u/benshenanigans

I went to see the Hadestown proshot yesterday and AMC failed me, again. When tickets went on sale, I searched for an open captioned screening within a reasonable distance. There are none. I bought 7 tickets then asked the theater for open captions. Myself and one other person in our group is deaf and my friends prefer captions. The theater wouldn’t do it.

At the theater, we ask for two captiview devices. In the theater, I see mine isn’t set up and won’t connect to the theater. I get a new device without an issue. When the “welcome to amc theaters” started, there were no captions. I walked to the lobby I signed that the captions were off and the clerk acknowledged and got on the radio.

I waited until the opening number and the captions still weren’t on. I went to the lobby and told the manager. She apologized and said “mumble see what I can do”. The captions finally turned on about 45 minutes into the movie.

They weren’t working properly and displayed less than half of the lyrics. Between the two devices in my party, each one showed different lines. I know the show and the lyrics, but my wife still had to sign a good chunk for me.

After the show, I just asked for a refund. The manager said something about being after the show time, she could t give a refund. So she filled out a paper form to get mailed to corporate for a credit card refund that will take two weeks.

It’s just wrong on so many levels.

For context:
- I wear hearing aids and glasses. I’m not adding caption glasses to that.
- I know how to operate a Captiview.
- I know the policy is 10 tickets for OC, but I’ve been denied in the past for larger ticket purchases.
- I’m not going to take vouchers. AMC charges the convenience fee when you buy tickets with vouchers.
- I already sent an email to corporate, but I don’t expect to hear back.
- The new style captions at Regal doesn’t stay in the cup holder.

I’m just tired of having an issue every time I go to the movies.

I was at the Talk Back Panel. These are the minutes. If I made a mistake, let me know in the comments. My info is through the amazing ASL interpreters and my caption app. Multiple and repeat questions will be annotated for brevity. Specific people may be skipped. If you ask in the comments, I’ll check my notes and confirm it. I’ll refrain from my opinion in the post, but you’ll see me in the comments. Keep in mind that CCI employees are on Reddit. Comments made here may get back to the board, but you should also send your feedback directly to them.

Panelists (In no particular order)

Eddie Ibrahim, Senior Director of Programming
Paul Pursch, Senior Director of Operations
Robin Donlan, CCI President
David Glazner, Chief Communications and Strategy Officer
Craig Fellows, VP of Operations
Scott Zimmerman, Line Manager

Eddie started by explaining the panel rules, time limits, and the microphone kill switch. Robin thanked us for our time and called out the 10,000 volunteers and staff who make Comic Con happen. David discussed how planning Comic Con takes all year and confirmed the show will happen through
2030.

The first comment was from Scott Shaw, comic artist and SDCC Special Guest. He discussed his credentials as an OG Comic Con legend. He didn’t
have a question, just a statement. He rebuked the board for hosting a toxic convention. He cited physical attacks in lines, antendees telling him that they won’t be back, and name calling including the Fxx slur for LGTBQ people. “People are coming into the show feeling shitty, and Comic Con is a place where everybody should be able to be whoever they want to be…this is not the Comic Con we ever wanted.” He was met with applause. Eddie asked Scott to chat privately after the panel.

The next woman cited the ADA line policy change about the limit to people with mobility aids. The board replied that the law only requires them to
provide seating for people with mobility devices. He added that they also provide deaf seating. He then stated that the number of disabled attendees has
doubled since 2023, from 4,000 to 8,000 with no increase in attendance. He claimed that people were faking disabilities.

There was a person in the audience with a sign that said “Yass, Queen!” Robin remarked that she remembered that sign from last year.

The next person remarked that she was in the same
room (25ABC) yesterday and they would not give her a bathroom pass. She said that it was “not helpful” for people with disabilities and it punishes people who want to attend smaller panels. She has been attending for the last 15 years. Eddie confirmed and took a note of the specific rooms she had problems in. She added that she got into the room 2 panels ahead of time. The room manager told her that if she left, she would have to wait in line again.

