**Official** Star Wars at DHS, Galactic Spectacular Dessert Party/Galactic Nights/Launch Bay/JT

[hiroMYhero]

No clue about EMH but have had it confirmed from CM that Osborne lights stay on for one hour after official park closing time. I've been there and stayed til closing and it's awesome. Just a few people roaming around- you get great pics and no crowds pushing you.

One hour after park closure is the standard but yulilin and everyone else are trying to determine the Lights closing time when the fireworks begin on the 18th. Have you heard any mention of how they will handle the Streets of America in preparation for the fireworks especially when there may be fireworks fall-out and crowd control concerns?

 

[DisneyGuess]

With F! at 7pm, fireworks at 8pm, I'm assuming I may need to have two dhs nights so we're not rushed from one to the other?!
Maybe I can convince Jon we need to do the dessert party....

 

[RachaelA]

Another change from comparing opening day to Sunday's return visit was entering Launch Bay. 1st day, we were taken to character lines and nobody was sent to the movie. Yesterday, everyone in standby was taken to the theater. The only way to bypass the theater was to have a Chase Visa Credit Card and then you were directed to stay right and ended up at the Vader Meet.

On Friday we bypassed the movie and never even mentioned our visa. Maybe because I had two toddlers and they knew the movie would be a bad idea!

 

[Serena {LivingByDisney}]

One hour after park closure is the standard but yulilin and everyone else are trying to determine the Lights closing time when the fireworks begin on the 18th. Have you heard any mention of how they will handle the Streets of America in preparation for the fireworks especially when there may be fireworks fall-out and crowd control concerns?

With fireworks being pretty much at park closing hour I'm assuming that OL won't change and still be until one hour after. I haven't heard any different and if they turned them off earlier than closing time guests would be irate. If they turn them off right at closing it would do nothing to help the crowd flow concerns. So my assumption would be that it will stay the same. But as usual, we are forced to guess at times. I'd say no news is good news.

 

[yulilin3]

Did they do that before? Like when they have the frozen fireworks? Close the park with Fantasmic I have seem it done all the time. But firework show an hour after the park closin time, that's weird. Do people just hang out on Hollywood Blvd and around the hub till the show time? I assume the stores will remain open, right?

no, they haven't done that before. I'm just speculating.
Since hours for January on haven't changed it could happen, or they could change closing hours to 8pm but stil GMR and TSMM will close earlier. As soon as I have an update I'll let you know

 

[yulilin3]

With fireworks being pretty much at park closing hour I'm assuming that OL won't change and still be until one hour after. I haven't heard any different and if they turned them off earlier than closing time guests would be irate. If they turn them off right at closing it would do nothing to help the crowd flow concerns. So my assumption would be that it will stay the same. But as usual, we are forced to guess at times. I'd say no news is good news.

I've done DHS on NYE, watched the NYE fireworks from Echo Lake and then head to Osborne lights (cause they usually have EMH on NYE for DHS) and the lights were on and empty...What I don't know is if they turn them off while the fireworks are going on or do the leave them on, that's what I'm asking when I go.
If they do remain on after the fireworks on non EMH days it'll be a traffic mess for people going into the lights since Pixar Av. closes until about 20 minutes after the fireworks are done to check for fireworks fall out, so everyone has to go through Echo Lake, ST, Muppets area.

 

[yulilin3]

for those interested on how the whole fireworks closure work, here's an explanation for DHS CM.
They shoot fireworks from the rooftop on The Great Movie Ride, One Man’s Dream, Voyage of The Little Mermaid and Sound Stage 4. Firework trailers located in the tram load/tram tunnel intersection near the Maintenance Building also will be utilized.

