Official Star Wars Weekends 2013 Tips and Tricks

[Billabongi]

Got my Dtech appointment! I'm a huge Stormtrooper fan so this is right up my alley!

 

[d-r]

I think we went earlier than that a couple of years ago. He was there a couple of years ago so that is the wild card, but he will have a way long line.

I'll ask my wife what time we went a couple of years ago. 4 will probably get you in though. It seems like there is a big arrival between 5-6.

 

[HappyHaunts999]

I'll ask my wife what time we went a couple of years ago. 4 will probably get you in though. It seems like there is a big arrival between 5-6.

Thanks so much. I don't want to be there over night but I don't want to miss him either.

 

[OhStuffandFluff]

HOLY COW JIM CUMMINGS! Do you know who that is?

That's Winnie the Pooh!

 

[yulilin3]

A few questions.

1. Is there a seperate line to get in the park for those wanting celebrity autographs and those not wanting them?

2. We plan on going Friday the 17th and getting there early to sign up for JTA, possibly Padawan Mind Challenge, and do any character meet n'greets we can. We may come back Sunday the 19th for those regular HS attractions we missed. We have an ADR on Friday that may conflict with the parade so if we miss it we will come back on Sunday. We have an ADR Sunday at 7:05 for breakfast so we probably will not make it to the park before opening. If we arne't interested in doing any of the SWW activities besides the parade, will this be a problem. I realize we may not get TSM fastpasses, but are hoping to do that Friday.

1.- People waiting for celeb fastpasses make a line to the far right of the entrance, people not interested in that can line up at the turnstiles

2.- No problem at all

Yulilin YOU ARE THE BEST, there is no doubt about it!

I swear I have hung on your every word and you have been a most valuable planning guide

Thank you so much for that bit of info, for us first timers trying to meet celebrities it's hard to judge!

My Boyfriend and I will be in line for Ray Parks at 5 am Saturday May 18th!

Then kick it down a notch on Sunday May 19th and come to the park about 6 am or so for Jeremy Bullock! (I'll be wearing the SWW shirt that happens to have Boba Fett on it cause when I went to WDW in June 2010 I didn't get to see the event, BUT I did snag some merch I know I am a stinker).

As for Warrick Davis on May 24th still trying to figure out what would be the best time for that one... leaning towards very early like Mr Parks just cause he hasn't been to SWW in a while. (your thoughts?)

Thanks for the ego boost happy to help. I love this event and have done it for about 10 years now. You should be fine showing up for Warwick Davis around 5:30am, maybe even 6. Have fun and don't try to do to much. Enjoy the general atmosphere

Will 4:00 be early enough to get Billy Dee Williams?

Thank for all the help and advice. This is our first time going and don't want to miss anything.

We went around 5am the last time he was here and got a #67 standby...so, yes 4am should be fine

HOLY COW JIM CUMMINGS! Do you know who that is?

I was just looking at his IMDB...Impressive...most Impressive...Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Ray from Princess and the Frog, Darwing Duck, Pete , Wormwood from Sofia the First, and many, many others...yeah we're meeting him

 

[Fire14]

Thanks Fire14!

When is sunrise on the 17th? LOL.

See all of you crazies "later", and may all of your SWW 2013 wishes come true!

Cheers!

Roehl

I honestly don't know on sunrise but for me I'll just stay up lol 3rd shift has to be good for something

 

[The Sunrise Student]

HOLY COW JIM CUMMINGS! Do you know who that is?

Actually, I don't... feeling very out geeked at the moment... I did a casual look-up on him but with a common name like that came up with all sorts of listings.

So do tell....

 

[yulilin3]

Actually, I don't... feeling very out geeked at the moment... I did a casual look-up on him but with a common name like that came up with all sorts of listings.

So do tell....

look at my latest post...I didn't know who he was either...

 

[HappyHaunts999]

We went around 5am the last time he was here and got a #67 standby...so, yes 4am should be fine



How does standby work?

 

[yulilin3]

A fastpass gives you a guaranteed autograph. A standby just gives you a possible autograph.
after each guaranteed fp session if there's any time left they'll start calling standbys by number, so the lowest your standby number is the better chance you have. if you have a standby you should go to every autograph session and wait and hope they reach your number

 

[AquaDame]

Thank you all for the heads up about D-Tech opening! I made an appointment for us just now! I had no idea what time to pick though so hopefully I didn't mess something up! Now I just need to con my husband into being the one to do it so I can have a little storm trooper hubby on my desk!

