Comic-Con San Diego & Other Things To Do Downtown
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San Diego has everything you need for a fantastic family vacation! Pair it with Comic-Con and you have an unforgettable experience!
Our vacation started with making sure we did not forget anything at home by completing our Ultimate Alphabetical Packing List (available by subscribing to my email list). Our two teen boys were especially excited about this trip because they love a lot of the TV shows that Comic-Con was presenting, especially all things MARVEL.
After making our arrival and getting comfortable at our hotel, Hyatt Regency Mission Bay & Spa, we made a plan of what other activities downtown we would do besides Comic-Con. My husband and boys had tickets to Comic-Con for Thursday, Friday & Sunday. I, however, had tickets for Thursday & Sunday. So, that left me alone for an entire day on Friday to do whatever I wanted! We also planned something to do for all of us on Saturday. Saturday tickets seem to go the fastest because the most popular stars do panels on that day.
First, I will talk about everything we did regarding Comic-Con first and then everything we, and I, did in San Diego.
Comic-Con International: San Diego
If you’re going to Comic-Con expect to have a lot of patience and go early. You can’t go to Comic-Con and expect to sleep in. The lines are going to be long unless you spend the night outside and there are people that do that. This was my kids & I first time, but my husband has been here before and he knew what to do. One big tip of advice I can give you is ALWAYS to keep your badge on. Everywhere you go, security will be looking for your badge and what kind you have. There are press badges, VIP badges,
Remember this!
Inside Comic-Con San Diego
Come inside with us!
Before you head inside, I recommend you do this before you leave your hotel room, go with a plan. You want to make the most of your time especially since you paid so much for the tickets! There is A LOT to do here so plan ahead the things you really want to do or the people you want to see.
One great thing is that you cannot get lost inside. It is easy to navigate once inside because all the aisles are numbered. Be prepared for crowds, but you can always split up and meet up easily inside. Check out the places we made it to inside.
“Aquaman”
With the much-anticipated film upon us, we decided to take a peek at this booth. It was very cool! Here at Comic-Con all the booths are exceptionally decked out.
Cosplay
There is not a shortage of cosplay characters here at Comic-Con, especially this one here in San Diego! If you want to dress up, go for it! If not, it’s ok. I’m sure you’ll find your favorite characters here nonetheless. Some resemble their costume to the tee! One of the biggest we experienced was at the Marvel stage!
Panels & Stars
Super Smash Bros.
Our boys were super excited to preview this. They were able to spend some time playing this new game.
Toys & Displays
There are too many cool things to show you that I chose some of our favorites!
Outside Comic-Con San Diego
Yes, there’s more!
I don’t know how you can miss it, but outside the convention center, there is a lot more to see, do & experience. Many are totally free, but again, plan carefully because you could be wasting your time in a long line for something you don’t really care for. Again, here are our top picks from
Band from TV
This was one of our trip’s highlights because we not only got to meet Greg Grunberg from “Star Wars” & “Heroes,” but we also got to talk to him and he was very personable. He played the drums in the band and he gave our oldest son his drumsticks at the end of the evening. We had told him that our son is also a drummer and he called him out in public! We were in the front row sitting down and if you ever want to hear them, they do
“Castle Rock”
We decided to check this out because it was a brand new psychological horror series on Hulu streaming service. It was very creepy!
“Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan: Season 1”
My husband is a huge Tom Clancy fan and they had a few blocks blocked off for this promo. Because it looked really enticing we went and stood in line for a while. We missed the virtual zipline experience. However, we did get some cool swag! When we got home, we binged watch the entire season 1. Yes, it was THAT good! I highly recommend watching the series and you can on Amazon Prime.
More Cosplay
Pepsi Taste Challenge
There are all kinds of activities you can do on the outskirts of the convention and we came upon this one. I am a Coke girl by heart (Cherry Coke Zero to be exact), but we decided to give this a try. It was surprising and I’ll leave my answer at that.
“Rampage”
If you’re a Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson fan, how can you not at least check this out! This new movie came out in April 2018 and we were there for all the new cool stuff about this movie.
Shark Week
Admit it! Even if you’re scared of sharks, they are still fascinating! It is cool to see them…on TV and movies that is. We were there for all the action & some free headgear! It brought out the silly in us.
“The Good Place”
This is a TV show that we have been watching prior to coming to Comic-Con so we were thrilled to see it here. It’s a comedy with Kristen Bell & Ted Danson on NBC.
For a list on how to prepare for your Comic-Con San Diego trip, check out my post What You NEED To Do To Prepare For Comic-Con San Diego. Also, if you’re looking for a great videographer/stop-motion animator check Eric Beaton out at Beaton Films. He created the following short film for us prior to our Comic-Con San Diego trip:
Downtown San Diego
San Diego has many things to do, but since we come from Florida we are used to great beaches. Now, I’m sure San Diego has awesome beaches, and we were told they did as well, but we wanted to experience other places unique to San Diego. Our top three are right here.
Old Town San Diego
This is an attraction on its own. You can spend an entire morning or afternoon right here. You can shop, wine, and dine. We loved the old town feel mixed with new town vibes.
San Diego Zoo
We have a fantastic zoo in Tampa Bay, Florida and we also have Busch Gardens, but how can you NOT visit the famous San Diego Zoo?!? I visited this one by myself because this is the day that I did not have a Comic-Con ticket. Although I was by myself, I had a fantastic day because I got to see a lot of this zoo and the weather couldn’t have been better. These are some of my favorite shots of the day.
USS Midway Museum
The USS Midway Museum is a fantastic way to spend the day and get an educational opportunity for kids. Actually, it’s an educational opportunity for everyone. Furthermore, there is plenty to see here and stroll through so make sure you have an entire afternoon to do this.
View atop the USS Midway
If you’ve been to San Diego and/or Comic-Con San Diego, what was your favorite thing you saw or did? If you’ve never been to either, what is one thing here that you would love to experience?
