Star Wars Weekends info?

[Hayden's Dad]

Hey everyone, we are going for opening weekend to Star Wars Weekends and really excited. We have never been before and will be at HS on May 22. What can we expect? Where are the characters? Specifcally Jedi Mickey, Princess Minnie, Stormtrooper Donald, and Darth Goofy. And what is this I have heard about having to have a fastpass to meet the celebrities? Where do you find those? Should we make dining reservations or will there be time? Thanks for all the help and may the force be with us. :D

[faline]

We were there one weekend when Star Wars weekend was happening. The parade was really cool!

We didn't go to any of the meets. My understanding is that you do need to stand in line early in the day to get passes to come back to meet them.

There should be a special Star Wars brochure that outlines the locations and times of all activities associated with Star Wars events. However, this brochure was not prominently displayed. We asked several folks (including guest services) and no-one had them. Finally, we were able to obtain one from a cast member cleaning the street who had a supply in his back pocket!

We also went to the store where Star Wars merchandise was being sold. It was necessary to stand in line to get in.

[terri110874]

I will see you there. We are going that weekend too

[KylesMom]

I have heard about having to have a fastpass to meet the celebrities? Where do you find those?

The lines for the celebrity FPs will start in the wee hours of the morning at DHS. They will have separate lines for FP eligibility outside of the normal park lines so as to not create a mob situation. While the celebrity guests have not yet been announced for each weekend, you can Google Star Wars Weekends 2009 and see what rumors are floating around.


Should we make dining reservations or will there be time? We've been participating in SWW since 2001, and find it necessary to have a TS lined up for a late lunch. It's very hot (many of the character greets are set up outside) and we know that after a few hours in the hot sun angling for character photographs, it's a much-needed break.

We've always made it a point to arrive 60 minutes before the official opening so that we can catch the "pre-show" which occurs on top of the entrance way to DHS.

Some of the longest lines you will encounter are for Darth Vader and Jedi Mickey. They are SO worth it, though!

I must reiterate what Linda mentioned. There is the "general" Star Wars Weekends schedule which has very general information in it, and then there is an "unpublished schedule" with the locations and times of the character meet-and-greets. Ask CMs who have the SWW shirts on until you find one who has this schedule so that you can get to see the characters you want! :mickey:

Added Note:

The most common complaint I've heard over the years for SWW is that it is not well enough organized, and there are not enough CMs in the park who actually know what is going on. It's SO important to seek out those folks who really do know what they're talking about. We've even found the CMs at the DHS Guest Relations area to be clueless on what's going. One year, they sent us to a totally different location than where the collectible merchandise was being sold! This event really is a highlight for DS, DH and myself - have a great time with it!

[Hayden's Dad]

The lines for the celebrity FPs will start in the wee hours of the morning at DHS. They will have separate lines for FP eligibility outside of the normal park lines so as to not create a mob situation

Thanks for the info. What time would you recommend lining up. I really would like to meet Warwick Davis, and maybe some of the others.

[KylesMom]

Kyle, it may help to read Nascfan's trip report from last year. He arrived at 7 am and was able to get one FP, and then one "standby" that his wife was able to procure when they went in separate lines. I think if I was to go through all that, I'd get there by 5 or 6 am to be assured a FP. As you'll read, there are people who "camp out" to get an optimal place in line! You can also search out the Trip Report forum for others' feedback on their Star Wars Weekend experiences. However, there aren't a lot of first hand Intercot reports on folks participating in the celebrity greetings. There are a bunch on the internet, though.

Trip Report June 2008 (http://www.intercot.com/discussion/showthread.php?t=136886&highlight=Star+Wars+Weekends)

Honestly, except for one weekend in either 2001 or 2002 (can't remember which), we've never considered participating in the celebrity greetings (SWW is a long, hot day without starting at 5 am). The celebrity in question was Princess Leia herself, Carrie Fisher.:darth:

The non-celebrity meet-and-greets are really great - without having to get there so early.

[MOJoe]

Thanks for the info. What time would you recommend lining up. I really would like to meet Warwick Davis, and maybe some of the others.

Since Warwick Davis has attended SWW a few times, the line for his autograph may not be too bad. 2 years ago, my son really wanted to meet Daniel Logan (young Boba Fett). We were in line 1/2 hour before park opening and got a session 3 fastpass. So you probably won't have to "camp out" unless you want to meet a celeb who has never or rarely been to SWW.
I must say though that i didn't intend to get in line so late. This year i will try to be in line around 7.

[Hayden's Dad]

Thanks everyone this is a big help. And like most everyone here I am a bit of a control Freak! One more question. In the mornings, it sounds like we should be good getting there by 6:30 or 7:00 are there already different lines for the autograph fast passes or is it a mass run to the machines, also where are the machines for the fastpasses. Oh one more thing from the past thread i read, if I am in one line and my DW is in another we can't get two fast passes because we each only have one ticket right? :mickey:

[joanna71985]

Thanks everyone this is a big help. And like most everyone here I am a bit of a control Freak! One more question. In the mornings, it sounds like we should be good getting there by 6:30 or 7:00 are there already different lines for the autograph fast passes or is it a mass run to the machines, also where are the machines for the fastpasses. Oh one more thing from the past thread i read, if I am in one line and my DW is in another we can't get two fast passes because we each only have one ticket right? :mickey:

At the turnstiles, there will be a seperate line for each celebrity (and also a line for the merchandise store). And each line is walked to the FP machines (so no mad dashes).

