chance take a break at times. try pack light as well cause u never know what u mite collect for freebies and anything else u want real bad by chance. so just be prepared and pack light for whole week or just days u able to go.

Offline Chris

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Re: Tips/Advice for First Timers and Veterans
« Reply #656 on: May 22, 2018, 07:26:51 PM »
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Don't overpack. That is my advice. People will have you bringing everything.  Pack the things that won't be easy to find around the con, and hit up the Rite Aid and CVS or the shopping mall if you have to.

Bring essentials:
-spare battery and wire for phone charging
-water bottle (you can get locally easy too)
-sunscreen (you can get locally easy too)
-lightweight jacket or sweater, it can get cold at night
-a small blanket and/or yoga mat and/or lightweight foldable chair for camping if you plan to camp
-2 pairs of good shoes so you can alternate

For grownups/old people:
-One nice outfit and shoes for going out for at least decent dinner during your trip. There are some great places to eat and celebrate the end of the con.

Make friends with your line partners. It will save your butt and you can make lifelong friends, for real.

If you're super organized, plan a panel A and B plan if one of the panels is going to be impossible to get into.  Hall H requires hard work, but Ballroom 20 and 6BCDE has great planning too and less lines.

Have fun :)

Beer is essential.  :)

Offline angi

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Re: Tips/Advice for First Timers and Veterans
« Reply #657 on: May 23, 2018, 06:26:12 AM »
Thats what hopcon is for

Offline AzT

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Re: Tips/Advice for First Timers and Veterans
« Reply #658 on: June 19, 2018, 10:25:19 AM »
A Marc Bernardin column rich with great tips / advice:

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Quote
It is upon us, my friends. A mere month away. The convention of the year. The convention to end all conventions. The alpha and the omega. Okay, that all might be a little bit of hyperbole, but Comic-Con International: San Diego is the biggest domestic convention of the year. As such, many of us are in prep mode, as this month will evaporate before we know it. This will be my 18th SDCC in a row: An eternity to some eyes, a snap of the finger to others. But, in this time, I’ve done San Diego almost every way in which one can do it: as a comics creator, as a journalist, as a TV writer, as a fan, as an interloper … and here are some dos and don’ts I’ve gleaned over the years. As always, your mileage may vary.

DO
Harvest phone numbers and make plans with people. Of course, one of the amazing parts about Comic-Con is the randomness with which you can see people you didn’t expect to see. For about six years, in the mid-2000s, I’d run into a friend who worked a few blocks away from my office in Manhattan without warning, crossing the train tracks into the San Diego Convention Center. We never made a plan, and would laugh about the fact that it just always seemed to happen. Until it didn’t. But once a day, be it over a meal, or coffee, or just because you have some downtime in your schedule, make a plan to see someone you never get to see otherwise.

DON’T
Beat yourself up if you miss something. By the time you touch down in San Diego, you will have poured over the daily schedule, perhaps with a highlighter, and targeted the things you want to see every day. Panels, signings, photo ops, etc. You will never make it to all of them. Maybe it’s foot traffic. Maybe you oversleep. Maybe your phone died and your reminders never reminded you. Maybe something else unpredictably wonderful came along and you bailed. It’s okay. Sometimes you need to give yourself over to the Fates of the Con. That said …

DO
Pick one massively huge thing to attend and stick to it. Comic-Con remains the crown-jewel when it comes to honking big celebrities choppering in for panels or first looks at things you can’t see anywhere else. Take advantage, even if it means sleeping on a line, or waking up at the crack of dawn, or camping in Hall H for a whole day to see someone on that big stage at the end of it.

DON’T
Forget to buy some energy/protein bars and fruit from a supermarket or something when you first get to the Gaslamp. You will undoubtedly eat like a teenaged monster over that weekend: you can try to minimize some of the damage by making sure one meal has some actual nutrients. (And lettuce on a burger doesn’t count as vegetables. Believe me, I tried.)

DO
Introduce yourself to a comics pro at the bar. Say hi. Tell them you’re a fan. The great gift of Comic-Con is proximity: You will be closer to more people you’ve read or watched or listened to than anywhere else. As long as your shot is respectful, go ahead and shoot it. One year, I was hanging out with a friend at a Hilton bar and she spotted Battlestar Galactica’s Jamie Bamber in the same bar and squeed so loud she shattered a champagne flute. I said, “You wanna go meet him? Let’s go meet him. Because why the hell not.” So we did. And he was cool—or he wouldn’t have been in a crowded hotel bar on a Friday night. Sure, there’s the chance they had a crappy day and might be a bit grumpy. But there’s a greater chance they’ll shake your hand and say thanks.

DON’T
Be a dick. I know, harsh language. But it needs to be said. Don’t touch anyone without their consent. Don’t drink yourself into vulnerable oblivion. Don’t go places you’re not welcome—unless you’re trying to crash a fancy party; if you can get in, go for it, but steer clear of restrooms and hotel rooms you ain’t supposed to be in. We all know what the wrong thing to do is: so don’t do it.

DO
Find some place to sit down and watch the parade of joyous humanity pass by. Preferably in the sun — you’ll need a respite from the fluorescent glare and could use some vitamin D. Hundreds of thousands of people come to Comic-Con from all over the world because of love. Because they love something and the people who love it, too. And that’s a hell of a thing to see.

Marc Bernardin’s Devourer of Words appears the third Tuesday of every month here on Toucan. Marc is also a special guest at Comic-Con this year. If you’re at the show, come see his Spotlight panel on Friday, July 21 at 10:00 AM in Room 29AB!

Posted on Jun 19, 2018

Offline dcol

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Re: Tips/Advice for First Timers and Veterans
« Reply #659 on: July 01, 2018, 11:45:52 AM »
So where is the line for the floor going to start, and how soon can we line up? I know the Sails ticket line, which used to get you into the floor a bit earlier, is not happening because of the new ticket lottery system. Is there a link that has some guidance as to where to line up for the floor, not the panels?