Everyone has varying careers, family life, hobbies, and interests. When everyone with similar hobbies, interests, and careers come together for a conference or convention, connections are made, conversations start, business deals are made, and even new or deepening friendships. My coworkers & I see this everyday in the Anaheim Resort Area at the hotel we work at, with friends & family having bonding experiences at Disneyland, fans cheering on their team together at Angel Stadium & Honda Center, and new connections & business partnerships are made at the Anaheim Convention Center & the hotel’s event spaces.
WonderCon by Comic-Con International, does all of that as it is a comic book convention that expands in scope for the popular arts where fans can cheer & bond on their favorite media franchises, and the media industry comes together to learn what is new in the industry & drum up business partnerships. Conventions are better when we are all together!
I am Anthony Solhtalab of AntSol Travel. I am honored for my second year doing press coverage of WonderCon, a comic book convention by Comic-Con International. Last year, I went by myself and covered the 2024 show on my blog, and I still have to cover the show this year by myself, even though I have sent emails to the WonderCon staff about another press badge so one of my coworkers can help cover the show. Oh well. A week before the show, a vendor staying at the hotel I worked at had extra badges, so they let some of my coworkers borrow badges to look at the show for a bit, more on them later.
- Artificial Intelligence Disclaimer
- History of WonderCon
- Know before the show
- From the ARTIC to ACC by Train & Bus
- Day 1: Welcome to WonderCon!
- Food Trucks
- First Look at the Exhibit Hall and my Cosplay
- Program Panel 1: Comic Con the Cruise
- Program Panel 2: New Exhibits at the Comic-Con Museum
- Anime screenings
- Headquarter Hotel: Hilton Anaheim
- Day 2: Modville & More
- More at the Exhibit Hall
- Press Room
- Lunch Time
- Program 3: Modville
- Last look at the Exhibit Hall Floor
- Post Convention
- Conclusion
Artificial Intelligence Disclaimer
At AntSol Travel, we believe that AI can be used as a tool for improving things here & there on articles, but should not be used as solely to produce the creative process. I am using WordPress Jetpack AI plug in to improve a few things in the article like improving the title, wording suggestions, feedback about the article, and art for fun. For pictures, we have a pretty good AI renders when given the title of the article as a prompt.
History of WonderCon
What is now WonderCon started in 1987 in Oakland Convention Center in Oakland, CA by a comic retailer, John Barrett, with a comic book convention called “The Wonderful World of Comics Convention”, then a few years later, shortened to “WonderCon”. The Oakland Convention Center currently has over 100,000 sq. ft. of event space, which probably was smaller at the time. Then in 2002, the show was gaining much popularity, then Mr. Barrett gave the management of the show to Comic-Con International, which moved the show to the much bigger Moscone Center in San Francisco. Then the show landed in Anaheim in 2012 due to construction at Moscone Center. According to Moscone Center’s website, their current exhibit space is 860,000 square feet vs. Anaheim’s 1,800,000 square feet in total of all spaces & the arena, probably making the move permanent due to space constraints & popularity of the show. In 2016, due to the expansion of the Anaheim Convention Center to get to the modern-day 1.8 million sq ft, it was moved to the 867,000 sq. Ft. Los Angeles Convention Center for that year only, then moved back to Anaheim thereafter thanks to the size expansion, making it 2.5 times bigger than the LACC, LA will never get WonderCon back now!
Know before the show
- Badge Rates
- Early bird three day badge was $130 until January 15, 2025
- After January 15, 2025 will be individual dates & three day badges.
- Three Days: $150
- Friday: $49
- Saturday: $59
- Sunday: $42
- Handling Fee: $15 per badge to print badge, the badge holder, and lanyard.
So many people balked at going because of the handling fee on top of the badge prices. When I put my badge in the mail, the lanyard was not included but I could get one from registration.
If you buy your badge online or approved for press coverage a few months before the show, you will get your badge in the mail. You have to provide your own lanyard or ask for one at the badge registration. However, if you purchase your badge closer to the show date, you will be emailed a QR code to redeem at Hall D of the ACC to receive your printed badge, badge holder, and lanyard.
