Welcome to another Star Wars Weekend day and the final Friday of our trip. We begin the day with a spirited walk from the Dolphin hotel along the Boardwalk to Hollywood Studios. We walked down the path, leaving a trail of Pop Tart crumbs as we made our way as quickly as possible to the front gates thinking that the boats and busses werent running at 7 a.m.
We made the peaceful yet rapid pace walk over to the park. As we rounded the turn where the offsite buses drop off, we were getting warm and tired from walking and noticed a Caribbean Beach resort bus dropping off guests. Awww, really? There are busses running this early? Busses but no boats and the Dolphin doesnt have a bus to this park.
Today, our target for celebrity fastpasses was the human embodiment of Darth Maul Mr. Ray Park. He is the star that we captured via Stalkerazzi last weekend. I really wanted Peter Mayhew but the boys wanted Park so thats what we did.
We were actually EARLY enough that we got to stand in line at the turnstiles and soak in the Star Wars vibe. This you might say is the sweet spot and is where the money that you spent becomes worth it. Goose bumps when you hear the Star Wars themed music. The little songs from the Cantina Band on the soundtrack. Storm troopers standing guard on the roof. You know that everyone here is a Fan and is standing around in nervous anticipation of todays events.
Waiting at the Gates
Please open the gates!
Today we forego our traditional running of the bulls to Toy Story Mania because Nick would like to make it into Jedi Training. When we promise not to tell anyone, the Storm Troopers open the gates and we race to the tables to get him registered for a training class. We walk-ran right up and got a purple slip of paper for his class.
So far, so great! Guaranteed face time with the legendary Ray Park AND a Jedi Training reservation accomplished by 8:15. We tucked the paper away for safe keeping and walked towards Mania. Here is the line as we ventured away from the registration desk.
You really need to be quick as this event is survival of the fittest/fastest! We scanned the line for DSis but didnt see her. She is attending today and wanted to get Matthew signed up as well. She texted me shortly thereafter saying that she couldnt sign up Nick because he had to be with her to sign up. Were good but thanks anyway! She got Matthew signed up for a very late class even though she was only minutes behind us.
We had pretty much killed the list for meet and greet last weekend so today, we wanted to knock out all the seminars. We attended all three today "Stars of the Saga, Behind the Force, and A Visit to the Maul". The boys were enjoying it and I was fine with focusing on the seminars as it was 150 degrees today with the heat and humidity. There wasnt much more that I wanted to do today anyway besides stand in the shade drinking $3 bottles of lemonade or sit in the air conditioning.
We somehow ended up being in the right place at the right time after the Star Wars parade. We were on our way thru
Pixar Place to redeem a Toy Story fast pass and ran into this amazing photo op.
They were making their exit from the parade and walked down the ramp on the way to Pixar Place. It was just the coolest thing to see this squadron walking thru the park like it was perfectly normal. Only at Star Wars Weekend!
We then got stopped by a CM who was holding up traffic. We stopped and ended up seeing this
.
And this.
And this.
Really too many pictures to post in this update.
We jumped in the Clone Wars meet and greet to meet Commander Cody? I had no idea who he was but they boys did. The line felt really slow today while we waited for the Commander to show up. We had just missed the previous set so we waited in the line for the next one. We needed to be finished in half an hour because Nick had to report at least 15 minutes before his training session time or he would lose his spot to a wait list-er. So that stressor mixed with the heat made the wait oppressive. We developed a strategy as we were standing in line. They would pose with the characters, I would snap ONE photo and they would travel together with the little purple piece of paper to the Sounds Dangerous theater to check in. When the Commander (who was delayed for whatever reason according to the CM) did return to work, he brought with him an extra guest (Rex) which was our bonus today for standing so long in the heat. We went over directions to the theater with a CM so they were familiar with how to get there.
The minute that I snapped that photo and the Photopass photog fired off a few, they took off. I took the time to put the lens cap back on, get the Photopass card scanned and hoisted the BPFH on, choosing to save time by hand carrying the light sabers and the trivia/autograph book instead of stuffing them back in the BPFH. What we do for our kids, right? It might not sound like a lot but it with the heat and time constraint, it felt like a lot and I looked like I was reaching the pinnacle of Disney he*&.
I exchanged knowing looks from other pack mule parents doing the same thing.
I made my way and found Nick lined up with all the other padowans ready for class. Alex and I walk over to the stage and I ask a CM where I should stand if my child is in the next class. There is a roped off area that is reserved for ONE parent per child. I asked if I could go ahead and stand there and she said the other parent walking over with my child wont be able to join me. I explained that there isnt anyone waiting with me and she raises her eyebrow and scoffs and says Usually, we have a parent waiting with the child. Hes 12. There are other CMs babysitting the line. Im not sure why I would need to hold his hand on the way over??? Maybe I missed the part about parents having to remain with the children when I had Alex check him in. Maybe its my inability to hear and follow directions. Maybe its the ringing in my ears from carrying all that stuff across the park in the heat. I dont know.
Continued with Jedi Training and our Meet and Greet with Ray Park
