If you are even vaguely dreaming of going to Comic-Con this year…you need to get get a Member ID.
Like, if you think you might suddenly win the lottery and decide to go; or if your TV show might be premiering there… you need a Member ID.
AND you only have until Tuesday to do it. Registration for Member IDs closes on February 28th. So…go get a member ID. The con will be using this registration process to notify the press, pros, volunteers and regular old attendees about when badges go on sale and so on.
Speaking of badges going on sale, the show has released a What to Expect when you’re expecting to buy a badge FAQ that covers all the bases.
Basically, there is NOT going to be an announcement, not going to be an official Twitter or anything. There is just going to be an email that goes out…to people who have a Member ID.
Comic-Con will release the badge sales date and time via e-mail to everyone who has registered for a Member ID. Please check your e-mail frequently. There will be no announcement on Facebook, Twitter, or the official Comic-Con website until badge sales actually begin. Please be aware that our e-mail notifications are released in batches, and you may not receive yours until a few hours after we begin sending them out. We are aware of this delay and have scheduled badge sales accordingly.
When badge sales begin, you will access the registration website according to the directions sent in your e-mail notification. Once you are redirected to the EPIC registration website, you will enter a waiting room where you will be able to see your place in line at the top of the screen. Do not refresh your screen or open a new browser! Refreshing your screen or opening multiple browsers while in the waiting room will send you to the back of the line.
When you reach the front of the line, you will automatically be sent to an online registration session to purchase your badge(s). You will need to enter your Member ID and last name for validation. You may purchase one 4-day badge or a combination of single-day badges per each unique Member ID. After you complete your first purchase, you will be prompted to either purchase a badge for another person or exit the process. You may register up to 6 people total during your online registration session, but you must have the unique Member ID and last name for each individual.
This sounds pretty orderly for the badge lottery. But how big will it get?
The waiting room will close when it reaches a capacity of 60,000. To limit the pressure on the EPIC registration system, the EPIC waiting room will close once 60,000 people are in line. You will be returned to the ComicCon website after you click the registration link if the waiting room is full. You may click the link again to try to reenter the waiting room as people complete their purchase.
Oh.
But what about when Milo Ventimiglia decides to come to the show at the last minute? Does Milo Ventimiglia have a Member ID?
Dear god, we don’t even want to THINK about hotels.
They may actually have nearly enough hotel rooms this year. There isn’t a hotel regularly available ant closer than hotel circle. They’ve already made an effort to fill those hotels with packages and I have friends who for years have been able to use their status to force the major chains to get them rooms close in on points. This year they had to settle for hotels near the airport if they wanted to use points. I’m optimistic on availability.
I can’t wait to go hear what the cast of The Big Bang Theory and Bones have to say about my favorite comics.
@Trev. I was able to book a room at a hostel less than a mile from the convention center. I booked it a month ago and have the option to cancel my reservation (only paying a booking fee of about $2) up until 48 hours ahead of my reservation.