• Phase 1 (one hour prior to show) – Backstage interior roadways close and clear, close and clear Tour Bridge 1 onstage between SS1 and Backlot entrance, Toy StoryFastPass+ closed, one security host at Tour Bridge 1, security motor units hold traffic from Cast Canyon to Tri-City gate for trailer movement, trailers placed at Tram load/Scenic Shop.
• Phase 2 (30 minutes prior to show) – Onstage areas close and clear including The Great Movie Ride and courtyard area, Commissary Lane and AMC Commissary, Toy Story closes standby entrance, security motor units close Perimeter Road from garage entrance to Tri-City gate.
• NOTE – Rolling close of Pixar Avenue to begin 20 minutes prior to show.
• Phase 3 (15 minutes prior to show) – Pixar Avenue close and clear, PPE worn by Cast in all fallout areas, all fallout areas close and clear until clears are given by Operations 1 and LMA Operations radio frequencies.
• The all clear usually happens about 20 minutes after the fireworks are done

 

[Serena {LivingByDisney}]

I've done DHS on NYE, watched the NYE fireworks from Echo Lake and then head to Osborne lights (cause they usually have EMH on NYE for DHS) and the lights were on and empty...What I don't know is if they turn them off while the fireworks are going on or do the leave them on, that's what I'm asking when I go.
If they do remain on after the fireworks on non EMH days it'll be a traffic mess for people going into the lights since Pixar Av. closes until about 20 minutes after the fireworks are done to check for fireworks fall out, so everyone has to go through Echo Lake, ST, Muppets area.

Ooh yeah that would be a mess! Didn't I read (somewhere in this ginormous thread lol) that they may be changing where the fireworks are set off? If so would that change any of their closure areas? Hmmmm....this is going into some new territory for HS.....they've never had a convergence of these specific events at the same time. The first time or two may be them working the bugs out as far as traffic flow, etc.

 

[yulilin3]

Ooh yeah that would be a mess! Didn't I read (somewhere in this ginormous thread lol) that they may be changing where the fireworks are set off? If so would that change any of their closure areas? Hmmmm....this is going into some new territory for HS.....they've never had a convergence of these specific events at the same time. The first time or two may be them working the bugs out as far as traffic flow, etc.

yes DHS applied for permit to build a facility behind the park, in some empty areas where closures won't be needed any more, the permit should be approved in the next couple of months.
The original plan was just to have the fireworks on the 18th, as a "yay the new movie just opened" event but in the last 2 weeks they decided to just have the fireworks every night, which prompted the change in park hours.
Osborne dessert party clean up will need to be done by the time the fireworks go off. I'm sure all the CM are thrilled with the changes *sarcasm*

 

[pbb322]

So I'm completely confused. The date we are going is Feb 2. The calendar says the park closes at 7 but then if you look at an individual ride on that day most say 8 pm (although TSMM only appears to have its last fastpass window of 6-7. I guess we will just enjoy our dessert party and not worry about what going on in the rest of the park after 7!

 

[LoKiHB]

Yikes!! Hope everyone is ok now!! Sorry you didn't have a great trip... I hope that whatever pixie dust wasn't there for you this trip, that it's back in spades in Oct!!

I'm sorry you had a less than magical time and hope everyone is ok and feeling better.

Thanks

Everyone is getting better now, and we did manage to salvage the last day at MK with dinner at BoG and some shopping for my wife and kids. Like I said, I don't put the blame on Dinsey for not having a great trip, just that couple with now SWW has me kind of bummed.

Hopefully, by October, all this stuff will have passed and our little family can return to normal- or whatever passes for us!

 

[yulilin3]

So I'm completely confused. The date we are going is Feb 2. The calendar says the park closes at 7 but then if you look at an individual ride on that day most say 8 pm (although TSMM only appears to have its last fastpass window of 6-7. I guess we will just enjoy our dessert party and not worry about what going on in the rest of the park after 7!

are you checking on the app? the website still shows 7pm closing for all attractions. They might be extending hours until 8 pm. But, yeah, if you have the dessert party you'll be eating sweets from 7pm to 8:15 pm...