The next person asked to move Marvel or Star Trek to a different day in Hall H. She was the first of many commenters on the Saturday, Hall H Wristband debacle. She had spent 27 hours in line to see Star Trek and was heartbroken when she missed
it. Robin passed the buck to Eddie for the response. Basically, he said that Marvel gets that time slot because they demand it and if CCI doesn’t give them Saturday evening, they just won’t show up. David took over at this point to address the
fake wristbands. He stated that he was aware of the alleged fake wristbands, but no one could point them out when asked. He said they investigated, but didn’t find any fakes. The audience was silent in response.

There were a total of 13 complaints about Hall H including access to bathrooms and asking for recompense. The board had a myriad of excuses,
including the cost of WiFi outside, the fact that people buy tickets before programming is announced, the reduced budget from less sponsors, and that they didn’t find any fake wristbands.

The next person asked about enforcement for exhibitors who break CCI’s rules. He called out a booth that sells bootleg DVDs. The booth was
called out last year during the Talk Back Panel, but it was here again selling the same illegal movies. He called out UCC for using AI art. He also mentioned
the morning chaos where exhibitors buy exclusives at smaller booths. Robin cut him off. She said that the exhibitor exclusive thing is a problem that they’ve been working on. Exhibitors had a special badge border to indicate that they aren’t allowed to buy anything, but CCI can’t enforce that. She mentioned the exclusives portal and the floor staff as ways they are trying to combat that issue. Next, she asked if the AI art was for sale or on display. The man responded that it was on display at the UCC and many other booths. Robin replied that exhibitors
are not allowed to sell AI art, but they can have it on display if it’s identified as AI. David added that they don’t have the ability to control what’s sold outside the con. He cited an active legal matter that he can’t talk about. With regard to AI, if the seller claims it’s not AI, they can’t disprove it. Robin added that with bootleg DVDs, CCI isn’t the IP holder, but it isn’t their responsibility to do anything about it. The crowd was silent. There was one other person who remarked on AI at the panel.

The next person has been attending Comic Con since 2011. He remarked that the Q&A time during panels has been cut dramatically. He asked if there is a way to indicate if there will be a Q&A portion in the panel description. Eddie replied that many panels do show it, but there are many variables that are out of CCI’s control, especially with specific
questions during a Q&A. One other person called out the disabled access for the Q&A portion.

The next person complimented the exclusives portal, but remarked that a few days had nothing she wanted. She suggested that people could get a set number of “tickets” that could be used for any day, instead of the 12 tickets per day. Robin responded that people would use exclusive lottery
tickets on days they don’t have badges for. Then they would complain.

The next person introduced themselves and said they’ve been coming since 2009. He thought his statement was important enough to write down
and read to the board. He wants predictability and consistency for the disabled community. He shared an anecdote about a family on preview night and Hall H on Friday compared to Saturday. He then “encouraged the board to remember that
accessibility is broader than mobility.” The crowd applauded his comments.

The next person said their name was Andy and that he wasn’t from around here. Last year at the talk back panel, he was booed for acknowledging
that the SDCC traditional dates would clash with the Olympics in LA. Given the dates for 2028 were announced, he was concerned that it conflicts with GenCon. Robin remarked that CCI took the dates the convention center offered. They looked at the calendar from June to August. Andy tried to make another point and Robin cut him off. The audience booed.

The next person commented about the hundreds of people that use the “fire lane” upstairs during the morning line. She and Robin went back and forth about which line specifically. It was the “27 Hallway” (that’s what the interpreter signed, if other words were use, let me know).

The next person identified as a disabled veteran and said this was his favorite year for SDCC. He remarked that the ADA process needs work. He doesn’t want excuses. Since the number of disabled attendees has doubled in the last few years, he wants to know how CCI will accommodate 15,000
disabled people in the future. He continued to say that disabled people aren’t fraudulent humans. The crowd applauded and the board didn’t respond.

The next person simply remarked that website navigation was horrible.

The next person commented on the hotel price gouging. Robin and David discussed the 77 partner hotels and individual contracts. They emphasized that CCI tells the hotels if they’re too greedy, then SDCC will leave and everyone loses out. They actually discussed this for a couple minutes.

