10 tips for attending Comic Con FanXperience

10 tips for attending Comic Con FanXperience

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SALT LAKE CITY — Last year, Salt Lake City's first Comic Con was a sold-out success with more than 75,000 attendees. This year, Comic Con is expanding to not just one convention but two. The first one, Salt Lake Comic Con FanXperience, is coming to the Salt Palace April 17-19. It will feature almost the entire cast from "Star Trek: Next Generation," cast members from "The Walking Dead," Star Wars actor Billy Dee Williams, comic book authors, costume troupes and over 100 "mystery guests," with more guests to be announced.

Here are some tips to make sure you and your family are ready for one of the biggest events to happen this year in Salt Lake City:

1. Buy tickets — There are different types of tickets. You can purchase a pass for just one day or the whole weekend. VIP passes are sold out, but multi-day and single day passes are still available.

2. Costumes — What will you wear for Comic Con? Many people dress up in "cosplay" or costume play, it's not required but makes the event fun. Don't feel like you have to dress up as a comic book character or go all out. Feel free to add some flair with buttons, a fun hat or makeup. If you do dress up, be prepared for fans to want to take pictures with you. And always wear comfortable shoes, you will do a lot of walking and standing in line.

3. Money — Save up your money. There is over 200,000 square feet of vendor space crammed with unique gifts, art, books and more. Also, many photo ops and autograph opportunities are not free but come with an additional fee. Also, bring cash if possible to avoid pesky ATM fees.

4. Plan your trip — The crowds are huge at Comic Con and you want to map out your route or you could miss out. Plan to line up ahead about 30-45 minutes for most panels. There is limited seating, so do not expect there to be a space for you when the panel starts. Determine what guests you want to see the most and plan your day accordingly. Not all the guests will be at Comic Con the entire weekend.

5. Check out social media — Last year, Comic Con offered an app that provided event details, maps and more to attendees. This was a handy tool for many attendees. Also, check out the Salt Lake Comic Con Facebook page for up-to-the-minute announcements.

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6. Pictures — Bring your camera and video camera. There are tons of photo opportunities and chances to take pictures with celebrities. Be warned that with so many people there, the wireless will be slow - but you'll want to Instagram photos with stars like Nathan Fillion, Natalie Dormer and Billy Dee Williams. (See complete guest list here.)

7. Parking — Parking can be a nightmare with the huge crowds. Last year the Salt Palace parking filled up quickly. Car pool if you can. Scout out extra parking areas: public parking, City Creek, the Gateway, or better yet, take TRAX.

8. Bring your family, but be prepared — At FanXperience, there will be a Kid Con for the younger crowd. Many families brought children to the 2013 Comic Con, but be aware that some costumes and sights might be scary for younger children. Pick out a designated meeting spot for your family in case you are separated. And bring activities and snacks for younger children who may have difficulties waiting in line. Finally, be prepared for lots of begging from your kids. There is a lot of treasures they will want to take home with them!

9. Check out other conventions — There are other geeky conventions out there in Salt Lake. Some other less-crowded and cheaper options are: SaltCON coming up March 28-30, Salt Lake City Steamfest, Anime Banzai and Salt Lake County Library'sToshoCON, an anime convention for teens on Aug. 1 and 2.

10. Have fun — Going to Salt Lake Comic Con is a unique and exhilarating experience and we are lucky to have such a fun event in town. Go in with excitement and an openness to new experiences and you will have a blast.

For other tips, check out the Comic Con website tips page. Carrie Rogers-Whitehead is a senior librarian and resident geek with Salt Lake County Library. She can be reached at rogerswhitehead@gmail.com or feel free to see her at FanXperience.

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