Official Star Wars Weekends 2014 Tips and Tricks

[motherhen1]

As long as it isn't an EMH morning, you can send an adult with the child to go sign-up and then return to SciFi. On the restaurant board, they're estimating the breakfast to last at least an hour for the characters to make their way around.

Actually, if you are an onsite resort guest and it is EMH, you can sign-up before your breakfast. Just send an adult to check-in at SciFi.

Thanks for the help Itinkso! The park has an opening time of 9:00 the morning that I have the breakfast scheduled. It is not an EMH morning and we are staying off-site. I'm hoping that with getting finished with breakfast around 9-9:30 that we may still be able to get in. I really wish there was a fastpass+ for this experience.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Don't wait until after breakfast to sign up if your kid really wants to do it.

 

[motherhen1]

The reservation is for 8:10 am with the park opening at 9:00. Maybe I should just change the reservation time for after the park opens??

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

I just realized I booked the Feel the Force package for the night of the 24 hour event at MK that I think DS would enjoy. I'm so upset with myself, I would have done it on the Saturday night instead if I had realized! Now we have to decide which we would rather do, the Feel the Force or the 24 hour event (he's too young to leave the HS after fireworks and go to MK). I'm wondering if we could leave HS, go back and rest, then hit MK from 3-8 and then go back to HS for the firework party?

I would do the Feel the Force and have a good time. 6 pm-12 am are going to be super packed in the MK. No one is even sure what special events (if any) will be going on during the 24 hour event.

Personally, I would stay at DHS all day, then go back to the hotel to go to sleep. If there are any special characters or things to do, you could try waking up at 4 am and going to MK for the last hour or 2.

Of course, my recommendation could change as we get details on the 24 hour event, but right now the only special event is that the park will be open in the early AM hours. We haven't heard anything about any special parades, fireworks, characters, nothing.

 

[Itinkso]

The reservation is for 8:10 am with the park opening at 9:00. Maybe I should just change the reservation time for after the park opens??

Your family will meet Vader and Boba Fett on your way to be seated. Just have one adult take the kid(s) who want to do Jedi to the sign-up area at 8:45 and then return to SciFi. Enter the park through the Dining gate as early as possible and you will be seated before 8:10. The two Jawas and the two Troopers walk around in pairs so hopefully you will meet all of them before 8:45.

 

[motherhen1]

Your family will meet Vader and Boba Fett on your way to be seated. Just have one adult take the kid(s) who want to do Jedi to the sign-up area at 8:45 and then return to SciFi. Enter the park through the Dining gate as early as possible and you will be seated before 8:10. The two Jawas and the two Troopers walk around in pairs so hopefully you will meet all of them before 8:45.

Awesome!! I will arrive early and get to scifi before our reservation time. I think that when we first order our food, that I will request the check and go ahead and pay for it so we can scoot out of there asap..

 

[aym4Him]

What if it's just me & my DS? We don't have anyone to hold our table. I guess it's just one of those unfortunate things. Anyway, he's seen that DM is part of JTA now and he says he doesn't think he wants to do it. I really hope he doesn't change his mind! Our res is for a non-SWW day (22nd) at 8:15.

I really am thankful for this thread!

 

[Itinkso]

What if it's just me & my DS? We don't have anyone to hold our table. I guess it's just one of those unfortunate things. Anyway, he's seen that DM is part of JTA now and he says he doesn't think he wants to do it. I really hope he doesn't change his mind! Our res is for a non-SWW day (22nd) at 8:15. I really am thankful for this thread!

Still plan on going through the Dining gate as early as possible and you get seated before 8:15. When you sign him up, if he decides he wants to do it, let the CM know your son prefers Vader rather than Maul. When you return to check him in, let the CM know his preference.

DD is a Padawan and she takes the frightened ones under her wing and helps them get through the show. Sometimes they will go up against Vader/Maul and sometimes they won't so no one is "forced" to train. But, if your DS doesn't want to sign up, just allow him to watch a show and maybe on your next visit he will want to train. It's better to follow how he feels as there are many kids who are onstage only because their parents had them sign-up... and they end up being upset and often leave the stage.

 

[lovethattink]

I have some concern about doing the parade with Feel the Force and then being in time to get in line for Hamill/Park/Williams in Stars of the Saga, but that will have to wait until we know the actual schedule.

I think many fans will skip the parade and get in line for that show as son as the park opens.

 

[RalphinSC]

Your family will meet Vader and Boba Fett on your way to be seated. Just have one adult take the kid(s) who want to do Jedi to the sign-up area at 8:45 and then return to SciFi. Enter the park through the Dining gate as early as possible and you will be seated before 8:10. The two Jawas and the two Troopers walk around in pairs so hopefully you will meet all of them before 8:45.

This is my plan for our Sci-Fi breakfast day. We have 8am ressies and it's not a SWW day so I think it will work great. (we are knocking a few of the "must do's" out on a different day and saving the SWW day for more character meetings and the Feel the Force package)

 

[RalphinSC]

I think many fans will skip the parade and get in line for that show as son as the park opens.

A real possibility there. That is going to be a CRAAAAAZY weekend. I'm there over two weekends and I'm actually AVOIDING the park on that one.

