Planning Ahead
Plan ahead so that you are not lost and overwhelmed each day. You are most likely not going to be able to do everything that you want to do. So just be grateful that you are able to come in the first place and that way you can't be disappointed. Grab the scheduling and floor layout here:

Download Program Grid

Download Quick Guide

Make a checklist of things you want to bring. Take extra batteries for your camera and pack plenty of snacks since your days will most likely be very busy with little time for food breaks. There are places to eat at the convention center but you will pay a premium price.

We suggest some of the following items;
Backpack, camera, extra batteries, cell phone, cell phone charger, food/snacks & water (Ralphs Supermarket is open 24 hours), aspirin, allergy medication, your wi-fi card (just in case you do not want to deal with the slow wi-fi available in the exhibit hall and Hall H), book/nook/kindle, portable chair/small blanket/pillow (If you will be waiting in line for panels, specifically overnight), notepad/pens/sharpies, business cards, jacket/sweater.

If you stop by the convention center on preview night you will most likely be able to grab a huge bag at certain booths to carry all your con swag in.

Hit the ATM before you start your day, it’s so much easier this way. A few booths take credit cards but it is always good to have some cash on hand. Manage your money wisely.

As far as transportation goes - the shuttle bus and cabs are great - but sometimes walking can be just as fast. We suggest staying away from Pedi-cabs since they are expensive. If you plan on parking each morning and haven't reserved your spot, it is best to arrive as early as possible - 7:30 AM at the latest. Get all your parking updates by following @SDCCPark on twitter.

Pick up the daily newsletter each morning which showcases the previous day and will reflect any changes in the program of events for the current day. They are usually stacked around escalators and near exhibit hall entrances inside convention center. Also, be sure to check the information boards located throughout the center, typically right outside the entrance of all of the panel rooms.

Picking Up Your Badge
Booth holders, press, professional badge holders, 4 day pass holders, and 1 day pass holders all pick up their badge at different places across the convention center.


Preview Night
Because of the increasing number of attendees on Preview Night each year, Comic Con has limited attendance this year. They've made available four-day badges with and without the Preview Night option. Only 4-Day Badges that include the "WITH PREVIEW NIGHT" option can pickup their badge and be admitted to Preview Night on Wednesday, July 20th.

If you want to be the first to get collectible items, it is best to come right back to the convention center after you have settled into your hotel, received your badge, and gotten a bite to eat. This way, you'll be one of the first in line for preview night. Otherwise, you can walk right in about 10-15 minutes after the doors open and the crowds outside have already entered.

You'll notice a lot of lines on preview night inside the exhibit hall for swag and demonstrations. It is best to map out where things are the night before so you can build a plan of attack for the rest of the weekend. Use preview night to your advantage.

Exhibit Hall
You have your plan of attack and are ready for the big day. Then you see the crowds the lines for autographs and freebies and have a panic attack. Chill out. There is no way you will get to see and do everything you set out to do. First step, accept that and move on then stand in line for the things you truly love and stick to your guns.

There are lots of freebies, exclusives, and collectibles given out at booths everyday all day. My advice is to only take the swag that you really want, pack light or bring an extra suitcase for all of your goodies. If you don't want to haul around an extra bag arrange to mail your goodies home at the end of your stay.

Do not forget to hit up Artist Alley with a sharpie, pencil/pen, and sketchbook. Sometimes we can all get caught up in the movies and celebrity appearances we forget that Comic-Con was established based upon, comics.

Panels
Rooms DO NOT clear in between panels so keep that in mind when choosing where you want to go. You can get in line whenever you want but you should get in line pretty early depending on the panel. Some panels you won't even have to wait in line while others (such as the panels in Ballroom 20 and Hall H) you may have to wait in line for hours. So it is up to you to decide if you are satisfied with spending more time waiting in line for a panel in say Hall H or Ballroom 20 than enjoying more panels.

Ever since Twilight came along, sleeping outside in line for Hall H has been an annual routine. So if the panel that you would like to attend in Hall H is after Twilight and you want a decent seat, you should still arrive the night before or very early on the day of because hundreds of people camp in Hall H all day. If you are not concerned about getting a good seat, it would be wise to arrive an hour or two before your panel because once Hall H reaches capacity, the doors are closed.

