This post is an update on our original post, “How to Rock the Con on a Day Pass.”
San Diego is crazy during Comic Con.
I’ve never personally been, but I was there last year for a night and let me tell you the city is crazy. Even with only a one day badge (or without one!) there is so much to take in that it might seem overwhelming.
Trust me, you’ll still be able to have a full experience! The city might be crazy and you might feel like you don’t have enough time to do what you want to do, but you can! Down below I’m going to share with you some of my tips for making the most out of your single day!
GET THERE EARLY
If you’re going to go on a day pass, you want to get there as early as you can to make sure you have enough time to hit up all the things you want to do (panels, exhibit halls, artist alleys, meet ups, and more!) while still leaving some time in your schedule in case anything pops up.
You never know how long the lines will end up being, especially the infamous Hall H (spoiler: it’s long), and you don’t want to risk missing a panel because you miscalculated your time! Getting there early also allows you to get into the atmosphere of the con and get prepared for the full day you have.
BE PREPARED
We’ve posted a lot of articles about Comic Con essentials, and the same stuff applies even if you’re only there for a day. Trust me, your battery will drain, your bag will become full if you don’t properly prepare, and you’ll want to make sure you have things that will keep your goodies as harm free as possible. Also, San Diego is hot already, but put 130,000 people into that packed of an area and you’re setting yourself up for a bad time if you don’t keep hydrated. This is a marathon of a day, with some sprints in between, so make sure you take care of yourself before you go all out.
EXPERIENCE ANY OFFSITE FAN EVENT YOU CAN
The area surrounding the Convention Center is going to be poppin’. The Gaslamp comes to life even during the day with offsite fan events held by different companies or websites that those without a badge can get into.
Check out every social media site you know of to find out about parties and other events going on throughout the day if you find yourself unable to get into all the places you want to go to. It’s also a great way to end the night – people from everywhere go to the Gaslamp district to experience the madness that is Comic Con.
TREAT YO’SELF
In my last edition of this article, I advised to avoid the Exhibition Hall. Forget that, you don’t go to Comic Con to save money. You go to Comic Con to enjoy yourself, and if you already paid that much for tickets and hotels I say go all out and TREAT YO’SELF.
Posters? Comic Books? T-shirts of your favorite show or DC character? It’s the best weekend of the year! So do it. Buy the dang figurine. Make sure you keep to a budget, of course, but just buy the things you want. There’s enough variety at Comic Con to satisfy anyone.
PLAN AROUND THE PANELS
Comic Con is famous for its huge reveals and previews. If there’s something you want to see, definitely make it your priority to get in line and wait – there is limited seating after all. You’ll have to prioritize what it is that’s important to you though – if you have only one day you’ll have to decide between the larger preview of a show or the “smaller” conversations about a comic book, and if you miss out on one there’s a chance you won’t be able to make the other. Out of all the things that will take the most effort, planning this out will be the biggest one.
HAVE FUN
Just do it. You go to Comic Con because you love what it stands for. You go to Comic Con to have a great time. So make sure you just enjoy yourself! Don’t take things to heart, don’t get offended if you don’t make a panel, and remember that everyone there is just a nerd trying to celebrate what they love!
Go crazy, go wild, but just have fun!
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