Official Star Wars Weekends 2014 Tips and Tricks

[tdosal]

Can't wait

 

[The Sunrise Student]

Is it wrong that I kinda really want to get myself done as an Alderaan princess with the D-Tech thing. Just for the fun of my face on Princess Leia lol. I'll probably end up doing a stormtrooper

Nope that's not bad at all, would be a pretty fun conversation piece for sure!

 

[The Sunrise Student]

Looks like im benched this year ..
Had to pull my submission app
Government cancelled my leave ..
So its over for me ;(. Hoping to get 2015

Also dis, has put a cap on marchers 150 -501/RL
So gone are days of up to 200 marchers in a parade ..
No more costume themed days .. Like 20 pilots one day and 30 tuskens the next and a fleet of clones the following ;(

Also certain characters are not going to be seen mostly E.U. And games Alot of epic but lesser known costumes
On of my buddy's -a personal favorite of the parades for me personally
may have to switch to a different character

Well see alot of changes this year some good - some great - some unfortunate
No more hoopla
Hopefully all these new bugs and future changes
On stage and behind the curtains get worked out
Before 2015 --- or may not do 2016

Ive always loved the weekends - but as a glass half empty person - i fear things will not be the same ??? But on the other hand hold great hopes the mouse can make the brand and epic win for all fans alike -
and not just use the franchise to make the registers ring !! But to make the wars something new and old fans will continue to grow and love for centuries to come

Awww on you not marching this year!

I am about to sport one of those EU characters for the 501st officially so I can't march in here either (Mara Jade). That sucks about the numbers being slimmed down too and the amount of like costumes. Looks like I will be waiting until I am official 501st so I can see all the details before I pick a second costume that is canon so that I can march in the motorcade someday!

Hopefully I'll see you on the parade route next year!

 

[The Sunrise Student]

I'm not sure if I'm doing this right. I'm new to this. Can anyone help me. I've just ordered a 7'' stormtrooper and the lady said I'd get a confirmation e-mail but I didn't. Don't really want to call back as I live in England and the 30 mins on hold cost me enough. Thanks for your time.

I was also given a confirmation number but no e-mail!

 

[kmcdougan]

Awww on you not marching this year!

I am about to sport one of those EU characters for the 501st officially so I can't march in here either (Mara Jade). That sucks about the numbers being slimmed down too and the amount of like costumes. Looks like I will be waiting until I am official 501st so I can see all the details before I pick a second costume that is canon so that I can march in the motorcade someday!

Hopefully I'll see you on the parade route next year!

THis is open to the public and is a safe starting point to decide what you may want to do: http://www.501st.com/databank/Costuming:CRL

I recommend officer costumes, simply because they are easier to do and are much less expensive and do not need to go through Flagship Eclipse for approval. Just my recommendation. EU is not bad, but this year, they just want much more easily recognizable characters. Odd, since many of those who go to SWW are SW fans. I will not understand that logic. I just follow orders.

Ash

 

[The Sunrise Student]

I just found this massive thread and will be reading it the next few days. Wow!!

I'm taking my 5yr old DS May 20-27. This is our 1st SWW and we are going in memory of my husband who passed, unexpectedly, in October.

DS caught his daddy watching the Clone Wars when he was 3 and became hooked. My DH couldn't have been prouder. He's already picking out costumes and has requested to eat breakfast with Darth Vader & the rest of the "Big People Star Wars Characters!" We do have ADRs for Sci-Fi & H&V the 22nd.

I'm so sad- devastated, actually, that my husband is not here. This is HIS thing. Well, their thing. I'm such a noob. I've seen the movies but things didn't stick in my brain like they did theirs. I'm so lost w/I DH as it is...tackling Disney alone, much less for something he was SO giddy about, he was ready to start plan a trip last fall. In fact, a trip to WDW was one of the last things he and I talked about the night before he died (passed in his sleep). We had booked a surprise trip for Nov. He passed 10/29. Some days, I still can't believe it.