I had to replace a badge & lanyard last year as I forgot my badge at the apartment last year, I remembered my badge this year. Badge Replacement Fee is $15.
If you live outside of the area and attend or vending at WonderCon, you may need to get a hotel room during the convention. Comic-Con International partners with OnPeak, a group housing bureau that coordinates group room blocks for larger conventions that may need multiple hotels for attendees, exhibitors, special guests, and staff. Below is the grid of five hotels adjacent to the Anaheim Convention Center with group block rates that are lower than the average night rate, and you are a close walk to the ACC.
| Hotel | Rate | Parking Fees for self parking+tax | Distance in miles from ACC | Notes |
| Hilton Anaheim | $239 | $39 | .1 | Headquarter hotel, and aux. Spaces |
| Anaheim Marriott | $232 | $37 | .25 | Rooms Only |
| Hotel Lulu | $165 | $32.50 | .91 | Rooms Only |
| Residence Inn ARCC | $249 | $30 | .3 | Rooms Only |
| SpringHill Suites | $249 | $30 | .3 | Rooms Only |
If you live in Southern California and want to just drive in during the show, parking at the ACC is $25 per car & no overnight parking. You can also park at the Disneyland’s Toy Story Parking Lot, which costs $35 & no overnight parking. Disneyland’s Magic Keyholders, the name for annual pass holders, do park there as they can get discounted parking rates.
I live in the Anaheim area, where I work in one of the hotels nearby so I can park there at no charge to me with my manager’s permission, so no hotel or parking charge for me. I don’t want to deal with driving in as road & foot traffic is bad during WonderCon. So let’s get to WonderCon at the Anaheim Convention Center by train & bus!
From the ARTIC to ACC by Train & Bus
If you are visiting via train from Los Angeles, San Diego, or around Orange County, you can get to WonderCon by transit! You can take the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner or Metrolink Orange County line to the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center (ARTIC). Transfers to OCBus are included to take OCBus 50 to the Anaheim Convention Center.
To get to the bus bays, take the stairs or elevator from the platform to the walkway, and then go inside the waiting building & go down to ground level. The OCBus bus bays are to the left doors, which westbound OCBus towards CSU Long Beach is at bay 5 to get to the Anaheim Convention Center.
Motorcoach connections are served by Flixbus & Greyhound. Along with local connection to Disneyland via Anaheim Resort Transportation 15 line to Disneyland.
The OCBus 50 is here! There are WonderCon attendees I overheard on the bus so I exit with them at the Convention Center stop to follow along.
Exiting at Katella/Harbor, it is a mile walk to the Anaheim Convention Center. The stop is a major transfer point with the OCBus 43 on Harbor. So I decided to exit and walk the half mile.
I get asked by guests if the area is safe to walk in. In general, yes as there are always Disney & convention guests walking around the area.
Day 1: Welcome to WonderCon!
Guests attending WonderCon can get group block rates such as the Anaheim Marriott for $232 per night. The best available rate for tonight’s $289 via Marriott.com. If you are staying here, you are conveniently next to the Anaheim Convention Center for WonderCon.
Getting in, you can go through the Grand Plaza, where you show security staff your badge or email confirmation to pick up your badge at Hall D. There aren’t any security bag checks but there are prop checks to ensure props are safe with band on it.
Food Trucks
Food Truck Smackdown’s network of food trucks lines the Grand Plaza for hungry attendees with a variety of cuisines.
One of the food trucks I ate lunch a few hours later was at the Rolling Sushi Truck with their spicy tuna bowl! It was a bit spicy but delicious!
First Look at the Exhibit Hall and my Cosplay
At 11:20 am, attendees were released into the exhibit halls. It was nice and quiet right before then in the halls. I circled around and I did not find many vendors that had anything too amazing that I wanted, but I got today and tomorrow to do so. In general, not a lot of vendors with Pokemon focused items. Why Pokemon items?
