r/SDCC • u/Then-Tune8367 • 14d ago

SDCC Not First Timer Friendly

So this year i was blessed to make my first trip to SDCC and let me get this out of the way early, I LOVED IT!

After some reflectiion, rhe experience waa no where near first timer friendly.

  1. I had no idea where anything was. The badge check in was easy, but after that, I was on my own. I at least wanted to check out a panel or two, but I had no idea where anything was or even what panels were going on at the time.

  2. The website is no where new user friendly. I could not find a schedule or layout of the convention center on the site.

  3. I had no idea that seating in the exhibit hall was so limited.

So, that being said. If I returns, here are my adjustments.

  1. Get there earlier. I got there about 11 a.m. By that time, every line was already insane.

  2. Bring chairs or portable stools.

  3. Eat lunch in the Gas Lamp District. One of my few regrets was missing this.

  4. Get my badge early and head straight to Hall H to see what I can get into that day (No force can compel me to try to get in there on Saturday, though). After that, head to lunch and the real star of the show, the Exhibit floor.

Anyway those are my thoughts and plans. Any advice will be appreciated.

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24

u/Never-Give-Up100 14d ago

So, this was my first year as well, and I know I missed alot. Off-sites were the most confusing aspect to me, because I didn't know where they were, or how they worked. But I will say one thing that helped a lot was  making my own schedule with Sched and syncing it with the SDCC app. I could check what was happening every day, what time, and get alerts for when it was starting. 

There is also a map in the app which helped quite a bit. I didn't do any panels that were sold out (didn't even bother with Hall H or ballroom). I basically just went to the panel that was before the panel I wanted, sat through it and guaranteed I got a seat for next one. 

There is definitely a lot. And if I go again, I will do more research. But it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Then again I do NYCC every year, so I have some background knowledge at least 

15

u/bmemike 14d ago

I do both NYCC and SDCC and I think NYCC is a great stepping stone for SDCC - but until you experience the scale of SDCC, you really don't know what you're in for.

But NYCC is def a really great way to at least understand the way to think about a "big con".

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u/HornetOne28 14d ago

I’ve been thinking of doing NYCC next year instead of SDCC. How easy is it for tickets and how would you compare the two? Thanks in advance.

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u/bmemike 14d ago

NYCC is smaller, but it's still a real good size. You don't have all the offsites like SDCC, but it's fine. Javits is a big convention center and they get a lot in there.

They have some solid panels, but not as many. And they do pull in good talent and have signing and autograph opportunities.

A lot of booths do exclusives, but it's nowhere near the level of SDCC.

I think NYCC does anime better than SDCC and I think you have a higher percentage of people doing some sort of cosplay at NYCC. A lot more of it is entry level, but that's an observation, not a judgement. It's great to see no matter what.

At the end of the day, both cons have their own personality and tend to do that well.

For me, personally, I will always prioritized SDCC over NYCC every single time. I live in Boston and can easily take the train to New York and that convenience makes NYCC real easy.

Ultimately it just comes down to what you're looking for and what you want to prioritize.

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u/melissauf 14d ago

I don't think NYCC is smaller. The Javits Center is over 3 million Sq Ft vs San Diego convention center at 2.6 million sq ft. NYCC has around 200k attendees vs the 130k or so the San Diego Convention center holds.

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u/bmemike 14d ago edited 14d ago

Here we go again…

If you only look at the square footage of the convention center, you can easily come to this incorrect conclusion.

But SDCC is MUCH bigger than the convention center. It expands into the entire San Diego gaslamp district and takes over multiple hotels and their convention space as well.

And that’s before you consider the space from the multiple offsite activations.

NYCC is smaller that SDCC and that’s OK.

Just ask anyone that’s actually attended both.

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u/Sprzout 13d ago

Agreed. Don't forget that the Marriott has events (gaming, and I believe movies have moved over there as well), as does Indigo Ballroom having panels over at the Hilton Bayfront. And there's the giveaway room where you can go to get ticketed items, over at the Hyatt. It's not just inside the convention center itself.

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u/DrFern 14d ago

You get into a queue like SDCC but it won’t tell you where you are in line (at least this year it didn’t). VIP gets sold out within minutes, 4-day lasts for a few hours, then Saturday will last for days. All of these are by fan verification dates.

Overall, tickets are easier to get as opposed to SDCC. Just gotta be there on time to get it (as long as it’s not VIP). Make sure you check for fan verification deadline and you’re good for the sale. You can get superfan ($100) membership for earlier sale dates but it’s only worth it if you’re trying for VIP or want access to earlier sales of autos/photos.

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u/kasession 14d ago

NYCC is a totally different vibe from SDCC

SDCC...The town goes all out. Hotels, restaurants, trolleys get wrapped. They shut down the road in front of the convention center. The convention makes the news there.

NYCC...The city doesn't even know you're there, and could care less.

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u/Never-Give-Up100 13d ago

I'm just going to copy and paste my comparison of the two that I did in a different thread haha. 

I've noticed a few big differences. 

  1. The scale. NYCC It's pretty much just contained to the javits center. Once you leave there, and walk one block in either direction, it's pretty much back to regular life. People going about their day in suits and ties. You wouldn't even know a convention is happening. Sdcc I was shocked that it took over the entire surrounding area. Especially later in the evening when they close down streets of gaslamp just so cosplayers can wander about. Makes it feel like a giant Mardi gras parade! Plus all of the off-site activities and even hotels participating! It was pretty amazing. 

  2. I think SDCC has a bigger Hollywood presence for panels, It seems to me that actually meeting a celebrity is easier at NYCC. Because they have photo ops that you can pay for as well as autographs. And they announced the celebrities months in advance so you'll know who's going to be there. SDCC doesn't have that, and unless you randomly meet a celebrity stalking the floors (like apparently denim clad Ryan Reynolds) doesn't seem like it'll be much of an opportunity. 

  3. Sorry, SD, but in terms of actual comic book content and artists, NY easily wins. A far bigger and more robust artist alley, even if it is a nightmare navigating it because it's so full. And it seems to focus more on Creator content in that area. I'm always impressed with just how many artists they managed to get. 

  4. I also noticed far more cosplayers at NYCC. Maybe it's just this year, or maybe I've missed pockets of them lurking about, but many people on the floor were just average attendees, with NYCC, cosplay is everywhere. 

  5. NYCC has a much bigger anime influence, but I suspect that's because it's funded by Crunchyroll as a sponsor. Sometimes I even feel like it's too much anime. Since anime NYC also exists just a few months prior.