More than anything else, the question I get most, next to “what time should I get in line?”, is “how can I get tickets for San Diego Comic-Con 2012?”
Well, now we have our answer. According to The Beat, San Diego Comic-Con 2012 pre-registration will take place Thursday through Sunday from 8am to 11am (that’s just 3 hours per day!) in the Douglas Pavilion at the Manchester Grand Hyatt (a few blocks west of the convention center), not upstairs in the Sails Pavilion as it has in the past. While only a percentage of the total available badges will be available each day, expect long lines and daily sell outs. This also means that Comic-Con 2012 will NOT sell out completely next week, as some had feared. Additional memberships will be available for purchase online at a later date.
NEW DATES – Even more interesting is the fact that Comic-Con will be moving a full week earlier than normal: July 12-15, 2012.
NEW PRICES – Since there really is no longer an incentive to purchase a 4 day pass over single day passes (as the show sells out anyway), there won’t be much of a discount for buying a multi-day package. The prices are as follows:
4-Day with Preview Night = $175
4-Day without Preview Night = $150
4-Day Junior (age 12-17) and Senior (60+) and military badges with Preview Night = $87
4-Day Junior (age 12-17) and Senior (60+) and military badges without Preview Night = $75
1-Day membership = $40
1-Day Junior, Senior, Military membership = $20
Sunday only membership = $23
Sunday only Junior, Senior, Military memberhip = $11
So set aside about $175 or less and plan to head down to the Manchester Hyatt to snag your tickets to San Diego Comic-Con 2012. There’s a good chance it will be the longest line at the convention…
Here’s a map to the hotel in case you’re wondering where it is:
Comments: 175
thanks for the post!
I’ll be attending with my husband this year. Is it possible to buy more tickets than just your at the presale? I have a sister that would like to go next year with us.
Thanks!
In the past they have allowed this as long as you have that person’s basic information with you (name, address, phone, email, etc) as the ticket has to be created in their name. I imagine they will be putting limits on how many, but they are not known at this time. You should be fine if you’re just buying 1.
What is the name of the official site?
comic-con.org/cci
Thank you for the information!
Is there anyway to purchase passes online?
Not yet. Passes will become available in the fall on the official Comic-Con site and ONLY on the official Comic-Con site. Don’t believe anyone else who claims they have 2012 tickets to sell you, because they do not!
What about the people who are not at Comic Con 2011?
They will be selling tickets online to all who want them this fall. Here’s hoping they get a better system in place to sell the tix by then. Something tells me that it won’t happen until they do. And I’m thinking that you won’t end up purchasing the tickets at the time… just requesting them until they can send you an invoice for your request at a later date. It’s the process of creating thousands of secure connections in order to process credit card transactions that cripples the servers each time. That’s why the hotel purchasing went so well this year… nobody put in credit card information over https at the initial login time.
Is there a way to buy the passes online?
Not yet. Passes will become available in the fall on the official Comic-Con site and ONLY on the official Comic-Con site. Don’t believe anyone else who claims they have 2012 tickets to sell you, because they do not!
I noticed they said you have to have a 2011 badge in order to get it. But this is my and my boyfriend’s first time going for 2012. When will they be open for people who don’t have 2011 badge and are new members?
Not yet. Passes will become available in the fall on the official Comic-Con site and ONLY on the official Comic-Con site. Don’t believe anyone else who claims they have 2012 tickets to sell you, because they do not!
Hello- Can we buy tickets for 2012 on the official online website fro 2012 and do we need to pre-register ahead? We are interested to buy the 4 day event with preview.
The tickets will become available on the official site in the coming months on the registration page. Watch that site closely for information on when it will happen. If it is like last year, it will sell out within a few hours. The only pre-registration that has taken place so far was at SDCC 2011 this year and they sold out of all the 10,000 tickets they made available at that time.
It seems they changed junior ages from 12 to 13. I emailed them in regards to this change but have not received and answer. Do you happen to know if they made a press release in regards to this issue.
They haven’t said anything beyond the information provided for on-site pre-reg a few months ago. Kids 12 and under are free. Kids 13-17 are able to get junior tickets. http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_reg_2012.php
i bought your book and LOVE it, there’s so much info that you can’t find anywhere else.
if you could give us your educated opinion on ticket buying, like if the pre-registration will happen on a different day then the actual tickets, how quickly they’ll be sold out (minutes? hours? will i have enough time by simply checking the site often or should i subscribe to their updates?) will they warn us about the date for buying tickets or just spring it on us?
any help would be appreciated! i desperately want to drag my brother there, i’ve been wanting to go for years. now that i’m an adult i can finally try 😀
Thank you so much for your kind words, Ladydeath! As for my educated opinion… right now all I can do is guess. But the introduction of the Member IDs allows them to categorize and notify types of ticket buyers (4 dayers vs 1 or 2 dayers) when specific types go on sale. What matters most is that when the Member ID registration goes online in JANUARY (according to their site), that you get that taken care of in the time provided. No need to rush online all at once, because that’s what they’re trying to avoid. Everything we are allowed to know at this point is on this page:
http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_reg_memberid.php Follow the instructions closely and be ready in the coming months. They are actively trying to minimize the frustration of past years with people loading and reloading the pages, crashing the servers, and getting erroneous “sold out” messages. That Member ID registration will most likely let them gather your credit card information, address, etc in advance over a broad period of time (maybe a few weeks or a month). Registering earlier will most likely NOT get you a spot earlier in the queue for purchasing. This process is to gather all of the secure data that requires encrypted connections out of the way BEFORE on sale date. The problem with the servers crashing in the past had more to do with the fact that the servers had to create secure encrypted connections for each person trying to buy a ticket (100,000+ all at once), which takes a lot of processing power. By getting the sensitive info out of the way early, they will be able to handle people requesting tickets on the official ON SALE day without the need to encrypt your information. Your login will tell them that LadyDeath wanted two 4 day tickets for Joe and Mary Smith and you should be able to request them with just a few clicks. Then once they receive all the requests, they can cross reference your request with the information you provided in January and run your card for the cost of the tickets.
Yes, the site will probably run slowly for a bit, but it will not likely crash, and the process should go quickly on the On Sale Day. And, of course, people will still be frustrated if they don’t login in time and miss their chance. There is no way to make everyone happy. Lots of people will be disappointed. But now you have a better chance without having to enter your credit card information in a dozen times, hoping that you got through.They will notify us in advance using Twitter and Facebook, so it’s essential that you sign up for those and follow/like them if you haven’t already. It’s your best bet, beyond the emails they’ll send you, to get your tickets as soon as they are available. I’ll also be notifying people on my Twitter and Facebook feeds as soon as I hear anything. Good luck and I hope you get to go!
does every ticket holder have to register and purchase or can one person register and buy guest passes?
According to the site, EVERY single person MUST have a MEMBER ID. However, “You may purchase additional badges for you friends or family only if you have their personal Comic-Con Member ID. When open online registration begins, you must have the Member ID of each individual you intend to purchase a badge for, including junior children (ages 13 – 17).” This info and all other details are available on the official site.
This is a fantastic site, thanks very much for all of your hard work and info! I went to SDCC 2011, and am going back for ’12, but one thing I’d like to do this time around is perhaps more socializing at night after the long Con days. So what I’m curious about is a) where are the happening spots to meet up at night and/or b) how would I get information about parties or things of that nature? Thanks again!
As we get closer to the event, there will be a number of sites, including this one, that will list all of the after hours events taking place around the city. Of course, since you already know about this site, it makes sense that you’ll want to check back here when it’s time. 🙂
I’ll also hopefully have time to update the mobile app for iPhone this year, which will also list all of the events taking place during Comic-Con, among other things that are worthwhile checking out. Keep checking the site and following on Twitter and/or Facebook for the latest updates as I get them. Thanks for your support!
Hemma confusion
So when do tickets for 2012 Comic-con go on sale online? No one knows yet I’m assuming? I’ve got a Member ID already.
