CCI: SD is changing how they are selling their badges for next year’s show: instead of selling passes to the 2012 edition inside the convention center, sales are being moved to the Manchester Grand Hyatt, where pre-registration will be available Thursday through Sunday from 8 am to 11 am.

Pre-reg is only open to those holding 2011 badges. Next year’s con will be held July 12-15, 2012.*

“We’ve had a lot of discussion of selling badges, and to accommodate the demand we’ve moved it to the Douglas Pavillion at the Hyatt,” CCI Director of Marketing & PR David Glanzer told The Beat.

He confirmed that as they did last year, only a percentage of badges will go on sale at the show — some will be held back for later online sales. In addition, they may hold back some Preview Night badges — but it hasn’t been decided yet, he continued.

Preview night passes are traditionally only available to members who purchase a four-day pass; last year they sold out at the show.

Pricing is changing as well, he confirmed. “A four day pass used to be a discount from single day passes as an incentive to buy in advance. Obviously that doesn’t apply any more,” said Glanzer.

The new price structure is as follows:

4-day with Preview Night — $175
4 day without Preview Night — $150
4 day Junior ((ages 12–17) and Senior (60 and older) and military badges with previews night — $87
Ditto without Preview Night — $75
1-day pass — $40
1 day pass for juniors, seniors and military — $20
Sunday only — $23
Sunday only juniors, seniors and military — $11

Still cheap!

* Please note this is a full WEEK earlier than usual! This means two things — the stress on shows earlier on the calendar like HeroesCon will be greater, and MAYBE, just MAYBE, we’ll be able to enjoy a little bit of summer after the show instead of barreling straight to Labor Day after a nap.

1 COMMENT

  1. But when will the online sales happen and how will it happen? I have been going for the past 20 years and made the mistake of not buying passes for this year’s at last year’s show. I have tried to buy passes for me and my son and failed. It was so hard to get tickets for this year’s show.

  2. Wait, a four-day pass is now MORE expensive than four one-day passes? I can see making it the same price, but charging extra, even by $7, seems a bit much.

    $40/day * 3 + $23 for Sunday = $143, as compared to $150?

  3. @Kelson

    I think the wording is very specific. I bet if you purchase a Thur, Fri, Sat you will not be allowed to purchase a “Just Sunday”. Since they have you register your email for purchase they know what you are buying.

    More than likely if you buy individual days your going to pay $40 x 4 = $160 I think there is still a discount but not for the reason of buying early.

  4. Interesting change.

    Whereas before, “Preview Night” was a
    free bonus to the early-bird buyers of a 4-Day Pass— for the first 12-15K buyers?— it’s NOW an additional price point for 4-Day buyers…

    But I suppose since NYCC charges $25 for its own 3hrs of a “Preview Night”— counted as a Con ‘Day’ by NYCC’s organisers— then why not SDCC?

    (It’ll probably still Sell Out, regardless.)

  5. not happy with the price increase, but i’ll pay it which means they should have raised it, I guess.

    what concerns me more is overloading the already crowded hyatt with everybody trying to buy badges. I suggested to them to just combine it with badge pickup — would have been super easy, not involved another whole operation, and eliminated a massive bottleneck, but oh well.

    guess I’ll be inline at the hyatt.

  6. Riiiiiight! Give all the ppl staying at the Manchester Grand Hyatt an advantage over the rest of us who will have to find time to get there. What was so bad about selling next year’s badges in the Convention Center? I’m getting really close to the point where I’m no longer interested in this event. I guess the 1500 ppl who returned their badges this year is just a preview of what’s to come.

  7. @trev Actually if they had allowed people to purchase 2012 at the time they pick up their 2011 badges, it would have created an incredibly huge bottleneck. Right now, you go in, you show your ID, they scan your barcode, your badge prints, you get it along with your lanyard and bag, and you’re done. Technically a 1 minute process. But if you throw in each of those people filling out registration forms for each person they’re purchasing for, swiping credit cards (and occasionally dealing with declined messages), etc, you turn a line of 50,000 people picking up badges quickly so that they can get to the line they really want to be in (exhibition hall or panels) into a badge pickup and purchase line that ends up taking 10-20 minutes per person. Even with dozens of purchase terminals, it would be a disaster.

    Having it away from the convention center is absolutely the best option, but I would have preferred a more neutral location. I guess there’s just no other location nearby outside of Petco Park that could have accommodated such a crowd.

