Comic-Con Comes to San Diego

The 47th annual San Diego Comic­-Con is returning to the San Diego Convention Center this year from Thursday, July 21st through Sunday, July 24th, beginning with Preview Night on Wednesday, July 20th. Comic­-Con is the country’s longest continuously­ run comics and popular arts convention catered to fans of comic books, superhero shows, and everything in between.

What to Know at 2016 San Diego Comic-Con

The first thing you must know is that Wednesday, or Preview Night, usually only has one or two screenings, so if they aren’t of interest to you, don’t bother spending the extra time and money. Friday and Saturday have the highest­profile events and the convention floor is generally the most crowded on Saturday. Lastly, Sunday is normally a very kid­-friendly day.

It's very important to note that you should take both cash and a credit card when going to the convention. With the newly implemented presence of tablet­-based payment systems, many vendors now accept credit cards as well as cash. A good system is to pay with a card whenever possible to save your cash for places where cards are not accepted.

Bring a backpack or a bag to store things like water, food (there are no limitations to what you can or can’t bring into the convention center, so anything is fair game), and a phone charger (which you will need). What you shouldn’t put in your bag are souvenirs or things you buy at the convention. Thanks to Warner Brothers, everyone attending the convention gets a free bag big enough to put anything bought at the convention like posters, figurines, or anything else worth your money. This is a smart way to keep your purchases separated from your necessities!

Before actually entering the convention, grab some food from your hotel or somewhere nearby. There are very limited places to get food inside the convention center, and the lines are always painstakingly long. Have dinner (or lunch) in the Gaslamp district if you want something a little fancier; you can never go wrong with Little Italy.

Comic­-Con is about seeing and doing what you love, so don’t be afraid to cosplay­ or dress up­ like your favorite characters. However, it’s good to note that if you do dress up as something recognizable, be prepared to be stopped for picture requests.

Unfortunately, you will not get to do every single thing you want to,­ even if you go multiple days. You should allot at least two hours to each big panel you want to sit in on, but more time will probably be needed depending on each panel. 

Regarding wifi and cellular connection,­ there is free wifi at the convention center for public use, but it is frequently jammed and backlogged from the many people trying to upload their pictures or check Facebook. If you see an option for a paid hotspot, take it. There will definitely be less traffic on a paid hotspot rather than free wifi, and you’ll be able to upload your selfies faster.

All in all, remember to have a safe and fun time at Comic­-Con: International this year!