It’s our first comic-con and it feels like we are missing all the opportunities.

I just like walking around the convention exhibit hall, there might be some cool merch associated with the board games you like or other stuff you like

Nothing wrong with walking the exhibit hall and offsites.

I like to spend a good amount of time in Artist Alley.

People watching is also fun.

Join people for a game

https://www.comic-con.org/cci/games

Strike up a conversation with someone next to you. You're guaranteed to have something in common.

I've been going to Comic Con since the 80s. I haven't been in Hall H or Ballroom 20 in years (I think the last time was for Star Wars and before that it had been years) and I rarely attend special events or parties as I usually have friends in town for Comic Con.

I still have the time of my life. Sometimes the best cons are the ones where you roll with what comes with little to no expectations.

Without an agenda you'll discover something new. Have a great con!

Make line friends, you might be able to get in the Hall H and other camp lines , then just run back to check in at base camp and then head right back. One thing that I still like and believe in, is the randomness of Con. You never know what opportunities will arise.

haha you sound the similar to my wife and myself. feeling pretty over-whelmed and we keep finding out about cool on/off-site stuff that's already sold out.

The first year is always the hardest. :)

Check out the mezzanine level above the main exhibit hall. Last year I got to play a brand new game with the game developers and it was a lot of fun! You might find some new games to add to your collection.

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There are also probably plenty of people who are still looking for people to join their line groups for some of the bigger panels. There are a few panels that are premiering new shows too, so maybe check out some of those are see if it's something you might end up liking.

You’ll have lots of surprise fun. Just wander around. Join random lines. Talk to folks. Take pictures. Enjoy San Diego.

In fact you may have more fun than most since you won’t have as many obligations

Just walk around and enjoy the chaos. You’ll have a great time!

-I don’t know what your interests are, but plenty of the smaller panels are incredibly interesting. They’re not a panel of celebrities answering dumb questions or anything cool like that, but they’re places where you can learn new skills or hear about creation and production of films, TV shows, comics, art, etc.

-Walking the exhibit hall and collecting as much free stuff as possible.

-talk to authors and artists at their booths, even people you’ve never heard of, they love nothing more than talking about their creations/passion.

I’ve been going to SDCC for multiple years and I’ve never been in hall h because the line isn’t worth it to me. But I’ve never had a bad time! Just remember it’s really not possible see everything, it’s too big. My kids cosplay and somehow last year we never made it over to the end of the lobby with the CCI backdrop for pictures. Just try not to stress! Walk around and take it in.

Also, someone else mentioned Artists Alley. We always wander around in that part for a good chunk of one day, almost all the art in our house is from cons. It was really fun when I was pregnant and we were hunting down dragon themed stuff for the nursery. :)

I love panels. I've even sat in on panels for shows and authors I had never heard of and found them interesting. My first time at SDCC I did not check out the panels until day 4 and realized I had made a mistake dismissing them.

One tip I always give to people is that it's better to do 2-3 things you are only mildly interested in that to wait hours and hours to do one thing you might be really interested in. Do panels that don't require a line to get into. There are so many panels going on, you might even go to one for something you know nothing about now but will end up being a fan of after attending the panel. Do the Kung Fu Extravaganza on Thurs night. Go watch the DC animated premiere on Friday night, this year it's Batman Hush. Go to the Masquerade on Saturday night. Hang out in downtown and participate in all the nerdery. Do several thorough walk throughs of the show floor. Walk outside and do a big lap around the convention center and just take it all in. Just keep moving, one thing after the other. By the time the weekend is over, you'll have had the time of your life. You won't be thinking about the things you didn't do. Hall H and Indigo are doable, just maybe later in the day and for something that isn't as popular as Star Wars or Marvel. But if you want to do a Hall H panel, by all means do so. Just go in the afternoon around 3-4pm and you should be able to walk right in. As first timers, you'll have plenty to do and see. As far as all that off site ticketed stuff goes, don't even sweat it. A lot of that stuff gets picked up by veterans who know the ins and outs of it all. Don't worry about what everyone else is doing and what you might be missing. Just worry about what you're doing. Everybody's Comic Con is different.

The con is super hard without any kids. I can’t imagine how hard it is with one and nursing. To come out here and participate in things you really have to do your homework and get those tickets early. And even that is a gamble. There are no certainties at the con. Ur best bet to enjoy yourself is dont sweat all the stuff you have missed. That ship has sailed. Enjoy the small things. The exhibit hall and artist alley. The activations outside that arent 5 hour waits. The gallerys on 5th in the gaslamp. San diego itself. Walk around slowly take it in and start planning for next years adventure.

Yeah no luck here as well. Usually we get at least one ticketed event, but this year no dice. It’s not a total loss though, check the schedule for some panels that you might be interested in during the day and check out some of the panels/ screenings that go into the night . At night we plan to just head to the gas lamp and walk around and figure it out as we go. The first year we came we didn’t know about any of the ticketed events but we still had a blast.

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How far out is your hotel? I’m wondering if we saw you in Mission Valley.

You must be young and fit to be doing this with a baby. I got tire reading “4 mo. Old”

Last year there was a pinball arcade at the Marriott. I'm not sure if it will be here again, but that was loads of fun!

I've seen a bunch of Hall H panels over the years and don't remember a thing about them a month later. I still think about some of the smaller panels I attended.

Saying that I'd try for Hall H tomorrow afternoon, sometimes you can just walk in on Thursdays.

I have been going to SDCC for 10+ years. The only hall H panel I have done was last year going in for Doctor Who. It was a freak day/year combo where you could just walk in that morning.

I did wait last year for hours in the beating heat to see Neil Gaiman but except for something I absolutely love that much, I wouldn't do it again. It was miserable.

So here is how I enjoy SDCC. I look for smaller and medium panels ("medium" is anything I may have to wait a few hours for). With the small panels you can walk right in.

Panels aside, I spend hours walking the exhibit hall until I can't take it anymore and need a break. There's so many board games and card games to play as well. I go to the many pop ups outside and in the nearby hotels, such as the Nintendo gaming lounge and playing MtG.

Also, inside the exhibit hall, all the publishing and similar booths will have their own guests and schedules. Some lines will be a nightmare but if you know of a smaller creator, you can often just walk up and see them. Signings also can be very tough but others are totally doable.

I always get fomo at Comic Con but ultimately I love not sticking to an absolute schedule. Instead, I pick things I want to see and try to calculate how early to get there.

Good luck!

Look for free stuff