  8. Oh, goodie! This means driving down from LA on Thursday morning there’s little likelihood we’ll get there in time to get checked into our hotel, get down to the convention center and pick up our badges, and then find the stupid hotel before sales are over for the day. So that means FRIDAY morning when I had things I wanted to do. What idiot thought a 3-hour window in the mornings was a good time for ticket sales?

  9. @Your Momma — that’s what happened with preview night this and what they are proposing. Putting people in more pain to prove they want to go is pointless.

  10. @milhouse — ah, but my idea doesn’t involve any of that — you need to change something? fine, go get in line. everything the same? thank you, come again.

  11. They’re only selling them for 2 hours each morning?! Great, I have a morning panel everyday. Guess I have to try my luck online this year.

  12. So if we are waiting in line for hall h Thursday and Friday morning we will get screwed out of 4day and preview, that is lame. Why not sell the tickets on preview night?

  13. @milhouse — they’ve done the same thing for a while *inside* the con. You still have to have a badge to buy for next year.

  14. I’m none too please with this change. Why take it out of the sails area? As the con wears on, those coming in for single days and using registration gets less and less. The presale area could have expanded. Moving offsite and with such limited hours is very, very inconvienient. Plus, I’m still in sticker shock over the price increases! Now, no discount for presale, no discount for all 4 days and we can only buy for a total of 12 hours over the duration of the con?!!

    Let’s hope there is more to this than is outlined here.

  15. David Glanzer and company are doing this because they can. They know people will continue to pay these ridiculous prices no matter how high they go – even people who work at low-wage jobs that only pay $9 or $10 an hour will keep buying badges too. With the horrible economy we’re in right now, what Comic-Con is doing is downright immoral.

    The bubble will burst sooner or later. As DaisyD said, seeing as how 1500 people have already returned their badges this year, that is a sure sign of things to come. Prices will most likely eventually get to a point to where only the wealthy will be able to afford to go, and everyone else will be squeezed out.

    While I believe the only way you’ll ever get Comic-Con to change their tune is to have attendees boycott the event, I know this won’t happen. But I’m fairly certain that once the bubble eventually does burst on badge prices, Comic-Con will have to re-think what they are doing if they want to continue to put on this show.

  16. @JBVO if you havent noticed yet, comic con has expanded futher out than the Convention Center. How do you think that is paid for? The new deal that took place between the city of San Diego and Comic Con Organizers, How do you think the expansion will be paid for by 2015?

  17. >>David Glanzer and company are doing this because they can. They know people will continue to pay these ridiculous prices no matter how high they go – even people who work at low-wage jobs that only pay $9 or $10 an hour will keep buying badges too. With the horrible economy we’re in right now, what Comic-Con is doing is downright immoral.<<

    No. It's capitalism.
    But as Yo Mamma said, there are other factors at work.
    The main one being that every one who has seen CCI take over Downtown has decided to squeeze CCI for every dime. So the price of traffic cops went up. The price of security went up. The convention center went up (this after the city handled about $100K to CCI- which is still a lot less than the Chargers and Padres get).
    Everything went up.
    If it doesn't sell out, or there A LOT of returns, CCI will probably start discounting or offering rebates.

  18. Nearly $200 to buy a pass for next year…ouch, that hurts.

    Glad the military is getting some great discounts, they deserve it.

  19. 60% increase? It’s as if Comic-Con is now being run by Netflix.

    And only 3 hours in the morning? Oh, way to make people choose between going to any combination of the first TWO panels this year and going at all next year. ‘Cause if you’re not lined up for badges by 8am, you’re not getting a badge.

    Location’s gotta change, pre-reg hours have got to open up to all day.

  20. @Your Momma and neeb –

    I agree with what both of you are saying, however, if the economy doesn’t turn around eventually, a lot less people are going to be traveling, which amounts to fewer people going to conventions, or even taking the usual summer roadtrip. More and more people are staying home every summer due in part to the bad economy. The price of everything (vacations, conventions, retail prices, etc.) is going up, but no one’s paychecks are going up as fast as everything else is. The money that people used to have to afford to attend conventions or take trips is not there anymore. They’re more concerned about where their next paycheck is going to come from – not about a vacation.

    And you can’t really argue with the fact that some of the middle-class people and even the $9 or $10 an hour crowd who used to be able to afford to attend Comic-Con will still be squeezed out. Those people will no longer be able to afford to go. And if the badges that don’t sell/are returned are not discounted considerably, there’s still some people who won’t be able to afford to go.

