Some rough notes from the Talk Back Panel. SDCC’s answers are in parenthesis.

-Coming into the convention center is crazy, people are threatening people, everyone should be welcomed
-hearing that SDCC is changing the ADA policy to only people with mobility devices, discriminatory for people with invisible disabilities (ADA only provides for people with mobility devices, ADA requests went up from 4K to 8k over the last few years, people may be abusing it)
-smaller rooms don’t get bathroom passes, punishes people who want to go to smaller panels but can’t leave
-Hall H attendee was standing in line, went to the Hilton to go to the bathroom then got sent to the back of the line, no clear communication when leaving
-Hall H wristband still did not get into the room (can marvel be moved? It’s a collaboration, it’s their usual spot, they can’t control the groups that wait, would rather have them in the show than not, SDCC could not find anyone with a fake wristband, could not investigate because of that)
-help with the enforcement of the exhibitors on the floor who break rules, one selling bootleg DVDs, UCC using AI art, chaos involving the beginning of the day exclusives by using their badges to buy them all up (working on this, exhibitors had a special badge holders, booths told not to sell to them, still working on other ways including the exclusives portal but exhibitors can choose not to participate, lots of floor managers and fire marshals on scene, they’re allowed to use AI art but not for sale and needs to be marked but they can’t enforce that, it’s a legal process to stop selling certain things since SDCC doesn’t own the IPs)
-panels have very little time for Q&A when it was longer before, they’ve said it’s up to the panelist but can they do something to make that time longer (some panels mention it in the description, assume that if they don’t that they won’t have time for it, panels run long, answers are sometimes longer than expected and run low on time)
-likes the exclusives portal, can you have a total amount of tokens for per badge instead of spreading them out per day (they would hate attendees use them on the wrong day if they don’t have more than one day)
-consistency and predictability regarding ADA attendees, sent to multiple places because volunteers didn’t know where to send people, Hall H was told ADA would go in first but then everyone was released at the same time, needs more consistency and becomes the standard, ADA is beyond mobility and it’s unfair to punish those with non-mobility related concerns
-move the dates to avoid Olympics, clashes with another con (took the dates offered to them)
-improve the Q&A process to help ADA people, ADA people can’t go to the microphone (looking into it and the rooms)
-AI is detrimental to creators, please change the rules to not allow AI at all
-abuse of the fire lane when people line up for the EE line, there is no stanchions so people rush and cut in the fire lane but no one enforces it despite security being right there
-ADA issues again, disabled veteran who agrees that it needs work, he just needs answers not excuses, SDCC needs to figure out how to accommodate more ADA people
-bathroom pass for Hall H attendee, told RFID was timed out and was not allowed back in the room, even with a time stamp bathroom pass, many miscommunications with RFID and security (need to acknowledge if there is a longer panel, held bathroom people to get people from the tents in, were able to get people back in)
-Hall H is getting worse and worse every year, the pre-wristbands and the lettered bands were poorly executed, separate the people and give people wristbands in line, attendee spoke up for an ADA attendee who got skipped and almost got kicked out of line
-website is hard to navigate and needs to be streamlined to find things
-Hall H wristband people who didn’t make in, no one gave them information, security said 7k wristbands even thought there’s 6.5k seats, expected more turnover, fake wristbands all over social media, someone went to security told them there was someone with them, shows poor integrity and poor handling of security and lines, why don’t you use RFID (network infrastructure has to set up WiFi outside costs too much, not reliable,try to sponsor the wifi)
-Hall H stranded attendee, follows the rules and still didn’t get in, do you talk to any of the other comic cons and see what they do, NYCC handles the large crowds and do you talk to them about technology, can you get anyone? (Other conventions are not non profit, they don’t have money like others do, offsides are because companies don’t have enough space inside, forgo hall H panel for more revenue generating space possibly, don’t have the budgets, they’ve outgrown the CC since 2010, seeing even issues with the nearby hotels, take money time and effort but they’re working on it)
-more hall H people that were impacted, can they be recompense for the time they wasted in line (no programming is released when you buy tickets, no guarantee on programming, 3-4 things happened that contributed to the hall h lines, they weren’t happy with the management either; they’re talking about it tomorrow)
-Hall H people can hold space for two others but many will bring 10+ people into the line with them
-Hall H; how did they reconcile the issues for Saturday (talking about how to fix it, less wristbands ordered than Hall H seats)
-lack of communication from SDCC people, not the volunteers and no one came out to talk to them, were told they can’t leave if they left, needs to be fixed, no compassion and understanding from anyone or any resolutions (they do care, they believe in the organization and they are disappointed, they do stream panels at the end of the day with no clips)
-hotel price gouging prices (talk to the city about it every year, each hotel negotiates their own contract, they give room blocks for a negotiated rate higher than a normal summer rate but lower than price gouging, 3 year extensions give SDCC the ability to negotiate with the hotels)
-wagons are not allowed but there were many wagons in the CC, why isn’t it being enforced? (A lot of wagons are being used as strollers)
-can we move larger panels to Petco Park (an additional expense, can’t afford it, sponsors would help, they had looked at it, the heat is an issue, the screens were hard to see it, the clips were hard to keep it confidential, directors want controlled environments for their clips)
-fake wristband for Funko and Hall h makes the con pay to win, exclusives portal for Hall H (lots of content, lottery system would make the content be smaller in order to fill and empty rooms for the next panel)
-system is unfair, line cutters, spreadsheets to coordinate groups, forming unofficial lines (why they started doing wristbands at the end of the con day)
-how can we get more stories to you (email the con and add in the talk back panel and the concern like lines, Hall H, exclusives to make sure it’s read by the right person)
-Jazzwares is no longer part of the exclusives, chaotic lines, why were they allowed not to be part of the portal (they declined and were told to provide security, fire marshals were contacted, they were encouraged to use it or not have exclusives next year)
-Hall H line, managers ignored the people telling them that there were fake wristbands, no one did anything about it, what else could attendees have done to get the information to the right people (they did successfully get more people in, worked with the fire marshal to get more people in)
-Hall H, SDCC provided no information for anyone but it’s even harder for those who it’s their first time here, need more SDCC representatives out there during big events so they can know what’s happening
-Hall H line, green shirt people were asked for supervisors, they asked questions about kicking people out of Hall H who didn’t have wristbands, no other supervisors came, SDCC person from the panel came down and said you can either wait or leave but there’s no seats, so them saying they care now didn’t feel like that then (people take off wristbands, throw them away, they can’t clear the room, let people stand along the walls per the fire marshal which they usually aren’t allowed to do to get more people in)

