Official Star Wars Weekends 2013 Tips and Tricks

[kmcdougan]

Will the people giving autographs, say Billy Dee Williams, be in the parade in the afternoon?

Yes, he will. It's a great chance to take pictures.

Ash

 

[mecllap]

Is there a special photopass for SWW. If so, can I pre-order it?

It's the same PhotoPass card you use at all the Parks. If you're going to get the CD for all the photos, you can usually get a discount by ordering it in advance (well worth it if you're going solo like I am, or if you want all of your group in each photo). They have the photogs with most of the main characters and they will also use your camera. I don't know if they do any PhotoPass stuff with the celebs (I would guess not, but I've never tried to get any autographs - can't handle that early line-up stuff).

 

[Lilfoot93]

You guys are scaring me with how early you need to be at the park to get autographs! Has anyone done a wish trip to Star Wars Weekend before? We are going through Make A Wish and my sons wish is to be a Jedi at Star Wars Weekend and the day they have us going is June 7th. I'm wondering if we show our Make A Wish button if it will get us in faster for meet and greets and autographs? I know it does with the regular characters. Just wasn't sure if it would for the SW characters too?

I have asked our chapter if they have planned the day for us or if we have to and they still haven't told us either way.

Thanks!
Jackie

 

[DVC Mary]

Are there any bathrooms open during the night outside the gate?

And please key me know if I understand this: wristbands, the FPs for autographs, & that will be BEFORE the park ever opens???

So what else would u sign up for once you get inside??? (Kids too old for parade, Jedi training, & trivia.)

Do you need tickets to the presentations in the theater?

Thanks it's been so many years since I was there, I want to be ready + we arrive late Fri night.

 

[mesaboy2]

1. Are there any bathrooms open during the night outside the gate?

2. And please key me know if I understand this: wristbands, the FPs for autographs, & that will be BEFORE the park ever opens???

3. So what else would u sign up for once you get inside??? (Kids too old for parade, Jedi training, & trivia.)

4. Do you need tickets to the presentations in the theater?

Thanks it's been so many years since I was there, I want to be ready + we arrive late Fri night.

1. There are bathrooms outside the gate, but I don't know if they'd be open in the dark of night.

2. That's my understanding. This applies only to the celebrities, not SW characters themselves.

3. Can't think of much else.

4. I don't believe so.

 

[1971DBday]

You guys are scaring me with how early you need to be at the park to get autographs! Has anyone done a wish trip to Star Wars Weekend before? We are going through Make A Wish and my sons wish is to be a Jedi at Star Wars Weekend and the day they have us going is June 7th. I'm wondering if we show our Make A Wish button if it will get us in faster for meet and greets and autographs? I know it does with the regular characters. Just wasn't sure if it would for the SW characters too?

I have asked our chapter if they have planned the day for us or if we have to and they still haven't told us either way.

Thanks!
Jackie

This will be our first SWW too, but our 11th trip to WDW. We will be there the same day as you! I know from signing up my son in the past that they now require the child to be with you when signing up for Jedi Academy and with it being SWW it's going to be popular so I would at least be there when the park opens. However, I would reach out to your MAW contact and see what they are coordinating. They may have some pixie dust to make some special things happen for him.

 

[lovethattink]

You guys are scaring me with how early you need to be at the park to get autographs! Has anyone done a wish trip to Star Wars Weekend before? We are going through Make A Wish and my sons wish is to be a Jedi at Star Wars Weekend and the day they have us going is June 7th. I'm wondering if we show our Make A Wish button if it will get us in faster for meet and greets and autographs? I know it does with the regular characters. Just wasn't sure if it would for the SW characters too?

I have asked our chapter if they have planned the day for us or if we have to and they still haven't told us either way.

Thanks!
Jackie

Jackie, you definately need to find out for sure if JTA has been arranged through MAW. If not, you'll need to be at the gate by 7:30am at the latest with Trevor so you can head straight there.

As for the costumed characters, you will need to show your special GAC from GKTW to the character host. Not the ones tending to the queue, but the one cm who is escorting the character. In the past they've worn black shirts.

I don't know how or if the celebrity M&G work with MAW, I know the other GACs are stamped that they are not for celebritities during SWW, which includes the shows and the M&G.

 

[andysomma1]

From what I recall it was around 7am when they started but they hand out wristbands earlier than that. You have to stay in line until you get your FP and the lines are right outside Hs, they normally start all the way over to the right before the ticket windows but after security and are clearly marked. You will have to show your stuff to security when they arrive in the morning but they walk the line and do the bag checks so it's very easy.

You'll have to take a cab over if you want to arrive there in time to get a celeb FP.

They weren't clearly marked last year. I got there early probably around six and it just looked like crowds of people sitting around in random spots. I was pretty disappointed with how unorganized everything was. I had to ask people who they were in "line" for and finally picked an area and stood there and waited. It must have been about 7:15 when CM's started coming around to form real lines and set up all the signage. This was on the last weekend, last year.

 

[lovethattink]

They weren't clearly marked last year. I got there early probably around six and it just looked like crowds of people sitting around in random spots. I was pretty disappointed with how unorganized everything was. I had to ask people who they were in "line" for and finally picked an area and stood there and waited. It must have been about 7:15 when CM's started coming around to form real lines and set up all the signage. This was on the last weekend, last year.

We were there the last weekend too. DH got in line Saturday and assumed there was just one line. It turned out he was in the longest line and that was for Jeremy Bulloch. Then on Sunday the three of us went for celeb fp. We arrived around 6:30. There were signs in place at the very front of each line for who it was, but that was the only place marked.