 

[aym4Him]

Still plan on going through the Dining gate as early as possible and you get seated before 8:15. When you sign him up, if he decides he wants to do it, let the CM know your son prefers Vader rather than Maul. When you return to check him in, let the CM know his preference. DD is a Padawan and she takes the frightened ones under her wing and helps them get through the show. Sometimes they will go up against Vader/Maul and sometimes they won't so no one is "forced" to train. But, if your DS doesn't want to sign up, just allow him to watch a show and maybe on your next visit he will want to train. It's better to follow how he feels as there are many kids who are onstage only because their parents had them sign-up... and they end up being upset and often leave the stage.

Thank you!

He fought DV last November. He was nervous in line for sign ups and said he didn't want to (he was almost 5) but I knew he'd change his mind. He just didn't want to wait in the long line but I was not even into one month of grieving the loss of his dad and him doing JTA was one of the last things we talked about the night before he died. My DH really wanted DS to do it and I was going to make it happen. Thank goodness DS was just nervous and not hysterical . (I wouldn't have made him do it if he was. I would have just sobbed right along with him!) He did awesome.

On the one hand, I kind of want to talk it up for this trip but on the other, I would hate to get his hopes up in case we don't get lined up in time.

 

[lovethattink]

What if it's just me & my DS? We don't have anyone to hold our table. I guess it's just one of those unfortunate things. Anyway, he's seen that DM is part of JTA now and he says he doesn't think he wants to do it. I really hope he doesn't change his mind! Our res is for a non-SWW day (22nd) at 8:15.

I really am thankful for this thread!

There was one time, when my oldest ds was a little boy, that he and I were eating at a restaurant. He had to go to the restroom. When we came back our table was completely cleared. They thought we walked out. That was a lesson I learned. Make sure I leave something personal but not valuable on the table that would indicate we are not done and coming back; or let the server know we will be back shortly.

DM can be really intimidating. He doesn't break character. I have some great pictures of him sneering at my camera.

A real possibility there. That is going to be a CRAAAAAZY weekend. I'm there over two weekends and I'm actually AVOIDING the park on that one.

We are braving it. I have FtF package for one of those days. Figure the parade would be impossible otherwise. We'll try to do the Saga one of the other days.

 

[aym4Him]

There was one time, when my oldest ds was a little boy, that he and I were eating at a restaurant. He had to go to the restroom. When we came back our table was completely cleared. They thought we walked out. That was a lesson I learned. Make sure I leave something personal but not valuable on the table that would indicate we are not done and coming back; or let the server know we will be back shortly. DM can be really intimidating. He doesn't break character. I have some great pictures of him sneering at my camera.

Oh! I'm going to try & remember to make a few signs to leave on the table for that very reason!!! Thank you for sharing that.

Yes!!! He met DV on his Wish Trip. He was a month shy of turning 4 and didn't even want to get close to the JTA stage for fear DV & the Stormtroopers would see him. He had no idea what was about to happen! He wouldn't let me put him down for a little bit and you are correct. DV did not break character and didn't want to give DS a fist bump (the ice-breaker we use). He snatched his red lightsaber away from him and just looked at him. He stared him up and down before presenting him with his own. DS thought it was awesomely terrifying . He finally got down & stood for a group pic with DV, Stormtroopers & his daddy. He was SO happy. It's now a very very treasured pic and memory. Never would I have dreamed it would be our one & only family trip to Disney.

 

[yulilin3]

I plan to grab a spot for the parade as soon as the park opens on Saturday during Mark Hamill weekend, and on Sunday go straight to the Premiere Theatre and just stay around until a line starts forming for his show

 

[lovethattink]

Oh! I'm going to try & remember to make a few signs to leave on the table for that very reason!!! Thank you for sharing that.

Yes!!! He met DV on his Wish Trip. He was a month shy of turning 4 and didn't even want to get close to the JTA stage for fear DV & the Stormtroopers would see him. He had no idea what was about to happen! He wouldn't let me put him down for a little bit and you are correct. DV did not break character and didn't want to give DS a fist bump (the ice-breaker we use). He snatched his red lightsaber away from him and just looked at him. He stared him up and down before presenting him with his own. DS thought it was awesomely terrifying . He finally got down & stood for a group pic with DV, Stormtroopers & his daddy. He was SO happy. It's now a very very treasured pic and memory. Never would I have dreamed it would be our one & only family trip to Disney.

Thanks for sharing that memory.

 

[tiredsigh]

We will be there June 6. How will the lines be for rides?

 

[aym4Him]

Thanks for sharing that memory.

Thanks for acknowledging it . It helps to talk about the good stuff.

 

[lemonears6]

Awesome!! I will arrive early and get to scifi before our reservation time. I think that when we first order our food, that I will request the check and go ahead and pay for it so we can scoot out of there asap..

We have a 8am on a non sww also. Our kids also want to do JTA. Hope to get everything worked out. Also what is the dinning entrance. I know we will enter park early

 

[audrey2580]

Just wanted to pass along some info from when we were there last time. We signed the kids up for the Padwan mind challenge first thing in the am. When we came back that afternoon they took 3-4 kids that had shown up just before and we're on Stand-by. Guessing a few kids changed their minds or melt downs happen. So if you don't sign up in the am try to ask about stand-by option.