Attendees also sleep outside the convention in line for Ballroom 20 panels as well as panels in the Indigo Room at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront.

Saving seats (in Hall H and Ballroom 20 among the other bigger rooms especially) for your family and/or friends that are still outside in line is a big no, no. If you are getting food from inside the convention center or going to the bathroom, that's a different story. You will get a pass from a Comic Con volunteer so that you can get back inside of the room and go back to your seat, which you can just let those sitting around you know. Otherwise, don't even think about saving a seat. Seat saving only adds stress anyway, so just split up for that panel if need be.

Please think about your question for Q&A if you choose to participate in this part of the panel and do not waste anyone's time or you will be booed. It's as simple as that.

Volunteers who are annual comic con goers are full of answers! It's really a luck of the draw if you have a question on site about anything and need to ask someone who's "official." But if you're in line or just passing a long line, ask the comic con goers - or even ask the exhibitors if you find yourself in a conversation with them. Just slip in your question at the end.

As far as eating goes in the panel rooms - the bigger rooms such as Hall H, Ballroom 20, Indigo Room at Hilton San Diego Bayfront, Room 6BCD, are fine. Subway and pizza are common but there are many options around the area to get before making your way to panels.

Just because an actor, writer or director's name is on the programming guide, it doesn't mean they will be there. So it's up to you if you want to take that chance and sit in at a panel just for that one person that you are dying to see. Also, take a look around at who you're sitting by, there might be a celebrity or two in the audience enjoying the day's events as well.

Swag from panels are cool but the lottery is no joke. If you are handed a lottery ticket before/during a panel, hold onto that sucker!


Autograph Signings
Arrive early

Because of the popularity of some talent, some signings will be limited and ticketed through a lottery drawing.

Some signings only allow one item to be signed and sometimes that is a stack of posters laid out for the fans. Some signings also require a fee, usually around $20.

The main Autograph area is located upstairs in the Sails Pavilion but you can find more listings of autograph signings in the back of the programming guide in the "Booths" directory.

As some signings are on the exhibit floor, please make sure to find the "End of the Line" so that you can avoid cutting unknowingly and avoid any confrontations.

Have your sharpie on hand and feel free to ask artists in artist alley to add something to your sketchbook as well.

As with the panels, changes and surprise occur in the schedule, so be sure to check the daily newsletter and the information boards located throughout the center as well as take chances.


Evening/Nighttime Events
Masquerade - Arrive early in line if you want good seats. Otherwise, you can usually arrive an hour before the Masquerade begins and get a seat in the rear. Arrive early for the Eisner Awards.

Just as a note, don't be shy about taking photos of fellow Comic Con goers in costume. They work really hard to get their wardrobe ready for Comic Con, so ask out of common courtesy and then snap away.

Advanced screenings - Go through your programming guide and be observant in the exhibit hall and Gaslamp District for clues on how to get in.

Gaslamp Quarter Activities - Zombie Walk, Podcast Recordings/Meet Ups and Fan site Meet Ups are common. Offsite activities can be just as fun as the con itself. Keep your eyes open - you may bump into a celebrity or two.

Food
Food inside the convention center is incredibly overpriced Starbucks, Auntie Annes, Mrs. Fields Cookies, and Pizza. There are less than a handful of different places to choose from inside the convention center and you can get way more of your dollar outside. As mentioned earlier, there is a Ralphs Supermarket open 24 hours on Market St & 1st. Ralphs is inexpensive but you can always print out some coupons if you want to save more. The food court in the Horton Plaza mall is also inexpensive and convenient depending on your Comic Con schedule. Also, make sure your hotel room has a fridge that you can empty out if you are buying food for the week - otherwise, get a cooler or create a makeshift cooler with the ice bucket.

There is a Suite at the Marriott Hotel that offers free snacks for comic con attendees, but you must have your badge to get in!

Quite a few eateries open earlier in the morning just for Comic Con, so definitely take advantage of this opportunity.

If you plan on eating at a restaurant after Preview night without a reservation, good luck. Fast food may be the best way to go.