Only Comic-Con really knows. Right now they’re squaring things away for WonderCon in March. And since they know that the tickets will sell out again almost instantly, they know that they don’t have to do it so many months in advance. They can get all of their other things taken care of and then deal with the ticketing process, then the hotel process, which will hopefully result in less returns due to people’s plans changing over the months leading up to July. It’s much easier to know that you’ll be able to go to Comic-Con in March or April than it is in September or November the year prior, which is when they used to sell the tickets. The only reason that they have sold tickets in January or February last year was because all previous attempts crashed the servers.
Just keep your member ID handy and be ready when the announcement goes out by email, twitter, facebook, and the official site. Oh, and here when I get the word, just in case you miss it everywhere else.
This is my first time going to comic con, and all this is still a little hazy to me :$ So do i have to purchase BOTH the badge and the ticket(single day) to be able to enter the building & the ballrooms?
When you purchase a “Membership”, that IS the ticket, which means you get a badge to wear. They aren’t 2 different things. A badge is what you need to get into the convention center floors and panel rooms. However, you must register for a Member ID before you can purchase a Membership badge, so if you haven’t done that, do it now on the official site!
do you also need to create a Member ID for a child that’s 9?
According to the official Comic-Con site, “A Comic-Con Member ID is free and available to all adults and juniors (ages 13 to 17) with a valid e-mail address. Children under 13 may not register for a Comic-Con Member ID.” So if I’m reading this right and you are an adult with a child, you will be able to purchase a Membership for the child under 13 via your Member ID without them having to have a Member ID of their own. However, I am only going by the information they provide on the site, which seems fairly clear. https://secure2.comic-con.org/memberid/
I bought the Survival Guide when it first came out and bring it with me every year to Comic Con! It is an invaluable source of information. I re-read various sections to refresh my memory before I go and treat it as my Comic Con bible. Thank you for writing it and making it available to the masses.
Children under the Junior age do not need (nor will the system let you register for) a member ID (it will ask for month and year of birth). Children get a Child badge when parents pick up their badges at Comic Con. There is no cost for the Child badges, which will have the parent’s name and cell phone number on the backside. Only the child’s last name will appear on the front. The Child badges serve as identification and are for childrens’ safety. Also worth noting: Children are not given the coveted Comic Con tote bags.
Thank you for your kind words, CaliMom! And for those of you with kids, follow her instructions.
So, I’m planning on only going one day so I don’t have to spend more money than I need too. It’s my first time, so it’s still a little confusing. They’re not putting the panels up until two weeks before. I’m assuming tickets will go on sale before then. If I’m looking to see a specific panel, what should I do?
Thanks for the help!
First, yes, tickets will go on sale well before they announce the programming and those tickets will sell out in a matter of hours.
Unfortunately, your predicament is exactly the reason why so many people shoot for the 4 day passes, because even if they’re only interested in Dexter or Torchwood or the Hobbit, there’s no way to guarantee which day the panels will take place. So how do you choose a single day to go?
It’s really a betting game. Odds are always good that the biggest properties will appear on Saturdays. However, if you’re a Twilight fan, they’ve been traditionally scheduled on Thursdays, but that doesn’t mean that they will again this year. This is why many Twilight fans buy up 4 day passes that they never really use except on Thursdays, just to cover their bases. However, from what I understand, the Summit Entertainment/Twilight folks have been pretty good at giving their fans a heads up in recent years so that the ones that pay attention snatch up just the Thursday tickets instead of 4 day passes.
But, since cost is an issue, buying multiple day passes isn’t really an option. Plus, you can’t return them for a refund after May 15th, well before the programming is announced.
In that way, it’s a good idea to carefully watch the website for whatever property you’re interested in, as they might casually announce well in advance what day they’ll be appearing at Comic-Con, hopefully before tickets go on sale. If you’re into the Hobbit, for example, Peter Jackson might post on the Hobbit website or Facebook page that they’ll do a panel on Saturday (the most likely day for the biggest, most sought after panels). But unless you hear it from somebody official (not just a fan throwing out rumors in the comments section), don’t consider it gospel. There’s also a very good chance they’ll do nothing at all. There’s never been a Harry Potter or Dark Knight panel at SDCC and they are HUGE!
I feel for you. But even if you told me which panel you’re interested in and I had a “feeling” what day it might be scheduled, it doesn’t mean that it would be listed for that day. The ticket sales vs programming issue is one that might yet have to be addressed in the future by SDCC. I’ll look into creating an information exchange here or on Facebook so that people can share links to information they’ve found regarding programming. Other than that, it’s a guessing game. I wish I could help more.
Hi, great website! You seem like a pro at this, quick question: my wife and I are young parents and have always wanted to go to comic con, now our son’s 3…do you think he’s too young? He loves everything/anything comic related, but I mean are the crowds/crazy teen mob as crazy as I’ve heard? Is there walking room for a stroller inside? Any help is appreciated, we did the math and a full trip is like $500. Do people spend this much normally?
Thank you, Stephen! When it comes to kids, I say definitely bring them, especially if they’ve already garnered the taste of their parents in regards to superheroes or sci-fi or whatever. Three isn’t too young, but every kid is different. I had friends who didn’t even have tickets last year and they brought their 3 year old boy to San Diego for the day and they had a blast! They saw lots of costumed folks who were eager to pose with a little boy wearing a cape (his mom dressed him up). When he met a guy dressed as his hero Spider-Man, it blew his mind! And while he was way too shy to even fist-bump him, it was all he could talk about on the ride home. As I describe in the book, Sundays are especially kid-centric, with lots of giveaways and such available just for kids.
When it comes to a stroller, yes, you could bring one, but there are points near the center of the big media booths (CBS, Disney, Fox, ABC, Sony, Lucasfilm, etc) where the crowds are so thick at almost all times, that you wouldn’t be able to make it through. You would be relegated to the outer edges for the most part. The way around that is to have someone stay with the stroller while one of you tries to venture into a crowd going mad for freebies. I usually tell people to leave the stroller at home if at all possible, but if you can’t, be prepared to miss out on some of the crazier stuff toward the center of the maelstrom during the craziest times (which is almost always). And if possible, bring one that isn’t too bulky and can easily collapse. The super-mega strollers just end up being more trouble than they’re worth. The double-wides are the worst, yet some people tend to bring them just to use as people plows. Not a good idea, especially if there is no kid in sight. People with big double-wide strollers stacked with swag and no kids pushing through a mosh pit of people are the most hated people at Comic-Con.
And, yes, the crowds are big and crazy, depending on where you are in the Exhibition Hall and what’s going on. If movie stars show up to sign autographs at the Sony booth or a TV show cast does a signing at the CBS booth, you can be sure that insanity will reign in that area. But not all of the floor is always intense. The further you get away from the big media (tv and movies) booths, the less tight things will be. Without you ever being there, it’s hard to explain the intensity of the event, because everyone’s tolerance for such things varies so widely and everyone’s experience is different. If you go in with a good attitude and are open to this new experience, you will discover some amazing moments throughout your time there, regardless of how crowded and crazy it gets. If you go in feeling like you’re going to have to fight and kill to survive with a negative attitude, it’s all the event will be for you… a struggle. For the most part, people are REALLY good and friendly. Just don’t let the bad apples spoil it for you. I don’t know if you got the book, but I talk about that as the key to truly surviving this event.
As for money… buddy, if you can get away with spending ONLY $500 at Comic-Con, you’re doing something right! Most people will spend that much on one night’s hotel, food, parking, and shopping. Okay, to be honest, I rarely spend that much at exhibitors’ booths in any given year, mainly because I don’t go for a lot of the exclusives (just a few). But between food, transportation, tickets, and especially hotel (if you can get one), for 2 people and a child, you can easily spend a lot more with little effort. I have a budgeting spreadsheet available on my sister site’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/imapopculturegeek?sk=app_208195102528120
If you click LIKE, you’ll get access to the download and it will help you figure out the potential cost of the event at every level.
I hope that helps and I encourage you to come back here or the Facebook page to tell me how it went for your first time. Even if you don’t get tickets, I still suggest that you bring your family to downtown San Diego that week. Like I said, my friends with the 3 year old had no tickets whatsoever and had an amazing time seeing the sights and grabbing all the freebies wherever they went. Monster trucks down one street, free popcorn down another, Adventure Time costume parades down yet another. And if he likes scary stuff, make sure you hang out Saturday evening for the Zombie Walk, where hundreds of costumed zombie fans amble down 5th Ave. You can have a great time at San Diego Comic-Con even without a ticket! Either way, good luck and have a great time!
