Open Registration is here

20 FEBRUARY 2016


1:55 pm

Now that the dust has settled somewhat, and I'm hearing from lots of people, it seems that this was indeed a rough year. Lots of people who thought having 4-7 people in their group would get them in and no dice.

This is always a painful day, especially when some of your friends got badges and some didn't. It seems so divisive and unfair. Unfortunately, that is how a lottery works. But no matter how much you grasp that going in, the way it feels is a different matter.

I will say this - if you're in a situation where like 5 of you got badges and 2 didn't, don't let that stop your plans to all go to Comic-Con together. You can still do the surrounding events together and maybe swap a badge (if you're willing to risk it) for a few hours so the others can at least work the Exhibit Hall once or see their favorite artist's panel. And of course you can still party together at night. Don't let the bad luck of a badge sale keep your best friends at home.

9:56 am

And it's over. Comic-Con 2016 is sold out.

9:46 am

As always, this has been a feast or famine badge sale. Some friends got in right away; others are still waiting. How's everyone doing?


9:41 am


Friday and Saturday are gone.

9:27 am

Preview Night is sold out.

9:01 am

And we're off to the races. Now begins the long period where we jump every time the screen changes.

8:57 am

Okay, we'll all start getting sorted in a few minutes.  It's getting real. Make sure your credit cards and buying list are at hand.


8:50 am PST

It's incredible that no matter how many badge sales you've been through, they still have the power to make your heart pound and your stomach jump. And that's before the sale gets started.



8:46 am PST

Almost game time. Take a bio break in the next few minutes or forever hold your peace.


8:35 am PST

Okay, the error message mainly seems to happen to people who are trying to do multiple sessions on 1 browser. Each session gets its own browser.

You still have time to download a new browser if you need to.


8:25 am PST

Some people are reporting getting UNAUTHORIZED messages after they enter the waiting room. I'm not sure what's causing it, but remember that you cannot use the same browser for 2 sessions. Divvy up your sessions between Firefox, IE, Safari, Chrome or Edge.


8:05 am PST

Welcome to the psychological hazing that is Open Registration. Are you ready? (Trick question: no one is every truly ready for this.)

A few final thoughts - make sure your power save settings are altered to accommodate long periods of inertia. Set up your group texts, chats or hangouts now so you're not fumbling around mid-sale to see if anyone bought you a badge yet.

If this is your first sale, know that it will be over with in roughly about an hour, give or take a few minutes. First we'll be hanging in a delayed space where nothing seems to be happening, then the system will tell you that other people are being moved into their buying sessions. Preview Night will sell out first, probably before 9:30 PST. After that, Saturday will go, then Friday, then Thursday and Sunday. Sometimes you've just seen one day announced as sold out and get into the system and find another one has already sold out too. It happens quickly.

13 comments:

  1. Last year was the first time tryin to register but didn't make it...this year I DID IT!!! (by myself, no group) they were saying it was a 6% chance of getting a badge. I just won a lottery!!! :)

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    1. Congratulations!!!!! I'm so happy for you. Being a first-timer is so exciting!

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  2. So good news/bad news. Although most will tell me not bad at all. Got Thurs-Sunday for me and my friends so I look like the hero. No preview night but last year preview night was a freaking mess. Only got Tamashi Nations stuff because Hasbro and Funko were capped before i even got in and I was in the first 200 people easily. Hasbro opened up later in the Con on Sunday to anyone though. So I'm pretty fortunate. Got preview last year, so two years in a row I've been pretty lucky.

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    1. I got in right after preview night too. But for those that got Four days and missed preview night I'd say last year...preview night wasn't really worth it unless you got into the preview line before 8am (I was there about 8 30). All the big name lines were capped, Hasbro, Funko, etc. Some smaller places like Mondo didn't have any preview night exclusives either. So onward and upwards toward Hotelpocalypse! Thanks as always for the blog. This year I'd like to do Funko Days, maybe get into more ticketed panels like NerdHQ (they were SO HARD to get into) and maybe some outside events like the Star Wars Boat Party which I heard is a blast.

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    2. Preview Night definitely isn't what it used to be. It's still my ideal but like you said, it's easy to live without it. And there really is SO much else to do that a day or two away from the Con isn't that bad. Last year just seeing Conan O'Brien almost took up my whole Saturday. Nerd HQ is amazing. You'll have a great time.

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    3. Oh yeah last year was great. Didn't do Conan but did NerdHQ for Mr Robot. Did the assassins creed course, mtv fan fest, dragonball after party (free drinks!), but there's so much you can improve on. I hope Vikings is back with their river cruise which was cool but I missed and nerdhq returns as i know last year was a struggle.

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  3. Hi Valerie! Success! We had a buying group with 8 friends and all are going. Got Thurs-Sun for 6 of us, Thurs only and Thurs/Sun split for the other 2 (which they were fine with, since they have never been, and one overslept and didn't login to the waiting room, and the other misread his emails and thought the sale ended at 9 am, so didn't bother logging in. Thank goodness we weren't counting on those 2 to get us tickets.)

    Four of our 8 sessions came up. Our friend in Chicago got in at 9:11 am - shocked us all, and hubby's here in Cali came up at 9:15, then another around 9:40 something (Thurs and Sun only), and one at 9:55 which we ignored because we were done.

    Hopefully the hotel sale will also bear fruit! Have a great weekend!

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    1. 4 sessions out of 8 is amazing! That's great that your group is taken care of. fingers crossed for Hotel Day.

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  4. Hello Valerie.....Can I use only my debit card to check in hotel for SDCC? I don't have a credit card (I have bad credit)
    Does it depends on which hotel?

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    Replies
    1. If you're going through SDCC's system for hotel reservations, you should be okay using a debit card. I don't think the system can tell the difference. And no, it doesn't depend on the hotel. I'll post more info on hotels in a day or two.

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    2. If you are doing the hotel presale you have to pay the full ammount up front. Debit or CC doesn't matter. If you are doing the open sale its one night up front regardless of debit or CC that pulls immediately. Balance on check in. If you are using a debit theyll put an additional hold on your card too.

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  5. Thanks..Will Hilton Bayfront Hotel added on Hotel Day?
    Though expensive it's walking distance to everywhere there.

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    1. Here is last year's list of hotels http://www.comic-con.org/sites/default/files/forms/cci2015_hotellist_v2.pdf Hilton bayfront is available but remember it's a lottery as well. No guarantee even if you're willing to pay that you'll get it.

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