Cosplay check: I am dressed as Lucas, the male protagonist from Pokemon Diamond & Pearl games. Along with my starter Pokemon, Chimchar! One of my favorite video game series is Pokémon growing up, and the main characters are easy to dress up as casual cosplay of the characters, especially I am new to cosplaying in general. Chimchar was noticed a couple times, once by an attendee as he only played the Pokemon Go game, and by a vendor as he also played Pokemon Diamond & Pearl games back when it was released in 2007. Otherwise, no recognition of my cosplay. I did not want to dress up too much since I was a member of the press.
Program Panel 1: Comic Con the Cruise
The first panel of the day is in the North Hall at 200A for Comic-Con the Cruise! It is like Comic Con, but on a boat, much less capacity, and is licensed out by Entertainment Cruise Productions (ECP) with this being the first Comic Con the Cruise. The panelist included staff members of Comic-Con International, Entertainment Cruise Productions, and special guests of the show. The boat is completely bought out so it is packed with guests & show staff that are enthusiastic about popular culture.
A cruise was proposed to Comic-Con International before. However, they would only buy out a portion of the cabins, themed programs only to be to attendees, and Comic-Con International had too much legwork to do the event, so they declined. Comic-Con eventually contacted Entertainment Cruise Productions as they produced a fully bought out and programmed cruise, such as a Star Trek themed cruise. It took ECP two years to scout the ships with the right layout, time of year, port of calls, and programs for the cruise.
ECP picked a Royal Caribbean cruise ship to disembark in late January 2025 from Tampa Bay to Caumel, Mexico.
Entertainment Cruise Productions worked closely with Comic-Con International to produce a cruising experience that fans will love, and come back again & again. Many of the food & beverage outlets were themed. Such a bar was themed to be Poppeye that had decor, drinks, and even trivia. Snoopy Beagle Bistro took over a restaurant with Snoopy decor but did not change the menu. The ten story atrium was filled with popular culture with like minded people makes it amazing for them. Each floor is themed, which can be great for cosplay photos.
Since it is only filled with a couple thousand staff & attendees, you can meet fellow cruisers & special guests easily enough through out the ship. People were respectful with each other, even with special guests.
There is even an artist alley where there are a handful of tables and they got to talk to cruisers more while at the tables. Checkout was a central location so artists don’t have to deal with payments.
Programs are more interactive like games, playing board & card games, book clubs, parties, acting classes, and more. You get to see everyone in a more relaxed environment and people can remember you throughout the cruise. Everyone was able to find something they enjoyed, such as the Dungeon & Dragons space, themed bars, or just go to a program & then relax.
For Comic-Con International, they need to make sure to protect the brand via making spaces for fans, option more programming space than exhibit space. Make it for the fans, and they will come back again & again!
For 2026, they will be going from Tampa Bay to Nassau on the Celebrity Cruises Constellation. Tampa is the best place for the January departure since that is the west coast rainy season, so the east coast is best. There can be more Comic Con Cruises per year in the future if there is a huge demand in the future.
Program Panel 2: New Exhibits at the Comic-Con Museum
My second program of the day is about the new exhibits at the Comic-Con Museum featuring the Comic-Con International staff. Opened in 2020 in the former Sports Hall of Fame museum in Balboa Park, became Comic Con International’s museum & offices. Exhibits switch out to keep things fresh, such as Star Trek, Spider Man, and many more totaling over 30 in the last four years.
They recently opened their exhibit on Doctor Who, backed by BBC, which contains eight sections featuring over fifteen costumes, one for each doctor that’s on display in the atrium, prop collectors as art, displays of the various monsters that could scare the kids, interactive displays, and quick recaps. It shows style, technology, and popular culture changed over the decades. It is open until 2026!
Another exhibit is Tokidoki, a Japanese inspired lifestyle brand that got their start at San Diego Comic Con to a huge art collection of cute/Kawaii art and collaborations with various brands. They will have an exhibit starting June 30 on the lower level to celebrate their 20th anniversary and will have new original & past pieces on display.
