All I know is, a couple of years ago I got in line at 8am and didn't get in. And it's going to be much crazier this year, especially if there is a Star Wars panel on Saturday. The way I look at it, if I'm going to get in line at 4am, I might as well get there at midnight. And if I'm going to get in line at midnight, I might as well get in line at 8pm, and so on. I'd rather not just be in the room, I'd rather be closer to the front.
That said, my plan as mentioned earlier was to get in line earlier, then wander over to the SSC party for a bit, then get back in line. It all depends on who I am in line with, and how willing they are to let me go for awhile.
I don't need to be at the SSC party for four hours or anything.