Badges and hotels are only one piece of the San Diego Comic-Con puzzle. But then comes figuring out how to actually get to and from the convention center.
Comic-Con International offers a free shuttle to area hotels, and the city has the MTS trolley and other public transit options. But if you’re local, or staying further out, having parking is often crucial. Luckily, Ace Parking holds a sale each year for Comic-Con attendees.
[UPDATE June 10]
Parking group confirmations are officially out, with the first group set for their sale on Monday, June 17 at at 10am PT. The second group will have their shot the following week on Monday, June 24 at 10am PT.
For anyone who did not receive an email or who did not register in time, the general public sale will be held on Monday, July 1 beginning at 10am PT.
The available lots will be:
- San Diego Convention Center – $32.95 per day
- Hilton Bayfront – $32.95 per day
- 101 W Broadway Garage (Fri/Sat only) – $32.95 per day
- 655 W Broadway – $32.95 per day
- Tailgate Park – $32.95 per day
- Padres Parkade – $32.95 per day
- MTS-501 – $42.95 per day
- Park 12 – $42.95 per day
- Diamond View Tower – $42.95 per day
- 6th & K Garage – $37.95 per day
- Park it on Market – $27.95 per day
- San Diego Central Library – $37.95 per day
- 101 W Broadway – $32.95 per day
- Horton Pacific Garage – $32.95 per day
- 707 Broadway – $27.95 per day
- Iqhq – Radd – $32.95
[UPDATE May 8] Registration is now open, but there is no need to rush. You can enter through June 9.
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Ace Parking has just announced that just like in previous years, parking lot assignments this year will utilize a lottery-based system.
In order to be register, you’ll need to fill out an online form beginning Wednesday, May 8 at 10am PT. You can enter the lottery through Sunday, June 9. You’ll also need to fill out your credit card information – though your card will not be charged. However, Ace Parking does state that Ace will run a pre-authorization against your card to ensure it is valid, in an effort to stop the sign-up spamming that has plagued the process in previous years (this will still not charge your card, even temporarily). You can use the same credit card up to twice when signing up.
Lottery winners will be announced on Monday, June 10, and divided into groups. Exact group sale dates are still to be announced, with the target date for the first sale set for June 17.
After all groups have purchased, there will be a general parking sale (for anyone, even if you didn’t win the lottery).
The lots available in this year’s sale are not yet listed, but appear to at least include Convention Center, Hilton Bayfront garage, Padres Parkade, Diamond View Towers, Tailgate Park, Triangle, and MTS.
Ace answered some common questions about how the lottery will be run:
Q: What locations will be included in the sale this year?
A: After finalized, the locations participating in this year’s sale will be listed below.
Q: What is the link to the site selling the permits?
A: https://space.aceparking.com/events. We are releasing the link to the site that will be selling the permits ahead of time so you can familiarize yourself with it and set up an account in the system if you choose. The permits will be sold through our reservation website at space.aceparking.com. The link to the page that will be selling the permits in the system is https://space.aceparking.com/events/. Credit cards are not stored on the site, and the site is entirely PCI compliant.
Q: What are the operating hours for the lots?
A: Most lots will open for drive-up business at the times below. However, there may be cases when the lots open for permit holders only and do not open for drive-up sales until later in the morning. Each lot is different and works to maintain a balance between the reserved spaces and extra inventory.
Convention Center, Hilton Bayfront garage, Padres Parkade, Diamond View Towers: 5 am – 2 am
Tailgate Park, Triangle, MTS: 5 am – 2 am
Q: What is the refund policy for Comic-Con parking reservations?
A: Refunds will be allowed up to ten days before the start of Comic-Con. No refunds will be permitted within ten days of the event. A $10.00 refund fee will apply for any valid refunds processed before the 10-day blackout period.
Q: What is the decal number field in the user account setup?
A: The decal number field is for Associates of ACE Parking Only and should be left blank.
Q: Do the lots offer oversized vehicle parking?
A: No, vehicles over 18 feet will be turned away and not allowed to park even with a valid permit. Sorry.
Q: Does my permit include in-and-out privileges for the day?
A: No, in-and-out privileges are not allowed. If you leave the lot, your space will become available for another drive-up customer to park in. Sorry.
Q: Does the online system require me to set up an account to purchase my permits?
A: Yes. You will need to set up an account during the checkout process. Your account will enable system features such as the ability to print your permit in the future and tie all purchased permits to a single barcode that you can carry on your smart device for use at scanner-equipped lots. Your account will be available for future purchases for parking at next year’s Comic-Con and other events with the same barcode assigned to you, which will be replenished with future permit purchases as they are made.
Q: Will the system allow me to purchase multiple permits per day?
A: No. Each account is restricted to one permit per day for Comic-Con. If you need to purchase more than one permit, you must set up multiple accounts.
Q: Is there a way to purchase Comic-Con permits other than online?
A: The only way you can purchase advance parking permits for Comic-Con from ACE Parking is through the online system. However, most of the lots included in the online sale and others not included will be available for drive-up parking on the day of the event. Drive-up availability will be first come, first served for the remaining spaces not reserved online. The lots are expected to fill up fast. If you plan to find parking on the event day, you should get there early.
Q: Can cars be parked overnight? Or just during the hours of the event?
A: Overnight parking is not permitted. The lots close at 2 a.m. and reopen at 6 a.m. (the Convention Center opens at 5 a.m.). The lots close so they can be prepared for the next day. Most lots are pre-sold to full capacity each day, so any cars on the lot after 2 a.m. will be towed at the owner’s expense.
Q: What if I drive a different car on the day of the event?
A: You must update the license plate stored in your account on the SpACE website.
Q: Can I make a copy of my permit and give it to my friend?
A: No. The permits are lot-specific and can only be redeemed once. If a copy is found, the vehicle will be ticketed. If you’ve copied your permit and given it to a friend, the second permit scanned will be in violation, which may be your car. The permits are barcoded, and lot enforcement personnel will make the rounds scanning/redeeming them.
Q: Handicap Parking?
A: ADA spaces are first come, first served. The Convention Center and Hilton Bay Front are the best choices for ADA parking.
Q: Will the passes sold online include a fee?
A: Yes, a convenience fee will be added per permit per day at checkout.
Q: Why am I being charged a convenience fee?
A: Yes, we do our best to make pre-purchasing parking as easy as possible so that fans can reserve parking ahead of time online. The convenience fee covers resources spent on making this option available. It includes web hosting, ticketing hardware, customer support, training, credit and debit card processing services, merchant fees, computer hardware and software, telephone lines, labor, and more.
Q: If I send in multiple entries from multiple email accounts that I own and win one of them, can I purchase my permit with any of the emails I registered with or only the one that won?
A: Only the one that won. Your winning email address must be registered in the account you will use to purchase the permits. The purchase process will require you to log into your account first and will validate your email address. If there is no match, the option to purchase a permit will not be available.
Q: Can I register for the drawing with an email address that I haven’t registered an account within the permit system?
A: Yes. Accounts in the permit system are separate from the registration emails. If one of the email accounts you entered is selected to purchase a permit, you have the option to create an account for that email address or update your existing account with that email address to qualify for the purchase option.
Q: Can I purchase a permit for multiple days or just a single day?
A: When you enter the system to purchase your permit, you can purchase permits for all five days during the show (preview night and four show days.)
Q: Can I register multiple times for the lottery?
A: Yes, the system will accept two entries per valid credit card.
