Are SDCC lines really worth it? A few thoughts.

21 JULY 2025

If there's one question that pops up again and again in SDCC communities, it's this: "how bad do you think the line will be?"

You could earn a doctorate studying all the nuances and factors that shape each line - but past being prologue, we can predict a few things with some certainty. 

~ Hall H will definitely incur "walk-in" status at times, but that isn't necessarily smooth sailing. If you want to be somewhere in the front of the room, you'll need to line up or arrive a few panels early.

~ Ballroom 20 will be doable (for the most part) but again, base your arrival time on the quality of seat you wish to claim. 

~ Yes, George Lucas and Guillermo del Toro in Hall H on Sunday will have a line. Almost everyone I've spoken to about this is sacrificing their Saturday night plans to make this happen, but some are content with any wristband.

~ Most ticketed offsites do have standby lines but there's no guarantee you'll get in or that they'll be worth it. Most of us have baked in the sun for 2+ hours just to get into an offsite that turned out to be quick, mediocre, and pointless. That said - lines sometimes dwindle early or late, and sometimes crews will let people in for an extra hour.

~ Don't count on someone official managing lines and making responsible calls on where the cut-off should be so you can move on. 

Just when is it time to move on?

I am a big believer in enjoying the Con you're at - which is hard to do when you spend hours every day in a line. So try to be realistic about when a line is worth it. While that somewhat depends on your fandom level, you'll also need to ask yourself if:

• You'll be disappointed if the offsite experience is over with in 3 minutes and doesn't offer significant swag.
• You would prefer to do 3 C-list offsites than wait hours for 1 A-list offsite.
• You would be okay seeing the panel on YouTube or in the Playback room.
• You'll feel let down if your favorite actor only speaks once, while the director dominates the panel.
• You'll be disappointed if you get stuck so far back in the room you have to watch the panel on a screen anyhow.
• You haven't gotten a chance to thoroughly explore the Exhibit Hall.
• You're hungry, thirsty, hungover, irritated, or exhausted and you really need a break. 
• There's an option B that you really want to see.

If you answer yes to most of those - I wouldn't spend significant time in that line.

The ultimate line tip is to check socials for real-time updates - not just for what you want to do, but what you've already written off. You might be pleasantly surprised; something that had an unbearable line last year might be up against another popular panel this year, which draws off some of the crowd.

Make smart choices - and good luck.