Countdown to Comic Con 2017: Survival Tips and Tricks

It’s finally here! The week of San Diego Comic Con 2017!

For a convention that brings in about 150,000 people a year, I have to say that I’ve found everybody is nice, friendly and easy going. Yeah, you heard about that one bit of violence at a panel many years ago, but that was an isolated incident. I am sometimes surprised how cool everybody is at con, even in long lines and crowded floors. Yeah, there are a few rude folks, but the plethora of nice folks wash over that very quickly.

Among my friends, I seem to have become a bit of an SDCC guru. Since I’ve been going for so many years, people always ask for my advice. So now I’ve going to share some with you. Unsolicited! Regardless if you are a newbie or long-time SDCCer, it never hurts to hear the tips and tricks other convention goers.

My biggest piece of advice: wear your patience pants! They go well with all t-shirts and cosplay. SDCC is now crowded from Preview Night until the doors close on Sunday. There are lines for everything! Panels, shopping, food, the bathroom! So be prepared for waiting in line and having lots of people around you at all time. Breathe. Count to ten. Don’t say that thing you want to say when somebody is rude to you. Smile. Sounds simple, but by Saturday mid-day, it may be a bigger challenge than you think.

This may be a no-brainer, but for those of you who’ve never been to SDCC before: Give yourself lots of time to get into a panel. The bigger and more popular the panel, the longer the wait. People are going to camp out for Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead and Stranger Things. And even panels you may not think will be popular are.

I will say that I’m always happy to see that those who “camp out” in a room for a panel that is later in the day are always very respectful to the panels that come before. Yeah, there may be some video game playing, but nobody is ever disruptive. And I’ve always found that I get more out of panels I’m wasting time in than the ones I’m there to see. Well… most of the time.

You have to face some harsh truths: You may not be able to get into that panel. I’ve personally given up trying. That doesn’t not mean I have a terrible time. There are hundreds of panels. Maybe try to get into ones that do not seem so popular. You can spend five days just shopping or watching people in the lobby. And maybe get an autograph from your favorite B-list celebrity.

But hey, if you’re goal is to get into one of the popular panels, then go for it! I’ve had friends who’ve had a blast camping out over night to get into Hall H. And yes, people will hold your place if you have to go to the bathroom.

And finally, here’s some basic “fatherly” advice for con goers. Though there’s plenty of places to get food, but it may not hurt to have a few snacks on your person, and certainly a bottle of water. Something to hold you over if you get caught in a line or something goes longer than planned.

Wear comfortable walking shoes. If you’re like me, you’ll walk the convention floor end to end a few times. I even suggest bringing two pairs of comfortable walking shoes and switching off each day.

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you about showering and wearing deodorant, right?

Do you have any tips and tricks for SDCC goers? Please share with us! And I look forward to sharing my con experience with you!