The next person was deaf and a cane user. She asked why the no wagons policy wasn’t enforced. Robin said that wagons are being used as strollers
and they can’t prevent that.

There were 5 more people in line, but I left so I could meet my family on the floor for the closing announcement (as is our tradition). I was kinda upset that they used a new recording for it.

It’s mostly Hall H and ADA complaints. I’ll make a post with the full minutes tomorrow. I have receipts.

By now, most of have seen the policy change on the website, we’ve been handed a paper of instructions, or we’ve been told in line in the morning. They say the ADA lines are for people with mobility disabilities and aids (wheelchair, scooter, cane, walker, crutches). There have been some pretty ableist comments and in-fighting in the disabled community (but not in this sub, thank you, I love you all!)

The talk back panel is on Sunday, Room 25ABC, at 3:30. I’m tossing around a draft of a statement to present to the board. My personal issue is that I’m not affected by this rule change (deaf access is its own thing). I’m not really comfortable speaking for yall with hidden disabilities. It’s your opportunity to tell the board directly about your con experience. In the past, the board has provided insightful remarks about why they do certain things. I’m interested to see their explanation for this. And I’ll reserve judgement until I get that explanation.

I’d like this post to be about no visible disability, how the ADA line helps you, and maybe alternate solutions. In no particular order and not fully inclusive, some invisible disabilities that could be helped by an ADA line are POTS, EDS, anxiety, PTSD, ASD, blindness and diabetes. Please, add your own examples. Hope to see you all on Sunday.

Short answer, we don’t know if people without mobility disabilities will be allowed in line. The only solid confirmation I have is that the only people allowed in red backed chairs will be people with mobility aids. I’ll update this post tomorrow when we have some anecdotal evidence.

Either way, D&D services is using this as a transition year. They need to balance line staff training and antendee experience. If you feel that you were wronged because of your disability, note The Who, when, where and report it to D&D services in Lobby A.

The way attendants/helpers are handled will be the same. Each disabled person can have one attendant who can sit with them. Children do not count as attendants and will not be separated from you. Extra members of your party may not be seated next to you.

If you get more solid info, please comment here or send me a modmail. Everyone will have a different experience that we can learn from.

It doesn’t exist. Plan accordingly. The general line is shaded if you can manage it.

It’s going to be hot and humid this weekend.

Hello crawlers,

San Diego Comic Con is next week and I have some concerns. Our beloved author, Matt Dinniman, is in an un precidented 6 panels, with 3 of them being on Friday. He will be joined by famous authors, screen writers, directors, and, of course, Jeff Hayes. The collective resume of the other panelists is impressive, and they have fans who would go to the panel even if Matt wasn't on it. Please, be considerate of those fans.

I'm not telling you to not go to his panels. If you have comic con badges, you have just as much of a right to go to whatever panels you want. But if Dinniman is the only name you recognize on the panel description, consider skipping it.

The "Spotlight" and Audible panels are, of course, his panels. Please support him. They are in 1,000 seat and 2,600 seat rooms respectivley. Make a line out the door. Show the program directors how much he means to us.

On the other hand, "Genre Mixing and Maxxing" is in a room with only 400 seats and he's sharing the panel with 4 other authors. One of whom, Adalyn Grace, is a local author who made it big writing Gothic Romance. Grace is only on 2 panels this year ahead of her new book. For a lot of people, that panel is the only chance to see her.

Matt is a guest on a couple of LitRPG panels in rooms just shy of 500 seats. The OG LitRPG fans are the reason Dungeon Crawler Carl is as big as it is today.

By all means, do whatever gets your geek on. Just be mindful that other people want to support our favorite authors. Don't be a Quan CH about it. And wear shoes ffs! This is Comic Con, not the Dungeon.

Hello crawlers,

San Diego Comic Con is next week and I have some concerns. Our beloved author, Matt Dinniman, is in an un precidented 6 panels, with 3 of them being on Friday. He will be joined by famous authors, screen writers, directors, and, of course, Jeff Hayes. The collective resume of the other panelists is impressive, and they have fans who would go to the panel even if Matt wasn't on it. Please, be considerate of those fans.