    I realize that security costs are going up and the expansion of the convention center has to be paid for somehow, but in tough economic times, it really doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to raise prices on badges. I used to go to this convention, but the higher prices have squeezed me out entirely and I’ve had to tighten my belt.

    And maybe I’m just getting old myself – I remember the days when four-day badges used to be $35 or $40. That price has quadrupled in the last 15 years it seems. I wish my paycheck would have done the same thing.

  21. How about an additional three hours at the end of the day? 6pm – 9pm. But still have pre-reg at a location other than not-the-convention-center-itself.

  22. If they hadn’t f’d up the last 2 years of online sales, they wouldn’t have this problem now. The hyatt is going to be a zoo Thursday morning.

    It’s not the price that will prevent me from going, it’ll be that I simply can’t endure the pain or miss the lottery of getting a ticket.

    If you get a hotel anywhere near the con and fly in, SDCC is $2-$3k proposition regardless, so another $50 is a drop in the bucket. It probably means fewer commissions for the artists, though.

  23. Not to be mean but the money goes to different hands. Just to name a few. For ever 100 or so people you need a certain amount of police, medical, and firefighters. The city dont cover that so CCI has to.
    The cost to rent out the convention center. They want to expand so they will charge more to cover that.
    Special guest; they know how large it has got over the years and want more “catering”. exp: They want the largest hotel room with all the free cheese, wine and women they can have (sry watching to much “Games of Thrones” in one sitting). CCI has to treat the guess that we all want to see.
    The buses to get from the hotels to the convention. They have to rent out the buses and keep them filled with gas and pay the drivers. Gas has gone up.
    Then taxes and legal fees. We have have not so cool people that like to sue for fun. Every year CCI gets sued by several people that tripped while they were looking at a map. Then thinks its not their fault. We have to pay them. Think about this. We get about 80hrs of awesomeness for what we pay. How much would 9hrs at Disney cost?

  24. I hate that it’s at the Hyatt but I agree with a lot of the stuff re the increase in costs for putting on the show but I don’t think it’s really the Special Guests since the Special Guests are not the “Hollywood stars” but the same kind of Special Guests that the Con has had for all these years – writers, artists, inkers, authors (mainly SF/F), and others connected to the comics industry.

    I still think it’ll be worth it as long as they don’t start using the stupid “VIP package/tiered pricing” that Reed Elsevier and the other for-profits use.

    And does anyone know if there will be limits on how many passes one person can purchase at the Con? I’m the only one in my group that managed to a 4-day w/Preview Night so I have a feeling that my Thursday morning will be devoted to the 2012 pre-reg line. -_-

  25. No matter WHAT they did, a large percentage of fandom would still bitch and moan. I don’t envy the people who run ComicCon, fandom is a surly, hard to please lot.

    I go to some big shows for my day job a few times a year, though nothing the size of ComicCon (what is?). Those shows in general could really learn something from how well ComicCon runs.

    Yeah, there are issues. I’ve had some annoyances myself, but it’s a tsunami of humanity and that’s just to be expected. When’s the last time you went to Disney or a baseball game and didn’t encounter a dickhead or two?

  26. I agree with what others said–this is so inconvenient. I really hope they offer Preview Night pre-reg or post-panel hours. Trying to run down to that hotel and back before the panel line moves (and try to have someone hold your place in line while you do so) is so impractical!

  27. Given Blizzcon costs the same for the 4-day W/ preview night and is only two days, this isn’t bad.

    Inconvenient, perhaps, but it’s likely the demand has had something to do with it.

  28. @JBVO if the show sells out,the economy is a non-factor. During the resale of tickets they raised the price $105 to $137. Did it sell out? yes, it did. Did you think the price would remain the same after the resale, or were you not paying attention?

    If you understand the cost of expansion and security, why are you still playing the “yes, but game?”

  29. @Rob J Your idea would be much better if you said extra 30 minutes at the beginning for the exhibit hall. Extra hours at the end is garbage time, dealers want to go home, and there is no benefit if everything is already sold out.;)

  30. Do these people even know how to count?

    “A four day pass used to be a discount from single day passes as an incentive to buy in advance. Obviously that doesn’t apply any more.”

    Sure, fine, but according the new prices, you actually have to pay MORE getting a 4-day badge than buying them individually!

    $40+40+40+23= $143 for individual badges
    $150 for a 4-day badge

    WTF???!??!?!?

