The Convention Fans Blog

If you were born with a higher midi-chlorian count than others and were able to sense the madness that would be Comic Con ticket sales 2011, you bought your tickets way early during Comic Con 2010. In fact, so many purchased their tickets in advance that all 4-Day passes with Preview night were sold out before the convention concluded its run on Sunday evening. Of course this did not go unnoticed and quite innocently, the announcement that all the 4-Day passes were sold out was to fuel the hysteria that was to come later.

It did not seem like too long ago that going to Comic Con for us locals could be a day-of decision. No matter what day you decided to go, you could just walk up to the convention center and buy a ticket for you and the family. You could even park in the convention center parking lot.

Then in 2006, the crowds got so massive on Saturday that ticket sales had to be halted for a while. In 2007, the convention sold out Friday, Saturday and Sunday. By 2008, Comic Con sold out all tickets weeks in advance and there were no tickets available for same day purchase. This was as sad day; I did not attend Comic Con this year. From here on tickets sales would sell out quicker every year. In 2009, all 4-day passes and single day tickets sold out months in advance. For the 2010 Comic Con, all 4-Day passes were sold out by October…..October! Also, all single day tickets were gone by March.

This was getting serious. You could not longer just go to Comic Con; you had to plan it out. Tickets sales to 2011 Comic Con at the 2010 event were heavy and word spread that 4-day passes with Preview night could sell out. Honestly, we all thought it was just talk, but to no surprise, it was true.

So, the stage was set. The announcement fueled the fire and we anxiously awaited the notice as to when 2011 tickets were to go on sales…then we got it, Nov 1st. Thousands logged in, opening multiple pages at once, thinking they would finally complete their quest. Then it happened, the website crashed. No, the madness over not getting tickets was for real.

So a few passes were sold, but that was it. There was still hope for us all. It was then announced that we would try this again on Nov 22nd. This was it. We got ready and hoped the “glitch” that caused the last problem was solved. Unfortunately, it was no “glitch” but more like frenzy. Panic stricken fans hit the website like their lives depended on it, and once again, the site crashed.

So again we waited, and waited, and waited. Finally, February 1st would be the day. Great, it was on a Saturday. The site had been tested weeks before and it was a go. I had like nine pages ready to go then BAM…nothing. Oh no? Not again. But unlike last time, this site did not shut down. Eventually two of my logins actually progressed….OK…maybe I would get my tickets. When I got to the next site, I opened another 10 pages from that URL. I sat their watching and nurtured my pages and any time I moved forward, I opened more pages.

After an hour and a half, I had done it. I got an extra 4 day pass and tickets for Friday and Saturday. Yea! Then I hit the blogs and fan pages. It was ugly. All tickets sold out on Saturday afternoon. On Monday, I had friends who though they could wait to buy tickets and they were out of luck. We later found that the there were over 400,000 hits to the site every minute and a total of 35 MILLION hits that day. UNBELIEVABLE!

So what is going to happen next year…with the lunacy return? Not sure, all I know is that when I go to Preview Night at Comic Con 2011, if they let me, I will be leaving with all my tickets in hand for Comic Con 2012.