[FINAL UPDATE] How to NYCC 2019! Lotteries are DONE! Cashless pay! Badge pick up hours!

It’s that time again! New York Comic Con (aka NYCC) begins October 3rd and the fun news is starting to roll in! Here’s all you need to know to get ready for the last big con of the year!

I’ll be regularly posting updates on NYCC panels, autographs, exclusives and activities so follow along for all the news gathered in one place!

 

Update

  • 9/24 – Updated lottery information with link and additional lotteries
  • 9/29 – It’s my final How to NYCC post! My other posts will be updated tomorrow and after that I’ll tweet any new news so follow me on Twitter (@Cambear) for updates! This post has post-Lottery info, a new cashless pay system and badge pick up hours!

 

Badges

By now, you should have purchased your badges since everything but Thursday is sold out.

New this year: If you need a badge for any day besides Thursday, NYCC is working with Lyte so people who can no longer attend this year can resell their badges. Lyte is the ONLY legit place to buy badges so put your name on the waiting list ASAP!

If NYCC badges are being mailed to you, make sure you follow the instructions to activate. An activated badge not only gets you through the door, but it also allows you to enter the pre-show lotteries for access to certain panels, exclusives and autographs, purchase certain autographs and photo ops and also join virtual lines for certain booths and exclusives which will text you when it’s your turn in line.

[UPDATE] If you did NOT get your badges mailed to you, you can pick them up at these times. I would suggest avoiding the morning rush which lasts until about 11:30 or noon. After that, you can just waltz up to the start of the line. The will call is on the south end of the building which is at the top of the hill.

 

 

 

Pre-show lotteries

NYCC uses a lottery for certain panel rooms, autographs and exclusives. Lotteries are only open to fan verified activated badges since anything you win is added to your badge which you’ll tap to redeem your prize.

New this year: Half the seats for panels in the Hammerstein Ballroom and the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden will be added to the lottery. These seats will be cleared out after the panel ends. The rest of the seats are open seating on a first come, first served basis and are not cleared out between panels.

New this year: Legacy fans (returning NYCC fans or those with verified accounts from 2018 or earlier) can participate in an earlier lottery. This lottery begins September 16th to September 20th. If you’re eligible, you’ll get an email with a link to go to the lottery.

Legacy fans get second chance! If you missed the first round of the lottery enter now! If you didn’t win, you are AUTOMATICALLY entered into the general lottery!

Non-legacy fans (and any Legacy fans that missed the earlier lottery) can enter the lottery starting September 23rd to September 27th. The link will be emailed to you and posted on the NYCC page. I’ll also update this post with a link.

When your lottery opens, there are limits on how many things you can enter so weigh your choices carefully!

  • Pick up to 5 panels/autographing sessions
  • Pick up to 2 exclusives

If you want to attend a panel with up to 3 friends, get their fan verified email addresses before you enter the lottery. When you fill out your choices, you will need to enter their email addresses since the seat will be added to their badge. (You can’t take any friends if you win an autograph or exclusive purchase.)

THERE IS NO ADVANTAGE IN ENTERING EARLY. None. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

So take your time with your selections! Winners will be notified three days after your lottery closes.

The moment you’ve all been waiting for! The link is live so head over and start your entries! May the Force be ever in your favor!

Still have questions? Here’s the official FAQ with more information.

Like last year, NYCC adds new lotteries for panels or signings. Usually these are last-minute additions that probably got finalized late. Anyway, these aren’t found in the general lottery and don’t count towards your daily total of entries. I’ll list and link them here:

  • Universal Pictures: 1917 panel – Clips and a chat with the creatives (Sam Mendes, Roger Deakins, Pippa Harris, Kristy Wilson-Cairns, George MacKay and Dean Charles Chapman) from this war movie.
  • Apple TV+: Servant by M. Night Shyamalan

 

[UPDATE] The lotteries are DONE! All results will be revealed tomorrow so may the Force be ever in your favor!  So what to do if you DON’T win everything? 