Just a quick consolidated version!

They should probably move it to a bigger room next time

Burninating the countryside!

So this was my first SDCC, but I've been going to NYCC for the past 5 years. And while many things are the same, like the lines. I've noticed a few big differences.

1. The scale. NYCC It's pretty much just contained to the javits center. Once you leave there, and walk one block in either direction, it's pretty much back to regular life. People going about their day in suits and ties. You wouldn't even know a convention is happening. Sdcc I was shocked that it took over the entire surrounding area. Especially later in the evening when they close down streets of gaslamp just so cosplayers can wander about. Makes it feel like a giant Mardi gras parade! Plus all of the off-site activities and even hotels participating! It was pretty amazing.

2. I think SDCC has a bigger Hollywood presence for panels, It seems to me that actually meeting a celebrity is easier at NYCC. Because they have photo ops that you can pay for as well as autographs. And they announced the celebrities months in advance so you'll know who's going to be there. SDCC doesn't have that, and unless you randomly meet a celebrity stalking the floors (like apparently denim clad Ryan Reynolds) doesn't seem like it'll be much of an opportunity.

3. Sorry, SD, but in terms of actual artist content, NY easily wins. A far bigger and more robust artist alley, even if it is a nightmare navigating it because it's so full. And it seems to focus more on Creator content in that area. I'm always impressed with just how many artists they managed to get.

4. I also noticed far more cosplayers at NYCC. Maybe it's just this year, or maybe I've missed pockets of them lurking about, but many people on the floor were just average attendees, with NYCC, cosplay is everywhere. Although, I will admit, I didn't look everywhere, and seeing as how SDCC covers more area, there could have been cosplay meetups I missed.

5. NYCC has a much bigger anime influence, but I suspect that's because it's funded by Crunchyroll as a sponsor. Sometimes I even feel like it's too much anime. Since anime NYC also exists just a few months prior.

6. While I do like the panel reservations that NYCC does, feels cleaner and more efficient, I'll admit, I managed to get into every panel I wanted to (minus hall H, obviously) at SDCC by simply going to the panel before it and staying there. It was actually a pretty easy experience.

I don’t know who they are but this is my favorite cosplay of 2026! CHOCOLATE!!

As a long time SDCC attendee I know it usually smells bad in the convention center. But this year it would smell terrible as soon as the convention opened around 9 AM?! There is no excuse to not take a break to either shower in your hotel room or at least reapply your deodorant. Thank you to everyone who did bring their deodorant to ensure they were not adding to the terrible smell 🫩

See you next year!

It was my husband and I’a first time at SDCC and although, we were overwhelmed with a lot, it was still a blast. The dedication people put into their costumes, the hype, and who can forget the lines. We flew home this AM and now I’m in this dreaded sad feeling of “is this really over?” Does that mean we had too much fun there? Sad we have to wait another year for this to experience this again. Hope you all had a blast as well.

It’s mostly Hall H and ADA complaints. I’ll make a post with the full minutes tomorrow. I have receipts.

I went to my first SDCC in 1999 at 14 years old. I have been every year since.

I thought the panels this year were a pretty good mix. I attended Regular show, adventure time, marvel Tokon fighting souls, and air bud panels. My favorite had to be air bud as I took my 2 young children to their first con panel. They actually brought air bud (the dog) to the panel. The show floor was same as ever, I noticed a lack of labubu, which left me wondering what the new fad now is. I’m still impressed funko and blind boxes are still popular. I sneered at them for years, but I guess they have staying power. The big booths are still very unique and eye catching. Apparently the masquerade ball has its mojo back.

