The Darling Family June Beach Club Trip:Hugging Ewoks and Finding Peter Pan

[Disneyvirg]

Great update! Your character filled morning was great! I love that you got to meet so many different characters!

Can't wait for your next installment.

 

[dismagiclover]

Hey Jenny

I'm loving all of the Star Wars pictures! I doubt we'll ever be there during SW weekend so it's cool to see the different characters and activities.

And those Ewok pictures are just priceless!

Thanks Carissa! We had a great time meeting all the new characters

Aww more Star Wars goodness!! Congrats on getting to be the first family to see Darth Vader that's too much fun!!! Love the pictures of all the meet and greets you guys did!!!!

Can't wait for more!!

It was fun to be first in line for Vader. It may have been the highlight of DH's day

Great pictures - now I have to look up all those names and see who they are in the SW movies.


Oh, and the pics of DH w/ Darth Vader are priceless!

I don't know who lots of those characters are. My boys have to tell me I think a lot of them are from the Clone Wars series.

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These are absolutely beautiful...-you will always have these to remember that day...

I'm really interested in your observations about the Beach Club-I'd like to stay there next...the pool sounds really awesome-and it's in a fab location for the Studios...

next time time we go I'd like to go to either the Star Wars Weekend in May or the Halloween Party in October....

Your children really seem to be like really nice kids...

More trippie?

I love the Ewok pictures too. Moments like that will keep me coming back You really should try the Beach Club. I'm not too subtle in my adoration for it Just make sure you stay when it's warm enough for swimming. I'd love to go to the Halloween Party too, but if any of your crew are SW fans, SWW is unforgettable.

I am absolutely loving your trip thread! It's really cute and I can relate because I am an obsessive disney trip planner too. My husband tells me that D-Day had less planning then our vacations.

I'm getting lot's of great inspiration, ideas and I'm really enjoying the details!

Thanks so much for posting! We are going Christmas break and staying at the Beach Club too. We can't wait.

I'm jealous you'll be there at Christmas! And tell your husband he should be grateful for all your planning. It greatly improves the quality of his vacation

So many great SW photos! Yay for being first to see Darth! Can't wait to see the parade.

The parade is coming up next.

Those are all great pictures. Love the Star Wars ones!

Thanks! I love pictures

Hey!!! I saw your link in your siggy when you posted in my PTR!! LOVING this TR!! Your family is so beautiful!!!

So I was showing Tim all the star wars pictures and he was freaking out lol! He was like "We are so going!" We do plan on going next May, like the third week.

Can't wait to read more!

Wow Lynn! A DIS celebrity on my Trippie! I'm honored If Tim is a SW lover you should definitely plan a trip. May would be a good time because I bet it's less crowded. We had to do the last weekend because of school. Thanks for stopping by

Great update! Your character filled morning was great! I love that you got to meet so many different characters!

Can't wait for your next installment.

We love us some characters More coming right up!

 

[cjackearl]

I thought I'd posted already. Sorry!

Wow, I can't believe how many characters are out for SWW. I agree with Wendy, that Jawa was a little freaky.

Love the photopass picture of your family with Mickey.

 

[Angies1274]

More great SW pics!! The first few pics of your kids with Mickey-- are too cute.

Can't wait to read more....

 

[dismagiclover]

