Official Star Wars Weekends 2013 Tips and Tricks

[heyitsmejosh]

Great thank you! I really just want Mickey & R2MK - I'd take the others in addition, but those are the two I really want, so I'd rather wait for them!

well they will be there are 7 everyday for the last shift, the key to hitting them then is to jump in line right before they close the line.

 

[Bryguy]

Thanks for all the tips!

 

[TallandGoofy]

Once Friday it was outside. I believe the Luke/Leia line was about 35 mins most of the day. Sometimes less and sometimes more from what I've heard..

Yeah, I'd say it was around 30-40 mins. Not too bad and air conditioned.

Agree... and the HUGE difference between waiting 30-40 minutes in an A/C tent.... and waiting in the blazing sun...

Excellent - that is the only character meet my DS10 really cares about. He is very "go with the flow" and doesn't have a lot of "Must Sees". Mostly interested in the shows and the atmosphere. He THOUGHT he'd want to meet one of the celebrities too until I told him about the whole 4 am thing...LOL.

Thanks, again!

 

[GeekyGirl]

Were people having success with waving people in front of them to get the set they wanted? Or is that a huge no no this year?

We did this twice and both times there wasn't a problem with it, the charcater attendants even assisted the process XD

We first did this when waiting for Ahsoka, basically everyone in the line was as well so the attendant went down the line an of you weren't waiting for Ahsoka, they took you to the front of the line to meet Commander Cody.

This happened again in the tent while waiting for the droids to come out, the attendants seemed fine with it.

 

[cerberus]

First, thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone who posted about last weekend! All your info and tips are making the planning process for weekend 2 so much easier! I think I have our plan of attack pretty well figured out, but do have one question. Can someone confirm that the Fab 4 always appeared in pairs - ie. Jedi Mickey with Leia Minnie and Stormtrooper Donald with Darth Goofy? Getting the Disney SW characters is the #1 priority for us and I'm trying to determine how many times we will need to wait in that line. Of course, if we can get them all in one shot, that would be AWESOME!

Our plan is as follows. Please critique/correct

Saturday:
6:45am - Arrive at DHS (get Warwick Davis fp if available -- I realize this is probably not gonna happen. I am not willing to wait for hours to get a fp -- especially since I'll be at MK until 6am -- but in the off chance they are available, I'll grab one)
Stormtrooper rope drop show
Disney SW characters (as many times as necessary - hoping for not more than twice, but planning for at least 3 times)
Darth Maul
Darth Vader
R2-MK
Lunch - 1:40pm at 50's PT
Jango/Boba Fett
Roaming characters as we see them
Visit to the Maul show
Grab CS and get a seat for the Hoopla by 6pm
Hit Darth's Mall after the Hoopla
Ride a couple rides if possible
Fantasmic at 10:30pm

Sunday:
6:45 - Arrive at DHS
Chewbacca
Chip & Dale
Anakin Skywalker
Luke Skywalker
C-3PO/R2-D2
Princess Leia
Queen Amidala
Rest of Jedi Council

We hope to be done by 4pm on Sunday. What do you think? Possible? Wishful thinking? Completely out of my mind?

And, of course, this is all based on character greeting times from Kenny the Pirate's list . If it changes next weekend, all bets are off but I'm sure we will still have a blast!

Thanks again everyone!

Agree with yulilin3 and would switch Maul and Vader especially depending on the time you make it to one of them...Vader comes out before Maul.

Also for Chewbacca if you do not make it to his line first thing it gets long quick, you could always get in line when the parade starts...we did that and were 1st in line that way.

 

[GOOFY D]

Once Friday it was outside. I believe the Luke/Leia line was about 35 mins most of the day. Sometimes less and sometimes more from what I've heard.

We tried to get in line early morning Friday and the WDW personnel working must not have been knowledgeable. We told them we did not want to go into the Maul, but wanted to see the characters and Rancor. She told us we had to wait in the Maul line (over 2 hours long). We obviously passed on that. We came back in the afternoon (3ish) when it was pretty hot and asked another person and they directed us to the character line. Most of the time, the line was outside in the heat. Only for about 10 out of the 40 minutes we waited was inside. The characters changed from Luke/Leia to R2D2/C3PO while we were in line, but that was fine with my son.

 

[Dflory424]

i did the storm trooper it was pretty fun, pretty much you go into the mall area and go to a desk tell them what time your appointment is for and then get in line. you sit down take a few pictures, they tell you the faces to make. then you select the one you want to use followed by hair color ect. then go pay.

Thanks! Not sure if my son is going to do the stormtrooper or Han-but should be fun either way!

