SDCC implementing a wristband system for Hall H

San Diego Comic-Con is coming up, hence the lack of movie news lately, and it seems they have finally realized just how many people attend each year. Apparently organizers will be using a new wristband system for Hall H events this year which is hoping to give guests a more realistic idea of how likely they are to get in.

Hall H is notorious for the high scale of guests and information that is in that room. It is where the first footage for films like Man of Steel and The Avengers along with announcements for projects like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and The Avengers: Age of Ultron. Superstar panels for superhero films, comedies, and just about everything under the sun happens in Hall H, too.
Guests have been steadily getting more irritated with the amount of people trying to enter Hall H all at once and how organizers just flood people through the doors. Last year people were camped out in line to enter on Friday afternoon and evening. SDCC organizers are saying this new system, deemed the Toucan Tracker, will give guests wristbands when they arrive in line. When Hall H is at capacity for that panel or time there will be no more wristbands distributed and whoever arrives after then won't be able to attend that panel or event. They will also be color coded based upon which number you are in line. For example, the color for the first 50 people is green. After that the color morphs to yellow. Let's say the last bundle of bands is red. By that color code you know that if you have a red wristband you are near the back of the line and will most likely be sitting in the back of the room if you can get in at all. There will be a total of four colors, but they have not revealed which colors will represent which place in line.
There is also a clause stating that if you obtain a wristband but leave the line, you are then forfeiting your spot. The only way to get around this is if you have a group and take turns leaving. As long as you have someone with the same color wristband holding your spot you can re-enter the line. 

Now... this still doesn't guarantee you getting in even if you have a wristband. I will repeat that, they are not guaranteed entrance bands. Why? Well, there are those people who will stay in Hall H if they're lucky enough to get in. If you have three people who obtain the first round of wristbands for the first event in the morning and they decide to stay all day, that takes three seats away from the group of people in line for the next event and the one after that, etc. Also, there is still hope if you don't have a wristband. As soon as the last color runs out they will begin admitting non-banded guests into Hall H if space is available.


San Diego Comic-Con International kicks off next week and goes from July 24th through the 26th at the San Diego Convention Center. Schedules have been posted on their official website (here) along with a PDF of the program.