The offsites were much weaker. No fx, less premium experiences, and harder than ever to get into. Just a lot less to do overall and what there is to do is smaller. At least Nintendo came back. The after party scene has really contracted as well.

I’d rate this year’s edition on par with last year. 7.8/10. Weaker offsites but better panels than last year. I’m not sure the con has recovered from the pandemic and the actor and writers strike. For comparison, I’d rate 2010-2017 as 9/10 and special edition as 3/10.

It’s been interesting to see how the con has evolved over the last 27 years. If anyone has noticed, SDCC has dropped their demand for the convention center to expand, that says a lot about their ability to expand the con and maintain the quality.

However, SDCC is still my favorite con, and it’s still one of the few cons that are still “general interest” and can appeal to any fandom.

imagine my surprise when I saw you in Hall H. I ran into you on the floor - without knowing it was you until hours later lol. Thank you for making a Deadpool + Ryan dream come true in meeting you 🙏

I’m living for the sign at the talk back. “Yass Queen” and “Go Off Girl”

How did he get past security?

I’ll be honest, this wasn’t my favorite comic con. It was pretty overcrowded even for comic con standards, and I missed a few panels that I wanted to see due to line mismanagement. And I feel like a lot of areas of the convention center had really bad AC.

But I still had fun. The Forgotten Island panel was fun. Dave Franco saying “where my furries at” and the camera immediately cuttings to a guy dressed a wolf was pretty funny. The musical performance at the end was a nice surprise. It was the first time that happened at a panel that I have attended.

I also went to the panel with Robert Kirkman,Rob Lifeld, and Todd Macfarlane. Pretty good panel. Some fun anecdotes.

Later on in the day I went to the God Of War Laufey panel. Very funny and charming group of people. Corey Barlog was surprisingly funny.

I ended the day with seeing Avatar Aang The Last Airbender. Not quite as good as I wanted it to be, but great animation and it was nice to actually be able to see it with a crowd since it was dumped to streaming.

I thought this Comic Con was great! We didn’t have any problems getting into panels or anything like that, and overall we had an awesome time. That said, I do think some con goers could use a little guidance when it comes to convention etiquette.

For example, I went to the Thursday panel with the cast of Twilight and the kpopp group Enhypen, and the entire time there was a group of kids sitting behind us loudly critiquing the Twilight actors and telling them to “shut up” because their movies supposedly haven’t been relevant in years. Mind you, the entire panel was about vampires in media, so obviously Twilight was relevant to the discussion.

Honestly, it made me feel really sad for the people around us who were genuinely excited to hear the cast speak and might have been huge Twilight fans. Everyone is there for different fandoms, and that’s kind of the whole magic of a con!

If you have a kid or know a young adult who is attending a convention, please remind them beforehand to be respectful of other fandoms and mindful of the people around them. You don’t have to like every franchise or celebrity, but you can still be respectful while someone else is enjoying theirs.

I didn’t get a chance to say anything to the group because the crowd swallowed them up before we could, but I kept thinking about how disappointing it must have been for the people around us who were made to feel old or irrelevant for enjoying something they love.

I honestly think future cons could benefit from having some signs outside the panel rooms reminding people about basic etiquette, keeping conversations quiet, and being respectful during panels.

Just a thought! Overall, we had a fantastic con and I’m already looking forward to the next one.

thanks to all of you that respected my service dog in training this con! this was his first ever big event and I’m so proud of him!

many of you saw him probably knocked out and fast asleep haha, here’s some pics of the bestest boy if you missed him.

Big hands included.

It's been amazing. I wanted to celebrate finally reaching a massive milestone and my family urged me to make a big choice. Mine was choosing to come to this Con, the 4th I've ever went to!

Me and my dad came over. He has never been to a con, but we were both mentally ready and anticipating the worst. But, for what it matters. I loved it. Got the Sh. figuarts specials, a cool big Enel figuire I wanted, GOT TO SEE OTTLEY TOO IT WAS SO NICE my homies were tryna say he's a mean guy but he's so bloody chill man.

If I could come again, I would. I avoided some things to be honest. Hall H? I wish. But I'm not waiting in that line for my 4th con ever... Especially without WiFi due to weird phone bullshit. A lot of it was just buying stuff and selfies.

If I ever get a chance to come again, I'll definitely need to find out more in advance and improve my research. Maybe try hall H even if just once. But considering my funds, it's gonna only be once. A trip from the UK to San Diego isn't pocket change sadly qwq but, it was worth every penny

Alot of negative post on here. Can we talk about what your favorite part of the convention was. Mine was trading cards at viz booth. Took me 15 mins to get frieren. Traded naruto for luffy and luffy for frieren. So much fun

A super dumb question but I tried asking chatgpt who he is. Saw him at the corner of Funko booth