Official Star Wars Weekends 2013 Tips and Tricks

[The Sunrise Student]

Thank You MESABOY2 & LOVETHATTINK I will take your advice and get their early, and have my boyfriend help me check for other lines while I stand in one.

 

[CentralFloridian99]

I noticed that it takes a Fast Pass to get signed up for Autographs, where do I obtain those Fast Passes?

Park entrance in the morning, but sometimes if it's a popular celebrity they'll go out really early.

 

[The Sunrise Student]

Hey Gang, Thanks for all the responses thus far, it has really helped!

I was wondering, so just how many autographs slots do they schedule a day for each character/celebrity?

AND

LOVETHATTINK mentioned wristbands are required as well as FPs... Do you get the wristbands at the same location as the FP? and do you need one for each Character/Celebrity?

 

[delmar411]

Hey Gang, Thanks for all the responses thus far, it has really helped!

I was wondering, so just how many autographs slots do they schedule a day for each character/celebrity?

AND

LOVETHATTINK mentioned wristbands are required as well as FPs... Do you get the wristbands at the same location as the FP? and do you need one for each Character/Celebrity?

You'll be banded for your celeb (not for the costumed character in the park) and you'll have to leave it on until they cut it off after you see the celeb. BUT you only get 1 celeb per person per day.(as long as the current trend continues) And you can't bring anyone with you. They band people before they start handing out the FPs so you can just get the celeb FP and go to the turnstiles to get in.

We've got 4 kids so we normally farm one out to each line and they go and get the autographs on their own and a CM takes pics for them.

 

[yulilin3]

The celebritiy fp's is a hard thing to explain, but, as others have said, you have to get there early. The more popular/rare the celeb the earlier you have to be there. For example, people lining up for Ray Park got to the park at 6am but if you want to get Ashley Eckstein you could get to the park around 7:30 and still get her autograph.
There's a line for each celeb that forms to the far right, before the turnstiles, there will be a CM holding a sign at the end of each line for each celeb. If you don't see them just ask the person that's last in a line and they'll tell you which celeb they're waiting for.
Around 7/7:30am they start putting the wristbands. They have the same number of wristbands as they have fp's, so if you have a wristband you know for sure you'll get a fp.
around 8/8:30am they start handing out the fp's with your scheduled time to go meet the celeb. Some celebs have 3 times, like 10:15am, 1:30pm, 3:30pm. each session last one hour. The hosts usually have only one or two time slots.
After you have your wristband and fp you can enter the park, then come back to where your celeb is (it's been Echo Lake for the past couple of years) at your fp time, you'll get in line and just wait about 10 minutes to meet them.
They cut your wristband off after you get your autograph and punch a whiole in your fp.
You can only get one celebs fp's for autograph. And they are handed out manually so it doesn't impact your use of fp for attractions.
The celebs will sign anything you bring, pictures, posters, action figures/ backpacks, calendars. etc.
Like someone before said, you cannot bring someone with you to meet the celeb but they can stand outside the area and take a picture of you with said celeb.
If you have kids the CM's will still insist that they wait alone, if they are the only ones who got a fp. But the area is open and you can be right there with them, just not inside the corrals.
I think that's everything that has to do with celebrity autographs.

 

[yulilin3]

In the past we've gone to the weekends in June because they are nearest my birthday, and a trip to SWW is my birthday present Well, this year it looks like we have might have to go over Memorial Day weekend because of a conflict with DS's summer camp.

Are the crowds appreciably different on Memorial Day weekend? Just wondering what to expect.

I find that SWW is always crowded, during Memorial weekend it does get a little busier. As others have said, Friday is the better day, because locals are working or at school.
Expect and plan for crowds

 

[jennyjinx3]

