The Force is Strong in This One: SWW and Celebration VI, Disney Done Differently

[jmskinner]

Love all the pics of AoA. We walked over, but I didn't take many pics or get to stay long. Wish I had told my boys to go eat and I'd catch them later.

The ice cream looked good. Lived an hour away and never did make it to the town of Celebration.

 

[lovethattink]

Celebration VI - Day 1​

Continental breakfast was included with our room. Only dh and I ate breakfast. I packed food in a small cooler. We didn't know if this was allowed or not, but someone on a fan site said they brought snacks to CV. We figured the worse that could happen would be to keep the cooler in the car. I packed 1 frozen water, 3 bottles of water, some strawberries and grapes. Nobody said a word to us.


We arrived at the OCCC at 10:46 am. There were two lanes. The one in the left lane went to a parking garage. We were in the right lane, and we kept driving until we came to a ticket booth. The signs to park said parking was $13, but they charged us $8 each of the four days.

We parked in lot W3. There were no signs pointing us where to go so we waited until someone else got out of a car and we followed them to an escalator.

There were no signs of elavators. I began to ask anyone I saw if they saw an elevator. Nobody did. I saw some employees outside, so I went out to them and asked them if they knew where the elevator was. They pointed.


The escalator was inside the building, but the elevator was on the exterior of the building. The elevator went to floors 2 or 4. Well, floor 4 if you had a special key. So it looked like we were heading to floor 2!

There were no directional signs once we got off the elevator either. But there was the familiar voice of James Arnold Taylor (Obi-Wan Kenobi) welcoming us.

There was still no people here. We wondered where on earth everyone was? We came to some windows and got a tease of what we could expect.

We found some other people with wheelchairs. A man name Jeff was very helpful. He had gone to CV so he knew his way around. He showed us where we needed to enter, but an employee wouldn't allow us access. He kept announcing on his little power trip that he was just doing his job. Jeff whispered to Anakin that this guy doesn't know his job or we'd be entering. He told us to follow him so we did. He zipped around on his w/c super fast. Anakin was in awe watching him get around. He wanted us to push him as fast as he was going.

We were taken to where you buy tickets. We weren't getting anywhere, and nobody seemed to know where we could enter. They kept sending us to stairs. It was crazy. So much time just waisting going back and forth to the same spot. The other people were getting annoyed going in circles. So I went down the steps and asked someone who looked like she knew what was going on what we needed to do. I showed her my email from special needs. She got me 2 lanyards, one for Anakin and one for me. Jeff had told her that he had been there since the beginning and would now be so far back in line from all this time wasted. (I still didn't see any lines at this time.) But we kept following Jeff and this employee. She escorted us right inside the exhibition hall.

Dh and I looked at each other and said, I guess this is where we will start. Jeff was long gone by this point. We were standing right in front of the Hallmark stand. I considered getting in line for some kind of LE ornament. But someone informed me that I was not at the end of the line, but this was just a break so that traffic can pass by. The line went way back. LE merchandise was not high priority for us. So I thanked her for showing me the line and we continued on.

Anakin did not want to shop. He begged to go to the Family Room. We were so clueless. Apparently we kept entering the Exhibition Hall from the exit, but I guess because that lady escorted us, they kept letting it ride. We exited the Exhibition Hall and they showed us where the elevator was. The guys went back into the Hall and the same lady kept waving them through. Later we found out that the door to enter was to the far left and we had entered from the exit. So now our bearings were straight and we were catching on.

Anakin was already in heaven! He saw R2D2!!

 

[lovethattink]

Love all the pics of AoA. We walked over, but I didn't take many pics or get to stay long. Wish I had told my boys to go eat and I'd catch them later.

The ice cream looked good. Lived an hour away and never did make it to the town of Celebration.

Too bad you didn't get to check it out longer. Did you feel like you were in a whirlwind? You were covering alot of territory in a short time. I am interested to find out who your plans worked out with Legoland, visiting friends and family, and Disney parks ALONG with all the Celebration VI stuff!

We have lived here for over a decade and this summer was the first we visited Celebration. Kilwin's is great. Between the homemade fudge and the homemade cones, the ice cream store smells amazing!

 

[jmskinner]

We parked by the North Convention center, so you got views we never even knew about. I wonder if that helped because we rode a bus each day so we just followed the crowds into the convention center and then into the big hall to wait for entrance.

