How to Survive Fan Expo

The date is fast approaching and with Fan Expo taking up both halves of Toronto’s massive convention centre, we thought we’d share some of our tips and tricks that helped us survive the event last year.

Get Your Tickets Early!

Nothing is worse than having to stand in a line to buy your tickets before the Expo starts. You’ve got a bunch of options when the tickets do go on sale, including one day passes, or the deluxe or premium passes. The premium pass comes with some perks, such as a swag bag with some cool comics and posters, early admittance on Thursday (usually 2PM when general entrance is 4PM), an exclusive entrance (there was no waiting in line to get in) and a premium lounge to hang out in. The lounge may not sound like much, but it beats sitting on the floor and trying to eat your lunch. The deluxe also includes early admittance and a Fan Expo tee. There’s also VIP which will set you back $499 a ticket that comes with an ‘express pass’ for photo ops and great seats in the panels (limited availability)

Plan Ahead

Okay, so some of us love to go to Fan Expo and just wing it, see where the day brings us, but sometimes planning ahead really is the best idea, especially if this is your first time at a convention. The Expo floor is packed with people and it’s easy to get turned around. Before the Expo starts, keep an eye out for when they will release their Guidebook, available for your iPhone, Blackberry or Android. In the app you’ll find the master schedule, news, guests, exhibitors, retail listings, and a map, as well as the ability to create your own schedule (organized by date and time) and a to-do list. This way you’ll be able to plan your day (or at least part of it) and not spend it wandering around like a noob.

Pack the Essentials

– Backpack or messenger bag to carry all your sweet swag
– Camera
– Refillable water bottle; believe me, this is the most important thing you can have!
– Snacks; unless you mind paying $5.00 for a snack sized bag of Doritos you stood in line for twenty minutes for
– Deodorant; you don’t want to be ‘that guy’ in line
– A charger
– Cash; don’t forget there’s long lines at the ATMs and service fees

Plan a Meet-Up Spot

Fan Expo and the convention centre in Toronto are known to be a black hole for the internet and cell phone service, especially in the vendor area, so make sure you and your team plan meet up times and places if you want to go your separate ways; don’t rely on cell service because like the internet, it is spotty when it works at all with about eighty thousand devices all trying to connect or send texts at once!

How to Manage the Lines

Lines are a part of every convention, and no matter what kind of pass you have, you are guaranteed to spend at least a little of your time in a line, especially on a Saturday. The general rule of thumb for a large panel (example: the Walking Dead panel of last year) is to line up at least an hour early. Bonus points if you have a friend willing to sit and hold a spot for you while you go get some snacks or swag. And if there isn’t a line for your event, such as photo ops? Make one! The best place to start your line for a photo op is at the end of the previous photo ops line. Or, ask the people manning the photo ops station where to start your line; the staff are usually willing to help if you are willing to man the sign with a celebs name on it and say, “Yes, the line for Stan Lee starts behind me” about three hundred times.

Book Your Hotels in Advance

The good people running Fan Expo are great about releasing hotel information along with their email blitzes. If you want to sleep in a bed, book early. They have some pretty great deals, too. We managed to stay at the Hilton Garden Inn about four blocks from the convention centre last year for only $129.00 a night. That is a killer rate in August in Toronto! Take advantage while you can, and make sure you know how far you will be walking. Cabs are another idea, but the traffic around the convention centre can only be described as hellish at best. If you are planning to cosplay and have a cumbersome costume, choose to stay on-site at the InterContinental hotel. This will set you back at least $209.00 a night plus taxes, but you won’t have to half kill yourself to get there.

Shop Smart!

Don’t buy everything you want on the first day, unless of course it’s something rare that you’ve wanted for a long time and absolutely, positively cannot live another second without. If you are there for the full four days, you’ll find that Sunday has the best deal on most items (the best deal we found was the $2.00 bin at Silver Snail comics; we stocked up on the LOTR action figures!) but if you can only attend one day, make sure you look around the floor a bit to make sure that you are getting the best deals possible on your swag. And, think about your purchases! You don’t want to find that collectible you’ve been waiting forever to get and then realize you’ve just spent the last of your cash on something you could buy online. If you can buy it online, it’s probably cheaper there than the convention floor.

Cash is King!

Don’t just assume every vendor will accept credit and debit cards, and if they do, don’t count on the connection working on the busy convention floor. Bring cash with you, and make sure you get it before you go in! This is important enough to mention more than once. The lines at the ATM get long and there are not a lot of them; they are known for running very quickly out of cash. For photo ops and autograph sessions, please note that there is the option to purchase in advance (recommended) using a credit card on the Fan Expo site. Many of the photo ops were sold out on the first day so be sure you plan ahead for that, too. If you have to get the photo ops on site, they do accept cash, credit and debit, and are located at a kiosk right outside the main vendor hall. (Please note this location may change for 2013, please check your guide for it’s location)

Bring Some Tylenol

Or Aleve or Advil, whatever floats your boat. Believe me, you will not feel the ache in your legs, feet and calves until you are struggling to complete the walk back to your hotel. It’s a bonus if your hotel has a nice hot tub to soak those feet and toes in after your long day (or even better, a jacuzzi in your room) but these painkillers will be the second most important thing you can bring with you, next to refillable water bottles.

Wear Comfortable Shoes

This might be a given, but the best thing you can do for yourself (and your legs and spine) is have a good, comfortable pair of shoes you can be in all day. If you are a cosplayer, pack a separate pair of shoes even if it’s for the trek back to your hotel or public transit. Unless your super power is being immune to blisters, these are a must have.

If you do all of the above, you will not only be comfortable (hopefully) but you’ll make the best of your time at Fan Expo. It’s even bigger this year, encompassing both the North and South section of the already massive convention centre so there will be lots to do and we can barely contain our excitement! Feel free to stop by the Geek Chic Elite booth located in Artists Alley at A118 where we will be doing giveaways all weekend (make sure to follow our Twitter for cosplay prize giveaways too!) so come say hi!