So I’d read the perfect place to watch the parade was sitting on the barriers right outside the Sounds Dangerous building. The parade route narrows and no one is allowed in front of you. Across the way is Echo Lake and because the route is so narrow, no one can stand directly across from you which gives you pictures without any parade viewers. I was hoping it would still be open and it was! DH’s feet were hurting so I left him sitting comfortably on the barrier (though it was hot and the sun was beating down right on him!) I took the kids to find something to do since the parade wasn’t due to start for quite a while. They decided they were up for a little pin trading so we approached the CM at the DVC kiosk. They are always happy to talk to someone. She traded pins with the kids and then tried to get me on the tour. I told her I already have a guide. Though I’d love to get DVC, we’re not ready for it yet. (Maybe never will be.) After our pin trade, John wanted to go inside the hat. I told him there is nothing inside the hat, but he insisted. We headed over and there is a store inside the hat and it’s a pin store. Michael saw a Pluto pin he desperately wanted. (It’s actually one Wendy has, but refused to trade with him.) He agreed to use his spending money to buy it. He burnt through that spending money fast, but what do you expect from a 4 year old? Wendy, on the other hand, very sensibly told me she was being careful because she wanted to make sure she didn’t see something she wanted more after she was already out of money.
Anyway, the High School Musical 3 show was getting ready to start and we didn’t want to miss it. I might have been even more excited about this than the kids because of my not so secret crush on Troy Bolton Plus, I love the music. Michael refused to leave his stroller that was parked in the shade, so I sent Wendy and John up to sit in the front row and watched from a ways back. The show started and Wendy was picked to be one of the dancers! Unfortunately, I didn’t get a picture. Here are the pictures I did get.

Those dancers have tons of energy and boy they must be hot

After the show was over we headed back to DH to get settled for the parade. I was a bit worried DH would show signs of grumpiness considering he had been sitting in the boiling sun waiting for nearly an hour. To my surprise, it was Peter Pan that greeted us! He had enjoyed the little break and had enjoyed just watching the goings on around him. This from a man who only knows how to relax if he is asleep. Disney is a magical place I tell ya!
Anyway, after a short wait for us, the parade began. Be prepared for lots of pictures. Peter Pan had the camera and if there is one thing he loves, it is Star Wars. (Well he loves baseball too, but no signs of that around.)

This is the view I was hoping all the pictures would have. You can't see any parade watchers. DH got too excited to always wait until they were right in front of us to take the picture.

This is a mama and baby sandperson. Too cute. (If you like sand people)

A lot of people in this parade are not CM's but die hard Disney fans that are in a club that marches in the parade every year. They provide their own costumes and just have fun.

Gotta get the Ewok picture in!

This is the NBA center Chewie. There is no one next to him to show the proper scale, but trust me he is tall! (He had C3PO on his back like in episoe 5. Haha)

The green guy my boys love, but I don't know his name. Does anyone out there know it?

Our favorite robot.

Not a great picture, but Darth Maul is scary

Jango Fett got a little too close. Luckily he wasn't hunting for us!

The parade was great! A definite must for anyone going to SWW. But now it was over and we were hungry! Where would we eat?

 

[dismagiclover]

I thought I'd posted already. Sorry!

Wow, I can't believe how many characters are out for SWW. I agree with Wendy, that Jawa was a little freaky.

Love the photopass picture of your family with Mickey.

More great SW pics!! The first few pics of your kids with Mickey-- are too cute.

Can't wait to read more....

Thanks for the compliments! We weren't short on characters or pictures

 

[Lynn5700]

Great pictures from the parade!! It looks really cool. OMG Tim will be in his glory lol!
Yeah we usually go the beginning of May, but my spring semester ends the second week of May so that's why.

 

[micheleq]

I love your TR!

Star Wars was the first movie I saw in the theater (ok, I'm 37!), and DH & I are huge fans. Not fanatics, but pretty darn close.

Our girls are just starting to get into Star Wars, DD4 loves the original movie, but DD2 is not there yet

A great trip report, looking forward to more!

PS -- Was the heat horrible? I saw your DD had a mister with her in the pics. We went in December and I loved the low crowds, but June 2010 might be a more probable time for us to go back. Darn economy!

 

[LovingDisny]

I am loving your TR. We are going June 2010, I have been showing my boys your pictures and they are so excited about Star Wars Weekend. My boys will be 12 and 4 when we go, I'm worried about DS4 being brave enough to hug Chewbacca! It looks like your little ones did great. keep the report coming

 

[shannon47142]

just caught up with the last few updates--awesome photos and stories from Star Wars--my favorites are the ones with the Storm Troopers

 

[Angies1274]

Wow!! Great parade pictures!!! Glad to hear you got the spot you wanted to view the parade!! It certainly worked out, because you got some awesome shots!!!