 

[The Sunrise Student]

Thanks for the ego boost happy to help. I love this event and have done it for about 10 years now. You should be fine showing up for Warwick Davis around 5:30am, maybe even 6. Have fun and don't try to do to much. Enjoy the general atmosphere

I was just looking at his IMDB...Impressive...most Impressive...Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Ray from Princess and the Frog, Darwing Duck, Pete , Wormwood from Sofia the First, and many, many others...yeah we're meeting him

I love planning for Disney and the closer I get to a trip (10 days 10 hours 2 minutes until I wake up and start my WDW vacation) the more I get my ducks in a row... and it is your posts Yulilin3 that have been so valuable, you have been answering quickly and keeping us all up-to-date, please know your efforts have not gone unnoticed, and to a project planning nut like myself I know the good value of that information you have provided all of us!

DARKWING DUCK, did you say DARKWING DUCK, I use to draw him when I was a younger, loved him! That is awesome... will not be forgetting Jim Cummings anytime soon now!

 

[The Sunrise Student]

Thank you all for the heads up about D-Tech opening! I made an appointment for us just now! I had no idea what time to pick though so hopefully I didn't mess something up! Now I just need to con my husband into being the one to do it so I can have a little storm trooper hubby on my desk!

Oh that's too funny! I love that, if my boyfriend didn't already want his for the office I would steal it and put him on my desk too!

 

[HappyHaunts999]

A fastpass gives you a guaranteed autograph. A standby just gives you a possible autograph.
after each guaranteed fp session if there's any time left they'll start calling standbys by number, so the lowest your standby number is the better chance you have. if you have a standby you should go to every autograph session and wait and hope they reach your number

Thanks again for the help. I could never pull this off without all this info.
Your the Best

 

[The Sunrise Student]

I forgot to explain how Disney decides how many people can meet each celeb per autograph session.

Each autograph session is an hour (or at least has been in the past) Disney calculates how many people meet each celeb and that's the magic number per session.
So for Ray Park each session might be 40 fastpasses (because he takes time with each eprson) while Peter Mayhew's might be up to 75 fastpasses per session (he doesn't engage as much in conversation, not to say he's rude, he just signs whatever you brought, takes a picture and that's it)

Question: How many "Hour Long Autograph Sessions" are there in a day?! and when abouts do they normally start?

 

[yulilin3]

Question: How many "Hour Long Autograph Sessions" are there in a day?! and when abouts do they normally start?

From last year's schedule whe Ray Park was here:
Autograph Sessions:
James Arnold Taylor 9:45am
Ashley Eckstein 4:30pm and 5:45pm
Ray Park: 10:15am and 1:45pm
2nd SW celeb 10:15am 1:30pm and 4:30pm
Clone Wars celeb 3pm, 4:30pm and 5:45pm

each session is one hour long, you can't request a specific autograph fastpass time but you can exchange with someone else that has one for the same celeb.

 

[The Sunrise Student]

From last year's schedule whe Ray Park was here:
Autograph Sessions:
James Arnold Taylor 9:45am
Ashley Eckstein 4:30pm and 5:45pm
Ray Park: 10:15am and 1:45pm
2nd SW celeb 10:15am 1:30pm and 4:30pm
Clone Wars celeb 3pm, 4:30pm and 5:45pm

each session is one hour long, you can't request a specific autograph fastpass time but you can exchange with someone else that has one for the same celeb.

WOW, so Ray Parks only did two sessions a day last year... And if he only does 30 - 40 Autographs an hour, that's a short list of people getting Ray Parks FP. Now I get the reason that people stand in line so EARLY!

NEXT QUESTION... How soon do you check in for the Autograph session... say I get a FP for the 10:15, what time should I be there waiting?

 

[kpitarresi]

I just booked the D-tech experience for my DH and DS (6). The one thing I was stumped on was picking ressie time. Do you think at 10:00 ressie will interfere with anything. We basically want to meet some characters, my son wants to do JTA, TSM, Star Tours, IJ, and try and catch the parade. TIA

 

[AquaDame]

I just booked the D-tech experience for my DH and DS (6). The one thing I was stumped on was picking ressie time. Do you think at 10:00 ressie will interfere with anything. We basically want to meet some characters, my son wants to do JTA, TSM, Star Tours, IJ, and try and catch the parade. TIA

I certainly hope so... I went with 10 as well! But was also just guessing...

 

[yulilin3]

WOW, so Ray Parks only did two sessions a day last year... And if he only does 30 - 40 Autographs an hour, that's a short list of people getting Ray Parks FP. Now I get the reason that people stand in line so EARLY!

NEXT QUESTION... How soon do you check in for the Autograph session... say I get a FP for the 10:15, what time should I be there waiting?

Be there 10 minutes before your fp time