Star Wars Weekend Tips 2012

[jar]

Washout today.

Got there at exactly 8. FP for Jake gone. They said standby just sold out. Got FP for Silas. Could have gotten any of the others too.

PMC already filled up by 8:05. We were 2nd on waitlist for 6:30pm (Ep. 1). Also just one person on waitlist for 2pm but we didn't want CW.

Got FP for TSM - return time of 9:40am. Rode ToT w/ no line at all. Then went to Darth's Mall at 8:30am with no line at all there either to get in or at register. Saw C3PO and R2D2. Son got picked for parade there (he was wearing his Vadar costume).

Rode TSM and got another FP at 9:45. Return time was 2:35pm. Then rode ST - wait around 10-15 minutes. Started to drizzle. Got early lunch at Sci-Fi - no problem w/o ADR.

Got out of lunch at noon and there was a steady-to-hard rain. They cancelled the parade. Now we may have to go back tomorrow and hope my son gets in it again.

After walking around a bit more, with the rain only getting harder, we decided to go back to BLT(foregoing our 2:35pm TSM FP and a 2nd we also got for ST). We'll probably go back soon to meet Silas, do the 6:30pm PMC (can't imagine they won't have at least two no-shows so we'll get off waitlist) and see HH -- weather is supposed to be clear by 8pm. And right b/f we left at 1:30, we got an 8:20 FP for TSM for right after HH.

 

[Nik's Mom]

Crowds were light today. We got there at 7am, and were just a few families back in line. They park opened before 7:30 for sure. We walked on all rides in the morning. We waited about 20 minutes for Vader. Then it started to rain. I didn't see very many characters roaming the park after that, so we left after the parade was cancelled. We were so bummed about the parade.

 

[CentralFloridian99]

Crowds were light today. We got there at 7am, and were just a few families back in line. They park opened before 7:30 for sure. We walked on all rides in the morning. We waited about 20 minutes for Vader. Then it started to rain. I didn't see very many characters roaming the park after that, so we left after the parade was cancelled. We were so bummed about the parade.

Thanks for the update, and sorry to rain on your parade (had to do it ) I never knew they could cancel the Motorcade, especially since it's a big deal.

 

[L8ter]

Does anyone know what time the Characters @ Darth's Mall have been available? I thought I read they weren't supposed to come out until 9 or 9:30am, but have been showing up early.

Thanks for all the info!

 

[TDC Nala]

I never knew they could cancel the Motorcade, especially since it's a big deal.

They woudn't be able to have the Motorcade and marching costumed characters in the rain.

 

[disneymomma76]

Ok so after reading all the reports from the previous weekends I have some questions. I assumed that since the fastpasses were gone and they opened HS early every day for SWW that the crowds would be heavy that early in the morning. However, I am reading that many people are walking on to rides several times in a row with little to no wait in the mornings. So where are all the people? Do they get fastpasses for celebs and then go back to bed? Do they camp out at character lines? Do they have early morning ARDs for breakfast?

If the crowds are light in the mornings my family is going to LOVE getting to ride all of those rides with little to no wait! I can't WAIT!

THANKS!

 

[DanniDeer]

alright, y'all. here's how our day went:

Woke up almost an hour before my 4:45 alarm out of sheer excitement.
Funny, because I had to leave for work at 6:30 all week, and couldn't get myself out of bed until 6:27 every morning...

After making sure the pup had been taken out, left with food and water, and all cats had been removed from our bedroom, we left for Denny's about 5:20.

By 6:25, we were on the road to Disney. At 7:19, we pulled in to the practically empty parking lot, and I started getting nervous because I saw the stormtroopers on the roof.

We ended up getting there RIGHT as they were starting, and were in by 7:31. No kids/not really caring about celebrities meant we had nothing to do until around 9, so we headed to Toy Story and walked right on. After, we made our way down Sunset and hopped on Tower with only 4 other people, followed by scoring some sweet backstage passes from Aerosmith, and a trip to the Maul, before heading over to Star Tours with a 5 minute wait, max. When we came out of the ride, it had started to rain, so I wanted to put my camera in the car. DBf obliged, and we went back to the parking lot, and passed A LOT of people coming in. And it had started to rain, hard. We had to leave around 3 anyways, and figured the unprotected characters/parade would be a no-go, so we made the executive decision not to journey back in to Hollywood Studios.

By 9:30, we were walking to the Magic Kingdom tram, when by DBf stepped in a puddle and complained that the water went through the holes in the bottom of his shoes [shoes that I have been BEGGING to replace for multiple weeks now], and we trekked, hanging heads in defeat of the day, and headed to the mall. After a quick visit with his soon-to-be BIL at work, we acquired him a new pair of shoes, and contemplated heading back to the 'World.