Aren't the droids ? That is one of my favorite parts about Celebrations, seeing Droids moving around everywhere you do.

We were down looking at those cars around 11am, when you were walking by. I'll keep checking out your photos to see if I see us anywhere.

 

[lovethattink]

We parked by the North Convention center, so you got views we never even knew about. I wonder if that helped because we rode a bus each day so we just followed the crowds into the convention center and then into the big hall to wait for entrance.

Aren't the droids ? That is one of my favorite parts about Celebrations, seeing Droids moving around everywhere you do.

We were down looking at those cars around 11am, when you were walking by. I'll keep checking out your photos to see if I see us anywhere.

Anakin didn't like the Exhibition Hall crowd. We split up. I took him to the family room while they shopped. My only request was a Her Universe Darth Vader shirt.

 

[mickeystoontown]

I feel like I'm all turned around just reading your description of getting into the darn place. You'd think that they would have had some sort of directional signs somewhere. Even though you couldn't see Anakin's face in the last two pictures, you can tell that he was happy to see R2D2.

 

[mommy2mrb]

cute photos of AoA and your guys! can't wait to stay there next year!

too bad you had such an issue getting into the convention center! that place is HUGE! its were they hold the Golf Convention every 3 years too!

cute photos of Anakin and the Droids!

 

[lovethattink]

I feel like I'm all turned around just reading your description of getting into the darn place. You'd think that they would have had some sort of directional signs somewhere. Even though you couldn't see Anakin's face in the last two pictures, you can tell that he was happy to see R2D2.

He was on cloud nine the whole 4 days!

Once we got our bearings straight it was easy to get around the convention center.

cute photos of AoA and your guys! can't wait to stay there next year!

too bad you had such an issue getting into the convention center! that place is HUGE! its were they hold the Golf Convention every 3 years too!

cute photos of Anakin and the Droids!

It's a very nice convention center! Our parking was close to the building, so when it rained we were under cover pretty good. It was a long trek though. Had to get on 2 different elevators to get to the convention hall. Once we figured that out, we were set! We parked in the same area all 4 days.

 

[lovethattink]

Day 1 - Part 2​

Already we were splitting up. Anakin and I heading to the family room and Goofy and Grumpy back to the Exhibition Hall to shop. My only request was a Her Universe Darth Vader shirt.

We were greeted as soon as we entered the room. Someone explained to Anakin what all there was to do in there.

He could Build a Jawa at 11, or he could build a droid. He could get his face painted, watch a demonstration from the Orlando Science Center, play computer games, or have a sketch drawn of his favorite character.

He wanted his face painted. So his name was placed on a waiting list to be called when it was his turn.

He was so excited; acting like a kid in a candy store. He clapped his hands a few times in excitement.

He went to the computers where he was given some tatoos, a poster, and some stickers. He made friends right away with the woman working the computers, who gave people tattoos. He had to grill her to make sure that these were temporary tattoos. He knew you could get a real one at the convention too.

He played Ewok Village.

An announcement came to join in the Jawa Customizing with Pat. This was a clever area. And there is more to putting a Jawa together than you might think. Anakin chose to do a Gunk droid. Too much time has passed that I don’t remember their names anymore. So the man who was not Pat gathered the kids to do the gunk droid while Pat gathered the jawa builders. Anakin was so thrilled to make his gunk droid! He picked a yellow one.

They were taught different techniques to paint their droid. The key was to make your droid look like it had oil and dust on it. He showed them how to use just a pinch of paint to get the dust effect, and how to drip the black pain to look like oil.

At the end they took pictures for the kids. In talking to them the last day, we were sad to find out that the camera grew legs and walked off during the weekend. I feel badly both for them and for the children who were going online to look for their pictures.

 

[addictedtonostalgia]

Ok. It was a clever play on words.

That's a good way to put it!

Celebration VI - Day 1​

We found some other people with wheelchairs. A man name Jeff was very helpful. He had gone to CV so he knew his way around. He showed us where we needed to enter, but an employee wouldn't allow us access. He kept announcing on his little power trip that he was just doing his job. Jeff whispered to Anakin that this guy doesn't know his job or we'd be entering. He told us to follow him so we did. He zipped around on his w/c super fast. Anakin was in awe watching him get around. He wanted us to push him as fast as he was going.