We’ll be taking our son Calvin there who is also 3 for his 3rd year. I would say this…it’s a good idea to use Kiddie Corp Child Care while there. It’s a very nice set up, extremely nice people, and reasonably priced. They are also very flexible about what hours you use, which is good because you have to guesstimate how many hours to purchase in advance to save a little on the price, and that’s always before the programming schedule is released. We plan on putting our son in daycare for about 3.5 hours a day. He loves the general chaos of Comic con, but at 3 he doesn’t yet have the discipline to make it through a 45 minute panel without talking.
Great tip for parents with small kids! Thanks David!
Wow, thank you for the great response! I read it word for word to my wife haha. I read some other places to avoid strollers so I think I’ll carry him 99% of the time to not make anyone mad! 😉 I’ll be buying your book right after I get our tickets (hopefully)! Thanks again for the response.
Hi, first off I think this may have been answered in Jake01258’s question, like him I have had a member ID for a while now…but I am paranoid because I don’t want to miss out on the chance to buy my tickets. To be clear, for all non guests, retailers, etc the tickets/badges have not gone on sale yet for the public yet? I am following on Twitter, Facebook and now checking this site too, am I just being overly paranoid and will they send me an email saying when they go on sale since I have a registered MemberID? Also thanx for the all the help on here…
Other than the tickets sold on-site at Comic-Con last summer, tickets have NOT gone on sale to the public yet. Right now, CCI is gearing up for WonderCon in March, so it’s entirely possible that the tickets won’t go on sale until after that event. No promises, but that’s my guess. Since you’ve signed up for a Member ID, they have your email address and I’m sure they’ll be contacting you when the tickets become available or just before. Don’t expect that much of an advance notice, though. They could spring it on us suddenly, with less than a day to prepare. And keeping a watch on Facebook, Twitter, and here are also good things to do, just in case your mailserver is slow in getting the info to you. In this case paranoia is good to a certain degree.
The fact is that Comic-Con knows that however many tickets they offer on any certain day will sell out within that day. Long gone are the days when they could act surprised that they sold out. There is no rush at this point for them to get that process out of the way. I know they’re working their hardest to get things right this year, especially after 3 failed attempts last year. The more time they spend perfecting the process and really thinking it through to make sure that nothing goes wrong online, the less people they’ll piss off on the On Sale day. Of course, there will always be people who will get pissed off, because not everyone will be able to get a ticket. That’s the unfortunate part of all this and why, even with a more streamlined system, no one can sit on their laurels and just hope they get news of it passively. That option ended many years ago and will likely never return.
In your response to UncleAir, you bring up the good point about selling out fast and gone are the days of sitting back and waiting to find out. I, too, am paranoid, which got me thinking, is there not a bigger venue than that convention center? Its also kinda weird how if you put all the work and effort into getting tickets, that if something comes up 6 months from now you can’t sell them to someone who does really want them, why is it called scalping/considered a bad thing when everywhere else in business it’s supply and demand? Lol The worst part was we got tickets one year, fell into really bad times and couldn’t afford the trip out and had to return them! Just plain bad luck! Anyway, you seem like you might know why they stay in a venue they could probably fill to triple occupancy! Haha
Unfortunately, there isn’t a bigger venue in San Diego. They are working on expanding it, but it may not be ready until 2015, which is the last currently contracted year CCI has with the convention center. But unfortunately, even if they found a bigger space, that doesn’t end the problem. It would just mean more people. Sure, the point is that more people would be able to attend without worrying that they won’t get a ticket, but the other main complaint is that it’s always so crowded. And I firmly believe that even if a building suddenly appeared in downtown San Diego that’s big enough to hold 200,000 people, MORE than 200,000 people will want to fill it. And we’re back to square one. Comic-Con has reached its apex and unless it suddenly becomes uninteresting to the masses for some reason, there will always be a capacity crowd willing to fill any building its held in.
And, before you say anything else, no, San Diego Comic-Con should never be moved anywhere outside the city itself. LA, Anaheim, Las Vegas could never handle it. I’m not talking about their convention centers, which certainly have enough capacity to add thousands more attendees to the roster. I’m talking about the cities themselves. None of them offer a perfect storm of lodging, food, entertainment, and atmosphere that San Diego offers. I live in LA and I would love to be able to save $$$ on a hotel each year if it was closer (as I will with WonderCon this year), but I don’t think LA could handle the One True Comic-Con. And speaking of WonderCon, we’re about to get a taste of what a smaller SDCC might look like in a few weeks if it were held in Anaheim. Yes, it’s got lots of hotels (sorry, mostly cheap motels) and a number of nightlife restaurants a few blocks away, but remember that it’s being held in March, not Comic-Con July, when nearly every one of those motels would be packed tight with Disneyland visitors. WonderCon should be a big success and I don’t doubt that it or a potential new 4th arm of the CCI brand could set up shop there in the near future as a result. If CCI continues there, even if WonderCon goes back to San Francisco, there’s a chance that it will release the pressure put on San Diego Comic-Con if it offers a lot of the same things, but more locally to the LA/OC people who aren’t hardcore geeks and are just pop culture lookee-loos wanting to see what all the fuss is about and maybe get an autograph from Robert Pattinson or the cast of Big Bang Theory.
I completely agree with the anti-scalping rules CCI has put in place. Your predicament is an unfortunate side-effect, but you did get your money back when you returned them, right? The reason that the anti-scalping rule is SO important is because due to the insane panic you and so many others are now feeling, there are vultures out there willing to take advantage of it. Imagine if you didn’t have to just worry about getting a ticket. Imagine if those anti-scalping measures weren’t in place. Tons of big money scalping operations, both legit and downright seedy, would step up and buy ALL of the tickets made available on the official sale day (or at least as many as they could purchase, which is A LOT). They have tools to make that happen. I’ve talked to guys who have said that if they could, they would do that and just rake it in. So now instead of paying $150 for a 4 day ticket to Comic-Con, you can now pay $1000+ for a 4 day ticket. Or you can choose not to go and it becomes just a convention where the mega-rich can only go to. Or you could try to buy a ticket from another scalper who doesn’t really have any tickets at all, but he’ll take your money, and give you that fairly decent looking fake ticket that won’t get you in the door at all. But at least you didn’t pay $1000. Maybe you’d only pay $500 or even $100. Either way, you don’t have a ticket and that scalper/scammer has your money. By making it clear that the only legal means to purchase a ticket is through Comic-Con itself, you avoid all of that. You don’t get ripped off. You don’t end up paying an insane price that so many scumbags want you to pay to THEM. Not Comic-Con, who actually does the work and makes the event happen. I talked to one guy who wished that SDCC was just a vendor show, with no fans at all, kind of like the E3 Expo, where industry folks come in for a pretty penny and the exclusives that everyone loves would just get bought up by the vendors who paid to be there, who would then turn all of that around on their websites or eBay at 10x the price. I know, it doesn’t make sense to me, but that’s how some of these people think.
And, yes, there are still ways around the no scalping rules, but it is still extremely risky (even if you meet your seller face to face outside the convention hall, there’s nothing that says the badge is real). And those that get caught end up getting banned from Comic-Con for life (seller and buyer). Plus, if your name is Joe, do you really want to get caught wearing a badge that says Sally?
Either way, people have to decide whether going to San Diego Comic-Con is worth the stress and trouble and why they even want to go. If it’s the tight crowds that bother them, try one of the many other conventions that are slightly smaller, like WonderCon coming up in March. There’s also shows in Long Beach, LA, and even one in Las Vegas coming in September. Depending on your tastes and your desire to avoid the insanity, there’s a con for everyone at every level.
We may complain about the hoops we have to jump through, but I have a feeling that most people’s desire to go to Comic-Con is stronger than any reasons they have to stay away. Which is why we fight.