While we were leaving, I spotted a boba tea place. Now, I LOVE boba tea, but my DBf has never had it, so I introduced him to the delicious perfection.

Why is this relevant, you ask? Because of the name: Chewy Boba. Coincidence? I think not. We bought their shirts:

HOW AMAZING IS THAT?!

[side note: DBf got the Lychee boba tea. Why? because he LOVED the Happy Lychee at Epcot during F&W last year. How did I get so lucky?!]

A few stores down the plaza, there was a comic book shop. We love looking at things, especially when those things are centered around comics/super heroes/star wars/toys/figurines, and extra especially when they have a bunch of stuff from our childhoods. The place was like 2/3 Star Wars. We spent close to an hour there, before deciding to call it an afternoon and head home.

All in all, this day was a SWW-fail, but a SW-win. I can't wait to try again next weekend!!​

 

[disneymomma76]

Did anyone see these.......http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/parks/hollywood-studios/special-events/star-wars-weekend/

 

[RedM94]

Had a great day today, except for the rain!! It was nice to see and talk to a lot people we haven't seen since last year.

My son got autographs from Silas Carson and Jake Lloyd. M son and I were just on our balcony and I noticed Silas walking down the boardwalk.

I called his name, and he stopped and chatted with us for a few minutes.

Have a great night everyone!!!

Rick

 

[RedM94]

Oh I almost forgot. If anyone found a small blue digital Sony camera at the part today, it may be mine.

I can't believe I lost it the first hour in the park. So if you saw some guy trying to take pictures with his iPad today, that would have been me.

 

[Karpkg]

Ironic that we had time between James 10:25 apt and 1:45 Silas so we hopped to MK. And deliberately missed the parade so we can get meridas autograph. Rained but we walked on to Merida. Enuff time to ride splash 15 min before hi tailing it back late monorail had stopped, took boat but got in time. Thanx to yulilin3 got recording from James as obi wan and Catherine as Padme. Silas was friendly and was impressed with photo book he signed. More later going back to MK tonite.

 

[RedM94]

Ironic that we had time between James 10:25 apt and 1:45 Silas so we hopped to MK. And deliberately missed the parade so we can get meridas autograph. Rained but we walked on to Merida. Enuff time to ride splash 15 min before hi tailing it back late monorail had stopped, took boat but got in time. Thanx to yulilin3 got recording from James as obi wan and Catherine as Padme. Silas was friendly and was impressed with photo book he signed. More later going back to MK tonite.

Karpkg,

It was great seeing you and your family again this year!! How do you do it? We are schwupped! Calling it an early night. I need what ever it is you are eating and drinking to keep going!!

 

[yulilin3]

Ok so after reading all the reports from the previous weekends I have some questions. I assumed that since the fastpasses were gone and they opened HS early every day for SWW that the crowds would be heavy that early in the morning. However, I am reading that many people are walking on to rides several times in a row with little to no wait in the mornings. So where are all the people? Do they get fastpasses for celebs and then go back to bed? Do they camp out at character lines? Do they have early morning ARDs for breakfast?

If the crowds are light in the mornings my family is going to LOVE getting to ride all of those rides with little to no wait! I can't WAIT!

THANKS!

the fastpasses that are gone are for the celebrity autographs not for the attractions...the majority of the people there go for the celeb fp's enter the park and sit down (since most of them spend the night there) or go back to their rooms and sleep until the fp's session. The other group of people go straight to sign up for JTA and then go to the attractions or get in line for characters...the lines for the rides doesn't really get bad until maybe around 9am
If you get there when the park actually opens (7:30ish) you'll be able to ride TSM, Tot, RnRC and ST in the first 2 hours...enjoy

 

[jar]

Washout today.

Got there at exactly 8. FP for Jake gone. They said standby just sold out. Got FP for Silas. Could have gotten any of the others too.

PMC already filled up by 8:05. We were 2nd on waitlist for 6:30pm (Ep. 1). Also just one person on waitlist for 2pm but we didn't want CW.

Got FP for TSM - return time of 9:40am. Rode ToT w/ no line at all. Then went to Darth's Mall at 8:30am with no line at all there either to get in or at register. Saw C3PO and R2D2. Son got picked for parade there (he was wearing his Vadar costume).

Rode TSM and got another FP at 9:45. Return time was 2:35pm. Then rode ST - wait around 10-15 minutes. Started to drizzle. Got early lunch at Sci-Fi - no problem w/o ADR.