  31. Hello people,

    Comic-Con is now like the Super Bowl.

    They are doing this so that Preview Night WON’T sell out at Comic-Con is my guess. Becuase only people with 2011 badges can buy 2012 passes on site, you will have the same people over and over again.

    With more limited availability I’m guessing some badges will be available when they go on sale online.

    ALSO, although none of this is easy, because of the scale of demand, it is not going to be again! The folks running Comic-Con are not doing this to screw anyone over, they re just trying to open things up.

    The alternative?

    Stub Hub.

    Do we really want that?

  32. I mostly don’t care about Comic-Con anymore. I sometimes get frustrated when I see items considered “Comic-Con Exclusives” which means I can’t get them as I’m not there, and it would be one thing if it was a choice like it used to be. You miss out on an exclusive item because you chose not to go… fine. Now, you miss out because you didn’t block out the 30 minute window for tickets and hotels that occur in the middle of a work week and now it’s sold out. Sucks to be you. Now it’s about the haves and the have-nots. Can’t afford it now? Too bad. Can’t snag a ticket or hotel room? Too bad. “We rule; you suck… now give us 5 times what it’s worth on ebay and we’ll sell it to you because we need to pay off our Comic-Con bill and don’t even care about this junk that we bought only because we knew those on the outside would pay through the nose to get it.”

    All I want to do is support the works and creators that I enjoy, and I refuse to be subjected to “highway robbery” to do it. I’d like to go next year, but this year’s convention hasn’t even started yet and I already know I won’t be able to go because of this crap.

    Truth be told, though. It’s not worth it anyway… but it still stings when you’re not allowed (by whichever obstacle) to do something fun you wanted to do. It’s like being a kid all over again and never going to Disney World because my parents could never afford it. Still haven’t gone. oh well… but it sure hurt back then.

    Have fun at Comic Con, folks. Hope it’s worth it for you.

  33. Do these people even know how to count?

    I’m guessing the reasoning behind the pricing is that attending all the events at SDCC isn’t something one person can do. Events overlap. He’s not interested in some. He doesn’t make repeat visits to artists or exhibitors. Making the one-day passes preferable forces a con-goer to prioritize and leaves room for other one-day ticketholders to enjoy the con.

    SRS

  34. @Sir Rogue, actually your reading comprehension skill needs improvement or you have selective reading. The $23 price is for “SUNDAY ONLY.” Nice try.

  35. How about this: start concurrent satellite coventions in other cities. Kansas City, Miami (or Orlando), Seattle, somewhere in Maryland-ish. Have headliner TV show panels live in each city alongside simulcast rooms, with, say, every location showing all of Hall H and Ballroom 20. Program panels so that each location hosts its own fair share of headliner panels (to be simulcast at the other locations). You could even have shows that are especiallly popular in a given region headline in a particular host city, like, say have the panels for NCIS/NCIS: LA and The Middle (the latter of which inexplicably debuted at Comic-Con) in Kansas City, but simulcast at the other locations. The Kansas City-area comics mafia unofficially headed by Matt Fraction could stay in KC, the Fantagraphics gang could stay in Seattle, Dark Horse could have its main booth at San Diego *and* have a smaller booth in Seattle. Do it all in conjunction with current regional convention organizers (ie: any of ’em but Wizard).

    Yes, I know, I know, it increases the organizational workload geometrically with each city that would be added, but nevertheless, even taking into consideration the next expansion of the Convention Center within the next five years, but I don’t see any other way to keep TV fandom (much less comics fandom) from imploding in rage. Bonus, however: the satellite cons would be conventions where you could actually buy comics.

  36. @Your Momma – You seem to be nothing but an internet troll trying to get a rise out of people. I’m not playing any kind of games, I’m just telling it like it is.

    If you have nothing constructive to say, kindly move on from this article and find something else to comment on.

  37. @JBVO huh?? No rise, I am being realistic. No need to name call me. What have I said that was false?

    The “yes, but” game. Is a type of communication when someone replies yeah, but yeah but over and over “fishing” to make sense of not accepting what the truth.

    If internet troll means replying honestly, without name calling, being realistic, and not being emotional. I proudly accept that badge.