You’re so right about the scalping thing, I honestly never thought about it long enough to see the other side! Also about there will never be enough room… think I might check out those other conventions, we don’t have kids or care about the tv shows, ComicCon or whoever should pay you for being so helpful…
As badges may go on sale at any point now, my family and I want to make our buying plan now. Unfortunately 2 people in my family aren’t sure they will be in the country at that time. So when requesting a refund, if we may need to get a refund for 2 badges out of 5, should we buy them separately or have partial refunds been available in the past? Also, are they usually pretty lenient with refunds or do you have to have “a really good reason” to get them? Thanks! -K
Comic-Con doesn’t make a big deal about WHY you want to return your tickets or how many. If you bought 5 and you want to return 3, that isn’t a problem as the registrations aren’t tied to each other. They’re just tied to the name and member ID associated with them. You just have to return them for a refund before the no refund deadline, which is May 15th. More information can be found on their official site here: http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_reg_cancel.php
MKY – I am looking for several Saturday tickets – please email me at artymomma@comcast.net if you purchased tickets and want to get rid of them!
Artymomma, tickets are not transferable. The person who purchased the tickets must show up at the convention center with valid ID to claim their badge. The name on the printed out barcode ticket page and the ID must be EXACTLY the same. It’s way too risky buying from strangers who claim to have a valid barcode and are willing to sell it to you. Even if they hand it over, you won’t be able to use it. And don’t believe people who say they will be able to create barcoded tickets with YOUR name on them. They are scammers and will take your money, leaving you with a worthless piece of paper that will NOT get you into the show. The only valid tickets with YOUR name on them come from Comic-Con.
Comic Con has added info. Apparently, e-mails will be lapsed, so some ppl will be getting info before others. From the sounds of it, the point is to try to create smaller groups going to get info.
Of course, with the exchange of info on the internet, it sounds like waiting for your registration e-mail might be a bad bet. Depending how they run it, and if you can register prior to getting the e-mail.
http://www.comic-con.org/cci/reg/cci12_helpfulhints.pdf
I’m very curious about this whole “do not open another browser” thing. Does this mean I can’t open firefox if I’m using IE to access the site? How about another tab? Will I know I’ve messed things up by opening a new browser – will I see that I was dropped to end of the line?
I think these are valid questions – especially when you could be in “line” for 4+ hours and thereby can’t use your browser this whole time. What if you’re on a work computer? Can I tell my boss “sorry, can’t do any work, standing in line for ComicCon”?
I had the same question about the browser issue. I know they’re really trying to keep people from dominating the queue with multiple logins. What they should be doing is preventing people from logging in multiple times, but creating such a secure checkpoint could add to the server load. I honestly don’t believe that if you’re using IE or Chrome or whatever that you can’t use a different brand browser to do other things, such as work. But who knows what they put in place? I don’t know of anyone who might be willing to risk losing their place in line in those precious first seconds…
I’ll be trying to login on multiple computers (with multiple IDs), just to see what happens. I’ll likely be at work when they go on sale, so not having a browser for 4 hours really won’t be an option.
Hopefully I manage to get tickets – really looking forward to comicon and I’ll definitely be buying your book if I manage to get tickets. Keep up the good work!
If you get approved for volunteer registration and you complete your assignments for the day you volunteer do you get to enjoy comic con after?
I’ve never volunteered myself, so I can’t definitively answer that question, but I would believe so. The amount of work you put in each day will result in how much free time you’ll get. The more days you work, the more days you play. It’s really important that people take their responsibilities seriously when volunteering. Each job is incredibly important in making the show run smoothly, even if it isn’t glamorous. So if you get to be a volunteer, put in your time and you will be rewarded, before or after your shift. However, if you haven’t been accepted as a volunteer at this point, you won’t be getting in. They shut it down soon after they accepted applications and not everyone made the cut, including a friend of mine. But that’s the way it goes. There’s still a chance she can buy a ticket.
Thanks for the info! I did in fact make the cut and got my email confirming my volunteer application was accepted. I’m so excited! I plan on taking my volunteering seriously and I know that no matter what I’m going to have a blast, I mean how could I not?! I plan to volunteer all 4 days!! I can’t wait!!
Volunteering gives you a one day badge for the day you volunteer. For example, work a shift on Saturday and you get a Saturday badge.
In my opinion, volunteering is one of the best ways to see the ins and outs of the con.
Thanks for the clarification, Andrew! I agree. From everything I’ve heard, volunteers who are there to truly help and give back to the con get more than just free access to the show.
And for those who signed up just hoping to skip the work and run the halls, don’t expect to be allowed into Comic-Con in the future, regardless of how you register.
Do you need to do this if you bought a ticket at comic con last year?
I would think not. If you stood in line all morning and they’ve already charged your credit card and you have a page with a barcode on it (or something similar), I would think that you would NOT have to go through the registration process again. This event on Saturday is all about people registering for the first time.
No, this is only for ppl who need tickets. However, I do vaguely recall that ppl who don’t have a member ID, but bought tickets, need one.
I think there’s info on the website, but this was before new member IDs closed.
So I really want to go to comic con 2012 , but I didn’t know we had to register by a certain date to get badges. If I didn’t register for a member ID at all will I still be able to get a LEGAL badge to go to comic con? Please reply to me at gabby3400@yahoo.com
Technically, you’ve still got a shot. They will reactivate member ID shortly.
GET ONE!
Then, later on this year, the returned & unclaimed passes will be made available. But from last year, those go quick.
Of course, having a Member ID doesn’t count for much, at least not today. I spent nearly a half hour until I just got to the virtual waiting room. And after waiting for an hour after that, ended up with nothing.
I really dislike the 6 person registration. If you were part of a group, or knew a lot of ppl trying to go to Comic Con, you were given a big advantage in getting your registration.
At very least, it should not have been more than 4.
May you email me? Gabby3400@yahoo.com please and thank you 🙂
You have a shot at badges in the late spring when the sell badges that have been returned or voided. Keep an eye of the website.
Comic Con has put up a tutorial YouTube. Shows what the website will look like (when it goes live) & tells you other details. Might be worth a look.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cm8siBex9rY&feature=player_embedded
Hey Doug,
Thank you so much for the info you give and the book. I bought a copy and really enjoyed the insight!
So despite the fiasco of the registration process (the bad email link provided by CCI) I was still able to get Thursday and Sunday badges for this year (I wanted a 4 day badge, but what are you gonna do. I have a question about purchasing a badge for NEXT years event: Do they sell badges for the following year on Thursday or Sunday? I have a feeling they only do for Friday, and since I currently can’t attend that day, I am worried I will be out of luck.
Any thoughts are appreciated.
Thanks!
Yes, in the past, they have the next year’s tickets on site every day of the current show. However, considering the debacle that happened last year (people missed out on SDCC 2011 just to stand in line to get tickets to SDCC 2012 and most didn’t even get tickets after standing in line for hours), I imagine Comic-Con will change their policies on selling on-site. I have no proof of this, but I believe they are re-thinking the process to better serve the fans. So keep an eye on the official site for more information.
I think it would be wise of them to do this. The focus of Comic-Con should be Comic-Con, and not the lines for the following year.
Hi, I purchased 2 Saturday badges. One is for me and for my SO. My SO currently lives in LA and I live in SD. Is it possible for me to pick up the badges early on Friday for both us? Or does my SO have to be present when picking up his badge?
Thanks in advance.
Unless your SO is a minor in your care (I hope not), the person must be present with valid ID in order to pick up the badge. You would only be able to pick up your own badge. Thankfully, the pickup process goes very quickly, even if the lines seem daunting.
Well good news for your friend, my own experience was less than pleasant. I tried to get access from the website at 8PST (11EST) & couldn’t get in until 27 minutes later.
Turns out the email link only really works if you copy & paste it into your browser.
Anyway, even thought I did get access, I still ended up with nada for tickets. After waiting nearly an hour, tickets were completely gone.
I really hate that people could buy as many as 6 passes, without having to go to the back of the line. 4 would have been reasonable, but 6 is too much.
