MegaCon Orlando starts Thursday. Here’s what you need to know

ORLANDO, Fla. – One of the largest conventions in the southeast U.S. returns this weekend at the Orange County Convention Center.

MegaCon Orlando runs Thursday through Sunday. The convention showcases fans and pop culture, from sci-fi and fantasy to anime and video games to comic books and cosplay.

Dozens of celebrities will be on hand as well, including some big names like Ewan McGregor, Tom Hiddleston and Susan Sarandon.

Single-day tickets are still available for adults all weekend, and four-day passes are also still available.

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Here’s what you need to know before you go.

Location

MegaCon this year is located in the West Concourse of the Orange County Convention Center off International Drive.

The ticketing hall this year is in West Hall D, which is on the north side of the building. That’s also where customer service and disability services are located. The main exhibit hall, with the retailers, community zone, artist alley, and the celebrity autograph and photo ops area, is West Hall A and B.

Show Hours

The show hours are:

• Thursday: 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

• Friday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Saturday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Sunday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

However, there are activities and events taking place after regular convention hours, such as screenings and afterparties. Check the MegaCon schedule for more information.

Parking

MegaCon urges people to pay for parking in advance. There are designated parking lots throughout the International Drive area. Other lots have a shuttle service.

Lot 1, which is the West Concourse lot, is sold out for the weekend. Other advanced lots are sold out on multiple days. Prices vary depending on the lot, but can cost as must as $30.

The MegaCon website has a page with a map of the different parking lots, and on what days space is still available.

MegaCon has also opened several day-of parking lots throughout the area, including at Pointe Orlando, ICON Park and at Aquatica. Lots are open on different days and times and prices vary. Some of the lots have shuttle access to the convention center, some do not.

Megacon is also urging guests to follow its Twitter account for parking updates.

Note that not all parking lots are open late or have late hours, so if you are planning to stay late at the convention you may have to move your vehicle.

Ticket prices

A four-day pass is still available for $139. It includes 2 p.m. early entry on Thursday.

Single-day adult tickets are available for all four days. Tickets are $30 on Thursday, $51 on Friday, $68 on Saturday and $58 on Sunday.

Youth single-day tickets are sold out for Saturday and Sunday. Those are for children 13-17. Youth tickets are $25 for Thursday and $46 for Friday.

Passes for children ages 6-12 are still available for $15.

All tickets are available on the MegaCon website.

There is also a free kids coupon available with the purchase of an adult pass for children ages 6-12 HERE.

Who is coming?

The lineup this year for MegaCon features dozens of TV and film celebrities, voice actors, comic book creators, cosplayers, YouTubers and more.

Not every guest is appearing every day. Some guests are only appearing on Saturday, some only on Saturday and Sunday. Some only on Thursday and Friday. Be sure to check the listing to see who you want to see before buying tickets.

Celebrities are available for autographs and professional photo opportunities on the days they are appearing. You can purchase tickets for these in advance, or at the table. Some of the guests also charge for selfies at the table, which can be cheaper than the photo-ops.

If you are planning to buy selfies or autographs at the convention, be sure to bring cash. Not everyone has credit card access. There are ATMs on site.

A complete list is on the MegaCon website. Click on the individual celebrity to see prices and purchase tickets.

Here is a sampling of guests this year:

• Tom Hiddleston (Loki, Marvel Cinematic Universe)

• Ewan McGregor (Star Wars franchise)

• Hayden Christensen (Star Wars franchise)

• Michael J. Fox (Back to the Future)

• Ke Huy Quan (Loki, Everything, Everywhere, All At Once)

• Susan Sarandon (Rocky Horror Picture Show, Thelma and Louise)

• Geena Davis (Beetlejuice, A League of Their Own)

• Robin Wright (The Princess Bride, Forrest Gump)

• Rainn Wilson (The Office)

• Jamie Farr (MASH)

• Loretta Swit (MASH)

• Don Bluth (legendary animator)

• William Shatner (Star Trek)

• Danny Trejo (The Mariachi series, Machete)

• Juliette Lewis (Yellowjackets)

• Frank Cullen (Transformers)

• Frank Miller (Comics creator, 300, Batman comics)

• Geoff Johns (DC comics writer, DC entertainment producer)

Activities

The convention is not just about meeting famous people. There will be four days of panels and discussions on various fandoms, programming rooms, gaming rooms, community groups and fan meetups.

There will be free photo-ops with famous vehicles from films and TV shows, robot builders and more.

There are several costume contests, including one for kids. There will be panels and workshops, and photo-ops at a cosplay photo park. Also, lots of people take their cosplay seriously — very seriously — and they love to take pictures with people, so be sure to take pictures and share them with News 6 using PINIT! on the News 6 app. Check out some of the cosplayers we saw last year.

There will also be family zones and a quiet room.

There are also after-hours events all four nights.

These activities are spread out in rooms around three of the four levels of the convention center.

A full schedule of events is HERE.

Miscellaneous

Be prepared to go through security — there will be bag checks and if you are bringing in costume props, those will be checked as well.

Pack your patience, especially on Saturday — Saturday is the busiest day of any convention, but with several major celebrities only appearing on Saturday, expect longer lines inside and outside of the convention center. Arrive early, be prepared to stand a lot. The good news is, according to our Pinpoint Weather team, the weather will be comfortable. However, there’s a good chance of rain on Sunday.

There are accommodations for people who are disabled — A medical sticker is required. It provides for accessible seating when available, but does not provide priority access to autographs and photo ops. There’s a Frequently Asked Questions page on disabilities HERE.

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