The celebritiy fp's is a hard thing to explain, but, as others have said, you have to get there early. The more popular/rare the celeb the earlier you have to be there. For example, people lining up for Ray Park got to the park at 6am but if you want to get Ashley Eckstein you could get to the park around 7:30 and still get her autograph.
There's a line for each celeb that forms to the far right, before the turnstiles, there will be a CM holding a sign at the end of each line for each celeb. If you don't see them just ask the person that's last in a line and they'll tell you which celeb they're waiting for.
Around 7/7:30am they start putting the wristbands. They have the same number of wristbands as they have fp's, so if you have a wristband you know for sure you'll get a fp.
around 8/8:30am they start handing out the fp's with your scheduled time to go meet the celeb. Some celebs have 3 times, like 10:15am, 1:30pm, 3:30pm. each session last one hour. The hosts usually have only one or two time slots.
After you have your wristband and fp you can enter the park, then come back to where your celeb is (it's been Echo Lake for the past couple of years) at your fp time, you'll get in line and just wait about 10 minutes to meet them.
They cut your wristband off after you get your autograph and punch a whiole in your fp.
You can only get one celebs fp's for autograph. And they are handed out manually so it doesn't impact your use of fp for attractions.
The celebs will sign anything you bring, pictures, posters, action figures/ backpacks, calendars. etc.
Like someone before said, you cannot bring someone with you to meet the celeb but they can stand outside the area and take a picture of you with said celeb.
If you have kids the CM's will still insist that they wait alone, if they are the only ones who got a fp. But the area is open and you can be right there with them, just not inside the corrals.
I think that's everything that has to do with celebrity autographs.

Great info! My DH is going to think I am some sort of guru because of all the tips you guys have provided! Thank you!

 

[dmiller64152]

If you have a fp for a celebrity m&g, does that lock you out of other fps until your autograph session? Is it logistically possible to get a celebrity fp AND get child signed up for JTA AND get fps for TSMM?

 

[lovethattink]

If you have a fp for a celebrity m&g, does that lock you out of other fps until your autograph session? Is it logistically possible to get a celebrity fp AND get child signed up for JTA AND get fps for TSMM?

No, the celebrity FP has nothing to do with the attraction FP.

Yes, especially if you are one of the first to sign up for JTA. My suggestion if you have more than one adult is to have one adult take the child to JTA and the other adult get the FP at TSM. The child must be present at JTA to sign up as they need to answer a question or two.

Keep in mind that last year the park opening time said 8am, but the started letting people in way before that. I think 7:20-7:30ish.

 

[The Sunrise Student]

The celebritiy fp's is a hard thing to explain, but, as others have said, you have to get there early.

It sure seems like it is a trick and a half to get this right for a first timer, thank you so much for all this information, it is SOOOO helpful!

They have the same number of wristbands as they have fp's, so if you have a wristband you know for sure you'll get a fp.

This is very good to know you don't have to worry once you have a wrist band.

You can only get one celebs fp's for autograph.

Does this mean only one autograph per a celebrity per a day? OR can you try and get another one for a different celebrity?

AND IF I can get another wristband for a different celebrity do you have to stay in the same line as my first celebrity to get your FP OR can I go over and get another wrist band for a different celebrity and come back to get FP for each of them I have wristbands for?

And they are handed out manually so it doesn't impact your use of fp for attractions.

This is good to know, so right after we get in we can go grab a FP for a ride.

The celebs will sign anything you bring, pictures, posters, action figures/ backpacks, calendars. etc.

OK naive me thought the celebrities would have pictures they autographed, I didn't even think of bringing something for them to autograph. Will they have stuff for each celebrity there that you can purchase or should I just pre-plan and buy stuff ahead of time. I am just thinking I will probably not get ALL the celebrities autographs and then there will be some I want to get that I don't have items for.

Like someone before said, you cannot bring someone with you to meet the celeb but they can stand outside the area and take a picture of you with said celeb.

Sounds like my boyfriend and I will have to trade off the camera, will there be time in-between us to do so, or should we space ourselves out in line to make time for the switch?

 

[lovethattink]

Like someone before said, you cannot bring someone with you to meet the celeb but they can stand outside the area and take a picture of you with said celeb.

If you have kids the CM's will still insist that they wait alone, if they are the only ones who got a fp. But the area is open and you can be right there with them, just not inside the corrals.

I think that's everything that has to do with celebrity autographs.

For those with young children in wheel chairs who need pushed they did let either me or dh in line with ds up until ds entered the celebrity's tent.