  • Panels – Only half the panel seats are reserved through the lottery so the other half are still available. Follow @NYCCLines on Twitter for live updates. Here’s how to get one of the remaining seats.
    • Main Stage – Make a reservation the day of the panel! Line up in the queue hall and find the line for the panel you want. At around 9:30, they will open up reservations for all Main Stage panels that day. You will tap your badge to grab an available spot. If there’s another panel you want, then head over to that line and see if you can get a spot before the line closes. After that, you can get in line at the Main Stage if you want great seats or you can walk around and get in line about 20 mins before your panel. They clear out the theater between panels so, no, you can’t stick around for the next panel.
    • The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden and Hammerstein – Since these two are located away from Javits, its a different process. If you have your badge, just head straight to the theater and line up. It’s first come, first served and they do not clear out the non-reserved seats between sessions. So if there’s a panel you really want to see, you can go early and see the panel(s) before. Just remember they are serious about no outside food or drinks.
  • Exclusives – There is a tiny chance that some lottery winners will not make a purchase so at the end of the day/con they might open up sales to anyone. Keep in mind its up to each booth so you can ask if they do it and how the process works. Don’t count on the big $$$ exclusives, but hopefully one you really like may pop up.
  • Autographs – Generally, these private signings WILL NOT take any extra people. The talent are on a tight schedule so they can’t linger and there are limits on the amount of posters they brought. I once saw a WB cast finish 20 minutes early and, even though there were 20 die-hard fans who camped out all day to see them, the cast just left early. So chances are EXTREMELY slim that they’ll take any non-lottery winners.
    • Jim Lee and Todd McFarlane are signing at Entertainment Earth and IDW so head to those booths on more information on how those are ticketed.

 

 

[UPDATE] Cashless Pay

New this year: Sign up for an RFID wristband to pay for items at selected booths

This year, NYCC is offering up their own version of Magic Bands – a wristband that lets you avoid using cash and waiting for ATMs. So hopefully the internet is working smoothly (it doesn’t always) and the vendors you want are participating.  Click here to read all about it and then report back on how it goes since this is the first year!

 

Venues

In addition to Javits Center, NYCC uses several other locations. You’ll need a badge and to pass a security check before you enter. Make sure you consider the commute/security check in your schedule! Follow @NYCCLines on Twitter for updates so you don’t head out for a panel that’s capped.

Javits Center is home base for NYCC with the exhibit hall, autograph area, artist alley and many panels. This is where to go if you need to pick up badges or if you need help with your badge. After you enter Javits, the exhibit hall is upstairs and the panels, autograph hall and artist alley are downstairs.

The largest Javits panel room, the Main Stage, will be ticketed through the lottery. Some tickets are available through morning reservations so head to room 1C first thing in the morning to tap your badge for the panel you want. They will let fans grab reservations until the room caps. They clear the room between panels so the only way to attend is to win the lottery or tap your badge in the morning.

New this year: Half the seats in the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden and Hammerstein Ballroom will be assigned in the lottery.

The biggest panels will be held at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden. This year, there will be a reserved section which is available through the lottery and will be cleared out between panels. If you don’t win a seat, don’t worry! The rest of the house is available on a first come, first served basis and they won’t clear those seats between sessions so you can spend the day here if you like. MSG will open around 45 minutes before the first panel and no food or drink is allowed so don’t think you can snack while you watch the panels.

The Hammerstein Ballroom hosts major panels and follows the same rules as MSG (see above).

NYCC is also holding some professional library panels at the New York Public Library so if you’re a librarian, check out their programming.

 

 

Anime Fest @ NYCC x Anime Expo

New This Year: It’s now located much closer and there are changes to how its badged

After being banished to the pier last year, Anime Fest is moving to the Hudson Mercantile which is much closer to Javits. A NYCC badge will let you visit the Anime Fest first floor exhibit hall.

There will be additional Anime Fest panels and signings in the Hudson Mercantile that’s accessible with an Anime Fest ticket for that specific event. These smaller events have two ticket tiers: general admission which usually includes a pre-signed item and a premium ticket which includes a meet and greet after the talk.

 

 

Ready to NYCC now? Bookmark this post since I’ll update it with new information and don’t forget to check out my other posts on panel highlights, autographs, activities and exclusives!

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