WoW: Surviving Blizzcon

Surviving BlizzCon

BlizzCon is the event for World of Warcraft, StarCraft, WarCraft III, Diablo, and the other Blizzard franchises (yes, even the Lost Vikings). Similar to Fashion Week, Otakon and Comic-Con, BlizzCon serves as the premier event that hosts everything to do with Blizzard, which is a genre of its own in the world of video games. No other company has captivated a crowd of people like Blizzard has, drawing in more than 10,000 people from around the world to attend a 2 day event all about Blizzard.

Life can be hard when more than 10,000 people are packed into a free form auditorium. That’s why there are some tips from the pros who have “been there and done that” before.

Tickets

Ah, gaining the elusive golden tick—I mean BlizzCon ticket. It’s difficult. This year alone they sold out so fast that even Blizzard’s new queuing system and lottery was overloaded by requests. Absolute serious requests by people who want to fly out to California and attend the event. If you haven’t gotten a ticket by now then you may never get one.

So the big question is do you have one? If the answer is yes then hop on your chopper and get rolling down to Anaheim in August.

If you don’t, then there is some good news. There are two pay-per-view streams available. The first is from DirecTV and the second is available over the internet. Both get you Grunty the Murloc Marine, which is the reason many people attend in the first place, and both get you the information as it happens. However, they don’t get you meeting up with your buddies in a real life setting though.

If you think that begging for a ticket at the event will work, then think again. Security will escort anyone soliciting tickets away, or at least from my personal experience they will.  Save yourself the trouble and avoid embarrassment and possible legal ramifications and hope for better luck next year.

Travel

This is not a guide on how to snag a ticket, book a hotel, and arrange for a flight. Neither is it a guide on how to get your girlfriend to say you’re both going to a workshop for work in California to avoid explaining what elves and Warlocks are. However, we do have some tips on packing up your gear to travel.

The nearest airport is John Wayne International, a little known major airport in California that serves Orange County. It’s very close to Anaheim and is small enough that getting in and out isn’t a big problem. If you haven’t gotten a ticket yet then explore using John Wayne over LAX. There is also LGB (Long Beach) which is another airport nearby, but it’s very small. Of course, if you’re in California you can just drive there but remember it’s near Disneyland, so traffic can be fierce in the area. It’s off I-5 (Harbor Blvd exit is the closet one) and google maps can lead you there easily. Have you heard of one bag travel? See if you can pack up four-five days of clothing into one carry-on size bag. You can also carry a laptop bag/purse which can hold more clothes. Use a shirt or two to insulate your laptop. Why do this? You avoid baggage check-in which can help you move through the airport a lot easier. Speaking of packing, remember that you’re attending a two day event. So you need a few changes of clothes, personal hygiene items (the smell at BlizzCon isn’t bad, but you will start to STINK if you don’t wear deodorant), and you’ll want a solid pair of shoes. Remember that you’re not exempt from the airport rules and regulations. Last year, I saw people who got pulled over for additional screening for wearing Murlocs on their head and making a ruckus. Have your fun outside of the airport. Bringing a laptop? Snag a mouse too. If you’re going to log into WoW or do any long computer work then you’re going to want a mouse or something other than a trackpad.

One other thing. You’ll need money and not just a lot of WoW gold to brag about.  You’re going to want a small amount of cash (don’t ever travel with too much the experts say) and enough in the bank to cover food and anything you want to pick-up at the con. Make sure your finances are in order before you trek out.

Lines and Things to Do

There are generally a few things to do at BlizzCon. The first are the panels which explain what’s going to happen or what will be happening in the future. The second is the shop, the various game demos, and a few walkthrough exhibits.

When you get to BlizzCon be ready for something we like to call “lines.” This occurs when there are too many people for a certain event and they have to create a queue to allow only so many in. These lines are long, running for multiple hours at a time. A good example is the loot store. People rush it so hard that there is a 2-4 hour wait on your feet to buy something that might be sold out by the time you arrive there. Here is an article from last year's Blizzcon talking about lines.

There is no secret or trick to dealing with lines. It all comes down to the choice you want to make about it. Do you want to wait in a line for something or do something else? To be honest, there isn’t a lot more than watching panels which are broadcast throughout the venue to the lines or meet up with friends.

My best advice is pick one to three things you HAVE to do. If you have a group, assign a trustworthy one or two to pick up the gear from the shop. That’s the most important one, since the shops do have limited stock. Wait until the second day or later in the evening for some things. Lines do thin out on the second day and as people move through the lines they get shorter during the evenings.

Lines are what make or break your experience, because there are only two things to do. Stand in line or sit down somewhere.

Oh, and one more thing. Considering that there are A LOT of people in the lines, there will also be a lot of jerks. You know the official forums and barrens chat? Some of those people get in too. Be ready to hear people talking loudly about things that are untrue, giving bad advice, screaming about Chuck Norris, and getting really mad when someone says something they don’t want to hear. Just ignore it when you see it. It saves you a lot of time.

Food, Beverage, Refreshment

Be wary, very, very wary of the food on hand at the convention. The lines for the con food can be hours long in themselves (although last year was better) and overpriced. On hand reviews rate the con food at “con food levels,” enough to make you not hungry anymore with a taste that helps support that. You can’t bring food in, either, and all bags will be inspected during entry (or at least were last year).

With this in mind, be ready to skip lunch. That’s my personal advice to you. Snag breakfast at a nearby Disneyland restaurant, if possible, and then skip lunch. You’ll save the pain of making a trek to a nearby restaurant, missing events, and you’ll save the delay and expense of food available at the con. If you can’t do that, then use the lunch break to get out and get something nearby over the food available in the con. You can also wait in the food lines but if you do that, get in early or get in later when the lines aren’t as bad.

One thing to note is the expense of food. First of all it’s in California so expect the prices to be more, naturally. Secondly you’re in a major tourist area (Disneyworld to boot), so the prices are even higher. $15-30 dollars a meal isn’t out of the ballpark.

Other Things

Be sure to have batteries for your camera, memory cards, chargers, and your gadgets ready to go. If you’re traveling from anywhere near the east coast then remember the time difference as well. Get your humor on, some nice clothes ready, and enjoy the trip.

For those of you who will be watching at home most of this will be pointless. In that regard I suggest loading up on some gamer fuel to enjoy the show with. Oh, and some popcorn.