Star Wars Weekends

[cgqzdavis]

We noticed that MGM is advertising Star Wars weekends now. We have not been to this event in the past. We have two young boys who would think seeing Darth Vader, Chewbacca, etc. would be really cool -- however, they wouldn't care that much about seeing the actors or getting autographs, and I'm sure this event brings in the crowds. I can tell from the ad that the real actors are just there on the weekends, but could someone tell me if the highlight Star Wars all week or just on the weekends? Thanks!

 

[Bob P]

Welcome to the DIS!

Tons of info on SWW here:

http://sww.mgmstudios.org/main/

 

[glass slipper girl]

we took my sons (4 & 6) to the first weekend this year. They had a lot of fun but it does bring in crowds and it is only on the weekend that they have all the characters. My sons weren't interested in the actors either, to them Chewbacca is the star, not the guy who was in the costume, kwim? If you decide to go, get tehre before the park opens and make a bee-line for Darth Vader. We spent 2 days at MGM and didn't get a pic with him b/c the line was never less than 45 minutes long and my kids didn't want to wait in it. The first day my mother didn't understand how serious I was about getting there EARLY and thought that spending 45 minutes fiddling with her cell phone in the room was just as important. Between that and a transportation delay, we didn't end up there till like 10:15 am. The 2nd day we were on track to be there early but we just missed a boat to MGM from BWI and then the next boat that was to come and pick us up ended up going direct from Epcot to MGM with VIPs aboard rather than stopping to pick up the "unimportant people" like us before heading over there so that added an extra 30+ minutes to our wait. We got there at about 9:15 and already the line was 45 minutes long. The line for Chewbacca could get long too but not as bad. The problem there is that he could only be out for shorter periods of time before needing to go back in.

We did meet Luke...

and Princess Leia...

and a Storm Trooper...

and some other neat stuff.

My oldest was really disappointed not to get to do the Jedi training but we just couldn't. We tried a few times but the stage is out in full sun with no shade and it was 97 degrees. You have to either be there at least 30 minutes before hand and stand and wait in full sun (which when we did that by the time it was time for the Jedi Master to come out when DS would jump up and down waving his arms he was already overheated and would end up saying his heart hurt. The next time we tried he was in tears over being so hot and standing there smooshed in with other kids before it even started. The other option was to get there later and put your child up on your shoulders. That wasn't an option as my mother is in a scooter so she couldn't do it and I am 5 months pregnant and DS weighs 58 lbs. I tried once and my back hurt for hours after so that was a no-go either. I was shocked at the things a few, but no where near all, of the parents were doing to try and get their kids picked. Taking up a spot right on the ropes so other kids couldn't get up there was nothing...we actually heard one Mom telling another how to photoshop up a name tag to look like the ones given to kids on a Make A Wish trip and staying at the Give Kids The World village. She said she did one for each of her kids and all 3 were picked their first time trying the day before and the Jedi Master told the "assistants" handing the robes out to make sure those kids came up on stage for their training (there are some kids on stage and some down lower). She bragged the kids were also asked to be a part of the Parade of Padawan (they ask some kids to march in front of the Star Wars parade). She offered the name tags to another family to use...thankfully that family had some decency as we watched the father accept them, then toss them in the trash saying "that way she can't get anyone else to do the same." I knew my son really wanted to do it, but I would not have gone to that extreeme. Putting him on my shoulders at 5 months pregnant, yes...trying to make it look like he was on a Make a Wish trip, no.

 

[keishashadow]

glass slipper girl - great pics!

Are the meet & greet's spread out thru the park or just near the SW ride?
Still hoping they extend it another week for when we'll be visiting.

 

[cgqzdavis]

Thanks so much -- there was a lot of info and it was very helpful!!

 

[glass slipper girl]

The characters are around the Star Tours ride and on Mickey Ave. Basically the "Empire" characters are on Mickey Ave with Darth Vader in the area where Sorcer Mickey usually is. The Storm Troopers were just kind of wandering around Mickey Ave rather than being in one area posing for photos. You had to catch one to get pics with him. The "Rebel Alliance" characters are around the Star Tours ride. We met Like and Leia in a little alcove sort of area right near Tatoine Traders. I heard from someone that R2D2 is occasionally in that area but we never actually saw him there. Chewbacca and an Ewok were usually near one of the Star Wars props that are off the path leading to Star Tours just past Sci-Fi. The rest of the park is as it normally is, it's just those 2 areas that they have Star Wars stuff going on. Jedi Mickey is inside the Sounds Dangerous theater. They have a stage set up just to the left of Star Tours where they do some of the events. They have the Jedi Training Acadamy and the Padawan Mind Challenge here and I'm sure other events as well but those were the 2 we considered.

