Star Wars Weekend Tips 2012

[Cinderumbrella]

Karpkg- safe travels, have a great time, MTFBWY!!

 

[Karpkg]

Ok, ok...so I'm usually a read the entire thread kinda person, but my family just sprung on me that they want to see SWW, and we leave Saturday morning. I'm a teacher, and it's the last week of school, so I just don't have the spare time in the next two days.

Soooo...we're really just interested in meeting some characters (costumed, not celebs), seeing the parade and grabbing some merch. What's a good plan of action?? We're going this Sunday if that makes any kind of difference. Thanks!

I'm trying to pack before 3PM when we leave and I just keep deviating to these darn boards, LOL! I'll probably keep posting till 3PM.

Grab the map, check out where the character locations(p. 63, post 934) are.

Top character long lines are fab 4, vader, chewbacca, luke/leia lines. Best to get into them early after park entrance or as soon as the parade is over. Best to get spots for the parade around an hour before the parade starts, earlier for choice spots. Shady spots on the left side facing the hat goes first, spots near the stage fills up first and fast.

Merchandise- some people say great early mornings, I say use the afternoon as a break from the heat. Worse times are just before the park closes.

I'll update the DISboarders list just before I leave (3PM EST) so I don't keep posting long posts of lists. I'll post sporadically updated lists once I get to WDW (heck, gotta have some fun y'know?)

Safe trip to you all, to those who are going and haven't gone yet and hope to spot some of you there. I'll have my Lime Green Mickey Head tag w/my Avatar name on it(Karpkg) on me, stop me and say hi!

 

[yulilin3]

woohoo! We leave tomorrow!!! I cannot wait to see the look on my son's face when he realizes that we are at Star Wars Weekends....I've kept it a complete secret. We still haven't decided whether we will line up for Ray's autograph yet....I guess we will see how tired we are the day before.

How awesome!! I would love to see your son's face as well....have fun!!

I'm kind of worried right now. I really want to get Ray's autograph, but I'm worried I won't get their early enough. I was thinking of leaving around 4ish from my house. I would get the a little after 5. Is that too late?

I think 5am should be fine

Thank you! With that helpful info, I think we'd be better off driving our car instead of waiting for the bus at CBR. We usually ride the bus everywhere but we've never wanted to be at a park so much earlier before rope drop. I'm guessing that might save us 30 minutes in the a.m.

Car will be easier and better when you come out

 

[ADisneyQueen]

How are the lines/fastpasses for TSM on SWW? I was planning on going right to TSM to either ride or fastpass but I think we are going to get distracted by the SW characters and will be slow to get there. If I get a FP by 9:30, what would be my return time? I don't want it to interfere with the parade at 12 :40.

 

[girli565]

How are the lines/fastpasses for TSM on SWW? I was planning on going right to TSM to either ride or fastpass but I think we are going to get distracted by the SW characters and will be slow to get there. If I get a FP by 9:30, what would be my return time? I don't want it to interfere with the parade at 12 :40.

The park opened before 8am last Saturday and we sent one person in our party to TSM for fast passes. The return time was by 9:30am, it gave us enough time to go to Darth's Mall, ride RnR and ToT, and take pictures on the empty streets. We then rode TSM, went to get fast passes for Star Tours (return time was within 45 min), saw Muppets 3D, and had a light breakfast at the Writer's Coffee Shop (delish muffins), then off to Star Tours.

As the morning went on the lines started to get long. By the time we went to TSM to ride with our FP the return times for FP was already at 12pm , and it was only 9:20am. But the stand by line was only 40 minutes so maybe you should just wait in the line. I'd get FP right at opening for the ride you want most and then go meet the SW characters for pics.

 

[CentralFloridian99]

How are the lines/fastpasses for TSM on SWW? I was planning on going right to TSM to either ride or fastpass but I think we are going to get distracted by the SW characters and will be slow to get there. If I get a FP by 9:30, what would be my return time? I don't want it to interfere with the parade at 12 :40.

Lines are the usual, if not a little quieter. At 8:20 the return time was 2 and a half hours out.

 

[VAfamily1998]

How are the lines/fastpasses for TSM on SWW? I was planning on going right to TSM to either ride or fastpass but I think we are going to get distracted by the SW characters and will be slow to get there. If I get a FP by 9:30, what would be my return time? I don't want it to interfere with the parade at 12 :40.

If I'm remembering correctly, we got a fastpass around 8:30 ish on Friday, and the return time was around 11:30 am. Unfortunately, that is when my kids were already signed up for JTA, so we couldn't use them (Dh didn't realize this when he got the fast passes , not sure what he was thinking there!)

On Saturday night, we tried to do standby right after Hoopla--so about 8:30 pm, and it was saying 90 minute wait for Standby--the cm assured me it was really more like 60 minutes...we didn't wait around to find out.

