Tips for Your First Comic-Con

Comic-Con’s incredible growth over the past 40 years has made it difficult to navigate. With more than 130,000 attendees, be sure to follow these tips to get the most out of the conventions.

A photo posted by Comic-Con International (@comic_con) on Oct 11, 2015 at 2:26pm PDT

Map It Out

The official Comic-Con app is indispensible for planning your convention schedule. Prioritize which things you want to see and what you can afford to miss.

Prepare to Wait

Hall H and the other rooms don’t empty out in between panels, which can be great or terrible depending on how you look at it. The bad news is you’re probably not getting into the Marvel showcase unless you get in line at the beginning of the day. The good news is, once you’re in, you’re in and you can watch as many panels as you want.

A photo posted by Comic-Con International (@comic_con) on Apr 21, 2016 at 4:15pm PDT

Love the Line

Be prepared to do a lot of waiting. Lines twist and cross each other too so it’s a good idea to make sure you’re in the right one as well. There are also a lot of great events that aren’t in the biggest rooms, so keep an eye out for hidden gems that won’t keep you standing for hours.

Stay Fit and Healthy

The general rule of thumb is to follow 6-2-1. That’s six hours of sleep, two meals and one shower. Packing food or at least some snacks is a good idea seeing as most of the convention fare is overpriced and not healthy. Also don’t forget to bring a water bottle and a comfortable pair of shoes.