The first morning we arrived there, we didn't get there till 10:15. The line for Darth Vader was well over an hour long. We tried for Jedi Training Acadamy (with me putting my 6 yo DS on my shoulders while my 4 yo complained about not being "up high" and my mother repeatedly said "you are going to lose that baby!") but DS was not selected. We watched for a little while and went to see what else we could find. We stood in line for about 15 minutes to meet Luke and Leia (together) but as we got towards the front, Luke left and it was just Leia and DS was not interested in meeting just Leia.. he wanted BOY characters. LOL So we moved on. I was saying it was about 10:30 and the Star Wars parade started at 11:15 so we needed to go get a spot. Unfortunately my kids heard the music for the Power Rangers and wanted to meet them. Then it was face painting and I couldn't get my mother to understand that it wasn't an issue of her waiting in line for facing painting while I took them to meet the Power Rangers, it was a time thing. The boys flipped out b/c "Grammy said we could do our faces!" so they did that and of course by the time they were done there was no way we were getting up close for the parade. I thought that might be a good time to meet Darth Vader hoping that most people would have left for the parade. No such luck as the line was esitmated at around 90 minutes. I ended up saying let's just leave and come back on Sunday (this was Friday) and make SURE we are here before the park opens. I had a strategy worked out since I knew DS wanted Darth Vader, Luke, Leia, Anakin, Chewbacca and a Storm Trooper, to see the parade and to try for Jedi Training. Not being there at park opening threw off my plan and not having my mother understand that certain things (ie parade and jedi training) happened at certain times and we had to be there early to get a spot was making things worse. That we couldn't do it on "our time" or just wander up as it was starting and expect to be up front. So we left and went to Epcot for the afternoon and then to the pool at the BWI that evening. We did the MK on Saturday and went back to MGM on Sunday morning. We'd have been there early had we not *just* missed the boat when we walked out (as in as soon as we started down the ramp, they were just starting to pull away). At the same time that boat was leaving to MGM, one was leaving for Epcot. I had no worries as the Epcot boat SHOULD go to Epcot the back to pick us up and on to Beach/Yacht Club then Swan/Dolphin and MGM. That boat picked up VIPs at Epcot and went straignt to MGM (we asked what had happened when we finally got on a boat) so that threw off the boat rotation and we ended up waiting for a long time. We got there at like 9:15 that morning. The line for Darth Vader was already 45 minutes long, and that was the shortest we ever saw it. We offered to wait but the kids didn't want to wait in it. We met a Storm Trooper and a few other characters I don't know the name of (DS is the Star Wars fan! I know the "original 3" movies but haven't seen the prequel ones at all). After that we stood in line for about 5 minutes for Princess Leia and when we got towards the front they started saying she was going to have to leave in just a minute but when she did Luke would be out. So we got pics with her then went right back in line for Luke and waited less than 5 minutes for him too. We tried for Jedi Training once again (not picked but kids next to us were) DS in tears b/c we had been standing in full sun in 95 degree heat for at least half an hour and he was jumping up and down trying to be picked for 10 minutes or so. He was saying his heart hurt. We saw the parade (front row seat this time), had a snack, rode the Great Movie Ride then were able to be there waiting for the Power Rangers when they came out so we met more of them, tried for Jedi Training again but I would have to put DS on my shoulders. He was fussing about the heat so I ended up saying that I was so sorry but we just couldn't do Jedi Training. That it was too hot to stand around for half an hour to make sure we were at the ropes and I was too pregnant and him too heavy to put him on my shoulders. Maybe next year Daddy can come too and he can put him up but we just couldn't. DS, thankfully, understood. We rode Star Tours (or rather my mother and sons rode Star Tours with a Fast Pass. I started to but had to get out of the line b/c I felt like I was about to pass out (hadn't had lunch as we had a late ADR for Sci-Fi and probably needed more water). I met them in Tatoine Traders when they came out and we bought the boys tee shirts and Jedi Mickey stuffed animals then went to beg Sci-Fi to take us early. THANK GOD they could. After lunch my oldest went back to BWI for a nap with Grandma and my youngest and I stayed so he could meet the characters from Cars. On our way out, the Jedi Mickey line was only 10 minutes and all of it inside the theater so air conditioned. So he got to meet Jedi Mickey then we left and went back to the hotel for a break for a few hours. We did MK EMH that night and rode a ton of things as walk ons by riding while the rest of the guests watched Spectro and Wishes.

So that's my mini trip report. Sort of a what to expect sort of thing. DSs loved it and are already asking to go back next year.

Here is Jedi Mickey too..