Star Wars Weekends

[Rella]

Okay, so my DS(5) is a Star Wars fanatic. :trooper: I'm considering a brief (2 night trip) to take him to one of the Stars Wars weekends. Can someone tell me what kinds of things they have for younger kids? I'm aware of the parade and photo ops, but not much else. Is it through out the whole park or only concentrated in the one area? And I know this sounds silly, but do you think that there are things that would be too scary for him or do they keep it pretty light? Thanks a bunch!!:mickey:

[Carol]

You can read about the event here (http://www.intercot.com/infocentral/park/starwars.asp). They do have the majority of the characters along Mickey Avenue and the area surrounding Star Tours. Exact event details have not been released yet for 2008 - but I can tell you they do not change much, if any, from year to year.

If your child likes Star Wars I wouldn't think they'd be scared. However, the characters are true to form and do not break from character. Some can be very intimidating.

They offer a trivia contest for both young and old and children can be elected to participate in the Jedi Training Academy.

Enjoy. We've been to Star Wars Weekends many times and it's one of our favorite events. :yoda:

[thejens]

If he is a Star Wars fanatic, he'll love it. The characters are all over the park, but especially near Star Tours. None of my kids or nephews were really frightened even though they range in age and temperament. My kids loved the Jedi training, but beware, not every child is picked and it could be devastating to Not be chosen. It's very cool tho if he is. The parade is fun. Your son may enjoy the line to Star Tours even if he is too young to enjoy the ride, you can always climb through the vehicle to the chicken exit. My nephew did this. We hated the Star Wars Hoopla at the end. It was very disco and more funny for adults than kids. The actors suddenly broke character=picture Darth Vader disco-ing. My kids didn't really get it and you had to stand for a long time in a crowd, but I think others like this show. But my sons LOVED standing in line to have their pictures taken with ALL the different characters. I got bored with that, but they loved it and we normally are big autograph hounds for the characters. They always have it, but you may want to start your weekend with a visit to Once Upon a Toy and let your son make his own light saber. My children loved this too. It really was a fun weekend if you don't mind the autograph thing.

[Rella]

Thank you for the replies! I'm a little worried, because although he's an avid Star Wars fan, I've only let him watch the original Stars Wars movie. (He just turned 5.) He knows most of the characters from the Lego Star Wars games and other friends who have seen the movies. I'm hoping to take him down for a two night mom/son getaway for one of the weekends! Thanks again! :mickey:

[KylesMom]

We've been fortunate to participate in many SWW over the years, and DS has had a blast each and every time - its fun for both him and his parents! :blush: From the parade to the meet-and-greets to the general Jedi and Sith atmosphere, it's just an all-around good time. Some of the photos we've gotten with DS and "the dark side" characters are priceless, as are the pictures of Jedi Mickey and our family.
you may want to start your weekend with a visit to Once Upon a Toy and let your son make his own light saber. I totally agree - it will give DS a "prop" for the pictures, and it's a cool keepsake. I hope you're able to make it! :mickey:

[senderella]

I took my 8 year old DS for the first time last year. We are going back again and taking my 14 year old DS (can you imagine, he is getting tired of going to Disney?!). I know he will love it! I love it! I am a huge Star Wars (Han Solo) fan!
The park is actually divided into two areas. Last year the side next to Star Tours was the Rebel Alliance. Most of the "Good guys" can be found here. The other side fo the park is the "Dark Side". Darth Vader, the bounty hunters, other "bad guys" were here.
I will say, that even for me, the Stormtroopers are intimidating. I think it is because you can't see their faces and they point their laser guns at you! Yikes!

The parade is great. You can see just about every character that has appeared in the movies. The characters are unbelievable. It looks like they walked right off the movie set!

Your DS will definitely have fun! Be sure and get a pic with Jedi Mickey!