 

[Mr. Donald Dad]

Anybody know how much the storm trooper costumes cost?

 

[cerberus]

If you're coming from the parade, Darths line is just past the fountain next to the Studio Backlot Tour (& not to far from TSM). The parade starts at the entrance and goes to the hat. You won't be able to see the parade from Darth's line. You could position yourself on the TSM side of the hat and leave 5 min or so before the parade ends. There will still be a line for darth but it should be shorter. Also, on Saturday, they announced that the parade was beginning in 15 minutes. This really helped to clear the lines. On Sunday they didn't.

Thank you

 

[AdamLonghorn]

So a little off topic, but does anyone know a good website that sells 8 x 10 photos of the Star Wars characters?

I'm looking for photos to get signed and I'd rather use them than the black and whites.

I want photos of young Boba Fett, Aurra Sing, and Assaj Ventress.

 

[ADisneyQueen]

DH wants to know if the storm troopers talk? Does anybody know and is their voice like the movie?

 

[yulilin3]

DH wants to know if the storm troopers talk? Does anybody know and is their voice like the movie?

they have a recorded script for their shows (on top of the turnstiles and before Stars of the Saga), and yes it's like in the movies...when you meet them for pictures they don't talk

 

[MeggyK]

I'm getting so excited for SWW! The kids have no idea that we leave in a week for WDW. They are both going to freak out in the morning when they realize we are heading to FL, and ds is going to completely flip out when we get to DHS and see the Storm Troopers above the turnstiles!.
Keep the updates coming. Loving all the information!

 

[Rachella76]

Just curious if the characters like Chewie or Darth do any interaction for pics, say, if you pretend to get Darth with a light saber will they do anything back for the pics or is it just stand there with them and smile for the camera? Just curious!

7 sleeps until we are there! Can't wait!

 

[lovethattink]

Anybody know how much the storm trooper costumes cost?

This Storm Trooper costume is $1700

Just curious if the characters like Chewie or Darth do any interaction for pics, say, if you pretend to get Darth with a light saber will they do anything back for the pics or is it just stand there with them and smile for the camera? Just curious!

7 sleeps until we are there! Can't wait!

In the past Darth Maul has remained in character. My son loves the character and had some great interaction, especially when his light saber or gun was from the dark side.

 

[Meg_z10]

Last questions before we head out tomorrow...
Is 5:15 early enough to get Ray Park FP?
Where is darth maul's photo spot?
When does the mall open?
Thanks!!!!

 

[emokid9963]

Last questions before we head out tomorrow...
Is 5:15 early enough to get Ray Park FP?
Where is darth maul's photo spot?
When does the mall open?
Thanks!!!!

Would also like to know this. I'm going tomorrow and I'm planning on being at the park around 5, to try and get a Ray Park FP.

 

[Feisty Fairy]

Last questions before we head out tomorrow...
Is 5:15 early enough to get Ray Park FP?
Where is darth maul's photo spot?
When does the mall open?
Thanks!!!!

We got there the first day of Star Wars Weekend around 7:10 am and was number 34 and 35 in the stand by line so that means there was 153 ahead of us for Ray Park. We were lucky enough that during the first session most of the Stand by line gave up and was able to get his signature. The next two days were worse. And I expect this weekend to be worse since it is a holiday weekend. I heard some people got there as early as four am. All Autograph spots are at Echo Lake and Darth Maul (the character) is usually around the area of Back Lot Express (in that general region). The park is divided between the good guys and the bad guys.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/me...sWeekend/star-wars-weekends_05_25-27_2012.pdf

Do try to catch the shows they are awesome especially James Arnold Taylor's Obi Wan and Beyond and Ray Park's Visit to the Maul.

 

[Kathy Jetson]

I'm getting so excited for SWW! The kids have no idea that we leave in a week for WDW. They are both going to freak out in the morning when they realize we are heading to FL, and ds is going to completely flip out when we get to DHS and see the Storm Troopers above the turnstiles!.
Keep the updates coming. Loving all the information!

I'm surprising my son too. We leave the same day as you (my ticker is off by one day). Ds will get up to go to school Friday morning and find out he is going to Florida instead. Its so hard to keep the secret!

 

[bjakmom]

I'm surprising my son too. We leave the same day as you (my ticker is off by one day). Ds will get up to go to school Friday morning and find out he is going to Florida instead. Its so hard to keep the secret!

Another surprise, very last minute trip here! I took DNeph to SWW 4 years in a row about 5 years ago and recently promised newly-star wars-obsessed DGrD(8) a trip to SWW next year. Well, I decided to pick her up from school next thursday and surprise her with an evening flight down for this year's SWW - she is going to be sooooo excited - can't wait. So many new characters and events since my last SWW.