Anyway- so sorry to be a downer. I am just wanting you guys to understand that, not only am I semi-dumb about Star Wars but I am also grieving and I think that must zap brain cells faster than pregnancy brain!!! Please bear with me. I want to do all I can to make this trip memorable for my brave boy and keep myself from going crazy.

What a truly remarkable way to honor your husband and enjoy time with your son.

You have found the right place for all your SWW planning questions Yulilin is the bomb and what she can't answer someone else here will be friendly and take up the call!

I truly hope that this will be magical time for your family, and I think you'll do really GREAT being such a loving mom helping your son enjoy his father's love of Star Wars!

 

[jajida]

subscribing...

 

[The Sunrise Student]

Yep. There I am, right up front, white tunic and all. This pace is about 1/2 to 2/3 of what we march at for Mardi Gras. And Mardi Gras is a much longer route (about 7 miles). Most of our guys make specific modifications to their armor so that they can march such distances in all kinds of weather.

I can say that the DHS parade is the shortest 15 minutes I have ever experienced, but it was the most awesome. I can't wait to do it again this year.

Ash

Ash have you ever considered a cooling vest under that uniform?

 

[The Sunrise Student]

We are 6:05 for our group. Total of 14 adults, 3 kids and an infant. We will have 4 501st members in that bunch. It will be a wild night, to be sure.

Ash

Holy smokes, well hopefully we catch you, depends on how fast they get us through dinner!

 

[kmcdougan]

Ash have you ever considered a cooling vest under that uniform?

Don't really need it. I wear UnderArmor which wicks moisture away pretty well, and the fabric is pretty breathable. I don;'t have issues with it. Additionally, anything mor bulky than the UnderArmor, the costume will not fit at all, and I wil have real problems.

Those guys who have cotton or wool get real hot, and, my guess is that many folks don't necessarily put enough cooling stuff in their armor. Fans, vents, portable AC units, etc.. All of it works pretty well, but if you don't anticipate it, you are not prepared for it, and you suffer.

Being from NOLA, 100 degree days with 100% humidity are normal. But for SWW, people come from all over who may not be used to it or have been exposed to it, so hydration becomes a key issue.

Ash

 

[lovethattink]

Ash have you ever considered a cooling vest under that uniform?

I bought a cooling vest for my son. He can't regulate his body temp, and has been having problems both indoor and out. Since we won't have a freezer, I bought a vest that uses ice packs that freeze at 53 degrees. I hope it works!!

 

[aym4Him]

I just wanted to add my condolences. I think it's wonderful that you are taking your DS to SWW, something that clearly meant a lot to your family and will continue to do so

Thank you!

Hi, Amy. I followed Ethan's MAW PTR. I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of your husband. You are very strong, courageous, and caring to take your son to SWW. I'm sure the two of you will have an awesome time. There is a DISer, mommy2mrb, who lost her husband in the Haiti earthquake. She and her daughter have done several trips to WDW and DLR. They have found Disney to be helpful to their healing process. How is Ethan's heart doing since his MAW trip? The D-Tech figures are too fragile to play with. And somehow my son got a water drop on his and it left a definite mark. My son loves to wear costumes to SWW, though this year I don't think he'll be able to. He is on more medication and it's really wreaking havoc on his temperature regulation. But in past years he loved to wear full costumes and carry accessories that went with them. I still have to figure out what he's going to do this year.

Hi! I remember you . Thank you. It's definitely special to us. His Wish Trip was our last big family vacation. Who knew?!? Here we were concerned about our son's heart and Dillon dies in his sleep. They said it was arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. He had just walked his nightly 2 miles. We talked about WDW and JTA, he said goodnight and then E and I found him the next morning. Still so surreal.