That is correct. You get 1 FP for each ticket (so you can't get FPs for people not in line with you).

[Hayden's Dad]

I know you guys have got to be tired of all the questions, but I am exctited and I keep thinking of more.

Are there stipulations on what you can have the celebrities sign, or the number of things you can have them sign? Thanks again.:mickey:

[iheartdisney]

As you'll read, there are people who "camp out" to get an optimal place in line!

Seriously?

I stumbled upon Star Wars weekend years ago with my daughter. My husband didn't vacation with us that year and since I'm not the big Star Wars fan I thought it was neat but I didn't notice it being a huge deal. It just so happens that our trip this year coincides with the opening of Star Wars weekend. My husband IS going with us and I was thrilled that this event was going on at the same time for his sake. But camping out? Oh no!

Please share your other trips to getting the most out of SWW. We'll need all the help we can get!

[KylesMom]

Seriously?

I stumbled upon Star Wars weekend years ago with my daughter. . . My husband IS going with us and I was thrilled that this event was going on at the same time for his sake. But camping out? Oh no!

Please share your other trips to getting the most out of SWW. We'll need all the help we can get!

First and foremost, remember that camping out is not necessary unless you A) are a HUGE Star Wars fan - it's part of the "code"; and B) there's a "celebrity" that you really want to meet. That is the only reason why you'd need to camp out. Hey, get Harrison Ford or Mark Hamill there and I'd consider it. Otherwise . . . :D

We "stumbled" upon Star Wars Weekends in 2001, similar to what you did. Although we don't plan our trips around SWW, they are something that we look forward to when we are able to go to Disney in June!

You'd be surprised how much stuff from Star Wars Weekends ends up on e-bay - and how many local folks make the trip on their seasonal passes to just purchase the merchandise. We go for the wonderful photo ops with the "non-celebrity" characters - oh, and of course the merchandise. Some of my most coveted collectibles (and DS's) have come from SWW of the past.

It does get crowded - and HOT. We always ensure that we have an ADR scheduled for the break that it allows - you won't be able to walk in to a TS restaurant and get a seat. ASK the folks in the Star Wars shirts where you can find the different characters. If one doesn't know, keep asking until you find someone who does! :mickey:

[Aggie97]

We attended SWW for the first time last June and had a fabulous time. It sounds like you are interested in details, so here goes (long post ahead).... :)

We attended on a Friday. We were not interested in celebrity autographs, so we arrived at the park at about 8:30 to watch the funny show on top of the entrance turnstiles.

At 9 we headed to Wicket's Warehouse to get the merchandise we wanted (special pins and a T-shirt). We did not have to wait in line at 9, but the line was really long by the time we left.

We were able to get some great pictures during the parade. Note: the character greetings discontinued a little while before the parade began and started back up at 12:15-12:30.

We went to the Stars of the Saga show, during which Warwick Davis interviewed the weekend's celebrities. The show was really entertaining and had a funny preshow with Stormtroopers. We got in line for the 1:15 show about 30 minutes early. The Jedi Training Academy show was cute as well.

Definitely ask the CMs wearing black "Star Wars" polo shirts about the unpublished schedule for any specific characters you'd like to meet. As other posters have stated, try to find a CM who seems confident about the information they are providing (that's the most tactful way I can put it ;)).

The Darth Vader greeting spot (near the Studio Catering Company) was set up all day -- in other words, if you stood in line, you definitely saw him. The other character spots either rotated through different characters or took lengthier scheduled breaks. Darth Vader took us one hour.

The spot in front of Star Tours rotated between some combination of Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia and R2D2. We waited only about 20 minutes for Luke & Leia in the morning.

Across from this spot was the Chewbacca (sometimes with an Ewok) line, which was lengthier. It took us 45 minutes toward the end of the day, when lines were shorter.

We felt that the most challenging character greeting spot was the one with the Star Wars Disney characters, near the Great Movie Ride exit and the ABC Commissary. It had a rotating schedule between 1) Jedi Mickey, 2) Leia Minnie, and 3) Goofy Vader & Stormtrooper Donald (who appeared in the rotating schedule less frequently than Mickey and Minnie). Ask a knowledgeable CM what the schedule is. We got in line at 3:35 for greetings starting at 4, and we were able to jump right back in line two more times to see all four characters. It took us about 65 minutes total, so we were very pleased! The lines had been SO much longer in the morning.

There were additional greeting spots for Darth Maul, the bounty hunters, and the Jedi Council from the newer films.

Oh -- as we were leaving the park at 6 p.m., we noticed that 5-6 groups of people had started to form a line and camp out outside the park entrance turnstiles -- they had blankets, folding chairs and air mattresses set up. (WOW!!)

Have a fantastic time -- we certainly did! :mickey:

[joanna71985]

Oh -- as we were leaving the park at 6 p.m., we noticed that 5-6 groups of people had started to form a line and camp out outside the park entrance turnstiles -- they had blankets, folding chairs and air mattresses set up. (WOW!!)

I know the weekend you are talking about. That is crazy people would get in line the previous afternoon to meet a celebrity!

[Hayden's Dad]

Thanks Aggie that was a big help. :mickey: