All the Fun Out of Comic-Con on Day 1
Many toy companies and studios release exclusive items at Comic-Con that fans go crazy for. These collectibles can be scary, but hunting them down is often a big commitment.
First, choose your priorities. Will the new gizmo be worth running around all night or waking up at 4 a.m. standing in line?
1. Walk Around Downtown
Many first-time Comic-Con attendees struggle to find fun and affordable activities outside of the convention center. While lodging, transportation and food prices are on the rise, it can be difficult for people without a badge to find fun or inexpensive things to do at Comic-Con.
Walk around the area to get a feel for the crowds, check out the hotels and restaurants, and see what the fuss is about. It’s also helpful to map out your panels and events ahead of time – the convention center is huge, and some popular venues have long waits.
Bring a refillable water bottle and a hat or sunglasses, and remember to wear comfortable shoes. The last thing you want is to end up with sore feet at the end of the day.
2. Go to the Movie
Aside from the events going on inside the convention center, there are plenty of fun activities to do in town that don’t require you to have a Comic-Con badge. The hotels in the Gaslamp Quarter host free and paid events related to popular TV shows, movies and plays. For example, the Manchester Grand Hyatt hosts Rooftop Cinema Club showings of Guardians of the Galaxy and Venom. The Hard Rock Hotel San Diego will have an escape-style feature based on the Apple+ series Severance.
Comic-Con has a longstanding policy that allows children (12 and under) to go free with an adult. If you plan to take your children, be sure to register them online when tickets become available in the Spring. You’ll save time and money, and you won’t have to wait in the famous Comic-Con line.
3. Visit the Museum
The world of Comic-Con is a vast and exciting place, but it can be confusing and intimidating for the uninitiated or uninterested in the many groups that make up the con. To help, Popverse has put together a series of articles exploring the various aspects of the convention so that everyone can find something they want.
While movie studios tend to skip NYCC, there have been some great movie panels in the past (including How to Train Your Dragon, The Mortal Engines, and Hellboy). The upcoming Pokemon Detective Pikachu panel is sold out, but you can watch a live video stream of the main stage or the Empire Stage instead. This year, you can also check out the Rhyme City market, film prop screening, and other free events.
4. Go to a Live Concert
It’s that time of year when the Gaslamp Quarter overflows with fans recreating their favorite movie and TV characters, and cosplayers impersonating them from the comic books. But even if you don’t get a badge for the main event, you can find a lot to do outside of it.
For example, if you like “Babylon 5,” you can go to Rail Park to listen to the production team behind the show talk about their work. Larry Nemecek moderates the panels, which feature the hands-on art directors and designers who brought you the alien worlds and Enterprise-D bridge recreation.
And if you have kids who want to go but haven’t got a ticket, they can always attend a free pop-up event with the Peanuts team. Kids can go bird watching with Snoopy, learn to read a compass and write home to their parents using a traditional postcard.
5. Take a Picnic
Many people are drawn into the idea of Comic-Con as some sort of cultural Mecca that everyone must experience at least once. They think they will run into their favorite movie or TV stars, see a ton of parties and experience a whole host of events.
But the reality is often very different. The lines are long and boring, the average attendee rarely sees any celebrities or attends parties and everything is expensive and crowded.
If you want to go to a panel or review, the best way to get in is to figure out what you value and be willing to wait. And bring snacks! You will be spending a lot of time waiting and you don’t want to buy expensive food in the convention center.