Official Star Wars Weekends Thread Tips and Tricks 2015

[Laura C]

Thanks for the info. Did your DS do JTA on the tour? My DS is 5 & our DD turns 2 the day we check out of WDW. I really am only worried about not getting to see Chewbacca and doing the DTech appt, but I guess that's the price I pay for skipping lines all day (that and $340x3 of course). We were planning on hitting AK on Saturday morning but I don't want to make an ADR for lunch in case we have to hit HS again.

Yulilin mentioned previously that you should be able to pre book the appointment for DTech or I got told that when we go to Darths mall at 7ish with the VIP package it won't be open but you can book an appointment for later that day in the down time between 4 and 9 before the fireworks, hope it all works out for you, we're hoping to get the carbonite ones, better get experimenting with facial expressions!

 

[coluk003]

Speaking of detech is that bookable yet or is it something Disney announces later.

 

[yulilin3]

As to Hoopla no official word why they cancelled it.
D Tech hasn't opened for booking yet

 

[Cluelyss]

Completely unrelated but this is my view at this moment from the Wishes fp area. Something to keep the magic alive until ya'll get here

That new area is sooooo much better! That's for that little bit of magic

 

[Brandiwlf]

If the parade is at 11:30 does it make sense to book fp starting at 12? I was thinking around 12,1,2 for fp. I don't think we'll use one for a show so I will be getting tsmm for real lol. Also star tours! I was thinking frozen for the third fp for my mom and I but my boys totally refuse to go to it. Any suggestions on a third for them and my dh? Not interested in tot

 

[lovethattink]

If the parade is at 11:30 does it make sense to book fp starting at 12? I was thinking around 12,1,2 for fp. I don't think we'll use one for a show so I will be getting tsmm for real lol. Also star tours! I was thinking frozen for the third fp for my mom and I but my boys totally refuse to go to it. Any suggestions on a third for them and my dh? Not interested in tot

Indy?

 

[yulilin3]

@Brandiwlf LMA? or Muppets?

 

[HCinKC]

If the parade is at 11:30 does it make sense to book fp starting at 12? I was thinking around 12,1,2 for fp. I don't think we'll use one for a show so I will be getting tsmm for real lol. Also star tours! I was thinking frozen for the third fp for my mom and I but my boys totally refuse to go to it. Any suggestions on a third for them and my dh? Not interested in tot

We aren't doing it on a SWW day, but I am sending DH and the kids to LMA Stunts while I go do ToT and RnR.

 

[yulilin3]

Kenny the Pirate just posted a picture of the new dhs map and it shows that a permanent stage is being built where the hat used to be. Called center stage.

 

[drlaurafsu]

Having way too much fun making DSs new autograph book! I need to finish it quickly before I go catch a plane this afternoon. For the rebels I am making pages with their names and we are adding stickers of them later. It's the best I could do on short notice.

 

[Music City Mama]

As for my username it's yulilin: Julie-lin. But please if you see me during SWW or any other time any one is here at Disney you can just call me Yuli (Julie) that's what my friends call me.

This is good to know! I think the first time I met you a couple of years ago, it was in line at TSMM with your DD and I recognized you. I asked if you were Yuli (but pronounced liked You-lee) -- now I know it's pronounced like Julie.

Completely unrelated but this is my view at this moment from the Wishes fp area. Something to keep the magic alive until ya'll get here

Thanks for sharing that. I'm going to send you a PM with a question so I don't derail the thread.

 

[jeeperwy]

Thanks for the info. Did your DS do JTA on the tour? My DS is 5 & our DD turns 2 the day we check out of WDW. I really am only worried about not getting to see Chewbacca and doing the DTech appt, but I guess that's the price I pay for skipping lines all day (that and $340x3 of course). We were planning on hitting AK on Saturday morning but I don't want to make an ADR for lunch in case we have to hit HS again.

JTA wasn't part of the package last year so I can't help there. Darth's mall was nice though! We came back on a different day and the line was huge! So nice to shop with only 30 or so people. Also you can get pictures with the backdrops (that are in the line to get into the mall) with no wait.
You probably already do this since you have young kids but I would bring some quiet toys etc..for the kids during the shows. They can get a little long for the kids especially by the end of the day.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

I know theres never been and never will be an official word as to why, but has anyone heard why they stopped doing the hooplas? I know not everyone loved it, some complained, not sure why. Any thoughts?

What I've always heard is that Disney stopped it when they purchased the Star Wars brand because the characters were now owned by Disney and they wanted to treat their characters seriously. Which to me at least, makes a lot of sense. Darth Vader is a pretty scary, tragic villain. It takes a bit away from his character to have him break dancing. Just as Disney does not allow the princesses or any other Disney character to break character, they now do not allow the Star Wars people to break character. So Darth Vader will be intimidating and threatening, no more dancing.

I know the stormtroopers do silly pre-shows, but I believe that is in character for them to be somewhat bumbling.

 

[coluk003]

If the parade is at 11:30 does it make sense to book fp starting at 12? I was thinking around 12,1,2 for fp. I don't think we'll use one for a show so I will be getting tsmm for real lol. Also star tours! I was thinking frozen for the third fp for my mom and I but my boys totally refuse to go to it. Any suggestions on a third for them and my dh? Not interested in tot

Wait you can get different people different fp's? I didnt know that

 

[MickeyMinnieMom]

What I've always heard is that Disney stopped it when they purchased the Star Wars brand because the characters were now owned by Disney and they wanted to treat their characters seriously. Which to me at least, makes a lot of sense. Darth Vader is a pretty scary, tragic villain. It takes a bit away from his character to have him break dancing. Just as Disney does not allow the princesses or any other Disney character to break character, they now do not allow the Star Wars people to break character. So Darth Vader will be intimidating and threatening, no more dancing.

I know the stormtroopers do silly pre-shows, but I believe that is in character for them to be somewhat bumbling.

I agree with this sentiment 110%. The stormtroopers, who clearly have horrifically bad aim and can be easily circumvented, seem like the right characters to be a little more lighthearted with. The rest of hyperspace hoopla always struck me as "wrong", in some way. I think they're right not to continue it, personally.

 

[yulilin3]

Symphony in the Stars is showing up on the schedule now
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/calendars/hollywood-studios/2015-05-15/#timeofday=allday
So I checked and weekend 1 has the fireworks at 9:45pm while all the other weekends areshowing it at 9:30pm. This is interesting and I don't know what to make of it.

 

[Koh1977]

Wait you can get different people different fp's? I didnt know that

Yes! Makes it SO much easier when you have 2 kids at different ages or interested in different things, etc. to split up. We usually used the rider swap so both DH and I could go on the thrill rides with DS, but I could also take DD on something different while her older brother was riding with Daddy.

 

[coluk003]

OH man thats good to know, I dont like soarin, actually never been on it but the feet dangling and the screen dont make it something i want to go on, i bet i could close my eyes but then whats the point lol. so while my sisters are doing that i could do something else. Whats in the area for soarin thats worth a fp? I know here living with the land but i dont see that being worth the fp as you can go late at night and its usually empty

 

[jennab113]

Do the character meet and greets have PhotoPass photographers with them? And do the celebrities? I'm thinking of getting Memory Maker since it would cover all three weekends I'll be there.

 

[yulilin3]

Do the character meet and greets have PhotoPass photographers with them? And do the celebrities? I'm thinking of getting Memory Maker since it would cover all three weekends I'll be there.

Characters that have a dedicated line have photopass photographers. There are photographers roaming with the roaming characters but not one per character so that might be a bit harder.
There are no photopass photographers for Celebrity meet and greets