 

[xbmomma17]

We will be there for the final weekend, our boys (10 & 4) are SUPER excited! Incase the youngest doesn't fair well in the June heat, what would everyone suggest as the "Must-do's!" Our oldest wants to see/meet/do everything, but we told him that might not be possible. I read somewhere that you can get fast passes for autographs, does that mean that you are unable to use them on rides then? How early should you be to the park, before it opens, to map out the day and get the kids signed up for the parade and stuff?
Thank you all for the help!!

 

[Chavaleh]

We tried to get in line early morning Friday and the WDW personnel working must not have been knowledgeable. We told them we did not want to go into the Maul, but wanted to see the characters and Rancor. She told us we had to wait in the Maul line (over 2 hours long). We obviously passed on that. We came back in the afternoon (3ish) when it was pretty hot and asked another person and they directed us to the character line. Most of the time, the line was outside in the heat. Only for about 10 out of the 40 minutes we waited was inside. The characters changed from Luke/Leia to R2D2/C3PO while we were in line, but that was fine with my son.

Apparently they adjusted the line from entering in a side door on Friday because by the time we went back on Sunday the whole thing was indoors (my husband was there Fri and said it had changed).

 

[KingsKidsx4]

I am sorry to ask again but if it was answered I missed it, I'm sorry!!, but do the taxis take cards or must you bring cash..? Thank you! This is going to be the longest week at work ever!!

Yes, they take cards. At least mine did. $8.50 from Pop to DHS.

 

[KingsKidsx4]

We really wanted to get a picture of our 5 year old dressed as Han Solo with Leia and were getting close to the front when she was about to swap out. The people in front of us wanted to see Luke and R2D2 anyway so they let us go ahead. We actually managed to get pictures with Leia and then with Luke, Leia and R2D2 (who danced with our son, so cute!)


We were a few spots behind you and didn't get Leia, but got Luke and R2D2. Great moment when R2 went off when Luke told him that our daughter was name Laiya (sounds like Leia).

 

[yulilin3]

We will be there for the final weekend, our boys (10 & 4) are SUPER excited! Incase the youngest doesn't fair well in the June heat, what would everyone suggest as the "Must-do's!" Our oldest wants to see/meet/do everything, but we told him that might not be possible. I read somewhere that you can get fast passes for autographs, does that mean that you are unable to use them on rides then? How early should you be to the park, before it opens, to map out the day and get the kids signed up for the parade and stuff?
Thank you all for the help!!

If you want celeb autograph you need a fast pass and have to be there around 5am for one of them... they don't interfere with the park Fastpasses. to sign up for JTA go straight there after park opening, spots fill up in the first 45 mi n. Kids get picked at random for the parade.
Don't wait for the day you're going to plan, the map for weekend 2 Is a few pages back

 

[linseyjo26]

TSMM first, Star Tours wasn't a problem for us on the first day. Park opened around 7:45, DH and DS5 went to sign up for JTA, waited 20 minutes or so, got a 12:30 time and got right on Star Tours. Meanwhile, DS2 and I grabbed fast passes for TSM for all of us and went ahead and rode since it was 10 minute wait. It was just before 8 and fast pass return was 9:05-10:05. We all met back up and DS5 wanted to ride Star Tours again so I went with him and once again got right on. DS2 was getting a bit cranky so he didn't ride TSM when we had fp for so DS5 and DH did, the fast pass line must have been short cause they got out pretty quick. By 10:00 am the fp return was somewhere around 7pm I think. Good luck!!!

Exactly what I wanted to know. I really appreciate you taking the time to respond!!!! Thank you so much!!!!

 

[Chavaleh]

We were a few spots behind you and didn't get Leia, but got Luke and R2D2. Great moment when R2 went off when Luke told him that our daughter was name Laiya (sounds like Leia).

R2D2 is great. It's amazing to me that they can put so much personality into something so static.

 

[heyitsmejosh]

so what time are people planning on showing up for warwick davis this weekend?

 

[Skaught]

The rancor, named Roxy, is a fan made prop that Disney has borrowed for the weekends. You can see a video on how it was made and follow Roxy's exploits by liking her Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/RoxyTheRancor?ref=ts&fref=ts

Scott

 

[syntigger]

Going Sunday june 2nd if anyone wants to say hi! Cannot wait this is the only tim

 

[syntigger]

Going Sunday june 2nd if anyone wants to say hi! Cannot wait this is the only time boytoy likes to go too. Message me if going

 

[yulilin3]

so what time are people planning on showing up for warwick davis this weekend?

I would suggest before 5am, to make sure you get a fp I would be there no later than 4:30am since he has 2 autograph sessions

 

[GeekyGirl]

So by the looks of things, I'll be back Friday for another day of Star Wars Weekends, this day I'd like to be able to get a good spot to photograph the parade. Any good suggestions of a spot I should stake out? (I was thinking of looking for a spot around 9:30 am)