DHS Star Wars meet & greet...

[ars0525]

So I see the Disney Visa offers a Star Wars meet & greet...is that open yet? Going this Saturday (1-9) so I wasn't sure. Where is it at? I thought I saw it starts at 11am?

And is that different from the Meet Chewbacca & Encounter Darth Vader events? I'm a little confused....

Thanks!

 

[HopperFan]

Yes. It is in the same building with the Chewie and Darth - Launch Bay but not the lines where they are. Has it's own small spot. It's the old Animation Building.

 

[megs1313]

Yes. It is in the same building with the Chewie and Darth - Launch Bay but not the lines where they are. Has it's own small spot. It's the old Animation Building.

is it worth doing?

 

[virgilatmit]

is it worth doing?

That depends on how much of a Star Wars fan you are. The Chewie meet and greet is not part of the Visa Chase M&G, just Darth. However, the line for Chewie is much shorter than the Darth Vader line (non Disney Visa). So, your credit card will save you a half hour to hour wait.

 

[chris4disney]

Was Darth the only character in the Disney Visa M&G?

 

[msmama]

Does the visa Darth Vader speak like the regular line does?

 

[ars0525]

Thanks for the info!! We will give it a go this weekend & I will report back Monday!

 

[HopperFan]

is it worth doing?

To us, yes.

 

[CarolynFH]

Does the visa Darth Vader speak like the regular line does?

Yes he does. When we visited in early December, shortly after the Disney Visa M&G started, we had a conversation about our having aided the Rebel Spy more than once.

 

[soniam]

Was Darth the only character in the Disney Visa M&G?

Yes, currently. At first there was a short time, a week maybe, where it was Chewie and/or Vader. However, it is now only Vader.

 

[ars0525]

UPDATE: we went Saturday January 9th & this is how it worked for us (2 adults).

We got to Launch Bay around 9:30. Signs in courtyard area said Chewy was 20 minute wait & Darth was little longer. Since I have Disney Visa to do later I opted for Chewy here. But it turns out at this point I later realized it doesn't matter who you are seeing cause you are lumped together anyways. Now this is what the 20 minute wait didn't factor in...you have to wait & watch a video. After you exit the movie area you then go into areas with items from the movie you can look at. Then you go down a hallway to the area where you finally pick your meet & greet and NOW get in the actual line. Unfortunately we had Toy Story FPs so at this point I was a little concerned time wise so we skipped looking at the areas & walked right from the movie to the Chewy line (which was 25 minutes now). I will say the line moved quickly so don't be too scared if it appears long. Between the movie & looking at stuff you could be in there quite awhile if you want before you even get in the character line. We totally are going to go back & look at things when we have more time now that we know what to expect time wise.

The Disney Visa starts at 11am so we came back after Toy Story & again at the main front entrance area. Except this time you are directed down the side line that bypasses watching the movie & it enters you in a door in the middle of the building. You then have to find the Visa line (which is not by the 2 regular waiting areas) & it's not marked. I kept asking CMs along the way & they kept pointing me. We got in line & you go into a small hallway that leads to the meeting (they could have used more AC just saying). I would say it moved similar in speed to the meet & greet line at Epcot.

A BIG CHANGE is you no longer get actual printed photos from your Visa meeting (at Epcot or Hollywood Studios). They go to the photopass with your MB for you to download later. This morning I found my Star Wars pics & they are all there. They don't have the watermarks & you can add borders, etc...

 

[lovethattink]

Actually, you didn't have to wait 20 minutes for the movie. The left side of the queue is for the full experience including the movie. The right side of the queue is to skip the movie and go into the M&G and bypass the movie. Even opening day, this bypass option was available, but you have to ask the cm how to bypass the movie. However, if the m&g are saturated with waits, you'll only be able to explore launch bay as cm will escort groups to the M&G.

For example, we bypassed the film on opening day and we're placed in a M&G only line. We had to choose either Chewie or Vader. Then exit the building to get back in line again to see Vader. This was because the M&G lines were so long they were outside the building.

Other mornings since, we've been able to wait on the right hand side. See a character and go right to the next character's line because it wasn't lined up beyond the actual queue.

Best time to visit is between and 11 and 4 when the Chase Visa M&G is going on. The queue is less confusing then. And with the visa, your wait it minimal.