Third new exhibit is about the Art & Tradition of Mexican Lucha Libre, this is the third exhibit in collaboration with Tijuana and Mexican Culture Consolite. Showcasing the history & mythology of Mexican Lucha Libre, Lucha Libre in popular culture, and females in wrestling & Lucha Libre. It will open on May 22.
At the end of the program, attendees got fans featuring the art of Tokidoki.
Anime screenings
Anime screenings are done throughout the day at the ACC 205A and in Hilton Anaheim’s Grand Ballroom. I am a light anime fan as I follow a few series and when I saw that they had an anime screening of Food Wars!, which is Hulu that my family has, I wanted to check it out. It was played in the Japanese language with subtitles.
Food Wars!: Shokugeki no Soma Is a manga turned anime about Soma Yukihira, a student at Tōtsuki Culinary Academy in Tokyo, a cutthroat Japanese culinary academy. The episode that was shown was dropped mid season during tasting during a judging panel at a culinary competition. It is overly dramatic to make it interesting of course & to pad out time per episode. Like in many culinary competitions, judges comment about the plate of the flavor, spice, and texture of the dish. The chef gets to comment on the food on their plate. It ended in a multi-way tie, which will go into judge run off votes. Not the best episode to show, but it highlights the anime’s focus on culinary arts & competition.
Headquarter Hotel: Hilton Anaheim
After walking the halls a bit more, it struck 7 pm and the exhibit hall closed for the night. I decided to check out the Hilton Anaheim where they are hosting anime screenings, game rooms, and the hospitality suite.
Welcome to the Hilton Anaheim with over 1,500 rooms & over 100,000 sq ft of event spaces. They are wrapping up a huge renovation project to make it nice, modern, & bright. There is also another convention happening here as well, mixing nerds with a women’s social networking conference.
I went to the hospitality suite where attendees can get kettle chips with sour cream & a soda. However, I needed to catch the bus so I ate the chips quickly enough to head out.
I just missed the OCBus, might as well take the ART 5 Grand Plaza Line and connect via Disneyland with the 15 line to take back to the ARTIC.
Day 2: Modville & More
Good morning! It is 9:50 am and WonderCon’s exhibit hall opens in 10 minutes. I am taking the OCBus again to the show. A Surfliner is on its way and the OCBus will arrive thereafter.
At 10:17 am, the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner arrived at the ARTIC and The OC Bus arrived a few minutes later.
New OCBus passengers thought you could pay for OCBus with Apple or Google Pay, not for now. You have to pay cash or pay for a ticket with a credit card or mobile pay on the OC Bus appreciate for $2 per bus. You can do mobile pay with OCBus Wave smart fare card fare system update this summer.
All the us attending WonderCon exited at Harbor since so many people boarded the bus as Harbor is a busy route intersection with the OCBus 43. Road traffic is much heavier than any other Saturday due to the convention. There are more Anaheim police officers present as well to direct traffic.
Going down Katella, I just got to the crosswalk in time as it activated. Then I showed my badge to security and headed to WonderCon.
More at the Exhibit Hall
There are some of the larger vendors like Funko Pop that you have to jump through a whole bunch of hoops to jump through to buy their products to keep lines in control. For Funko, you have to get the lottery for it, at the show to get a wristband, wait for the call for your number, and then get in line. So no Funko Pops for me.
It was just after 11 am and it was already crowded on the exhibit hall floor.
The R2 Builders Club built replicas from scratch of various droids from the Star Wars franchises. I went to their panel program last year and it takes tons of time, energy, and resources to build one. One was built so well, it was used for the Mandalorian series. However, these are built for fun.
The exhibit hall floor is already packed already. No cell data is coming through, l used up so much of my phone’s battery already, and I need a drink of coffee. I am so happy that I am a member of the press for WonderCon so I can use the press room to help with all of that.
