The only cons I want in my life are Comic-Cons. There’s beauty in having fandoms unite in a safe, exciting atmosphere while creating memories that will last a lifetime. Anyone in any fandom will enjoy going to Comic-Con but there is preparation needed in order to have a successful experience.

1. Your itinerary

Make sure to plan ahead! Everything can be overwhelming, and it’s best to know what you want to do so that you don’t miss out on anything. The website has times of all of the events so you can plan accordingly.

2. Get a hotel, and know your transportation.

Comic-Con typically lasts for 3 days and it will be easier on you to have a hotel nearby. After having an exciting day nothing is better than laying down in a cozy bed as soon as you can.

This will also make it easier to get back to the event center in the morning, especially if you want to beat the lines. But if you can’t get a hotel nearby then figure out your transportation because there can sometimes to buses and shuttles that take you straight to the event.

3. Go with people you like.

This is a no-brainer but still a necessity. Going with people you enjoy being around will make the experience amazing and take all of you from being a friend group to #squadgoalzzzz.

4. Bring a backpack to hold EVERYTHING.

Hold your food, water, souvenirs and everything in between. With all the cool mini-events happening around, you’ll definitely want to be free to use your hands and not worry about where all your possessions are. Plus water can be expensive, and you need to stay hydrated.

5. Separate yo money.

It’ll go by in an instant so make sure you know which money is designated for food and souvenirs. Don’t be like me and survive off of a sandwich and bottle of water the whole day because you accidentally spent everything on pins and t-shirts.

6. Cosplay fix-kit

Comic-Con is the place to meet multiple of your characters at once due to Cosplay. If you’re to Cosplay, make sure that you have a fix-kit on hand so that the work you put into making your costume doesn’t go to waste if anything goes wrong. You never know who might accidentally tear a part of your costume or spill something on it, so better safe than sorry.

7. Designated meeting places

This is especially important if you’re going with a group of people. Not everyone is going to want to go to the same panels or meet the same celebrities so be sure to have a designated meeting place so you don’t get lost!

8. Don’t be afraid to ask cosplayers for pictures!

It will probably make their day if you ask for a picture since they did put in the effort as dressing up as one of their favorite characters. The people at Comic-Con are fairly nice and kind so don’t worry about ‘bothering’ them for a picture. It’s your experience too and I’m sure you want to show your friends a picture you got with the men dressed as Ling, Yao, and Chien Po.

9. Plan questions for panels, and be early.

At celebrity panels, you will want to get there early to get good seats. You’ll also want to have questions you want to ask them ahead of time so that you can jump in line and be sure that no one else asks the same thing. Be sure to get those jitters out of you and build up the confidence because when else are you going to be able to ask your favorite actor/actress these questions?

10. Don’t regret anything.

If you miss a panel, don’t get photo-ops, or miss a day where everything seemed to have happened and find yourself focusing on these missed memories- don’t. Enjoy the experience you’re having and have fun with everything happening around you. Don’t get sucked into the ‘woulda coulda shoulda’ mentality and enjoy all the things that you are able to do. Plus, there’s always next year.