 

[HCinKC]

My son did Jedi training yesterday. He got the 7th sister. He loved it! He thought the script and everything about it was better. It was just like the episode on Rebels. Like Ezra, everything seen was their imagination. All they needed was a crystal. That's what they should give as a memento! A Kaiburr crystal!!

Now THAT would be spectacularly awesome... after the challenge all the kids get to go inside a Kaiburr mine (looks like the seven dwarves mine) and pick out a crystal from a tub.

That would be brilliant!

I wonder why the Jawas trade one day and not another.

Similar to Rebel Hangar during SWW. Mixed reports regarding trading. The Jawa we saw there was not trading. S/He was holding a blaster not carrying a bag. That definitely is one factor. Otoh, we traded on the street one day, but later saw the handler saying no trades for a bag-carrying Jawa.

On a related note, I have been searching for the gingerbread Falcon anytime I'm out. I haven't seen it anywhere - Target, Walmart, Marshalls, Joann, Michaels, Bed Bath & Beyond, Party City, every store ever... Out of curiosity, those who did find it, how much was it, and how big is it?

 

[Good Morning Dewdrop]

That would be brilliant!


Similar to Rebel Hangar during SWW. Mixed reports regarding trading. The Jawa we saw there was not trading. S/He was holding a blaster not carrying a bag. That definitely is one factor. Otoh, we traded on the street one day, but later saw the handler saying no trades for a bag-carrying Jawa.

On a related note, I have been searching for the gingerbread Falcon anytime I'm out. I haven't seen it anywhere - Target, Walmart, Marshalls, Joann, Michaels, Bed Bath & Beyond, Party City, every store ever... Out of curiosity, those who did find it, how much was it, and how big is it?

I've been looking everywhere too - I saw something online somewhere that said it would be in Toys R Us stores for $40! Which is nuts and I wouldn't get it for that price no matter how cool is it....did not see it in our Toys R Us when we went but it was a crazy shopping day so I might have missed it.

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

I've been looking everywhere too - I saw something online somewhere that said it would be in Toys R Us stores for $40! Which is nuts and I wouldn't get it for that price no matter how cool is it....did not see it in our Toys R Us when we went but it was a crazy shopping day so I might have missed it.

My cousins in Canada got one and just posted pictures to FB yesterday -- not fair!!

 

[lovethattink]

On Friday we bypassed the movie and never even mentioned our visa. Maybe because I had two toddlers and they knew the movie would be a bad idea!

Maybe they are testing the water and seeing what works best. It definitely helped with crowd control. When I walked by Chewie two different times, once it said 20 min and 10 min the next.

 

[Gianfootography]

Another change from comparing opening day to Sunday's return visit was entering Launch Bay. 1st day, we were taken to character lines and nobody was sent to the movie. Yesterday, everyone in standby was taken to the theater. The only way to bypass the theater was to have a Chase Visa Credit Card and then you were directed to stay right and ended up at the Vader Meet.

That is so not cool. I do not want to watch that video or anything else Star Wars related before the 17th. I want to go into the theater knowing as little as possible about The Force Awakens. If I wanted to watch a video at Walt Disney World I'd go to Epcot and watch Captain EO... Too soon?

 

[yulilin3]

That is so not cool. I do not want to watch that video or anything else Star Wars related before the 17th. I want to go into the theater knowing as little as possible about The Force Awakens. If I wanted to watch a video at Walt Disney World I'd go to Epcot and watch Captain EO... Too soon?

But I am here to save the world...

 

[lovethattink]

That is so not cool. I do not want to watch that video or anything else Star Wars related before the 17th. I want to go into the theater knowing as little as possible about The Force Awakens. If I wanted to watch a video at Walt Disney World I'd go to Epcot and watch Captain EO... Too soon?

I'd hope they'd let you through without seeing the video. Talk to the cm there. The Chase Visa cardholders weren't given an option to see the movie when entering.

 

[yulilin3]

I'm all registered for the Dark Side half marathon weekend. Volunteering for the 5k and the half and running the 10k