 

[SunnieRN]

All the star wars pictures were great! I thought their reactions to darth vadar were great! Looking forward to more. Oh and I just wanted to say thank you so much for the pictures of the pool, the view and the beach as you gave me a hunkering to stay there now! And I know how hard it is to get in to for DVC members who are not beach club owners.

 

[dismagiclover]

Great pictures from the parade!! It looks really cool. OMG Tim will be in his glory lol!
Yeah we usually go the beginning of May, but my spring semester ends the second week of May so that's why.

I'm sure Tim will love it! I don't know if I can wait a whole year to read your SWW TR

I love your TR!

Star Wars was the first movie I saw in the theater (ok, I'm 37!), and DH & I are huge fans. Not fanatics, but pretty darn close.

Our girls are just starting to get into Star Wars, DD4 loves the original movie, but DD2 is not there yet

A great trip report, looking forward to more!

PS -- Was the heat horrible? I saw your DD had a mister with her in the pics. We went in December and I loved the low crowds, but June 2010 might be a more probable time for us to go back. Darn economy!

You are the same generation as us SW was it back in the day! It's fun they've come out with lots of new stuff so our boys like it too Give your DDs a few more years and if they are like my boys you will wish toy lightsabers were not invented It was hot while we were there but not unbearable. That mister came in handy for all of us. I actually prefer summer over January because I like the afternoon swim breaks and there is never a question about what to pack. All shorts and t-shirts

I am loving your TR. We are going June 2010, I have been showing my boys your pictures and they are so excited about Star Wars Weekend. My boys will be 12 and 4 when we go, I'm worried about DS4 being brave enough to hug Chewbacca! It looks like your little ones did great. keep the report coming

Your boys will love SWW! My DS4 had no trouble with the characters (though Darth Vader intimidated him). He never got close to Chewbacca because he wouldn't let go of the Ewok

just caught up with the last few updates--awesome photos and stories from Star Wars--my favorites are the ones with the Storm Troopers

It was fun how they had so many roaming characters. That meant no lines to meet them

Wow!! Great parade pictures!!! Glad to hear you got the spot you wanted to view the parade!! It certainly worked out, because you got some awesome shots!!!

I think we'll try that spot again when we do a Studios parade

All the star wars pictures were great! I thought their reactions to darth vadar were great! Looking forward to more. Oh and I just wanted to say thank you so much for the pictures of the pool, the view and the beach as you gave me a hunkering to stay there now! And I know how hard it is to get in to for DVC members who are not beach club owners.

Wait until the morning of Day 4. That is when we got the best pictures of the pool, view and the Boardwalk. I covet owners at BCV. If we could buy in there for the price that SSR is going resale, I'm pretty sure we'd do it. Maybe someday

 

[dismagiclover]

It was lunchtime and we were at the Studios. With my boys there is really only one option in this scenario and it is Pizza Planet. During my planning I asked everyone what attractions were must do in each park. Both of my boys said Pizza Planet. To them it is an attraction One of these years I hope to try another counter service in this park, but that isn’t looking to be anytime soon As we wandered Commisary Lane we passed by this photo op that Wendy couldn’t pass up.

Wendy and I actually saw the show later in the trip so stay tuned for that report.

As we arrived at Pizza Planet there were about 3 outside tables available in the shade. DH was parking the stroller and I was hoping to get a table upstairs in the air conditioning. It was prime lunchtime, however, and I knew those tables wouldn’t last long so I instructed Wendy and John to plop themselves down. (No flames please. I’ve read the threads about saving tables.) Then I hollered at DH so he knew their location. Of course there was nothing available upstairs and by the time I made it back to the rest of the family there were no empty tables. So phew Even though it was outside we still had a place to eat in the shade, and it was right by the door so cold air blew on us each time it opened. Wendy and I retrieved lunch and we enjoyed our pizza, salads and cookies. (The combos are included on the dining plan.)
After lunch we had no concrete plan, so we decided to take a gander through the Dark Side of the park.
We saw this scary creature:

Several things are revealed in this photo. First of all, my kids are obsessed with the size of her hands. They are a little freaky Next notice DH on the right pushing the stroller. What is wrong with that picture? There is a photopass guy walking right by him and he is not stopping him! Oh the horror Definitely a high crime and misdemeanor, but what can I do! I didn’t notice the situation until later when looking at the picture. Lastly, the sign up ahead is spotted by John and determines our next stop.

