SDCC 2018: 3 Month To-Do List

San Diego Comic-Con 2018 is only 3 months away! The annual pop culture and comic event kicks off with Preview Night on Wednesday, July 18, then continues with four full days of programming Thursday, July 19 through Sunday, July 22 at the San Diego Convention Center! What should you be doing to prepare? Check out our list of 10 things to do now that we’re 3 months away from SDCC 2018!

1. Put in your vacation request. You have your badge. You know you’re going. So if you haven’t secured those days off yet, this should be at the top of your list! You don’t want to get stuck at work when you should be having fun at SDCC!

2. Didn’t score a hotel during Hotelpocalypse? Research housing options. This year’s Hotel Sale seems to have left a lot of people without a hotel. While you wait for the waitlist to open up, it might be a good idea to book a refundable backup room, just in case the waitlist doesn’t work out.  If you try to search for a hotel, most of them either have the dates surrounding SDCC blocked out, or are charging extremely high prices (currently $1,278/night at Hilton Bayfront!), especially downtown hotels. While it’s unlikely that you’ll find a rate as low as the rates that were offered during the Hotel Sale, you can find some reasonable rates if you look further out.  Do you want to stay in a condo? You can try searching on sites like airbnb.com or vrbo.com, though those can cost just as much or more than hotels, especially if they’re downtown. (Also, if you go that route, beware, because the host might cancel on you at the last minute and leave you scrambling to find a room.) Another option is to check out the Friends of CC Forum, specifically the Room Sharing thread, where you can find a roommate, or the Hotel Exchange, where members offer up extra hotel reservations (though you must have been member of the forum by April 7 to access the latter).

3. Book your flight. If you’re traveling from far away, you should be looking at travel sites to get an idea of what a good price for your flight might be. Flight pricing does tend to fluctuate, and you’ll want to keep an eye on when a good deal pops up. Also factor in baggage costs, which vary from airline to airline.

4. Need a passport? Get one. If you’re traveling internationally, and don’t already have a passport, go ahead and start the process for getting one. Sometimes there can be delays with securing a passport, and you don’t want to wait till the last minute and get stuck in your home country due to your passport not coming through in time. Also check to see what international travel requirements apply to your country. For example, you may need to obtain a visa, or if your country is part of the Visa Waiver Program, then you’ll need to apply for an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization).

5. Enter the Ace Parking lottery or purchase parking via ParkWhiz. If you have a downtown hotel within walking distance, or plan to take the shuttle or the trolley in from a hotel further out, then this does not apply to you. (Downtown hotels will have a designated place for their guests to park, though it will be for a fee of about $30-$50 per night.) However, if you’ll be driving in for the con each day, you’ll need to enter the Ace Parking lottery if you want to get first dibs on a parking spot near the convention center. Entries will be accepted until April 22. Alternatively, ABM Parking is currently offering prepaid parking passes via ParkWhiz (search for “comic con” to pull up the applicable dates), though their lots are a little further out than most Ace Parking lots.

6. Verify your shipping address. Your badge will be shipped to the address you listed as your shipping address in your Member ID account, provided that the address is a valid U.S. address (Comic-Con will not ship to international addresses, but international attendees can list a U.S. address as their shipping address). However, new this year, is that you must log into your Member ID account and verify your shipping address. The deadline to verify your address is May 14. If you miss the deadline, you will have to pick up your badge on site.

7. Start getting in shape now. As we mentioned in our SDCC Tips article on this subject last year, you might find yourself walking 5+ miles per day while at San Diego Comic-Con! If you’re not used to walking such distances, you should start getting used to it while there’s still time. That way, by the time SDCC rolls around, 5 miles per day will be a breeze to you, and you won’t be so exhausted at the end of each day.

8. Get to work on that cosplay! Will you be cosplaying at SDCC this year? Do you want to have a different cosplay for each day? Start planning your outfits now! If you’re making your costumes, it could take a lot of work, and a lot of time. If you are ordering pieces from elsewhere, this could take some time as well. Get ahead of the game and get everything in order now, so that you’re not left scrambling at the last minute!

9. Keep an eye out for outside events. There’s always a ton of events going on outside of the convention center during Comic-Con. Some of them are free, but some of them cost money. Tickets for many events go on sale months in advance, and many sell out. The SDCC Unofficial Blog and Outside Comic Con keep good calendars of offsite events.

10. Start saving money. After buying your badge and putting down a deposit for your hotel, your wallet is probably close to empty. Start building your savings back up if you can, especially if you’re planning on buying a lot on the Exhibit Hall floor!

Is there anything else you’re doing at the 3 month mark to get ready for San Diego Comic-Con 2018? Let us know in the comments below!