I never copied & pasted the link. That sounds like complete nonsense, the server was just over loaded plain & simple. Took me 30 min to get in and I only used the link in the email. The biggest problem for me was not having a fast internet connection and being 2 time zones away, not the link in the email. I too sat in line for an hour only be #7900 and have all the tickets sold out. They should not have allowed multiple days to be purchase for each ID overlapping or not. They should not have allowed 6 ID’s to be used to purchase badges. 8000 more badges and maybe no one would be pissed at this point. Instead I’ll probably never try to go again. F that #ish
If you mouse over the link that was sent in your email, you’ll notice its considerably different that cutting and pasting it into your browser. I too tried clicking on the link at first. When it didn’t work, I noticed the difference and cut and paste. The cut and paste version took you to the website which allowed you to then go into the registration queue. It was different, not just a case of “overloaded”. I got in about a minute after 11 and two mins after on another computer. Go back and check your email again. Mouse over the link and you’ll see its different – it sends data like your email address.
Its unfortunate they did it that way as I’m sure many people had the same issue.
As for “one day per person”…well, I’m not sure how many people would bother flying cross country if they could only go the show on Friday.
They could have allowed 2nd & 3rd day purchases after each unique ID had an opportunity at 1 day purchase.
Even just allowing only 2 ID purchases might have been enough to spread them out more. And yes I would have flown from the Midwest to CA for one day badge.
I get a strong whiff of exclusivity nonsense out of all this so I’ll not be trying again. Nerds that can’t do the math, classic.
What state are you in by the way? It sounds like only people in CA got in and actually got tickets, if your not at least in the midwest area then you can’t compare the difference in connection. LOL and you got in TWICE. Man F that
My friend told me about last year and this year they still could not get it together.
What gets me is they knew WAY ahead of time how many member ID’s they had, they could have made sure everyone had a chance to purchase at least 1 day if they just would have only allowed 1 day purchase at a time per ID.
I have been searching all over for a 2 day badge for the 13th and 14th does anyone know where I might be able to purchase them or am I out of luck and are they sold out??
The only place to legally buy tickets for Comic-Con is on the official Comic-Con site. However, they sold out completely last Saturday in about an hour. Comic-Con has put in place strict policies to prevent scalping, so don’t go looking on Craigslist or eBay to buy them, as you will likely get scammed out of your money or Comic-Con will catch you and ban you and the seller for life (but most likely the seller). The latter happened to a friend of mine.
But there may be a way to get a ticket from Comic-Con in the future. They will make returned badges available for purchase in the coming months, probably after May 15th, which is the deadline to get a refund on badges. Know that they will be in short supply and will disappear immediately. But in order to purchase, you must have a Member ID. If you didn’t get one by the deadline back on February 28th, there is a possibility that they will reopen it in the near future (again, they might not. I don’t know as they’ve never had Member IDs in previous years). If you don’t have a Member ID and they don’t allow you to register for one, I suggest just waiting until next year.
How does one even get caught with some one else’s badge?
Getting caught rarely happens with legitimate badges unless you have a particularly eagle-eyed and conscientious guard at the doors. Most of them are trained to make sure you have a badge, make sure that it has all of the valid markers on it (color, graphics, UV coating), but rarely do they verify the names. However, if you’re a dude who walks into the convention wearing a badge that says Mary Sue, you might just run into a guard with a Mall Cop mentality to bust your chops. But honestly, the risk does not lie in the usage of the badge. The risk is in the acquiring the badge through nefarious means (on the street, on the internet, etc). Unless you know the seller, it’s really easy to get taken advantage of by scumbags who will feed on your desperation. The guy wearing a Mary Sue badge may not get caught ever, but the person who got that badge from an illegal online sale just might, especially if the badge is fake.
Haha i got my 4 day pass with preview night
My daughter and i were both planning on trying to reserve a room seperately. Since it’s just the two of us, will that still cause us to be moved far out? It’s usually just me making the reservations, but this year she has a job and can help!
I’ve actually tried that years ago with a friend and ran into some unfortunate results. When you reserve a room, you’re required to put the names of every person in your party on the registration. However, this time, I’m betting you have to enter their Member ID. If you request a room for you and your daughter and your daughter does the same, then there will be 2 reservations with the same 2 names/IDs. That gets flagged immediately. Back before they did Member IDs, my friend and I were told to immediately cancel one of the reservations or risk losing both. Normally, I would say that a way around that would be to enter a fake name for the second person (and then change it when you decide which room you want out of the 2 you might reserve), but if they require Member IDs this time around, you won’t be able to do that. You and your daughter can take the risk by both registering with the same names/IDs, but there is a chance it could backfire, leaving you with no room, so I don’t suggest it. But that’s up to you.
Was wondering what you think are the best hotels for Comiccon. I’ve read your book, and mostly you just mention “the closest ones”, but of the ones that are “close” which do you prefer and why?
I was wondering: Which has the best nightlife/parties? Which ones are quiet? Which have a lot of overflow from the con (ie, more booths/seminars/etc?) Which are the “official hotels” of the con? Which are grossly overpriced/really good deals? Where do the guests and celebrities stay? Do any have freebies (late night movies in the lobbies, for example?)
Besides distance as preference, any recommendations for a newbie?
The answers to those questions are a short book in and of themselves. Instead of answering you here, look for a post very soon. What I can answer right now is the question about the “official hotels”. Those are the hotels that are listed on the official Comic-Con site and have worked out a deal with SDCC to lock down most or all of their rooms at a lower rate just for the event. Those are the rooms that will go on sale on Thursday. A complete list of the official hotels (which is pretty much every major hotel, not hostels, in the city) is available here: http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_hotel_list.php
Oh…and any you would definitely NOT stay at? ie, very unclean, bad neighbourhood, especially loud, a lot farther than it appears on the map, etc
The first time they sold tickets, it took me 20 minutes to get into the waiting room; i got in at around 35,000; the line went down by about 4,000 every few minutes…much faster than i thought it would; however, when i got down to about 5,000, tickets sold out! very disappointed. this morning for the second chance sale, it took about 5 minutes to get into the waiting room, then i got in at 926! maybe 5 minutes later i was buying my 4 day pass! very excited, had to share this positive experience; i know the system isn’t perfect, but it worked for me.
congrats, misterd! It doesn’t always work for everyone, but it’s nice to hear that it works for some. Actually, it’s nice to hear something good, because usually the only people who pipe up are those who are complaining (not that they don’t have reason to sometimes).
“Many of the celebs we love are there for a little bit of a break too, especially those who are genuine geeks, soaking up the experience like each one of us ticket-buying nerds. If you find them in a non-convention space, especially if they’re with their friends or families, leave them alone. At most, give them a nod, a smile, and a “HI!” in passing. But don’t bug them for autographs or long conversations about episode 12 of season 3 when their character did this thing or the other. ”
Thank you for saying this. I usually have “celebrity” friends with me during Comic-Con who are really closet geeks and want to enjoy comic-con like everyone else. Seriously, alot of the bigger celebrities that come to comic-con, would probably attend it even if they weren’t famous. If it’s at a party, or out in a club, then by all means talk to them. But they don’t want to be bugged lounging poolside or getting something to eat.
I don’t have a member Id or a badge or any sort of ticket for San Diego comic con and it’s all sold out. I want to go more then anything else in the world though. What should I do.
Member ID registration will become available again in the next week or so. Without a Member ID, you cannot purchase a ticket to Comic-Con. Period.
Once you have one, you will be eligible to purchase any returned badges they might make available in the future. However, they will go VERY fast, so you will need to be ready when they go up and be logged in within the first few seconds to have any chance.
To Summarize:
1. Get a Member ID as soon as they’re available. It costs nothing.
2. Be ready at a moments notice over the next 2 months or so to purchase a ticket.
That’s really all you can do. Good luck.
Buy a ticket to Comic-con 2013
I love how they notified us via email that parking sales were open.
Oh, wait. That didn’t happen. It was supposed to, but simple things like that are the things they always screw up.
Oh, well…at least somebody will be able to buy the 4 day pass that I’ve requested a refund for.
Sam, are you saying you’re not going to Comic-Con because you couldn’t get reserved parking?