  38. Rob J.: Great ideas you have! Too bad, the SDCC folks have a different way of doing things… Not the best or most prudent way of fans, but the ones that make its Hollyweird partners — press and pros — who attend year after year very, very happy to keep coming back to what’s become a Geek Super Bowl that excludes large numbers from attending unless they have lots of money, connections, or both. It’s hard to imagine middle-income families being able to afford to attend SDCC anymore, unless they live in SD. I know what was affordable for us to make a cross-country vacation/pilgrimage to SDCC nearly 20 years ago is quickly being priced out of reach…

  39. Rob J,

    I have cheaper version of what you suggested, why don’t they just post the panels on youtube that why they are not just limited to those cities only and the cost would be free? Oh wait, they already do it.

  40. JBVO: I agree wholeheartedly with your sentiments. Until the con organizers move on, nothing will change anytime soon… Unfortunately, that’s the problem with a non-profit organization running what’s in reality a multi-million dollar, for-profit business with many moving parts.

  41. >>Glad the military is getting some great discounts, they deserve it.<<

    Unfortunately most of the military is bouncing back and forth between home stations and theater deployments. Unless you're in A-stan or elsewhere- you don't know what's going to happen 6 months from now.
    Which makes a cheap rate at CCI a cruel joke.

  42. Hello. all, I really what to go and my 11 year old daughter wants to go to Comic-Con 2011 this year. I know a lot of people want to go, and I had that I had already missed it for this year. But when I found out that I hadn’t missed it, I went to the web site to see if I could get a pass but they were SOLD OUT;(… I have never been to Comic-Con and neither has my little one. It is one of those things I have on my Bucket List and I have always really wanted to go. I have been sick and my treatments take a lot out of me, but life is to short to wait any longer. So am try to found out if there is anywhere else that I can buy the badge pass to attend Comic-Con? Can anyone help me or let me know when or how do I found out when they will sale more badge pass that other people cancel or can’t go to Comic-Con??? If someone does know some info that would be help, please email me all lower case punky3matyahoo.com.Thank you,
    Thank you,Thank you, a Bunch for just listening. Mari

  43. This definitely will have a major effect on cosplayers as I know a good number are being priced out from comic-con. It’s very possible that next year, there may be little to no cosplayers outside of the general fantoms such as Trekkies, jedis, hobbits, and Harry potter fanatics.

    It’s things like this where comic con stops being comic con. At that point, i would rather have it go to LA and be the soulless entity it’s slowly becoming.

  44. At the risk of sounding like a fox news watching elitist tea partier, if I was only earning 9-10 an hour, the last thing I’d do is spend what little money I have on a cross-country trip to go buy toys and comic books and to watch a 1 minute movie trailer. Even if ticket prices stayed the same, you’d still have to factor in flight, hotel, food, and yeah, money to buy the toys. If anything, the tickets are the cheapest part about Comic Con

  45. I think the point JBVO, Turkish, Wayne, and others are pretty much trying to make is that a fun event that used to be for everyone regardless of economic income and status, be it the locals who live in San Diego, or the out-of-towners, is now being priced out of reach, especially for the middle-class, and even the $9 and $10 an hour folks as well. And even if you’re a local, $150.00 for a four-day badge if you’re only making $10 an hour is still quite steep, even if you don’t have to pay for a hotel or airfare.

    Over the next couple of years, as the price of badges continues to go up, more and more people are going to be priced out. And after awhile, it won’t really matter if you are a local who lives in San Diego or an out-of-towner. When badge prices start costing $300 or $400 and above, the only people who will be attending will be the wealthy. Everyone else will be staying home.

    I’m going to reiterate a point Turkish made in their comment that pretty much sums Comic-Con up in a nutshell:

    “It’s like being a kid all over again and never going to Disney World because my parents could never afford it.”

  46. Imagine…$70 more per person…and how many people go each year? No way costs went up that much!!!!! Am I the only one shouting Rape?!

  47. I’m pretty sure you’ve always needed a current year badge in order to buy the next year’s badge at the show. When online sales start, then everything is open to the public.

    At least it’s been this way for the last few years.

  48. San Diego Comic-Con has now become too hard to buy tickets and to get into. The Con needs to be streched out to a week for everybody to go but, are the companies, dealers, movie and tv studios, and creators willing to stay for a week? I don’t think so. That’s I am going to the Long Beach, Oceanside, and Anaheim Comic-Cons from now on. Or until I am able to get a ticket for the San Diego Con.

  49. THIS IS MADNESS AND ABUSE TO WHICH WE HAVE OVER 15 YEARS GOING. WHY NOT MAKE THE EVENT MONDAY TO SUNDAY?? THIS IS A SOLUTION!!!.

