Honestly, San Diego Comic Con is such an overwhelming and exhausting experience, you really need time to build up to it, and then to recover properly after. In the best possible way, though! It's overwhelming and exhausting in the way that having a crazy amount of fun is. You should just bear in mind how big a deal it is when you're planning taking time off for your job or whatever, because there is no way in heck you can turn up to the office on the Monday after in any fit state to work. Our advice? Take a week off as a proper vacation. That way you're not struggling to recover afterwards, you're not stressing and rushing to get there, and you can enjoy the convention the way it's meant to be enjoyed. Plus you can actually hit up the bars and parties every night without having to deal with the hangover. Best of all, that way you give yourself the chance to actually explore San Diego, which has plenty going for it besides the convention. It's just that most people don't bother - or haven't the time - to check it out.
Tom Baker is the Comics Editor at WhatCulture! He's heard all the Doctor Who jokes, but not many about Randall and Hopkirk. He also blogs at http://communibearsilostate.wordpress.com/