There are other lots in the area, including some not so expensive ones. Sure, you’d have to arrive early, but they exist. I also suggest parking for free at Qualcomm Stadium (if they offer that again, which they should) and take the trolley into downtown each day. The trolley has a fee, but it’s relatively cheap compared to most lots. Also, if you’re going to be there all week and you don’t intend to move your vehicle at all from Wednesday to Sunday, you should use the special tip I provide in the book to potentially save you a lot of money on parking. I used it last year and paid $55 total parking for the whole week.
What are some cheap cheap hotels within a few miles of Comic Con? I’m talking $100 or less and 1 star hotels/motels. Something that I could still take a bus to get to Comic Con. I’ll probably skip the last night and wonder the town all night and use that money saved on something else.
The cheaper hotels are found out in Mission Valley and beyond, along route 8, but there’s a chance they’re all sold out as well, especially the cheaper ones. And the ones that are normally cheap jack up their rates 2x or 3x because they know they’re in high demand. It’s a matter of searching online and making some calls. I once stayed at a Motel 6 in that area that was inexpensive and clean. You’ll have to go to their own site to check availability as they don’t usually show up on those big hotel sites like Orbitz and Travelocity and Expedia. Other than that, if you’re not picky, you might consider a campsite to park your car for the night and sleep in that if you really want to save some money. You could even go further out to Chula Vista, which is further south. Depending on what part you go to, it can be okay or it can be dicey, but again, it all comes down to how much you want to spend and how low you will allow your standards to be to get by. Good luck!
I won’t have a car. I’m flying in if I can get tickets. I did look up before on the Motel 6 website. And saw a $400 a night. Which is dumb as they are a 1 star hotel.
I’m pretty much looking for the cheapest that I could easily jump on a bus and get to Comic Con. As I know the cabs would probably be expensive and defeat the purpose.
I’m hoping they release the returned tickets up for sale soon. As I’m afraid to book a flight not knowing if I’ll be able to go or not. Got any inside knowledge of when the returned tickets might be put up for sale?
I live here, If you go south on the trolley you will run into hotels. There are many withing walking distance. On E st. next to the Arco?AMPM are 2 hotels and plenty of eating places. Watch out for hotels that cost too much because they are right next to CC. The trolley travels next to a lot.
There are a lot next to the trolly stations. The further you take the trolley away from CC the better the prices get. I few minutes away from CC and going south is 3 or 4 hotels I think and they are 70.00 and below. By the hotels you are within walking distance of many restaurants and other business to use.
I bought 2 badges, but now I cannot attend. I just got an email about the “new refund policy”, and lo-and-behold, the refund deadline has passed. What can I do? It would be a real shame if these 2 badges go to waste just because of these ultra-strict rules.
Unfortunately, according to their site, they won’t give refunds after May 15th. http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_reg_cancel.php The only option you would have involves still showing up for the event to get your badge (then doing something against their rules to get your money back, which I won’t recount here, but is pretty obvious). The only other option is contacting them directly, just in case they might be flexible. There’s no guarantee they’ll give you some leeway, considering we’re a week past the posted deadline, but it can’t hurt to ask. Maybe they’d consider transferring the purchase toward next year’s tickets? Again, no idea, but it can’t hurt to ask. Good luck.
can i buy them from you?
Hey Marlasci I’ll buy them off you email me @ therodz54@aol.com
Be aware that Marlasci will have to go to the convention center to claim the badges AND THEN give them to you for you to use with his name on them (not that I recommend or condone this transaction). You won’t be able to show up at the convention with a print out of his barcode unless you can prove that you are him with a valid form of ID. This type of transaction is still seen as illegal by Comic-Con. Know that if Therodz54 is caught with Marlasci’s badge (however unlikely), both of you will potentially lose access to Comic-Con for the foreseeable future, which is why I must caution you against this. But it’s up to you.
I heard it was cancelled is this true
You heard what was cancelled? Comic-Con? Not a chance. If that was at all true, every inch of Twitter, Facebook, and EVERY geek site in the world would be blowing up right now. Unless you heard something that hasn’t been made public, you got your information from an unreliable source. Feel free to provide it should you have proof of the claim. But I can assure you that, barring an earthquake that sinks California into the sea or something equally terrible, there is no reason San Diego Comic-Con would be cancelled.
Are there any truck stops or a place to pay to get a shower somewhere close that you can get to riding on the bus? Just incase one isn’t able to get a hotel room, but would like to have a shower.
I don’t know of any truck stops with showers in the area, but it’s not unlikely. From a quick Google map search, I saw a number of them down by the Mexico border, but I have no idea if they have showers or if they’re even safe to visit. I’m not sure how gym memberships work, but if you belong to a national chain and your membership works anywhere, I imagine that you would be able to visit the many gyms that can be found around downtown. But that’s just a guess as I don’t know the big chain policies for out-of-towners.
Their is a YMCA just up the street on Broadway that should have a shower you would be able to use.
Do you have a tip guide for the NYCC and/or the Dragon*Con? Or know of where a good one is? I know I’m going to the NYCC as it is cheaper anyways on flight and hotels. Plus it looks like there would be more to do up there with all those TV shows that film there that you can get tickets to.
I don’t have a guide (nor know of any) for those cons, as I’ve not yet been to either of them. Also, they’re nowhere near as insane as San Diego. They’ve very popular and crowded, but don’t generate a fraction of the madness that’s involved in going to San Diego. However, I intend to visit them this year. If I find enough content that would warrant creating a survival guide for each, I’ll consider writing them up.
Thanks for all the valuable tips on attending CC 2012. My hubby and I are traveling from Sydney Australia to San Diego. After 4 attempts to get tickets we only managed to secure 1 ticket before selling out on May 31st. I sent an email to COMIC CON just for feedback on how difficult it is for overseas attendees to book airline tickets and accommodation when we weren’t sure if we could even get tickets. In this case only my hubby got a ticket. I was pleasantly surprised to get a reply almost immediately with an offer to try and help us get another ticket! Its not set in concrete but I was very impressed that they would even take the time to read my email let alone try and help us. I really didn’t expect it considering the thousands of tickets that have been sold and many more who want tickets. Thumbs up to CC!
That’s great that they did that! It’s nice to hear a positive story come out of all the cries for ticketing justice these days. Hope you both have a great time at the show and in San Diego in general!
That is cool. They usually don’t email back. I usually call Epic tickets to get info. I live here in SD and they have already have started creating it around here. You can still enjoy outside because SDCC keeps getting bigger outside. If I don’t get I ticket for it next your I will just go outside>
I’m planning to do the same in 2013 (I’m in Canberra). I’d love to hear about your experience from an Aussie perspective. I’m currently already on the hunt for a nice place to stay. I don’t know if you’ll see this post – but if you do, hit me up at selwyn_jp at hotmail dot com
Hi, how long are u planning on staying. What price are u looking to pay?, how many people. Have a good day!! Luci Ott
I have a room I can rent, I am also a chef. The room comes with your own bathroom, heated pool, jacuzzi, full gym and your meals. We live in La Jolla Crossroads, just in case u want to goole it.
I’ll be turning 12 in july and I want go to comic-con but I didn’t tell my how much it cost :[
Well, the tickets are all sold out, Stacey, so I don’t think you’ll get in this year. But you should definitely plan ahead to get tickets for next year when you’re 13. Or, if you already live in the San Diego area, you and your family and friends should just come downtown for a day to check out all the craziness on the streets. There’s still lots of free food and other stuff being handed out all over the Gaslamp district, which means you can enjoy some of Comic-Con without having to buy a ticket. Park at Qualcomm stadium and take the trolley down, though. Parking will be impossible. Hope you can make it one way or another and geek out with the rest of us! Good luck!
Hey I want to go to the comic con 2012 soo bad. Is there still a chance for me to get tickets as of now? Well the thing is i havnt register a membership id yet. please reply back asap thx.
No there is no real way unless you win a giveaway and most of those are done by now.
Hey is there still a way for me to get tickets as of right now? I haven’t signed up for membership id yet but am i too late for the tickets?? I really wanted to go badly but if everthything is sold out then do u have any suggestions for next year on 2013 like maybe i can get tickets early after the 2012 comic con?