  50. This is truly awful. We have preview and 4 day passes. This just knocked out Thurs a.m. panel. One younger family member was looking forward to attending that one. It was her first choice. Why can’t some tickets for 2012 be available on Wed. night? Since they are only selling a limited amount each day anyway, why are the people with preview getting stuck.

    We purchased everything in advance because we planned on getting to the convention early and some members like to get in line early for the a.m. sessions.

    For those who think it is unfair that the same people can go year after year, we stood in line all day in the heatwave on the pavement to get into the con. to get our badges two years ago. Only last year could you walk into the convention center and get the badges easily.

    My father is now 84- probably the oldest attendee (besides Stan Lee). He says this will be his last con. It worked for him last year, but it is going to be a huge hassle this year.

    It isn’t fair to force him to get up early or for the teen that wants to go on Thurs a.m. panel (her first choice). I’m really sad. It has been a great multi generational event for all of us.

    I find it hard to believe that many people purchased 4 days passes and only used two. After great expense to attend I sincerely doubt massive amounts of people don’t use all the days.

    Really disapointed.

  51. Comic Con 2011 just ended. It wasn’t just horribly inconvenient to try to get a 2012 pass – it was downright impossible. Far too many fans were shut out entirely, as a system that had worked for years was switched to one that broke down entirely.

    Raising prices by 50% was bad enough, as was making people pay extra for a Preview Night that used to be their bonus for attending all four days. (And what idiot thought it would be great to move the process off-site, so people would have to miss half a day of a very expensive event?)

    But it turned out that “on sale from 8 to 11 am” was a complete fiction. Every day, they shut down acesss almost as soon as the lines opened.

    I tried to get mine early on Saturday morning and was told they’d already sold their daily quote. All “available” passes had been bought by people who’d been in line at 4 am! To have a chance for Sunday morning, I’d have had to show up by midnight!

    The organizers really showed their contempt for families, the elderly and the handicapped, or anyone lacking the fanaticism to camp overnight for the privilege of buying a pass for 2012. This was my 12th year, and apparently my last.

    Maybe some sanity will return when it becomes Hollywood showing its wares to itself and they realize they’ve shut out their own audience.

  52. The 2012 Pre-registration system was very poorly handled. First of all, if you weren’t in line by 7:00am on Thursday you were shut out, and it got worse with each succeeding day. Second, many people stood in line for at least 2 hours only to find that they couldn’t purchase anything at all. They could have passed out wristbands or something so that the people in line were guaranteed a ticket. Instead, you got a temporary member badge when you finally entered the building and if they ran out before you got there, you got nothing. The process showed a real disregard and lack of concern for people standing outside for hours.

  53. I attended 2011 and this new process was absolutely terrible. As a long-attending member, I have to say they really screwed up this time. Trying to make a huge event out of everything they can by making an issue out of it — this is what they do best but they do it horribly. I was able to get a 4-day pass but only after a friend of mine who had been in line since 5am tricked a con staffer into letting myself and another friend to cut in line. I have other long-attending friends who could not make it to the Hyatt early enough for a variety of reasons that were shut out and have no idea if they are going next year now. Utter crap!

  54. I got on the pre-reg line at 6AM Thursday, got into the ballroom by 7:30, had my reg by 9:30AM. I KNEW from past years’ attendance that the lines would be horrendous (EVERY line for ANYthing at the con is horrendous), and they’d announced there were limited sales each day – so my choice was no later than 6AM and wait, or not get a 2012 badge. The lines – any lines – are strictly a result of too many attendees for any given situation. Last year, Preview night sold out at the con, so anyone who had not attended could not get Preview night, which is part of the reason for this year’s new procedure. But as with any ‘event’ at the con, everyone knows about headcount limits, so people show up as early as possible to insure they get included in that headcount. The result: huge lines starting ridiculously early. One valid complaint: the lack of wristbands (or some headcount determinant) for those on line to indicate where the day’s line limit had been reached. I missed everything I’d planned on seeing in 4 days because of the lines, but for all my frustration, I have yet to hear (I attend the Sunday ‘gripe’ session) – or think of – any reasonable method to handle the fact that there are at least 3 people for every one ‘item’ (Hall H or Ballroom 20 seat, badge, etc).

  55. Someone please tell me where you buy the tickets? One of my best friends and I are obsessed with Bones and other Fox shows….