E has been quite healthy. We go for his annual cardio checkup on Monday. His usual cardiologist relocated out of state so we are seeing a new guy. This will be the first appt that my DH won't be at. Anyway, the only thing I notice about E is that he overheats (but won't slow down!). I'm nervous about going in May, especially since he wants to dress up. He doesn't overheat to the point where he gets ill- but we haven't done WDW in the summer heat before.

I'm sorry to hear of that side effect. I hope you guys figure out something that will make him happy yet keep him safe

P.S. I'm thinking no D-Tech. We may just stick with the less fragile & less expensive name tags!!

I am so incredibly sorry for your loss. I can't even imagine your grief, I hope you believe in some sort of afterlife that allows your DH to be with you and DS every second of SWW. We are going to be down the week before you, our DS is 5 too, if we were there at the same time I would have looked for you to let them play a bit so you could catch your breath! We went to our first SWW last year, just DS and I while DH was somewhere with the Army (DH and I had been once before, but it was an accident, we were on a golf trip and wanted to visit HS for the day). DS loved every minute, even though we were scattered and really didn't know what we were doing. I used Kennythepirate's advice (he has a website too if you google him) as far as when to do character meets, and we got everyone he wanted other than Chewie. This year I booked the meals because he got heat stroke waiting in all the lines, I don't want to repeat that. We skipped JTA because he's tried before and was scared of DV - and with DM there too, there was just no way he could do it. DM scared both of us just during our meet and greet, never mind JTA! Overall we had a great time, if you have any questions about doing it alone with a 5 year old, let me know!

Thank you. I do believe in Heaven and I'm so grateful for my faith. I'm not sure I would make it through the day without God's strength. I'll never understand why things happen but I've seen great things unfold from the darkest of circumstances. I'm hoping He makes beauty from these ashes soon!

I wish we were there at the same time. Thank you for your tips!

Am so very sorry for your loss. Taking your DS to Disney & SWW is a wonderful way to grieve him and honor him; I hope this will be healing for you.

Thank you. I hope so, too. I get tired just thinking about it but then, I get excited, too. He is going to be on cloud 9!!!

What a truly remarkable way to honor your husband and enjoy time with your son. You have found the right place for all your SWW planning questions Yulilin is the bomb and what she can't answer someone else here will be friendly and take up the call! I truly hope that this will be magical time for your family, and I think you'll do really GREAT being such a loving mom helping your son enjoy his father's love of Star Wars!

You guys!!! Y'all are making me cry- but in a good way. Thank you so much!! Dillon truly truly truly loved Star Wars. It's bittersweet that we are actually going to be at SWW without him. I need my Right Hand Man, even if he gets disgusted when I ask him a Star Wars related question whose answer (he feels) I should already know I keep catching myself wanting to turn to him or text him about random things. I know there will be a TON of those moments then.

<3

 

[markmcalear]

I notice all of the example D-Tech figurines have hair, is there an option for a completely bald headed man?

 

[btowndude]

I notice all of the example D-Tech figurines have hair, is there an option for a completely bald headed man?

Click on the link and it will show the different hair styles -

http://www.disneyparksmerchandise.com/parksauthentic/star-wars-d-tech-me/

 

[btowndude]

I was also given a confirmation number but no e-mail!

My confirmation email came the next day.

 

[yulilin3]

Sorry, but the link is stared out. Is this something you can preorder or do we have to get them at the parks?

No you can't pre-order and you can only get them during SWW (Fri-Sat-Sun) at DHS. The name tag is like a Cast Member name tag in size and comes in blue, black for passholder and orange for the people going to the special rendevous event on May 15.
You fill out the paper and pick your home planet from Star Wars and you write your name (up to 11 characters) and they put your name in Aurebesh (star Wars language).the ordering process is fast, depending how many people in line and it usually takes around 3 to 4 hours to be ready. It's around $10.

