If you haven't registered, you're out of luck. Thursday - Saturday are sold out.

The programming schedule was posted today:

http://www.comic-con.org/

I've never seen a comic-con panel schedule so packed to the gills. I've only managed to skim through Thursday so far and it's loaded with move and tv content with panels on everything from Showtime's DEXTER to the remake of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. There's a DOCTOR WHO panel with Russell T. Davies and Steven Moffat. No David Tennant or Catherine Tate, alas. The TORCHWOOD cast is coming though.

I've never been, though I would like to go one year. Especially for the Torchwood and Who panels...and to stop by the Troma booth.

Any tips on planning and attending? Everytime I read reports about it, I see pictures of people standing in the hot sun for 4 hours just waiting to get in, even though they have tickets. If that's the case, how on earth do you make sure you get in to see the scheduled events?

If anyone goes and happens to check out the animation film festival, please let me know. My friend Colin has one playing in there (THE FINAL FRONTIER) and I'd be curious as to what the reaction is.

I went every year from 1998 - 2002, but since then I've replaced the outing with The Silent Film Festival here in San Francisco, which also happens in July over 3 days. I enjoyed Comic-Con most when we had a table as vendors. Just going as a civilian is exhausting! The dealer's room was the biggest draw for me, and that's satisfied now by online purchases. I have to say, I really don't care for the film previews at all. I like seeing movies with as little anticipatory preparation as possible - the less I know, the better - and even in 2002 it was obvious the con was going this way fast. On the other hand, I do miss the geeky fellowship of tens of thousands of Gomers gathered in one place. I do spend a day at Wondercon here for a taste of that.

You only have to stand in line outside once to pick up your badge. If you time it right, it shouldn't take more than 15-30 minutes. The trick is not showing up too early. If you get in line at 7:00am Thursday morning, you're going to wait two hours until registration is open. There's no advantage to getting there early unless you absolutely have to be first in the dealer's room or you are anxious to go stand in line outside one of the panel rooms.

I usually go have breakfast and come back a half hour after the doors open. If you are there right when the doors open, they make you do the Disneyland queue up the escalator, out under the sails and down the back escalator to get into the dealer's room. It's so much easier to wait 15 minutes and walk through the lobby doors.

Once you have your badge, you never have to stand in the registration line again. You do still have to line up for the most popular panels, but that's indoors and air-conditioned. The one room where they might make you wait outside is the massive Hall H where all the big movie panels are held. They sometimes route the line out the south end of the convention center. I don't like standing under the scorching July sun so I usually hang around indoors until the line is moving briskly before I get in it. Sometimes you can just walk right in if you wait until the panel is about to begin. But you won't get a front row seat, of course. They don't clear the room between panels though, so you can work your way up to the front as the day progresses -- if you stay there all day. Thankfully, there are bathrooms inside Hall H.

Other tips:

Wear comfortable shoes. Even if you don't venture out of the convention center, you'll walk miles just inside the exhibit hall.

If you can, do venture out into the city. The quality of the food is much better at any restaurant in the gaslamp than inside the convention center. You don't have to go very far. There's a nice little pub inside the hotel next door. Plus you can get a beer in the outside world.

No matter how hot it is outside, bring a sweater or sweatshirt. The panels rooms are usually cool enough to store meat.

Stay hydrated. Buy a bottle of water and then refill it from the water fountains around the convention center. There are water coolers in every panel room.

Look for the booths with the useful giveaways. There's always somebody giving away fans, for example. Viz gives out nice cloth tote bags, though they aren't as easy to get as in the past.

Check the daily update sheets. These are usually posted in the front lobby and you can pick up a copy at various locations inside the convention center. Late breaking panels, guests and autograph sessions are noted on these sheets. These sheets also have the daily program grid so you don't have to go hunting through the thick program guide.

Ask about movie screenings. They often have them Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, but you need a pass to get in. You also need to arrive early as they overbook.

Don't expect to find a parking space anywhere near the convention center after 10am. If you can, use the trolley. It stops right across the street. There are free shuttles that run to all the local hotels. You can also use the shuttle service to get to Horton Plaza, where one of the theaters that hosts comic-con screenings is located. The other theater is in the gaslamp about three blocks up from the convention center.

Hi Lisa. Thanks for all the helpful info. Unfortunately, it looks like the entire convention is sold out. I'll have to wait til next year...

Tip #1 should be: register online at least two months before the show. I think they started putting a cap on attendance last year. I used to register a whole year in advance [the cheapest prices are available at the show itself for the following year] but last year I didn't and I'd just started a new job so I couldn't go all four days. When I contemplated going for the weekend, it was already too late.

Best Comic Con coverage I've seen yet:

http://www.filmdrunk.com/post.phtml?pk=2242