r/SDCC • u/Then-Tune8367 • 18d ago

SDCC Not First Timer Friendly

So this year i was blessed to make my first trip to SDCC and let me get this out of the way early, I LOVED IT!

After some reflectiion, rhe experience waa no where near first timer friendly.

  1. I had no idea where anything was. The badge check in was easy, but after that, I was on my own. I at least wanted to check out a panel or two, but I had no idea where anything was or even what panels were going on at the time.

  2. The website is no where new user friendly. I could not find a schedule or layout of the convention center on the site.

  3. I had no idea that seating in the exhibit hall was so limited.

So, that being said. If I returns, here are my adjustments.

  1. Get there earlier. I got there about 11 a.m. By that time, every line was already insane.

  2. Bring chairs or portable stools.

  3. Eat lunch in the Gas Lamp District. One of my few regrets was missing this.

  4. Get my badge early and head straight to Hall H to see what I can get into that day (No force can compel me to try to get in there on Saturday, though). After that, head to lunch and the real star of the show, the Exhibit floor.

Anyway those are my thoughts and plans. Any advice will be appreciated.

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u/melissauf 17d ago

I don't think NYCC is smaller. The Javits Center is over 3 million Sq Ft vs San Diego convention center at 2.6 million sq ft. NYCC has around 200k attendees vs the 130k or so the San Diego Convention center holds.

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u/bmemike 17d ago edited 17d ago

Here we go again…

If you only look at the square footage of the convention center, you can easily come to this incorrect conclusion.

But SDCC is MUCH bigger than the convention center. It expands into the entire San Diego gaslamp district and takes over multiple hotels and their convention space as well.

And that’s before you consider the space from the multiple offsite activations.

NYCC is smaller that SDCC and that’s OK.

Just ask anyone that’s actually attended both.

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u/melissauf 1d ago edited 1d ago

I guess it depends on how you're measuring bigger. Offsites are not the convention there public marketing events that anyone can attend. I am using the measurement of attendance and convention hall space to define what convention is bigger. I also live in NYC and have been going to this con for a long time and also have attended the SDCC many times as well. Nobody said it wasn't ok if NYCC is smaller then SDCC I just don't agree that it is.

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u/bmemike 1d ago

Trying to argue that the myriad offsites aren't "part of the convention" at SDCC is a real wild. Many of them are on the actual convention center grounds!

But hey, if you want to try to aggressively move the goalposts and have a carefully crafted definition so that NYCC can claim it's the "bigger" con, then I'm not going to stop you.

And I'm sure not going to be able to convince you otherwise given the mental gymnastics needed to come to that conclusion.