 

[lovethattink]

Hi! I remember you . Thank you. It's definitely special to us. His Wish Trip was our last big family vacation. Who knew?!? Here we were concerned about our son's heart and Dillon dies in his sleep. They said it was arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease. He had just walked his nightly 2 miles. We talked about WDW and JTA, he said goodnight and then E and I found him the next morning. Still so surreal.

E has been quite healthy. We go for his annual cardio checkup on Monday. His usual cardiologist relocated out of state so we are seeing a new guy. This will be the first appt that my DH won't be at. Anyway, the only thing I notice about E is that he overheats (but won't slow down!). I'm nervous about going in May, especially since he wants to dress up. He doesn't overheat to the point where he gets ill- but we haven't done WDW in the summer heat before.

I'm sorry to hear of that side effect. I hope you guys figure out something that will make him happy yet keep him safe

P.S. I'm thinking no D-Tech. We may just stick with the less fragile & less expensive name tags!!

We just never know what tomorrow has in store for us. I can't even begin to imagine.

I'm so glad to hear that E has been doing so well. I hope his cardio appointment goes great!

I keep hearing that there are many changes this year at SWW. My fingers are crossed that a good amount of changes have to do with not being out in the hot sun so much.

It's good that the heat hasn't caused any issues with E. My son has severe full body tics and seizures when he overheats. We usually bring frozen water bottles, but we are staying at a Disney resort and will only have a refrigerator. The vest I bought him has icepacks that freeze by a chemical reaction at 53 degrees, so we can freeze it in the refrigerator!! Not sure how we will work out the 2nd set of ice packs, but I'm sure we'll figure it out.

If the vest works as it says, he should get 2 hours of coolness from it and it should take 45 minutes to freeze a spare icepack.

We also have 2 hand held air conditioners which we used last year for him. Stuck one on either side of his wheelchair. He would love to be cool enough to walk more at SWW! And if it fits under a costume he'd be even more happy!

The name tags are a great souvenir and not expensive.

You guys!!! Y'all are making me cry- but in a good way. Thank you so much!! Dillon truly truly truly loved Star Wars. It's bittersweet that we are actually going to be at SWW without him. I need my Right Hand Man, even if he gets disgusted when I ask him a Star Wars related question whose answer (he feels) I should already know I keep catching myself wanting to turn to him or text him about random things. I know there will be a TON of those moments then.

<3

If you have the time, sit down with E and watch the movies. If you have Netflix, the Clone Wars is now on there. I know the voices show is going to be about the new cartoon series, Star Wars Rebels. Maybe this is something you and Ethan can start watching together once it starts airing on Disney XD?

As a kid, I've always enjoyed the movies, but I didn't consider myself a fan. It wasn't until my oldest son got hooked on them that I really started getting interested in Star Wars. Back then we went to SWW for him. Since then we have made is a family thing and we all enjoy Star Wars. Well, Star Wars, Star Trek and Dr. Who.

 

[ktate82]

No you can't pre-order and you can only get them during SWW (Fri-Sat-Sun) at DHS. The name tag is like a Cast Member name tag in size and comes in blue, black for passholder and orange for the people going to the special rendevous event on May 15.
You fill out the paper and pick your home planet from Star Wars and you write your name (up to 11 characters) and they put your name in Aurebesh (star Wars language).the ordering process is fast, depending how many people in line and it usually takes around 3 to 4 hours to be ready. It's around $10.

Thanks for the info. It's our first SWW so just trying to get it all figured out.

 

[yulilin3]

Thanks for the info. It's our first SWW so just trying to get it all figured out.

SWW can be a bit overwhelming for people going for the first time, the more research the better. Any other questions let us know

 

[1153rsmith]

This is probably a dumb question, but is there more than one parade, or is the 501st part of the motorcade that has Jedi Mickey and the celebs? The reason I ask is the video that was posted looks like it was taken near Star Tours but I thought I had read that the motorcade only goes up to the hat.

This will be our first SWW so we don't want to miss anything major.... except sleep, that is.