 

[Batgirl67]

UPDATE: we went Saturday January 9th & this is how it worked for us (2 adults).

We got to Launch Bay around 9:30. Signs in courtyard area said Chewy was 20 minute wait & Darth was little longer. Since I have Disney Visa to do later I opted for Chewy here. But it turns out at this point I later realized it doesn't matter who you are seeing cause you are lumped together anyways. Now this is what the 20 minute wait didn't factor in...you have to wait & watch a video. After you exit the movie area you then go into areas with items from the movie you can look at. Then you go down a hallway to the area where you finally pick your meet & greet and NOW get in the actual line. Unfortunately we had Toy Story FPs so at this point I was a little concerned time wise so we skipped looking at the areas & walked right from the movie to the Chewy line (which was 25 minutes now). I will say the line moved quickly so don't be too scared if it appears long. Between the movie & looking at stuff you could be in there quite awhile if you want before you even get in the character line. We totally are going to go back & look at things when we have more time now that we know what to expect time wise.

The Disney Visa starts at 11am so we came back after Toy Story & again at the main front entrance area. Except this time you are directed down the side line that bypasses watching the movie & it enters you in a door in the middle of the building. You then have to find the Visa line (which is not by the 2 regular waiting areas) & it's not marked. I kept asking CMs along the way & they kept pointing me. We got in line & you go into a small hallway that leads to the meeting (they could have used more AC just saying). I would say it moved similar in speed to the meet & greet line at Epcot.

A BIG CHANGE is you no longer get actual printed photos from your Visa meeting (at Epcot or Hollywood Studios). They go to the photopass with your MB for you to download later. This morning I found my Star Wars pics & they are all there. They don't have the watermarks & you can add borders, etc...

Thanks so much for posting your experience. It will help with our planning.

 

[lovethattink]

It's also interesting to note that we've seen Vader 3 times and Chewie twice over this past month. Only once did the characters "talk" to us. My son was stunned because he didn't realize they could.

 

[ars0525]

Actually, you didn't have to wait 20 minutes for the movie. The left side of the queue is for the full experience including the movie. The right side of the queue is to skip the movie and go into the M&G and bypass the movie. Even opening day, this bypass option was available, but you have to ask the cm how to bypass the movie. However, if the m&g are saturated with waits, you'll only be able to explore launch bay as cm will escort groups to the M&G.

Well the CM at the "front entrance" was being kind of an _______ then cause even when we came back the 2nd time for the Visa line he sort of berated us for skipping the movie ("how dare you skip the movie, you don't know what you're missing"). Since we had just watched it less than an hour before I just waved & nodded & continued on walking as he yelled behind us. He definitely wasn't offering the option of skipping the movie!

Luckily when we did watch the movie there wasn't a line, but I did see one later. What my frustration was at the front of the attraction it said the wait time was 20 minutes....I didn't know there was still several things to do before we actually got in the line & the 20 minute wait started. And I really didn't care cause we still had enough time to get to our FP...but when trying to plan & figure out timing it's something good to know.

 

[IslandAdventure4]

Thanks so much for the information, We are heading down next week. This will be a huge help in planning to see both Vader, and Chewie.....

 

[DekrRini]

So if I'm understanding correctly, there isn't anything marked to direct you to the Visa M&G, you have to ask a CM for directions. Is this correct?

 

[lovethattink]

So if I'm understanding correctly, there isn't anything marked to direct you to the Visa M&G, you have to ask a CM for directions. Is this correct?

There are 2 queues at the entrance. For the M&G only, go through the tapstiles. If the wait inside is too long and extends outside, they'll direct you to the film line. At that point you'll need to let the theater cm know you opt out of seeing it and they'll direct you where to go. "Rules" change based on the amount of people waiting. So first thing in am you need to be flexible. But you don't have to see the film.

 

[DekrRini]

I bypassed the movie when I was there in December and went directly to Vader's M&G line. I was there during the Visa M&G times, but couldn't find the line. Did I just miss a sign of some sort or do I need to ask for directions to the Visa M&G?

 

[lovethattink]

I bypassed the movie when I was there in December and went directly to Vader's M&G line. I was there during the Visa M&G times, but couldn't find the line. Did I just miss a sign of some sort or do I need to ask for directions to the Visa M&G?

The room is just outside the video game room. You can either get there going through the Cantina or the game room. A cm stands outside of it with a clip board. There are no signs.