As I said in my preview post for Comic-Con 2023, often plans do not survive first contact with the event itself. But I arrived on Tuesday about 11 a.m. local time and had a chance on Tuesday to check out a few things before the crowds descended.
That included a visit to the Sonic Speed Cafe, a walk around the Gaslamp to see the other off-sites going up, and picking up my bag (Percy Jackson-themed) along with the official books and a pin.
Initial impression: Comic-Con 2023 is less crowded even on Tuesday than I expected. My one-night stay at the Hilton Gaslamp was upgraded for free, which shocked me. I have a Diamond Hilton membership and that includes a free upgrade at Hilton Hotels if available but given it’s Comic-Con, it’s not something I anticipated for this stay. That might mean the dual strikes of actors and writers have seriously impacted those attending. Or not. We’ll see. I did notice that nearly all the local Hilton hotels have rooms available, though for very high prices. ($500 and up. I did *not* pay that.)
In any case, some photo galleries to share with you!
Sonic Speed Cafe at Comic-Con 2023
This is a small space. I had to wait ten minutes to get inside on Tuesday afternoon, and the food took another ten minutes, so it’s not exactly Sonic speed. But my milkshake was good and the interior is very cool. I would say it will very quickly become crowded. I may wish I’d bought the $70 food package to get the exclusive t-shirt that is sure to show up on eBay for more than that but, eh, I couldn’t see wasting food.
Abbott Elementary Elevator Wrap at the Hilton Gaslamp
The next gallery is from Wednesday. Overnight, an Abbott Elementary wrap appeared inside the Hilton San Diego Gaslamp elevators and the corridor where they’re located. It’s an excellent wrap and I’m sharing it all for fans of the show. I love how the elevator doors have been transformed into an entrance.
We’ll see how preview night goes tonight! Expect that to feature a lot of merchandise that I do not buy. 🙂