Unfortunately, there are no more tickets left, according to Comic-Con. Tickets sold out a few months ago, with a few returned tickets made available a few weeks ago. Both times, they sold out in minutes. As for getting tickets for next year, make sure that you sign up for a Member ID immediately. https://secure2.comic-con.org/memberid/ When the 2012 is over, you will be notified when 2013 tickets will become available to purchase. That could be this fall or next spring. Either way, you can’t hesitate when they go on sale. You must login to purchase the exact SECOND they go on sale. Logging in even 5 minutes late will probably get you nothing. There is no such thing as just showing up on the site and casually registering for Comic-Con anymore. And DO NOT take up offers from people on eBay or Craigslist who say they have tickets for sale. They are lying. Even if they aren’t, accepting the offer could get you and the seller banned from Comic-Con for life. I’ve seen it happen.
Unfortunately, there are no more tickets left, according to Comic-Con. Tickets sold out a few months ago, with a few returned tickets made available a few weeks ago. Both times, they sold out in minutes. As for getting tickets for next year, make sure that you sign up for a Member ID immediately. https://secure2.comic-con.org/memberid/ When the 2012 is over, you will be notified when 2013 tickets will become available to purchase. That could be this fall or next spring. Either way, you can’t hesitate when they go on sale. You must login to purchase the exact SECOND they go on sale. Logging in even 5 minutes late will probably get you nothing. There is no such thing as just showing up on the site and casually registering for Comic-Con anymore. And DO NOT take up offers from people on eBay or Craigslist who say they have tickets for sale. They are lying. Even if they aren’t, accepting the offer could get you and the seller banned from Comic-Con for life. I’ve seen it happen.
Unfortunately, there are no more tickets left, according to Comic-Con. Tickets sold out a few months ago, with a few returned tickets made available a few weeks ago. Both times, they sold out in minutes. As for getting tickets for next year, make sure that you sign up for a Member ID immediately. https://secure2.comic-con.org/memberid/ When the 2012 is over, you will be notified when 2013 tickets will become available to purchase. That could be this fall or next spring. Either way, you can’t hesitate when they go on sale. You must login to purchase the exact SECOND they go on sale. Logging in even 5 minutes late will probably get you nothing. There is no such thing as just showing up on the site and casually registering for Comic-Con anymore. And DO NOT take up offers from people on eBay or Craigslist who say they have tickets for sale. They are lying. Even if they aren’t, accepting the offer could get you and the seller banned from Comic-Con for life. I’ve seen it happen.
you have to go with an adult who has a badge, but if you have such an adult willing to take you you’r ticket is free, you just pick it up when your chaparone gets theirs.
On the previous two years, my wife and I have stayed with a family friend just outside San Diego – this year, however, I wanted to have a treat for ourselves by going for one of the hotels downtown in The Hotel Planners Massacre. As it happens, we managed to land Hilton Gaslamp… really looking forward to it, and to just stumbling out of bed and turning up on the Convention Centre doorstep. Hints and tips for this hotel? And where *did* you get this year? Hope to see you out there, sir…
Nothing much to tell you about the sweetness of the Hilton Gaslamp. The best tip is essentially what you said, “stumble out of bed on the doorstep of comic-con”. It doesn’t get much easier. Even the hotels that are technically closer (by mere feet) aren’t as close to the Gaslamp district’s goodies as this hotel is. I’ve stayed there twice before in the previous years and I’ll be doing it again this year, by sheer luck (I have no special inside connections or Hotel Angels that I know of). Enjoy the show! Maybe I’ll see you in the elevator ride to the lobby!
I live here and there a so many hotels in san diego. Most I know are around 60.00 or 70.00 a day or less. Most I know are right next to the trolly. So you can get more quiet but still have access to Comic con and downtown 24/7
This site along with the other “about SDC” sites are always so helpful. I really appreciate what you guys do.
My friends and I got up at 5:30am the first day of on-site sales. We waited in line for a very long time, but still among the first “left out.” It was at the point we decided to just focus on enjoying 2011 and take our chances with the online registration for 2012. Just out of curiosity, we went back out to the pier on Thursday night and there were about 50-100 people already in line at midnight! I just felt bad that their next day would be a bit ruined. I did ask a security guard if he’d allow me to bring my rollaway, but he said no.
Luckily it did work out for us for this year – but I truly feel bad for anyone who was unable to get a pass through the online sales.
My group and I have almost always managed to get into some great after hours events. If anyone wants to connect and widen our circle of friends – please let me know …
Mike
I was one of the ones that had to spend the night( I live in SD so makes it easy). Not the ones that got wet. But If you were there later than 3AM, the tickets were gone for that day.2013 will be internet only site.
So there wont be any tickets sold at the Manchester Hyatt on the days OF the convention??
That is correct. From what Comic-Con has said in a recent email to those with Member IDs, there will be no on-site registration for 2013. All registration will be done online on various dates in the coming year. Further details are not available and I’m sure they could change their policies at any time. If they do change or they provide more information, I will be relating it here.
You never know
In 2013, do you think you know where the location will be at? Comic-con was in San Diego for 2011 and 2012, I assume, but I just want to know if it will be still in San Diego next year? Because San Diego is not far from where I live, just an hour, and my parents don’t want to waste A LOT of money to go to a comic-con… so do you think you know where the 2013 location will be at? I wasn’t able to get the tickets this year, unfortunately I was too late.. so I hope it will be in San Diego next year.
It will definitely be in San Diego again next year as it has been for over 40 years. No matter what some people might suggest, it’s not going anywhere.
This is also one of the only big events that San Diego has. Bands always skip San Diego on tour. Let us just have this one thing.
I live in SD and it will be here for the next 5 years. They are trying to find the money to expand the Convention center. Once they expand then tickets will be easy-er to get.
well i guess attending 2013 comic con is going to be imposible next year. no on-site registration anymore. hard to complete with everyone online if they do not upgrade their flawed website.
Yes I just heard but outside keeps on getting bigger and the hotels and parties keep getting better
this is ridiculous honestly. i spent the night last year on the cold, hard cement with sprinklers hitting me in the middle of the night to reserve my tickets for this year. BUT IT WAS WORTH IT! Having the peace of mind that I was going to comic con the following year was worth the uncomfortable conditions I endured. They need to sell tickets onsite (even if you have to spend the night to ensure them). Season ticket holders for sports games always get first dibs and comic con should follow suit.
I am interested in buying one of the art piece that’s only available for sale on Sat of this year’s Comic-Con. If you are one of the luck few who already got the tickets and is interested in making some quick cash by picking up a printing for me, please send a message on fb to work out the details!
Does anyone know when comic-con 2013 tics will go on sale?
2013 pre-registration for 2012 attendees will take place online exclusively in August. There will be no on-site registration. After the 2012 attendees pre-register, they will open it up to non-attendees at a later date. How many tickets will be available for each registration period is unknown at this time. For more information, go to the official site at: http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_reg_prereg.php
Yeah how the hell you suppose to get your tickets… You know it will be like BlizzCon and the moment you try to get a Ticket the site will go Down… That WONT BE COOL… I like in CA and I have never been to ComicCon… I have wanted to go for years and never get to cause can never get the tickets… I want to go next year…
Actually, Comic-Con found a way around crashing the site. Yes, it goes very slow, but it doesn’t completely crash anymore when 100,000+ people try to get tickets. The reason sites crash when there are a lot of people ordering tickets is because of the secure connection that needs to be established in order to take credit card information at purchase. Comic-Con no longer takes the payment at the time of registration, which means it doesn’t need a secure connection. Once people have registered, they are given a confirmation notification that lets them pay for their tickets securely at a later time, thereby spreading out the load on the servers and preventing any crashes. However, when the tickets go on sale, you have to be ready at that exact moment, because they will sell out in a matter of minutes. Obviously, the process works for a lot of people, because tickets get sold and people are going to the show. And, of course, not everyone will be able to go due to the limited ticket amount. But if you want to go, you have to try and adhere by the rules and information provided. Good luck next year!
Is it too late to get tickets for comic con 2012??? i need an immediate response!
