Official Star Wars Weekends 2013 Tips and Tricks

[GreenCntryGirl]

If I'm understanding this right,

• CMs start handing out FPs to folks about 7AM.
• If 4 people in my party want to meet say Chewbacca, all 4 need to be in THAT line to get a FP.
• Having a FP for a character is the only way to "meet" a character and have something signed. There is no "stand by" line.
• It is not uncommon for folks to camp out the night before.
• There are separate FP lines for each event and/or character.
• It is possible to be there as early as 7AM and get a FP for that evening.
• Official opening time generally stays the same although the gates have opened as early as 8AMish.

More questions:

• How early do FPs completely run out for the day? Approximate or your personal experience is fine. I get it's a YMMV thing.
• My plan is to let the guys go early in the morning to get their character FPs and meet up with them later to have breakfast. What is, in your opinion or experience, a reasonable breakfast time? For an ADR? Granddaughter is wanting the Jake & the Neverland Pirates/Other Characters I Don't Know breakfast at H&V.
• Has anyone been able to get FPs for more than one character in a day?

Thanks for any help.

 

[lovethattink]

Miniland should be great! By the way, Star Wars Vinylmation Series 3 will be release when SWW starts.

Uh oh! My husband and son just started collecting vinylmation. Will Darth Mall be our first priority day 1? Do they go fast?

If I'm understanding this right,

• CMs start handing out FPs to folks about 7AM.
• If 4 people in my party want to meet say Chewbacca, all 4 need to be in THAT line to get a FP.
• Having a FP for a character is the only way to "meet" a character and have something signed. There is no "stand by" line.
• It is not uncommon for folks to camp out the night before.
• There are separate FP lines for each event and/or character.
• It is possible to be there as early as 7AM and get a FP for that evening.
• Official opening time generally stays the same although the gates have opened as early as 8AMish.

More questions:

• How early do FPs completely run out for the day? Approximate or your personal experience is fine. I get it's a YMMV thing.
• My plan is to let the guys go early in the morning to get their character FPs and meet up with them later to have breakfast. What is, in your opinion or experience, a reasonable breakfast time? For an ADR? Granddaughter is wanting the Jake & the Neverland Pirates/Other Characters I Don't Know breakfast at H&V.
• Has anyone been able to get FPs for more than one character in a day?

Thanks for any help.

The FP lines are for autographs of the celebrity guests not for the costumed characters. Yes, people have camped out for them. We got there at 6am and were able to get a FP for Jeremy Bulloch and James Arnold Taylor. Ray Parks line is a different story.

For the costumed characters you just get in their line in the park, some lines aren't too long like Queen Amidala. Other lines like Darth Vader you can plan on waiting an hour or more wait to see them, unless you go there first thing upon park opening.

I saw people with more than one wristband/FP, but we were only able to get one wristband a piece. My husband waited in stand-by to see Nikka Futterman for nearly two hours, but he did get her autograph!

 

[GreenCntryGirl]

Uh oh! My husband and son just started collecting vinylmation. Will Darth Mall be our first priority day 1? Do they go fast?



The FP lines are for autographs of the celebrity guests not for the costumed characters. Yes, people have camped out for them. We got there at 6am and were able to get a FP for Jeremy Bulloch and James Arnold Taylor. Ray Parks line is a different story.

For the costumed characters you just get in their line in the park, some lines aren't too long like Queen Amidala. Other lines like Darth Vader you can plan on waiting an hour or more wait to see them, unless you go there first thing upon park opening.

I saw people with more than one wristband/FP, but we were only able to get one wristband a piece. My husband waited in stand-by to see Nikka Futterman for nearly two hours, but he did get her autograph!

Thank you for your help...I didn't even realize that the characters were there and I thought it was all celebrities. Learned something new today!

I'm trying to think if there's anyone I would be as dedicated to seeing has your husband. I'll be curious to see how my kids and husband prioritize, too.

 

[CentralFloridian99]

Thank you for your help...I didn't even realize that the characters were there and I thought it was all celebrities. Learned something new today!

I'm trying to think if there's anyone I would be as dedicated to seeing has your husband. I'll be curious to see how my kids and husband prioritize, too.

Generally there's only about 5 celebrities each weekend.

 

[GreenCntryGirl]

Generally there's only about 5 celebrities each weekend.

That's good to know, too. Thanks!

 

[CentralFloridian99]

That's good to know, too. Thanks!

Normally it goes like this:

2 from the movies
1 from Clone Wars
Your hosts


Depending on when Star Wars: Detours (the new comedy series by Seth Green) comes out, we might be seeing some voice actors from there.

 

[irishsharon]

So planning to go May 24-.June 2nd. So thinking of going to DHS on sat May 25,sat June 1st(ds 11th bday)and morning of June 2nd until time for airport.I was wondering how to figure out which parks to go to on the other days.How crowded will the other parks be?Any tips tricks would be great this is our first family trip(dh and I went 15 years ago for a weekend)Also would like to do sci-fi for ds birthday any ideas on getting a star wars cake?