Press Room
I love the press room since I can power my phone, get content uploaded & downloaded on the Wi-Fi, get Bodhi Leaf coffee & tea, and have a quiet place to work on content. I wish I was approved for press coverage of San Diego Comic Con, as there are barely any places like this there unless you go to a coffee shop, which still can be an overstimulating environment during a convention. WiFi speeds are okay for uploading and downloading content. Much better than not getting any data through.
Lunch Time
I went to the exhibit hall concession stands since the food trucks are so chaotic. I got a hot dog and a pretzel! Both were good.
It’s 1pm, the Grand Plaza is filled with attendees getting food from the food trucks and getting photos of their cosplay. If you need to get to the hotels, you need to fight the foot traffic. Photo taken from the third floor balcony of the convention center.
Now for my main focus of the afternoon, Modville!
Program 3: Modville
My last panel of WonderCon was about Modville, a new graphic novel series that is set in New Orleans in 2169. Hawthorne is a human who is part of the Department of JURID, who can see the perspective of criminals via headset probe to get evidence for the investigation, which he & colleagues can get PTSD from reliving the traumatic experience of their investigations. He reluctantly helps the criminal case with an android with human skin, called Mods, who takes refuge in the New Orleans’s French Quarter. Emma, a Mod who Hawthorne was looking after, almost lost her robot life by a serial killer on the loose.
Modville, is first of four graphic novel series by Ridley Scott’s Scott Free and written & illustrated by Mechanical Cake. Modville & the follow-up graphic novels to be funded on Kickstarter with 200 page hardback books and then softback to be released the following year. Modville will be on Kickstarter in a couple of months.
As part of my press coverage of WonderCon, I got the honor to talk to Dave Elliott, the publisher & editor in chief of Mechanical Cake, who is working on Modville with Ridley Scott’s Scott Free.
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Last look at the Exhibit Hall Floor
In the exhibit halls, I got signed prints from the staff who produced Modville. They have an amazing booth to show how the world will look in the graphic novels, with decaying porch, Mods charging station, and the hover bike. I got signed prints and a preview of the graphic novel from the crew from Modville!
And I bought the art print I was looking at yesterday of the attractions of Anaheim! Made by an independent artist, Steve Thomas! Part of an artist collective, Spoke Art.
Recharge time in the press room. Now I realize that I needed to lug around the poster for the rest of the day & find a properly sized frame to fit an 18 x 24-inch print.
However, after catching up on my writing, I was so exhausted and decided to head to take the OCBus back to the ARTIC, which I caught on time.
I mostly missed the card & board game demonstrations, however, I am not a card or board game kind of person, so I skipped it.
Post Convention
Surprisingly, a few days later, WonderCon posted the badges for 2026 for sale already. How much more are they going to cost for the early bird badges? Price increases January 14, 2026. Of course, the processing fee for the badge itself is still $15.
- Friday Three Days: $150 (2025) -> $135 (2026 Early Bird Rate)
- Friday: $49 (2025) -> $50 (2026 Early Bird Rate)
- Saturday: $59 (2025) -> $61 (2026 Early Bird Rate)
- Sunday: $42 (2025) -> $44 (2026 Early Bird Rate)
Most of my hotel coworkers balked when I told them the badge prices & the processing fee as the majority of my hotel coworkers who are not nerds like me did not want to pay it. Thankfully, the staff from one of the booths had extra badges that my coworkers borrowed to check out WonderCon, as some were curious after seeing my coverage last year. As a member of the press, it was completely free for me with the completion of the article and video I am working on. Most of my coworkers just looked at the exhibit hall floor & tried not to buy stuff for a couple hours.
Conclusion
That was a whirlwind tour of Wondercon! I did not want to do Sunday as I got everything I needed for my blog and I was really exhausted. It was a fun experience to cover WonderCon, seeing the informative program panels, the large exhibit halls, and getting to interview the staff creating Modville. It was nice of one of the vendors to let my coworkers barrow a badge for a couple of hours to check out the show.
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