Wow. You asked so politely, too. Yes, it’s very very very late to get tickets for Comic-Con. They sold out online in less than 30 minutes about 4 months ago. If you want to go next year, go to the official site at comic-con.org/cci and follow their instructions on how to get a MEMBER ID (very important) and how to register using that Member ID. Good luck!
Something that is annoying is that Comic Con are only letting people who bought 2012 tickets the ability to pre-register for 2013 tickets. I think it should be open for all every year for people who don’t get to get every year. That means they’ll get bought up by the same people every year since Comic Con gives them the advantage.
It will be. I imagine that the 2012 attendees will only receive a limited allotment just as it was last year when people had to stand in all of those lines. Another batch will likely be made available to the general public soon after.
ok so i really wanna get 2 tickets to this thing. it could be for 1 day it doesnt matter. i want to do something nice for my girlfriend and though i may not enjoy this stuff it means a lot to her, she wants to meet kristen stewart please she recently just left me and i want to make it up to her. anyone know how i can get tickets?
Unfortunately, as far as anyone knows, there are no more tickets to purchase. You might find someone trying to sell their badge online, but I wouldn’t trust it. There are many scammers out there who will take your money and leave you with a fake badge. Others will pick up their badge and give it to you for a price. But be aware that Comic-Con is randomly checking IDs to see if they match the names on the badges. The only way you would have a chance is if you knew someone at Comic-Con or a high ranking celebrity or studio. And even if you did get in, the odds of meeting Kristen Stewart are nearly impossible without having a ticket on the day she’s there (thursday) and then somehow getting a ticket to a closed door Twilight signing, if they’re even having one, which would probably go to only 100 people out of 130,000. Otherwise, Kristen isn’t going to exactly be accessible any other way. She certainly won’t be sitting at a table waiting for someone to pay for her autograph. Getting a ticket 3 days before the event and then getting to a place where she could meet Kristen without having studio insider access is harder than winning the lottery two days in a row. If you somehow do it, be sure to let me know. Either way, good luck with your girl.
With all due respect, this listing is not very accurate. NerdHQ, the WB/Extra Stage, and NBC/Grimm events are open to the public, free and very near to the San Diego Convention Center – and NONE are listed.
Actually, you’ll find that it’s very accurate if you look at the Wednesday and ALL WEEK events post. https://sdccsurvivalguide.com/2012/07/09/sdcc-2012-events-guide-wednesday-week/ However, I did leave some of the more open ended, non-specific events like the WB Extra Stage and the Grimm and Revolution areas in the Special Attractions section of the app, which I copied this from. Now that you mention it, I’ll include them on the Wednesday and ALL EVENTS post also, since they’re not listed anywhere else on the site.
For those of us who have been devoted Comic Con attendees – this sucks in a HUGE way. I hate it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
How much are comic-con tickets?
They run around $150 for adults. However, they’ve been sold out for months. Prepare to buy tickets for 2013 online by visiting the official site and getting a Member ID at http://comic-con.org/cci
so you cant stand in line??!!!!! theres no way to get tickets
Nope. Hasn’t been like that in years. It often sells out online within 30 minutes or so. So you must be prepared!
You could stand in line for 2012 badges during Comic-Con 2011 (that’s what I did)
Yeah, 2011 was the last year you could do that. But because it forced people to stand in line for hours on end and miss most of Comic-Con, they abolished the pre-sale at Comic-Con 2012. Thus, the pre-registration that took place online this morning for those who had tickets to 2012.
anyone knows where the next comic con is gonna be?!!!
If you’re talking about the next San Diego Comic-Con, well, then that would be San Diego. However, other organizations put on comic-cons using the term “Comic-Con” (as it’s not a trademarked term), but not the same San Diego Comic-Con staff. Depending on where you live, there could be any number of Comic-Cons on the way. http://conventionscene.com is a good place to find events coming up near you. If you live in Southern California, we have Comikaze in LA in Sept, Las Vegas Comic Expo also in Sept, New York in Oct, and Long Beach in Nov. But if you’re want the soonest big show, that would be the Comic-Con in Chicago.
Does your guide cover Volunteering at Comic Con? If you want to volunteer for 2013 when do they start recruiting for that and do they do it through the membership if you have one? Would you know if you are a volunteer before you’d have to purchase a ticket? If you live out of state can you still apply for volunteering. Tons of questions, but just was getting a jump on next year. Thanks
I mention volunteering as an option in the book, but it’s difficult to give exact information regarding times to register and their policies because they can change them at any time. My book focuses mainly on the average attendee’s struggles, but there are some volunteers online somewhere who share their wisdom. I know they will tell you that it can be hard for a newbie to get in these days, because so many people return year after year, automatically filling those spaces.
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So what this guy is saying is that new people should have a slim to nil chance at getting tickets for CC? This isn’t an elitist club, it’s something everyone should be able to enjoy.
New people will have the same chance of access as people who were at Comic-Con this year. They’re just giving those who went this year the opportunity to purchase separately from the rest, with specific amounts of tickets available for both purchase groups. It’s not elitist, but it is difficult to get in no matter who you are now that tickets tend to sell out within 30 minutes after they go on sale. Tickets will not go to those who hesitate. And even those who are ready to buy tickets can sometime end up with nothing in the end. It’s a brutal fight to the finish. No one can expect to go to the site a few days or weeks before the show and expect to get tickets anymore. Those days are gone. There’s just too much demand and tickets go to the quick. So I suggest that you get a Member ID (when available), stay on top of things through the official site and my site, and you will have a decent chance of getting tickets next year.
At the 2012 Comic-Con feedback panel on Sunday, I believe a CCI official said that 50% of 2013 badges would go on sale to 2012 badge-holder at pre-registration. That number seems pretty high (in 2011 they sold roughly 10,000 badges for 2012 pre-registration, which is, what, around 10%?), but worst case scenario it seems like anyone going for 2013 badges at open registration will have a shot at 50% of the badge, and will have the same chance as everyone else, albeit with likely significantly more people trying to get onto CCI’s servers.
There will also be badge re-sales in late May/early June, and volunteer registration for anyone that still wants to go to CCI 2013
Is it possible to buy 4 single day passes in the event I don’t get the 4-day pass? And do you have any tips on how NOT to lose out on tickets on the day of purchasing them online? I also don’t understand “queue” part; How does the online purchasing work? This information is for when I go to Comic Con 2014. 🙂
To be honest, I can give you tips now, but that doesn’t mean they’ll still be relevant for the 2014 sales or even the 2013 sales. As for the queue, when the tickets go on sale, a new page is created by the ticketing people and depending on how fast you are, you will be put in a queue in the order you logged in. Many registrations are separated by milliseconds. This will determine in what order the tickets are made available to the tens of thousands of people logging in.
Just a quick question, can you buy all the tickets you need with one Member ID?
There is a limit (sort of), because you need each person’s member ID when you order. See the official site for more information: http://www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_reg_badge_faq.php
I was #6214 in line and I got a 4 day + preview night badge without any trouble.
Getting the ticket’s was easy, and today was the smoothest it has ever been. The site directions couldn’t be more dead on. Site opens at 8 A.M. PST, open a browser with a internet clock showing the seconds, have the site copied to your clipboard and paste as soon as it strikes 8. That Simple… For anyone saying it’s too hard to get tickets…then do what most of us do, have two computers running. The tickets are in high demand, anyone logging on 30 minutes after the site was up, just didn’t plan very good.. just the way it is.
Follow the strategy in february, and you’ll get through… Anyone who got tickets today, can’t wait to join you at the con next year!
I pasted the site in my browser exactly at 8:00 it took about 5 seconds and i was 1100th in line, at 8:05 after i purchased my tickets i refreshed to the waiting room and it was at 30,000. If your late, your too late.
I am sooooo pissed off with the online register crap. Everyone is saying that it wasn’t bad. Really?? I have had a 4 day pass with preview night for years. I stood in line last year at 2:00am and the next day at 3:00am. And I was perfectly OK with it. The online registration only works for people with great internet or had that code that gets you in line faster. Lord I’m so angry right now. Give me a line any day there I can actually gage if I’m getting tickets or not.