I'm not telling you to not go to his panels. If you have comic con badges, you have just as much of a right to go to whatever panels you want. But if Dinniman is the only name you recognize on the panel description, consider skipping it.

The "Spotlight" and Audible panels are, of course, his panels. Please support him. They are in 1,000 seat and 2,600 seat rooms respectivley. Make a line out the door. Show the program directors how much he means to us.

On the other hand, "Genre Mixing and Maxxing" is in a room with only 400 seats and he's sharing the panel with 4 other authors. One of whom, Adalyn Grace, is a local author who made it big writing Gothic Romance. Grace is only on 2 panels this year ahead of her new book. For a lot of people, that panel is the only chance to see her.

Matt is a guest on a couple of LitRPG panels in rooms just shy of 500 seats. The OG LitRPG fans are the reason Dungeon Crawler Carl is as big as it is today.

By all means, do whatever gets your geek on. Just be mindful that other people want to support our favorite authors. Don't be a Quan CH about it. And wear shoes ffs! This is Comic Con, not the Dungeon.

Water is a necessity. So is iced coffee, but that’s another story. This post is to help find a water fill station.

In the lobby, there are water bottle fill stations at every restroom.

In the exhibit hall, there are only water fountains near the restrooms.

Hall H only has water fountains, no fill station.

The mezzanine and meeting rooms all have water bottle fill stations at each restroom.

The Marriott has temp water stations and cups right outside the art show. It’ll probably run out.

The Hyatt has a temp fill station right outside the ballroom.

I don’t remember the situation at the Hilton.

Let me know if I forgot anything!

After last year, I was hoping that Hall H would be open on Sunday, but here we are.

What’s good enough the get you out of Hall H before Marvel?

What panels are you excited for?

Now I’m going to ignore work while I scour this thing.

We're a couple weeks away from Comic Con!!! There are a few changes to the Deaf and Disabled Services Info page. Let's chat about it. Disclaimer: I am not officially associated with SDCC or CCI in any way. These are just my musings.

>Waiting in an ADA line does not mean you will have priority access, but you will have access equivalent to that of other badge holders.

This phrase is repeated several times on the website. Equal access is what we want. I think this phrase is a sublte hint to the people that think a disabled sticker is a hack.

Seating

>The Americans with Disabilities Act does not require reserved ADA seating for every disability. Please do not line up in the ADA line or sit in these seating sections just because you have an ADA sticker. 

>If you do not have mobility issues, or you do not need an ASL interpreter, you may sit in the general seating areas, accessible from the general line. 

I'm sipping on my tea wondering why the powers that be felt they needed to include this language. It seems like the ADA lines for panels may be limited to those needing specific ADA seating. I know that the ADA lines are also helpful for people with nonvisible disabilities like anxiety and ASD.

>We do not allow transitioning or self-transitioning from a mobility device to a seat in any Program room or event.

This is probably directly related to the wheelchair user who had issues at the George Takei panel last year. Leaving wheelchairs/mobility scooters off to the side of a panel room is a hazard that the Fire Marshal will be enforcing. Cane users shouldn't have an issue. I don't know how people with walkers will be affected.

Attendants

>Abandonment: As an attendant, do not leave a disabled or elderly person alone, particularly those with special or other high-care needs. Caregivers are obligated to provide adequate supervision, as leaving a vulnerable individual without support in a public place can result in severe physical, emotional, or social harm, which can lead to civil and criminal charges.

I wonder what happened that makes this phrase needed. I think CCI needs to loosen up on this. For many of us "Attendant" is just our companion that we want to experience comic con with. Last year in deaf seating, they enforced a "one companion" policy. CCI may do something similar with ADA seating in general this year. (Children are allowed to accompany you, of course)

Exhibitor Booths

>most exhibitors will not have a separate ADA line. Do not start your own line.

Of course, this doesn't solve the problem of lines being capped before we can even get there. Just be polite and ask the booth for a return time.

Deaf Services

The panel rooms with interpreters full time are Hall H, Ballroom 20, and 6BCF. 6A and Indigo Ballroom no longer has interpreters by default. They were under utilized, so the powers that be decided to have more interpreters available for specifically requested panels.