Before we could enter our destination, a real live street battle began!

Wendy was terrified Notice the Padawans (Jedi’s in training for you non Star Wars types) willing to protect all of us innocent bystanders

These random moments definitely added to the fun of SWW
Wendy was looking for an escape and John wanted to make a stop at Wicket’s Warehouse. Who am I to say no on vacation We head in and Holy Star Wars Merchandise! This was a big place with all things Star Wars. There was even an actual R2D2 robot for sale that greatly tempted DH (who was in full Peter Pan mode in this store.) Me being the more sensible one (which almost never happens), I pointed out it wouldn’t fit into the suitcase so we’d have to ship it home and when it got there it probably wasn’t near as cool as it sounded. DH was still mulling the R2 idea over until we saw the photo station that literally puts us into the movie shots. Peter Pan was still around and we all know that I have no sense when it comes to anything with photos of the family at Disney World so we ended up with these gems.

These things cost a pretty penny, but so worth it! Especially the one of “Han and Leia.” Classic

This adventure cured DH of the R2 desire and we headed to the check out. DH ended up with this shirt.

And we got a magnet for the fridge to add to our collection.

We also bought a pair of cheapo lightsabers for the boys to wave around at the Jedi Training Academy. We wanted to do everything in our power to help them get picked
After dropping enough for a monthly car payment (it wasn’t quite that bad), we had to decide where to go next. Maybe we should leave the Star Wars Galaxy. Where did we go next?

 

[cjackearl]

Love your parade pictures!

Aren't you glad you don't have a little robot roaming your house now that you're home? The pictures of you guys as the characters was a perfect compromise. You and your DH make a perfect Han and Leia.

We must, must, must make it to SWW some year.

 

[Mombits]

We celebrate the anniversary of our first date too!!! We call it our dativersary. We just celebrated our 20th dativersary in May by going to get a couples massage and pedicure. Loving your TR so far, can't wait to read more.

 

[Mombits]

I just read your first MK day. I love the pics, but had to laugh at the expression on your DS4's face! Priceless. The tink pics are great and I hope my DD gets one as good as she is a huge tink fan!

 

[Angies1274]

Hmmm...is there another counter service place at DHS than Toy Story Pizza Planet??? I wouldn't know, since that's the only place my boys ever want to eat. I must admit they do give pretty good size portions and the food is not bad but a change would be nice!! (maybe I can convince them in August)

Okay... that is one scary creature!! What is going on with his hands... very strange!!!

Love the SW pictures that put you guys in the movies. Wow!! They are so cool.

 

[stace208]

I'm going to try to remember everything I wanted to say...
Green guy=Kit Fisto. I found out by asking my ds who it was...then he asked "where are these pictures from??" Now he knows about SWW and my fingers are double crossed that they have them later in June again!

All of your parade photos are fantastic! In fact, everything about SWW looks wonderful.

Uh, we HAVE that R2D2 right here at home. Went through a whole mess of trouble to find it and surprise DS with it on this trip (he's wanted it since he was 5). It's actually really neat and quite cute!

Can't wait for the next installment!!

 

[MJAJmom]

I just love seeing everyone's star wars shots. You got a great parade location for pictures. I didn't even think there was a spot that had no people on the other side. Great thinking!!

The mama/baby sand people were cool - didn't see that one during our parade day. I loved all the characters just roaming around, they seemed to be in bunches - either you got a whole lot of them, or nobody was around.

Great pics!