SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - For organizers and the City of San Diego, it's great. For fans, it's an annual frustration in the very least.
Like clockwork, open registration for San Diego Comic-Con International came and went in an instant. Passes for the pop culture convention sold out in just over an hour.
Four-day passes including preview night sold out in less than 30 minutes. Single-days passes for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday began selling out 15 minutes later.
Considering an estimated 135,000 people venture to downtown San Diego for the comic book and entertainment craze every year, it's not too surprising.
Open registration started Saturday at 8 a.m., with fans entering the convention's online waiting room for the chance to purchase passes. Fans were randomly given the chance to purchase passes at 9 a.m. And it didn't take long for options to dwindle from four-day badges to single-day passes to nothing at all.
Alright it's 9am. #SDCC2017 #OPENREG2017 #ComicCon pic.twitter.com/3iTdXsWXZz
— Jose T. (@j_trrs) April 8, 2017
San Diego Comic-Con will take place this year on July 20-23.
RELATED: Comic-Con return badges sell out, fans vent
Last year badges went like hot cakes in less than an hour, and thousands were sold during returning registration for this year just last month - sparking the traditional Twitter firestorm.
Naturally, open registration was no exception.
Waiting for #ComicCon tickets... #OPENREG2017 #SDCC #bluecircle is mocking me... pic.twitter.com/KmlKpI6Qoy
— Mel (@CasBatgirl) April 8, 2017
@Comic_Con I hope in future they can come up with a better process. A lot of people are getting left out.
— ScratchNSniff (@MrBaka) April 8, 2017
@Comic_Con still prioritizing people who have already got to go in the past over those who never have
— joe (@pearljamarama) April 8, 2017
@Comic_Con pic.twitter.com/zl5Hwktc8P
— Wiggler (@DcalebX) April 8, 2017
San Diego Comic-Con is contracted to remain in town through 2018. The city's possible expansion of the convention center may indicate whether SDCC remains in SD.
This week, Mayor Kevin Faulconer requested a hotel tax, known as the Transient Occupancy Tax, be placed on a special election ballot for San Diegans to vote on in November. Funds from the initiative would go toward expanding the convention center, in hopes that Comic-Con remains in San Diego and upwards of 50 other events migrate here.
The mayor's office said the expansion would add 400,000 square feet to the center, though any Comic-Con attendee can tell you even the smallest amount of extra room is greatly appreciated.
For more information on SDCC, visit their website here.
Mark Saunders is a 10News digital producer. Follow him on Twitter at @10NewsSaunders.