Got out of lunch at noon and there was a steady-to-hard rain. They cancelled the parade. Now we may have to go back tomorrow and hope my son gets in it again.

After walking around a bit more, with the rain only getting harder, we decided to go back to BLT(foregoing our 2:35pm TSM FP and a 2nd we also got for ST). We'll probably go back soon to meet Silas, do the 6:30pm PMC (can't imagine they won't have at least two no-shows so we'll get off waitlist) and see HH -- weather is supposed to be clear by 8pm. And right b/f we left at 1:30, we got an 8:20 FP for TSM for right after HH.

Not such a washout after all.

After a couple of hours at BLT, rain lightened so we went back to HS and had a virtually dry rest of the day. Rain thinned out enough of the 6:30pm PMC so DS got in off the wait-list. Rode TSM and ST twice (the latter with no lines at all), got Silas's autograph and thanks to the lesser crowds, we were able to walk-up for Jake Lloyd's too with only about a 15 minute wait. He's reportedly a very fast signer. Silas was much more chatty. HH was terrific.

Only hole in the day was the parade and now DS wants to go back tomorrow in the hope he will get picked again.

Regarding the early question about characters in Darth Mall, C3PO and R2D2 came about around 9:20am. They were the first ones.

Regarding another question, we arrived this morning at 8am and were still able to get a FP for Silas at 5:05pm, a FP for TSM at 9:40am and walk onto ToT.

Hooray for Johan!!!!!!!

 

[disneymomma76]

the fastpasses that are gone are for the celebrity autographs not for the attractions...the majority of the people there go for the celeb fp's enter the park and sit down (since most of them spend the night there) or go back to their rooms and sleep until the fp's session. The other group of people go straight to sign up for JTA and then go to the attractions or get in line for characters...the lines for the rides doesn't really get bad until maybe around 9am
If you get there when the park actually opens (7:30ish) you'll be able to ride TSM, Tot, RnRC and ST in the first 2 hours...enjoy

Oops.....i forgot to say "fastpasses for celebs were gone" at park opening. Thanks for the tips.

How long does it take to sign up for JTA if we decide to do that? Does the line move quickly or can I expect for us to stand there a while?

THANKS!

 

[CentralFloridian99]

Not such a washout after all.

After a couple of hours at BLT, rain lightened so we went back to HS and had a virtually dry rest of the day. Rain thinned out enough of the 6:30pm PMC so DS got in off the wait-list. Rode TSM and ST twice (the latter with no lines at all), got Silas's autograph and thanks to the lesser crowds, we were able to walk-up for Jake Lloyd's too with only about a 15 minute wait. He's reportedly a very fast signer. Silas was much more chatty. HH was terrific.

Only hole in the day was the parade and now DS wants to go back tomorrow in the hope he will get picked again.

Regarding the early question about characters in Darth Mall, C3PO and R2D2 came about around 9:20am. They were the first ones.

Regarding another question, we arrived this morning at 8am and were still able to get a FP for Silas at 5:05pm, a FP for TSM at 9:40am and walk onto ToT.

Hooray for Johan!!!!!!!

Thanks for the update! Http://kennythepirate.com has the rotation times.

 

[yulilin3]

Oops.....i forgot to say "fastpasses for celebs were gone" at park opening. Thanks for the tips.

How long does it take to sign up for JTA if we decide to do that? Does the line move quickly or can I expect for us to stand there a while?

THANKS!

You should be out in a manner of 10 to 15 min...depending how fast you can walk to the sign up area

 

[Karpkg]

And you were able to park pretty close (I'm assuming the trams aren't running yet)?

Trams aren't running yet; we're parked so close though that we walk in. If you drive you tend to end up in Stage parking.

Just heading out to pick up DGrD(8) from school on the way to the airport ourselves Can't wait to surprise her in the car

Thanks again to everyone who has answered questions and posted pics and info to keep us updated on SWW. Taking my laptop along so hopefully I can report how our days go - we are going to DHS all three days (at least that's the plan for now). I will have my big green DIS button on my bag and a very tall 8 yo Leia/or Alliance- dressed, overly-excited young girl dragging me around from character spot to spot. Say hi if you see us

Was stopped by bjakmom and her DGrD and we said and. Great meeting you! Met the most Lime Green Micky Head people today! Hi to Graysmom, SammyLee, another one who didn't mention her Avatar, and of course bjakmom. Red094, which one were you? I kept scanning Jake's line but couldn't tell.

If the park opens before 8 does that mean the rides are open early too? I've never been on TSM and want to get there early.