 

[baler31]

Does anyone know what time the resort friendship boats start running on Star Wars Weekends ? We normally just walk but will have some older seniors with us and are trying to plan accordingly. Thanks.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Does anyone know what time the resort friendship boats start running on Star Wars Weekends ? We normally just walk but will have some older seniors with us and are trying to plan accordingly. Thanks.

We headed down the walking path from YC around 7:30 am last year. The first boat was pulling into BWI right around 7:35am. This was during Weekend 4.

 

[The Sunrise Student]

We headed down the walking path from YC around 7:30 am last year. The first boat was pulling into BWI right around 7:35am. This was during Weekend 4.

Is there somewhere to get the boat schedule? And am I safe to assume it's the same boat for all the resorts in the boardwalk area?

We are staying at the Swan, at the very least for the mornings we are trying to get autographs lines we will be walking over, EXTREMELY EARLY since the park opens at 8!

Does anyone know how far that walk is from the Swan to Disney Studios?

 

[texasteacher35]

Is there somewhere to get the boat schedule? And am I safe to assume it's the same boat for all the resorts in the boardwalk area?

We are staying at the Swan, at the very least for the mornings we are trying to get autographs lines we will be walking over, EXTREMELY EARLY since the park opens at 8!

Does anyone know how far that walk is from the Swan to Disney Studios?

There is not a schedule, but they come like every 15 mins. I think the order is BW, YC/BC/ Swan- Dolphin, DHS, Swan-Dolphin, YC/BC, BW, Epcot.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

Is there somewhere to get the boat schedule? And am I safe to assume it's the same boat for all the resorts in the boardwalk area?

We are staying at the Swan, at the very least for the mornings we are trying to get autographs lines we will be walking over, EXTREMELY EARLY since the park opens at 8!

Does anyone know how far that walk is from the Swan to Disney Studios?

You could double check with the front desk a couple of days before to see when it starts. Its not too bad of a walk from the Swolphin area (15 minutes?) and I don't mind it in the AM before it gets hot. But its just me and DS (who has been doing that walk since he was 8) so no mobility issues with us.

If the park is already "officially" scheduled for an 8 am opening (not the "silent" openings of last year) then I would expect the boats to start running by 7:30 am at the latest.

 

[The Sunrise Student]

You could double check with the front desk a couple of days before to see when it starts. Its not too bad of a walk from the Swolphin area (15 minutes?) and I don't mind it in the AM before it gets hot. But its just me and DS (who has been doing that walk since he was 8) so no mobility issues with us.

If the park is already "officially" scheduled for an 8 am opening (not the "silent" openings of last year) then I would expect the boats to start running by 7:30 am at the latest.

We have no mobility issues either so a 15 minute walk is no problem for us just grab a cup of coffee and go.

I looked at some maps (including Google Earth) and noticed that it looks like we have to walk across the bridge towards the BW and use the same walkway that runs in front of the BW resort along the water, am I correct? The one I am speaking of looks like it ends up by the parking lot by the buses.

 

[Cinderumbrella]

We have no mobility issues either so a 15 minute walk is no problem for us just grab a cup of coffee and go.

I looked at some maps (including Google Earth) and noticed that it looks like we have to walk across the bridge towards the BW and use the same walkway that runs in front of the BW resort along the water, am I correct? The one I am speaking of looks like it ends up by the parking lot by the buses.

Yup, that's the path.

 

[The Sunrise Student]

There is not a schedule, but they come like every 15 mins. I think the order is BW, YC/BC/ Swan- Dolphin, DHS, Swan-Dolphin, YC/BC, BW, Epcot.

I remember using the boat to travel from EPCOT to DS to ride the Tower of Terror one night while it was a summer night lights and they had done a temporary themed remolded to the Tower of Terror for the summer of 2010. I remember that it really didn't seem that long of a trip, even with all the stops it was like 30 minutes or something. Although maybe my memory is fuzzy, but I do remember stopping at all the resorts.

 

[The Sunrise Student]

Yup, that's the path.

Awesome, thank you!

OFF TOPIC: I noticed that you are staying at the PORS - Royal Room. I stayed at PORS in 2010 and our room looked nothing like the ones I just saw pictures of. Is this just a few select rooms they remodeled and when did they do that?