Question about SDCC

This is probably the wrong place to ask this, so feel free to move this thread to another place...

I live in Belgium and will be making a road trip through South-West United States (for the second time) in July. While in San Diego, I'd love to visit the Comic Con. Here's my question: Do you need to register on their website in advance to get a ticket, or can you just show up there and buy a ticket at the entrance?

Any kind Americans who can help me out?

Thanks

Beastmaster

Hey Beastmaster,

Your absolute best bet is to register on the website in advance. And I could be wrong, but it seems like last time I was out there, people could purchase one day passes- but those sold out very quickly and I saw many, many people being turned away. You might want to register sooner rather than later as well, because I think the prices go up as the con nears (plus if you register early, I think you have the option to purchase the 4 day package that includes preview night).

Some other advice:

The main thing you need to worry about however is a hotel- they all get booked up and can quickly turn into a nightmare scenario. It's like Mardi Gras in New Orleans... people seem to book hotels a year in advance. So definitely get the hotel out of the way. If you get one that is close to the convention center, there are handy dandy bus routes for the con that you can take advantage of (or you can walk as well- but man is it hot out there, lol). Usually the hotels that are further out don't have the bus route option, and San Diego isn't the best place for public transportation. They do have trolley cars- but they run on a fixed schedule that is a pain- and can leave you waiting for hours on end. And taxi's are hard to get as well. There is so much traffic at and around the convention center, that if you have a rental car- it might be better just to leave it at the hotel during the day.

Try to get there early on the first day of the con- last time I went, the line stretched around the convention center twice- and some people never made it inside the building on preview night because of the crazy line.

Went to SDCC the last 2 years, and if you do go, you will NOT be disappointed! It's a total blast - major sensory overload! My recommendation would be to register as soon as you know you are going. 2 years ago I didn't register and was able to buy tickets the day of (Saturday), but last year it was just CRAZY!! I think the show was completely sold out before it even started, with 4 day and Saturday passes being the first to go. It really seems like the place to be in SD with lots of casual fans and families on any given day. Looks like Hollywood has totally jumped on to Comic Con in a big way, in turn bringing in a lot of people that probably never would never go. So yeah, prepare early and it should be a lot of fun. Wait too long and get ready for some frustration...