Today VIP ticket packages have been announced for the 2014 NY Comic Con.  There are 2 separate tickets.  One is the Ultimate VIP package, and the other is the Special Access package.  The Special Access Package mainly gets you into the con at a separate entrance so you don’t have to wait in line with everyone else in the morning.  The Special Access Package also grants you access to the VIP lounge, and it will include the new NY Super Week Card for $195.  The Ultimate Access Package includes everything that the Special Access Package includes, plus one free Autography from a celebrity of choice, and priority access to the Main Stage events for $495.

In discussing the Main Stage priority access, ReedPop made known that they are making a change to how they handle Main Hall seating between events.

For the first time we will be clearing the Main Stage after each Panel this year. Ultimate VIPs will be the very first people let in for each Panel on the Main Stage and will have their own private line. You MUST arrive at least 20 minutes prior to the start of any Main Stage Panel you wish to attend. You will be let into the room first and have first choice of any seats you want at each Main Stage Panel. There will be no reserved seating for Ultimate VIPs this year but you will have first choice of any seats you want for each Panel on the Main Stage.

What does this mean for you?  This means that you will no longer be able to camp the Main Stage panel and stay through every single panel.  You will have to leave the hall as they clear it out and they will let other people in.  This means you will have to pick and choose what you really want to get into, because you may not be able to see 2 popular panels in a row.   While this is bad for people that do want to see several panels in a row, this will be good for people that just want to see one panel for the day, because they will have a better shot at getting into that panel.  You will probably have to line up early, but you will have a much better chance of getting into the panel that you want to see.

This also means that something else has to give.  The Main Stage at the Javits Center holds over 3300 people.  In order to clear that many people after every panel, and then remove people that are trying to squat, and then let in 3300 more people it will probably take a good 15 minutes per panel.  That time has to come from somewhere.  They will either have to remove time out of each panel’s schedule, or have fewer panels to accommodate this change.

Personally I’m not really sure how I feel about this change yet.  I can understand why they would want to try it will give more people a chance to see something they really wanted to get into, but personally I have sat through 3 or 4 panels in a row because I was really interested in everything.  Another thing to look out for is how this effects panel lines.  Hopefully it makes it better so I don’t have to get in line an hour or 2 early.  I could also see people getting up before the end of a panel to try to get in line for the next panel, which will be kind of rude to the people at the current panel, not to mention disruptive.   Another thing I would like to find out is if they are planning on doing this for every panel, or if this is for the Main Stage only.

Enough of what’s going on in my head about this change.  How do you feel about it?  Comment below and let us know.