Official Star Wars Weekends 2013 Tips and Tricks

[Lilfoot93]

How exciting! Wow, first time to WDW and to SWW!

My son is 8 and we have been going to SWW since he was a baby and his older brother was the huge Star Wars fan.

I'm impatiently waiting for official dates! It's soon 6 months out and will be time to make ADRs.

It is exciting and scary at the same time! I'm not sure about flying cross country with 3 kiddos! My husband and I have been to Disneyland but that was 10 years ago! The kids are super excited to go to Star Wars weekend. I am reading everything I can about it to help Trevor plan what he wants to do!

Jackie

 

[CentralFloridian99]

It is exciting and scary at the same time! I'm not sure about flying cross country with 3 kiddos! My husband and I have been to Disneyland but that was 10 years ago! The kids are super excited to go to Star Wars weekend. I am reading everything I can about it to help Trevor plan what he wants to do!

Jackie

That's why we have this thread

 

[lovethattink]

It is exciting and scary at the same time! I'm not sure about flying cross country with 3 kiddos! My husband and I have been to Disneyland but that was 10 years ago! The kids are super excited to go to Star Wars weekend. I am reading everything I can about it to help Trevor plan what he wants to do!

Jackie

I lurked the link for your PTR. Hopefully they will soon officially announce the dates for SWW 2013 and you can get his MAW trip dates set.

The one drawback about going the first weekend is that's the weekend the least information is known. Plans for that weekend end up tentative until we get to see that first SWW map/times guide.

CentralFloridian99, please jog my memory. Did we see the map prior to the first day, or was it once people went that we found out the times and such?

 

[CentralFloridian99]

I lurked the link for your PTR. Hopefully they will soon officially announce the dates for SWW 2013 and you can get his MAW trip dates set.

The one drawback about going the first weekend is that's the weekend the least information is known. Plans for that weekend end up tentative until we get to see that first SWW map/times guide.

CentralFloridian99, please jog my memory. Did we see the map prior to the first day, or was it once people went that we found out the times and such?

I believe we saw the map two days before the first weekend.

 

[Lilfoot93]

I believe we saw the map two days before the first weekend.

So the information on what will be happening is not posted until a few days before it starts?

Jackie

 

[MSUmom]

So the information on what will be happening is not posted until a few days before it starts?

Jackie

A couple of months before, they will announce what celebrities are going to be at which weekends. And if you look at previous year's maps, you can get a good idea of what and where things are.

 

[CentralFloridian99]

So the information on what will be happening is not posted until a few days before it starts?

Jackie

Celebrities will be announced a couple months before the event, but characters remain the same spot as previous years. Show times will be announced on the map.

 

[cgattis]

Planning for this to be our first SWW. Is Leia usually out for pics? Any Ewoks or Jawas? Guess I need to go read some TRs from last year! LOL

 

[mesaboy2]

Planning for this to be our first SWW. Is Leia usually out for pics? Any Ewoks or Jawas? Guess I need to go read some TRs from last year! LOL

Yes, Leia appears--usually in a rotation with Luke and the two droids. An Ewok or two has appeared with Chewie in the past, and Jawas are free-roamers--you can even trade junk with them.

 

[cgattis]

Sooooooo cool!!! I'm going to completely geek out when I get there, I just know it. So, SO excited! Wish it wouldn't be so godawful hot, so we could dress up. My poor son nearly melted in his Darth Maul costume at the ToT race party; not gonna try that again in June!

 

[mesaboy2]

Sooooooo cool!!! I'm going to completely geek out when I get there, I just know it. So, SO excited! Wish it wouldn't be so godawful hot, so we could dress up. My poor son nearly melted in his Darth Maul costume at the ToT race party; not gonna try that again in June!

Our M&G with R2-D2 and C-3PO last year might just be my favorite of the hundreds I've done around WDW.

 

[cgattis]

So I'm sure this has been asked before, but do the same characters M&G at the same times every day (within the weekend AND from one weekend to another)? I can see us literally spending all day alternating between pics and riding Star Tours, with nothing in between but a parade

 

[lovethattink]

So I'm sure this has been asked before, but do the same characters M&G at the same times every day (within the weekend AND from one weekend to another)? I can see us literally spending all day alternating between pics and riding Star Tours, with nothing in between but a parade

Last year they did. Kennythepirate had the times posted on his blog!

 

[cgattis]

This thread is awesome for us first-timers...thanks you guys!! One last question before I crash for the night: do the TSM FPs still disappear immediately during SWW? I'm guessing there are still plenty of folks in the park who AREN'T there for SW stuff that they do. I know we'll want to ride it once, and no celebrity autographs, so guessing that should still be our first stop?

 

[lovethattink]

This thread is awesome for us first-timers...thanks you guys!! One last question before I crash for the night: do the TSM FPs still disappear immediately during SWW? I'm guessing there are still plenty of folks in the park who AREN'T there for SW stuff that they do. I know we'll want to ride it once, and no celebrity autographs, so guessing that should still be our first stop?

That would depend if you are traveling with any children who want to do Jedi Training Academy or Padawan Mind Challenge. Those fill up just as fast if not faster than TSM. The children MUST be present for sign up. Often families will split up with one member getting fast passes for TSM and the rest heading to JTA or PMC for sign ups.

 

[cgattis]

Both kids got to do Jedi Training last trip, so we might skip that one (they LOVED it, though!). But haven't heard about the Padawan thing--is that a trivia game??

 

[mesaboy2]

Last year they did. Kennythepirate had the times posted on his blog!

And I can attest they were perfect, he helped me hit all the characters I wanted--especially the rotating ones.

Both kids got to do Jedi Training last trip, so we might skip that one (they LOVED it, though!). But haven't heard about the Padawan thing--is that a trivia game??

Yes.

 

[lovethattink]

And I can attest they were perfect, he helped me hit all the characters I wanted--especially the rotating ones.

I didn't use his character list until the last weekend. But I used it for MNSSHP and it was very helpful.

The roaming characters were really hard for us to hit because our son uses a wheelchair and is slow to get to them. Usually half a dozen people would push ahead of him. Thankfully one of the cm helped us out and brought them to him! And the Cantina Musicians noticed people cutting him off, and they all banded together and walked over to him. It was awesome because we got a picture of him and all of the musicians!

 

[Lilfoot93]

A couple of months before, they will announce what celebrities are going to be at which weekends. And if you look at previous year's maps, you can get a good idea of what and where things are.

Celebrities will be announced a couple months before the event, but characters remain the same spot as previous years. Show times will be announced on the map.

Thanks for the info! Hopefully that info will be out before we set our date... If not , I know Trevor will enjoy it no matter what characters he gets to meet!

Jackie

 

[nfrank]

This will be my first Star Wars Weekend!

I have a question about character autographs and Fastpasses. Everything I see online says "Only one Fastpass/Autograph per guest". Does that mean that you can only get the autograph from one actor.... or does it just mean that you can only get one Fastpass/Autograph per actor? In other words, is it possible to get Fastpasses to see more than one of the celebrities there?