 

[CentralFloridian99]

So planning to go May 24-.June 2nd. So thinking of going to DHS on sat May 25,sat June 1st(ds 11th bday)and morning of June 2nd until time for airport.I was wondering how to figure out which parks to go to on the other days.How crowded will the other parks be?Any tips tricks would be great this is our first family trip(dh and I went 15 years ago for a weekend)Also would like to do sci-fi for ds birthday any ideas on getting a star wars cake?

My birthday is on June 1 aswell I would actually go on May 26 instead of the 25th, as Sundays are less crowded then Saturdays. I really can't help you on other parks, but look on easywdw.com soon.

 

[McDubbs]

I really hope that they distribute the LE merch better this time. Most all of the LE stuff was sold out by 9am on Day 2 of the first weekend. People were getting multiples of LE items, IMO they should be limited to one piece each. They can even track it by our park ticket, just to make it fair. I want to by something for myself, not to sell on ebay for a 300% mark up.

 

[39CINDERELLA]

I really hope that they distribute the LE merch better this time. Most all of the LE stuff was sold out by 9am on Day 2 of the first weekend. People were getting multiples of LE items, IMO they should be limited to one piece each. They can even track it by our park ticket, just to make it fair. I want to by something for myself, not to sell on ebay for a 300% mark up.

 

[lovethattink]

I really hope that they distribute the LE merch better this time. Most all of the LE stuff was sold out by 9am on Day 2 of the first weekend. People were getting multiples of LE items, IMO they should be limited to one piece each. They can even track it by our park ticket, just to make it fair. I want to by something for myself, not to sell on ebay for a 300% mark up.

We got there mid morning and the line was 2 hours long to get into Darth's Mall the first day!! We ended up not shopping that day and missed out on the LEs too.

2 items per person would be good. They use to do that years ago with pins and such.

 

[CentralFloridian99]

We got there mid morning and the line was 2 hours long to get into Darth's Mall the first day!! We ended up not shopping that day and missed out on the LEs too.

2 items per person would be good. They use to do that years ago with pins and such.

That would be the smart thing to do TBH.

 

[joshsmom]

We are SO HOPING to be in WDW in late May!! Still planning. LOVE LOVE LOVE SWW!!

 

[Colleen27]

So planning to go May 24-.June 2nd. So thinking of going to DHS on sat May 25,sat June 1st(ds 11th bday)and morning of June 2nd until time for airport.I was wondering how to figure out which parks to go to on the other days.How crowded will the other parks be?Any tips tricks would be great this is our first family trip(dh and I went 15 years ago for a weekend)Also would like to do sci-fi for ds birthday any ideas on getting a star wars cake?

Check out the cake chatter thread on the Restaurant board. It is long but there's a link in the first post to a photo index, and you don't have to read through the whole thing. Everyone is really helpful and can point you in the right direction for ordering a cake. We've had 3 Disney birthday cakes so far, two from the Grand Floridian and one from the Contemporary. The sky is really the limit (depending on what you're willing to spend, of course).

My birthday is on June 1 aswell I would actually go on May 26 instead of the 25th, as Sundays are less crowded then Saturdays. I really can't help you on other parks, but look on easywdw.com soon.

Do you think that will hold true even over the holiday weekend? I've been counting on Sunday being just as bad as Saturday because so many people have Monday off work.

 

[melliej]

I have a 7 year old daughter and 4 year old son who are total Star Wars junkies. Are the Star Wars weekends more for adults or are there aspects they would enjoy too? They would be happy with a regular weekend and just doing the Jedi Training Academy. If lines are incredibly long during the Star Wars weekends, it would take away from the "coolness" of it for them.

 

[lovethattink]

That would be the smart thing to do TBH.

Even their new thing of limiting items to 5 per person has proved to cause problems with the Sorcerer's merchandise. One day, I will score one!

I have a 7 year old daughter and 4 year old son who are total Star Wars junkies. Are the Star Wars weekends more for adults or are there aspects they would enjoy too? They would be happy with a regular weekend and just doing the Jedi Training Academy. If lines are incredibly long during the Star Wars weekends, it would take away from the "coolness" of it for them.

My 8 year old loves SWW!!! Check out our TR from last year. It's linked in my signature. We started out years ago going to SWW for our oldest child, who is now in college. And now Star Wars has become something our whole family enjoys doing together.

Lines are long for the characters and for the special celebrity shows. But as my son explained it to us, SWW was like being part of the movie! All his favorite characters from the movies and Clone Wars series were right there in front of him! He especially liked the Hyperspace Hoopla which we watched from the Idol screen when they broadcasted it from there.

 

[CentralFloridian99]

Do you think that will hold true even over the holiday weekend? I've been counting on Sunday being just as bad as Saturday because so many people have Monday off work.

Sunday will still be less crowded.

 

[CentralFloridian99]

Anyone think this will be in Hyperspace Hoopla next year?

http://m.youtube.com/?reason=8&rdm=8694#/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0&desktop_uri=/watch?v=9bZkp7q19f0

 

[srauchbauer]

count us in we have not picked a date yet (any suggestions on the best time to go).

 

[CentralFloridian99]

count us in we have not picked a date yet (any suggestions on the best time to go).

The first weekend is less crowded. Friday is theleast crowded, followed by Sunday then Saturday.