I got to experience the House of the Dragon: The Dragon’s Den offsite at SDCC 2022. Waiting in line was wild enough, but then the entire cast of the show and George R.R. Martin himself showed up! They were taking photos and went through the experience themselves!
Once we got inside, it was like stepping straight into Westeros. The activation was set up along the MLK Promenade near the Gaslamp area, and every detail made you feel like you were really in King’s Landing or Dragonstone. You started outside among what felt like market stalls, then moved into this incredible dragon hatching sequence that led into the Red Keep itself.
One of my favorite parts was picking my own dragon egg and carrying it through the activation before finally reaching the throne room with the Targaryen-era Iron Throne. Of course, everyone got their photo op! On top of that, there was an augmented reality app called DracARys that let you hatch and raise your virtual dragon at home. We even got early access before it officially launched, which was such a neat perk.
The set pieces, the smoke, the sound effects, it all came together to make the world feel alive. And honestly, seeing everyone, the cast, and the author enjoying it all at the same time made it one of the most memorable Comic-Con experiences this year. Walking through it, pretending I was part of Targaryen history for a few minutes, was more than I could have asked for.
