Comic-Con 2011 Registration Opens SAT FEB 5th 9am PT + Tips to Get Your Tix!

Comic-Con International has announced the date that the San Diego Comic-Con 2011 attendee badges will go on sale!

The best thing about this announcement is that the on sale date is not on a weekday when most people are at work. Too many people have taken time off (repeatedly) in hopes of purchasing a ticket this year. Calling in sick or coming in late because of the sniffles for the 4th time in the last few months probably wouldn’t fly with the boss anyway. And if you happen to be a weekend worker, start asking to switch shifts with people now or assign this task to a friend who isn’t working that morning.

Here are a few other things to keep in mind when preparing for that morning:

1. Gather Each Attendee’s Information – If you’re grabbing passes for others in your party as well as yourself, make sure you have in hand all the personal information you might need for EVERYONE you’re purchasing for. I suggest having it in a Notepad document so that you can copy and paste it in the fields if necessary. It also helps to prevent typos in the heat of the moment. You will likely need each person’s full name, home address, phone number, and email address to register them. Each membership registration MUST be in the name of the person you are buying it for. Yes, if you don’t have their email address, you can use your email address for each registration, but it’s best that each person is registered with their own address if at all possible. What matters most is that each pass/membership is entered in the name of the person that will be using it. This fact is EXTREMELY important! Memberships are NOT transferable. If you buy one for your boyfriend or girlfriend now and you break up between now and July, you won’t be able to hand off the registration to your new lover. You’ll have to return it to Comic-Con. If you need it re-issued in another name, you’ll have to go through them. Even if you’re purchasing a pass just for yourself, it’s still a smart bet to have all of your information typed out in a text file in advance so you’re prepared for that day.
2. Focus and Have Your Money Ready – Check your bank account and/or credit card balance to make sure you have the available funds the morning of the sale. Make sure you’re at your computer/phone with your card in hand at least 15 minutes before the on-sale time (I have never gotten through on the phone… ever!). Shut down any extraneous programs on your computer that may slow it down and have your browser(s) of choice open and ready on the Comic-Con registration page, ready to refresh at 9am PT on the dot.
3. Be Patient – Don’t be surprised if it takes a bit of time to reach that purchasing page. Although Comic-Con has made a number of improvements to the system, including working with a company that uses Amazon’s massive bank of servers to handle the expected technology-crippling number of visitors in the first few minutes, expect it to be slow going at first. But stick with it. Don’t give up hope (unless the servers somehow crash again). If that happens, I don’t know what Comic-Con will do…
4. Wait For the Email Confirmation – Once you get an on-screen confirmation on the memberships you purchased, the emails you provided will receive the actual “ticket” soon after. You will receive an email with the name of each registrant and the barcode associated with their name. Come July, if the name on the confirmation page does not match the name on the provided ID (they will verify), you won’t be able to get in.
5. Know How to Survive – Once you know that you have a membership to the show, it’s time to equip yourself for the event, even if you’ve been there before. Grab the Unauthorized San Diego Comic-Con Survival Guide book (or ebook) to help you make it through the most insane week of your life!

WHAT IF THEY RUN OUT OF 4 DAY MEMBERSHIPS BEFORE I CAN GET ONE? Start buying up single day memberships, starting with the day that’s most important to you. If you buy 4 individual adult single day passes, it will really only cost you $131, which is only $26 more than a 4 day pass ($105). There are hidden benefits to having 4 separate single day passes (a fresh, unpunched badge each day, possibly allowing access to carefully distributed exclusives), but you also have to get in the registration line each morning as well. They do not hand out all 4 individual day passes out on the first day you show up (this prevents scalping).

WHAT IF I CAN’T BUY ON FEB 5th? What if you don’t have a way to be online that morning? What if you just don’t have the money right then? What if you just don’t feel like getting up that early on a Saturday? I honestly don’t know what to expect, but I would imagine that you won’t be getting a 4 day membership if you are asking those questions. Something tells me that with all of the anticipation and build-up brought on by the past failed attempts to sell them, the 4 day passes won’t last a few hours, much less a whole day. The single day passes probably won’t last much longer, but could remain available for purchase beyond that weekend. Saturday will go first unless the Twihards have a confirmation of Twilight returning on Thursday this year. You could take a chance that 4 day passes will be available after the 5th, but I wouldn’t guarantee it. If you really need one, avoid this day at your own risk.

Again, I honestly have no idea what to expect out of February 5th. Comic-Con has never had to deal with something like this before. Neither have the attendees. All I can say is be prepared and good luck!

Good luck!

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