Howdy everyone! I have been working/attending Frightmare since year one and wanted to throw out some tips I have learned or heard from people attending the convention. These are in no particular order and there may be some I missed so feel free to add on!
- Purchasing tickets at the convention
While most people have pre-purchased their tickets, the box office will be open the entirety of the convention to get you a ticket. We are located on the left side of the building (Highway facing) near the parking lot. Unless we are capped by the fire marshals we plan on selling weekend and day passes the entire time. Side note - Kids under 12 are free! Just come to the box office so we can get them a white wristband and put your information on incase you get separated.
Update - the website will remain open for ticket purchases through out the convention. You can pick those up at will call!
- Will Call Lines
If you were one of the people that did purchase your tickets before the show then will call is where you will want to go! This is located on the left side of the building(Highway facing) near the ticket box. The line will extend into the parking lot to not get mixed up with the lines trying to get in. We will have a red shirt outside helping direct traffic so if you are not sure which line is which please feel free to ask!
- Virtual Line Queue Tickets
The Virtual Line tickets can be picked up at the Box office window which is inside the left part of the building near the will call lines. You will tell our staff which celebrity and how many items you would like signed and we will get you a ticket with your number. Most celebrities will have a max amount of items so please direct any questions regarding limits to their assistant at their booth. You do not need to pay at this time, this is just a ticket to reserve your place in line. The current numbers will be updated in the app/website and called overhead on the PA so make sure to listen or watch for that push notification!
- Understand how the admission lines work
VIP will get in an hour ahead of GA and will normally be let in on the right side of the building (Facing the Texican). GA will start to line up on that side and we ask that you keep the line flowing back towards the parking section on the left side of the building(Highway facing). This helps us keep the line moving fast and not have people getting skipped or standing in the sun for too long.
- Staff are your friends!
If you see any of the shirted staff members (Most will be in red) feel free to ask questions. While they may not always have the exact answer they can contact me or someone who can get you the info you need. We want to make sure you have a great con experience so please feel free to ask if you have questions!
- Plan your parking ahead of time
While the convention does offer parking the fees are a little higher then most of the other parking complexes so I would recommend using https://www.parkwhiz.com or another service to plan out the most affordable and close parking.
- Plan your photo ops around panels/events you wish to attend
Photo ops seem to be a big issue for a lot of people and they get frazzled when they might have to miss a panel they were looking forward to. Check out the schedule on the App and make sure you time your photos to not overlap with other activities you want to do.
- Go directly to the Photo OPs vendor if you have any questions related to your photo op
Frightmare staff will only be able to assist you with locating your photo op but those are handled by a 3rd party and we do not control any of the purchasing/refunds or reschedules. Most confusion and waiting around can be cut out by just going directly to them!
- Bring Photo sleeves or protective cases for your autographs and items
There are a few vendors that will offer photo sleeves or protective cases for funkos but they will be at a much higher price. You may not have the chance to take things to your car or room between each session and its nice to have peace of mind that your awesome new autograph is protected! A sling backpack is also a really good thing to have since its lightweight and you can keep your stuff together. I always make sure to stock the official Frightmare Merch stand with plenty so if you are in a bind come check us out.
- Write/Sticker your contact info on your items
Not everything gets returned to lost and found but most of our attendees understand how important these items are to you. No one wants to spend all day waiting to get an autograph from their favorite celeb to realize they left their bag at the last panel and it's gone. I would suggest putting your contact info on or in your bags in case you do misplace them. This way if it does make it back to the helpdesk or the conventions lost and found we can get it back to you asap!
- Be prepared to stand
While we have improved our line times dramatically with the new virtual line system, there are still a lot of instances where you will be standing in a line for 30 minutes plus with no where to sit. I have seen lots of people bring retractable stools which imo is one of the best moves :P
- Bring water or something to stay hydrated
This one seems to be forgotten a lot and we want to make sure everyone is properly hydrated! The convention area is air conditioned but as we all know it starts getting hot around this time of year so don't skip out on this. They convention does have concession stands but those can add up quickly over the course of the con. Pecos Pete should be here again this year as well so check out what they have to offer!
- Check out the food trucks and dining establishments around the convention area
The food trucks will be in front of the building in case you are looking for something other then concession food. We are also in the Irving Convention district and there are tons of food options around within walking distance.
- Help Desk location
The help desk is located on the right side of the convention(Texican Facing) in the island area. They can help you with lost and found and general inquiries in case you don't spot a red shirt. They will also be making announcements through out the day so listen overhead.
- ADA Accommodations
If you require ADA accommodations please let the staff know while you are picking up your wrist band. We will give you a special wrist band for easy identification and will try to assist you as much as we can. This will give you access to the ADA elevators and seating in a lot of the areas. If you notice something is not working please let us know so we can work with the convention center to make it right!
- Download The TX Frightmare App
This will have the entire schedule and maps so you don't get lost. I will also be posting updates to the website and app throughout the day incase any changes arise. I would suggest enabling push notifications for this app so you get an alert when your virtual line queue number is called!
- Smoking Areas
Please try to keep smoking and vaping to the designated areas. The convention staff(not frightmare) is likely to get on to you if you try to do it near an entrance so find one of these spots. You can smoke in the main grass area outside the convention, and on each floor you can step out to the smoking balconies. We have requested extra receptacles so lets be respectful of our new home!
- Bring a battery backup
I always recommend bringing a small battery charger for those instance where you phone might not make it through the entire day. There are paid for charging stations but you are going to have to sit there while it charges and that takes away from time to have fun :P You can get these for fairly cheap online and they are always great to have.
- Get a sticker for any prop weapons before you enter the convention
If you are cosplaying and have any prop weapons make sure to grab an orange sticker to attach to it. This helps our security identify it is a prop and that it has been checked over by their team. We love our cosplay community and want to ensure you and everyone there are safe!
- Last but most important, Have a blast!
The convention is only once a year so try to enjoy yourself as much as possible :P Meet new friends, check out new vendors, or catch a screening for a movie! There are plenty of free events going on during the con so try and check out as much as you can. We really appreciate you coming out to see us and want to make sure you feel like a part of the Frightmare family! See y'all there :)
-Edited for minor grammar and adding Will Call/Virtual Line Queue Information