I opted for will-call in lieu of having my badge mailed to me. I think it was because I was being economical and didn't want to pay for shipping. Also because my office is 4 blocks away from the convention center.
So badge pickup opens at noon on the 16th? How long do you think it'll take? Is it unreasonable for me to think I can just pop in during my lunch hour? Or should I maybe wait until after work?
It depends on the time of day, late afternoon-early evening being the worst. However I have never waited in line longer than 40 minutes and the line ran nearly the length of the convention center.
____________________________________________________ Alec Usticke, Unofficial Gen Con Indy Facebook Discussion Group
Note, when you read "late night", think 2-3am.
I joke and keep saying it is like the tides, there are lows and highs. Lines are longer at peak hours, 12 Noon, when it opens, 3PM after hotel check-ins, 5-8PM before or after people get something to eat. It then starts to drop off after 9PM.
What a lot of people do is check line status and then just go do something else and come back later, check again and so on.
Last year, got into town, checked in and went over around 3:30PM, line was down the hall, out the door and around the block. About 60 minutes in line.
Based on ticket sells, would not be surprised to see more staff moving the line.
So last year was our first, & we hit that line probably at peak time. I thought we would be there all night. It wasn't much more than an hour & I was so impressed with how well everyone handled it. The entire staff was awesome, people in line were good too.
We are bringing a tablet with smallworld on it so we can play a game while we wait in line.
The line always moves fast, even if it is long. I always end up talking to the people around me. Even when it seems like a long line I think the longest we have ever waited was around 45 mins, but it seemed to go by faster than that. It feels like a Gen Con tradition to our group. Everyone around you is so excited and there are a lot of gamers strolling by.
Get there early and queue up (11:30 wouldn't be to early) and you're likely to have a pretty quick line. As others have said the longer you wait to get in line the longer it's going to take (unless you go late). Working that close I'd say you could probably make it back but you'll for sure know if you walk in at noon and he line is wrapped around you should try later. We moved from Hall A to getting tickets is a little under an hour last year so if the line is down to the end when you arrive you'd better call your boss and settle in for the shuffle.
usually anytime after midnight the lines are short since my group usually gets to indy early on wednesday we spend the whole day eating together/drinking/wandering about as most of the con we split into several event groups and might not see each other till the end of the day. So late wednesday night is great to get the most out of your day and not wait long on the lines.
While i've also been out the doors by the baseball park entrance, and it took around 40-45 min the past few years, i DO think with this year being so sold out, its gonna add at least a good 15-20 minutes.. At the least..
Honestly, I am most likely going to be in line by about 11AM since I will be downtown anyway with friends. So I'll have company and I figure it would be an overall "fun" experience. People will be excited and chatty I am sure.
Last year when we got our tickets the line was crazy-long. We were way past the Maryland Street food court, actually just short of the escalators to the JW. And we still got through in about 45 minutes. The team at will-call are amazingly fast.
I guess they could turn some of the badge sale area into will-call, but they will still need some space for onsite event ticket sales, so I'm not sure how much will-call will really grown.
The key for us has always been to try to make the line a fun experience. Strike up a conversation with the people around you to make the time go faster. After all, they're gamers too, and you're all in this together.
Thanks for the input guys. I hate waiting in lines (who doesn't?) but I can always muster the necessary patience. The real issue is mainly that I'd be going there in the middle of the work day, so time is limited.
But on the other hand, my co-workers often disappear for an hour or two at a time and nobody seems to notice, so it probably won't be a problem.
Last year I went around 5-6pm? I can't remember exactly, I THOUGHT it was a long experience but realized it was only 45mins.
A couple of years ago, I rolled up Thursday morning and waited in line no more than 15 minutes.
I work one block away from the convention center and always pick my badge up around lunchtime. line is mininmal, max I've ever waited it 15 minutes. Then when my friends arrive, I stand in line with them at various times in the evening. Sometimes the line snakes nearly all the way to the west doors! However, it moves very fast.
If you're really against waiting in lines you're going to have to be looking at something post-10pm. We've swung by around 9:30pm-10:00pm and still found the line snaking most of the way towards the JW end of the center. That said, everything I've ever heard is that the line does move fast, relatively speaking.