 

[delmar411]

They weren't clearly marked last year. I got there early probably around six and it just looked like crowds of people sitting around in random spots. I was pretty disappointed with how unorganized everything was. I had to ask people who they were in "line" for and finally picked an area and stood there and waited. It must have been about 7:15 when CM's started coming around to form real lines and set up all the signage. This was on the last weekend, last year.

Sorry I meant at night they would see the markings at the head of the line. By morning the lines are too long too see them and you can just ask someone which line is which. We go every year and split the kids up in the different lines to get all the autographs so we are used to that part.

 

[Disneyfreak616]

Joining in! Will be there for weekend two and I'm really hoping to at least catch a glimpse of Warwick Davis!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

 

[kmcdougan]

Joining in! Will be there for weekend two and I'm really hoping to at least catch a glimpse of Warwick Davis!

Sent from my iPhone using DISBoards

He will be in the parade. And, there is always the early morning line for the meet and greet with him, where he will autograph something and pose for a pic with you. Just need to be in line early enough for a FP. The upshot is you will have three mornings to make the attempt for that one.

We will be there for Friday and Saturday of that same weekend.

Ash

 

[yulilin3]

Are there any bathrooms open during the night outside the gate?

And please key me know if I understand this: wristbands, the FPs for autographs, & that will be BEFORE the park ever opens???

So what else would u sign up for once you get inside??? (Kids too old for parade, Jedi training, & trivia.)

Do you need tickets to the presentations in the theater?

Thanks it's been so many years since I was there, I want to be ready + we arrive late Fri night.

Just to reiterate what Mesaboy said:
1.- There are bathrooms outside the gates, they are closed for about an hour during the night to power wash but then they'll be open
2.- That's how its been in the past few years, wristbands first (around 6:30) that's so people don't jump in the line after that, Fp distribution around 7am after that you line up at the turnstiles and you can watch the Stormtroopers opening the park.
3.- They only sign up for JTA and Padawan Mind Challenge, they don't sign up for the parade they pick at random...the only other thing is Visit to the Maul (the weekends Ray Park is here) but they pick the kids for that at random as well.
4.- No tickets needed, for Behind the Force the lines are not usually too big and you can get in line about 15 min. before the show and not have a problem. Not sure what weekend you're going but Visit to the Maul is very popular and you have to get in line 1 hour before. For Stars of the Saga you should get in line at least 45 min. before just to make sure you get it. For James Arnold Taylor's Obi Wan and Beyound by showing up 30min. before you should be fine

 

[Zooshoveller]

2.- That's how its been in the past few years, wristbands first (around 6:30) that's so people don't jump in the line after that, Fp distribution around 7am after that you line up at the turnstiles and you can watch the Stormtroopers opening the park.

Wristbands?

We plan on getting there as early as we can. DH and DS will get in line for Ray Park and DD and I for Warwick Davis. Depending on the crowds we may wait and do JTA when we go back to HS later in the week.

 

[DVC Mary]

Thank you!


This is exactly the info I needed & now that I know there will be bathrooms open, I can handle being there super early. Young DS 12 & DH will have to meet up by 5ish am & hope that people will be nice about just 2 joining us. Youngest can't stay up all night. One of his medicines would make that impossible.

So excited at our house, we're doing at SW marathon as we recover from stomach flu. Yuck!

 

[delmar411]

Wristbands?

We plan on getting there as early as we can. DH and DS will get in line for Ray Park and DD and I for Warwick Davis. Depending on the crowds we may wait and do JTA when we go back to HS later in the week.

They band you plus you have a FP. You cannot take the band off until you get to meet the celeb and you have to present both to get into the line.

 

[lovethattink]

Wristbands?

We plan on getting there as early as we can. DH and DS will get in line for Ray Park and DD and I for Warwick Davis. Depending on the crowds we may wait and do JTA when we go back to HS later in the week.

Yes, wristbands. You can't get in line for the celeb M&G without both. Even if your child has a wristband and you don't, you cannot get in line with them, but can walk beside them outside the line.

 

[BlizzardBeachGirl]

This is our first trip during the Star Wars Weekend. We planned for a Memorial Day trip and then realized it was a huge weekend at HS. We are looking forward to the excitement but it's not really the reason we plan to do HS. HS is our son's favorite park and Rockin' Roller Coaster & Tower of Terror are our favorite rides. Lights, Camera, Action --Stunt Show & Indiana Jones are our favorite shows.

I read through some of threads about people camping out and the early morning crowds and the FP for autographs. How will FP for "regular" rides work? Will we need to arrive early in order to secure a FP for the regular rides? If you receive a FP for the autographs, are still allowed to get FP for regular rides? Any guess on if the shows fill quickly/completely or will everyone be busy w/Star Wars activities?

Disclaimer: new to Star Wars Weekend

 

[mesaboy2]

This is our first trip during the Star Wars Weekend. We planned for a Memorial Day trip and then realized it was a huge weekend at HS. We are looking forward to the excitement but it's not really the reason we plan to do HS. HS is our son's favorite park and Rockin' Roller Coaster & Tower of Terror are our favorite rides. Lights, Camera, Action --Stunt Show & Indiana Jones are our favorite shows.

I read through some of threads about people camping out and the early morning crowds and the FP for autographs. How will FP for "regular" rides work? Will we need to arrive early in order to secure a FP for the regular rides? If you receive a FP for the autographs, are still allowed to get FP for regular rides? Any guess on if the shows fill quickly/completely or will everyone be busy w/Star Wars activities?

Disclaimer: new to Star Wars Weekend

FPs for rides are unaffected, you get them as you would any other day. If you go early and get celebrity FPs, they do not affect your ability to get ride FPs.

 

[BlizzardBeachGirl]

Thanks mesaboy2