Official Star Wars Weekends 2013 Tips and Tricks

[mastermind307]

That's alot of back and forth walking for a 6 year old though.

mastermind307, how is your dd's endurance?

Vader's M&G is not too far from TSM. Luke's M&G is up past Rock n Roller, so Beauty and the Beast would be close to this. Star Tours is near Chewy's M&G. The parade would be near 50'sPTC.

These might be good to keep in mind if your dd can't go back and forth through the park. If she can, then touring as cinderumbrella suggested would be a good bet.[/QUOTE]

It will probably work best for us to not go back and forth across the park. I can go get FP for TSM or Star Tours while my mom and DD wait in line to meet characters.
So I think we will either ride TSM first and then get in line for Darth, or I will get FP for TSM while DD and mom line up for Darth. Then ride TSM after Darth if it is time to use PF. Then we will go get in line for Luke. I can check to see what the return time is for Star Tours FP and go get one if the time will work. After Luke head over to Star Tours. We can use our FP, ride standby or grab a FP is line is too long.

 

[cerberus]

I am hoping some experts that have gone to SWW can help me a little. I have a trip planned for June 1-8 and my DD6 is excited that SWW is going on then. I am trying to plan our day at HS so that we can do the Star Wars stuff and do the other attractions too.

We will be going to SWW on Sunday June 2. It will be me, DD, and my mom. We will be staying at BWV, so we do plan to go to the resort for a break. We will be there at rope drop and stay until our lunch ADR at 50's PT. We can return later in the evening to finish up anything we didn't get done in the morning, and to maybe see Hyperspace Hoopla and Fanstamic.

Here's what we want to do:
Meet Darth Vader (very high on DD list)
Meet Luke Skywalker (very high on DD list)
Meet other characters - Chewy, R2D2, C3PO, Princess Leia (DD would like to meet, but if we don't see all then that is fine)
Star Wars Parade
Star Tours
TSM - I will go get PF for TSM while DD waits in line w/grandma for Darth
Voyage of the Little Mermaid - if we have time
Beauty and the Beast - if we have time
Lunch at 50's Prime Time
Hyperspace Hoopla - if DD wants to see it
Fantastmic - we've never seen it, and would like to, but not a big deal if we don't
Will we be able to do everything in one day?

Cinderumbrella gives great advice and that advice last year helped us ALOT!!!

We did everything on your list in one day (plus more) except we did not do Beauty and the Beast, Hyperspace Hoopla, and Fantastmic.

We lucked out and the lines for R2D2, C3PO, Princess Leia, and Luke were very short.

We got to DHS at opening and went rigt to DV while hubby went and got TSM fast passes. Then went to Star Tours followed by TSM and then got aother FP for TSM. Saw a few other misc character (although we never did see the Fab 5, always a very long line and in the sun)
We were in line for Luke about 30 minutes then got right back in line for another 30 minutes and saw R2D2, C3PO, Princess Leia. The kids and I watched the parade while hubby got in line for Chewy, his line was soooo long! He waited and 1hr and 10 minutes to see Chewy and we were 1st in line.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Cinderumbrella gives great advice and that advice last year helped us ALOT!!!

Aw, shucks

 

[lundve]

Need to subscribe to this - lots of tips - we are going to be there the first weekend too and will need to make a plan. We are thinking Friday the first day - might be the best of the the three??

 

[lovethattink]

Need to subscribe to this - lots of tips - we are going to be there the first weekend too and will need to make a plan. We are thinking Friday the first day - might be the best of the the three??

I don't know what to think about that first weekend the first day. On one hand, most locals are working Fridays and tend to go on Saturdays and Sundays. On the other hand, this is the first SWW when Disney owns Star Wars. I expect a media frenzy. The media is always there that first day of SWW, but I expect things to be like it was the year Star Tours re-opened. This is a big deal, Disney now owns Star Wars! Of course, collectors will be there Friday as well in hopes of getting those LEs.

 

[cerberus]

[/QUOTE]

It will probably work best for us to not go back and forth across the park. I can go get FP for TSM or Star Tours while my mom and DD wait in line to meet characters.
So I think we will either ride TSM first and then get in line for Darth, or I will get FP for TSM while DD and mom line up for Darth. Then ride TSM after Darth if it is time to use PF. Then we will go get in line for Luke. I can check to see what the return time is for Star Tours FP and go get one if the time will work. After Luke head over to Star Tours. We can use our FP, ride standby or grab a FP is line is too long.[/QUOTE]

I just read your response about too much walking for your 6yo. My kids were 5 and 6 and did great but all kids are different. I encourage you to send someone to get a FP for TSM while you get in line for Darth.....as his line only gets longer throughout the day. I think that he shows up at 8am, we waited in line about 35 minutes to see him (we were about 6 back from the first person). As we went past him throughout the day the lines was long and CMs were saying about an 1 - 1.5 hours.

Best bet is figure out who your must see characters are and plan your day around them. For the rides use FPs. Be sure to get to the park. There are several posters on here that have been many more times than me and really helped us for our 1st trip last year.

 

[kennythepirate]

It's here on kennythepirate's blog http://kennythepirate.com/category/star-wars-weekends/

Hopefully the one for 2013 will be published online before the first SWW.

I will post the new info as soon as it is released

 

[lovethattink]

I will post the new info as soon as it is released

You are the best!

 

[cerberus]

Okay I just went through our pictures last year to figure out who we saw each day (we went to SWW three times)

Day 1
TSM x2, Star Tours 3+, TTx1
Vader, Luke, roaming storm troppers, Darth Maul, roaming sand person, Princess Lei with CP30 amd R2D2, Queen Amidala, roaming jawa, Kit Fisco with Shaak Ti, Ventress, Ahsoka Tano with Commander Cody, roaming character zam wesell.

We could have stood in line for Chewy, but we wanted to all watch the parade together.


Day 2
Bobo Fett (super fun experience), roaming Green Army man, Piglet, Minnie Mouse, JTA, Chewy with an Ewok, misc other characters that we saw the
1st time.

 

[VeganCupcake]

Very patiently(<-- sarcasm) waiting for celebrity line up to be announced.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Very patiently(<-- sarcasm) waiting for celebrity line up to be announced.

That will probably be some time still...

But don't we know that Ashley and James are hosting again? (Clones Wars peeps)

(I confess this part interests us the least)

 

[mesaboy2]

That will probably be some time still...

But don't we know that Ashley and James are hosting again? (Clones Wars peeps)

(I confess this part interests us the least)

Yes, we know that at least. Others unlikely to be announced until April at the earliest.

 

[CentralFloridian99]

Celebrities can be announced from Late Februrary-April. They're all subject to change, like Jerome Blake did last year.

 

[cgattis]

Do most of these guys (characters, not actual actors) sign autographs? Thinking I'm going to need to make the kiddos a special SW-themed autograph book........

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

The talent DOES sign, but you MUST have a FP to get them. And you need to be in line SUPER early.

 

[cgattis]

Asking about the costumed characters, not the actual talent.

 

[Hauntedmansion13]

When i went, they were scramming to get people through line so they didnt let us do autographs, but I'm sure it depends. I absolutely love star wars and cant wait to go back!

 

[mesaboy2]

Do most of these guys (characters, not actual actors) sign autographs? Thinking I'm going to need to make the kiddos a special SW-themed autograph book........

Asking about the costumed characters, not the actual talent.

Yes. Not all, but many.

 

[twoplustwins]

What time has the parade been in the past?

Is there more than one?

 

[mesaboy2]

What time has the parade been in the past?

Is there more than one?

Just one each day. I wanna say 12:30-ish, but not sure.