What it was like
The people in those seats on Thursday morning have been planning this exact day since last year's badges sold out, and the studios know it — which is why the reveals land the way they do, into a room that is fully awake and fully invested. Thursday is the underrated day. The weekend crush has not arrived, Friday's floor pace is still a day off, and the panels that run now set the tone for everything after. Exhibit hall lines exist, but they are lines you can actually stand in. If you are going a single day and want both hall access and real time on the floor, this is the answer: all of the access, a fraction of the Saturday density. The week starts in earnest the moment that first panel ends and the floor opens. San Diego Convention Center, July 24th, badges from $65. Go with the person who will let you drag them to a panel about something they have never heard of.