Rides open at time of early park opening are TSM and Star Tours. ToT and RnRC open at 8 AM.

Feeling sorry for all the families that got to DHS early today to sign kids up for JTA, it's been raining non stop since around 10:30am and it doesn't look like it's going to stop...wondering if they are doing anything special for the kids?

During the drizzling rain JTA was running. When it became a steady downpour I didn't see JTA running, but when it's steadily raining we're somewhere else.

Oops.....i forgot to say "fastpasses for celebs were gone" at park opening. Thanks for the tips.

How long does it take to sign up for JTA if we decide to do that? Does the line move quickly or can I expect for us to stand there a while?

THANKS!

You'll be walking through Indiana Jones queue line. And it'll be a moving line, sign up is fast. If park opens just before 7:30, sign ups are done by 8, 8:10.

Keep track of your celebrity autograph time, ADR or show time you're planning to attend. If possible JTA time coincides at the time of your reservation, ask for a later JTA time period.

It's 7:22 and obviously we're not at DHS. Kids are knocked. out. Maybe we'll ph there today, but we managed to see quite a few celebrities yesterday. We have unlimited fast passes for MK that we're planning on using today, due to us being stuck in Pirates during EMH last nite and got a behind the scenes tour of Pirates after the CM jumped into the water and hauled our boat to shore. (tell more later tonite).

Gotta get the kids and hubby up.

 

[Karpkg]

Updated List:

3rd Wknd June 1-3
ajh88 6/1, 6/2, 6/3
audrey2580 6/1
cerberus 6/2
bjakmom 6/1, 6/2, 6/3
DanniDeer 6/1
delmar411 6/1, 6/2
DisneyMom14 6/1, 6/3
d-r 6/1, 6/2, 6/3
emilyandethansmom
goofyredraider 6/2, 6/3
haleofafamily 6/1
Hollywoodhaha(working at Darth Mall or Tatooine Traders, say hi to Holly!)
ireland nicole
jar 6/1, 6/2
jlovesee 6/2, 6/3
jollygreengirl 6/1, 6/2
Karpkg 6/1
KJay 6/2
MeggyK(KathleensKid) 6/2, 6/3
la la 6/3
lelei
LeslieLou
lovethattink 6/2, 6/3
MarkinMA 6/1, 6/2
megan511 6/1, 6/2, 6/3
mesaboy 6/3
mmtska 6/1
MrsPook
ocalla 6/1
pandamom 6/1, 6/2
PIRATEGIRL007 6/1, 6/2
Roythe13th 6/1, 6/3
RedM94 6/1, 6/2, 6/3
Scouter88 6/2
thej 6/1, 6/2, 6/3
tigerdragon
Toystoryfan32 6/3
vleeth 6/2
vwaller72 6/2
yankeePrincess
yulilin3 6/2, 6/3

4th Wknd June 8-10
AdamLonghorn 6/8, 6/9, 6/10
ADisneyQueen 6/8
alala
Atchley 6/8, 6/10
BABY EINSTEIN'S MOM 6/10
bizeemom4 6/8, 6/10
buckeev 6/10
CarolynMink 6/10
cerberus 6/8, 6/10
Cinderumbrella 6/8, 6/9
cookieswithangel 6/8
DanniDeer 6/10
disneymomma76 6/8, 6/10
d-r 6/8, 6/9, 6/10
fallen angel727 6/8
GadgetRick 6/8, 6/9, 6/10
Hanover
Hollywoodhaha(working at Darth Mall or Tatooine Traders, say hi to Holly!)
ireland nicole 6/8
jacksonsmom 6/8, 6/10
Kathy Jetson 6/8
kmadams
ladyjubilee 6/10
LeslieLou
liriel 6/10
lovethattink 6/8, 6/9, 6/10
love goofy 6/9
Maavernon 6/8
mmtska 6/8
mousenyc
Music City Mama 6/8
NitaO 6/10
NWT 6/8, 6/9, 6/10
POLY1985 6/10
Poohbug 6/8, 6/10
RalphinSC 6/10
Robin Hood 6/9
susanrose73 6/8
syntigger 6/10
texasteacher35
tigerdragon
tiggermurr 6/10
tink70 6/9
TrixieLouMagoo 6/8
undertheseas 6/8
VeganCupcake
vwaller72 6/8
wdwfanatic80 6/9, 6/10
wdwnut61 6/8, 6/9, 6/10
yulilin3 6/9, 6/10
4forWDW 6/8
39CINDERELLA 6/8, 6/9, 6/10

 

[yulilin3]

Ark just opened...jake lloyd line longest