What a pleasant and helpful employee. The pictures of the deserted sections were sort of eerie, very cool!
Anakin was already in heaven! He saw R2D2!!

R2-D2, how cool to see him just rolling (?) around!

He was so excited; acting like a kid in a candy store. He clapped his hands a few times in excitement.

It sounds really fun and exciting!

They were taught different techniques to paint their droid. The key was to make your droid look like it had oil and dust on it. He showed them how to use just a pinch of paint to get the dust effect, and how to drip the black pain to look like oil.

At the end they took pictures for the kids. In talking to them the last day, we were sad to find out that the camera grew legs and walked off during the weekend. I feel badly both for them and for the children who were going online to look for their pictures.

That's pretty neat how they taught you tricks to make it look oily and dusty. I feel like it's kind of similar to the tricks Imagineers use. Bummer about the camera. I hope no one managed to walk away with it

 

[lovethattink]

That's a good way to put it!



R2-D2, how cool to see him just rolling (?) around!



That's pretty neat how they taught you tricks to make it look oily and dusty. I feel like it's kind of similar to the tricks Imagineers use. Bummer about the camera. I hope no one managed to walk away with it

One of the men said it was taken. Sad.

The rest of my family missed this, but I got to see tail end of the droid parade on Sunday. So much time and work goes into making those droids. If you look closely at the picture of my son, you can see the operator off to the side.

 

[kaoden39]

Boy it sounds like it was a bit unorganized to begin with. That had been frustrating.


The Gunk looks strangely like a garage can with legs. It sounds like it was full of really fun for kids.

 

[annmarieda]

Looks like a very fun filled day! Lots to do and see!

 

[mommy2mrb]

Anakin did a great job on his little droid!

 

[jmskinner]

Anakin did a great job on the doid! That's horrible that someone walked off with the camera.

Did you find it strange that there was no bag check?

We didn't make it to the family room.

 

[WDWRids]

Hi! Sorry to have been away for awhile......catching up and loving the start of Celebration. Loved the pictures of AoA. Cars was my favorite! Your first day seemed like a lot of fun once all the confusion of getting in. Looking forward to hearing more!

 

[lovethattink]

As Anakin finished his droid, Goofy and Grumpy returned back to us. Anakin’s face painting turn had come up when he was making his droid. They promised he’d be the first one to get painted when he was done with the droid if he gave us his spot then. I was crossing my fingers because it said that face painting ended at noon and it was almost noon.

I stepped out of the room for a bit, and while I was out and about, I ran into Dave Eckstein. (Remember him from SWW? His wife is Ashley Eckstein, voice of Ahsoka Tano? He is the one that Anakin joined in the lizard hunt at the stage?) He remembered me and we struck up conversation. Goofy and Grumpy couldn’t find their Her Universe stand, so I asked him where is was located and he gave me great directions. I asked if he had any time to spare, if he could say hello to Anakin. He said sure, and followed me to the Family room. Unfortunately for him, I got a little lost getting there, but we did find the room. Anakin was thrilled to see him!

He took time to chat with him until it was time for his face painting. It was so nice and we are so appreciative of it!

He was very happy with his face painting. It’s Anakin’s scar.

There were artists from SCAD drawing. Anakin got an Ahsoka picture and Grumpy got a Kit Fisto picture. The artist didn’t know who Kit Fisto was. But he said if he say a picture he could draw it. It searched a DK book and found a picture. In no time he had Kit Fitsto drawn.

It was soon time for Star Wars Orgami with Chris Alexander, so we grabbed a seat and waited for it to start.

With the finished products

We were getting hungry for lunch. We saw someone with a Papa John’s pizza box so we asked them where to find the pizza. It was down a floor, so we had to hop an elevator. Grumpy took the escalator for some reason instead.

There were no benches so we made use of the floor.

 

[mommy2mrb]

wow, more fun! anakin looks cool with his scar!

 

[lovethattink]

Boy it sounds like it was a bit unorganized to begin with. That had been frustrating.


The Gunk looks strangely like a garage can with legs. It sounds like it was full of really fun for kids.

Lol, yes it does. There was something for almost everyone.

Looks like a very fun filled day! Lots to do and see!

It was hard to chose which to do and which to skip.

Anakin did a great job on his little droid!

Thanks. He created a scene when he got home and put his creations in there.

Anakin did a great job on the doid! That's horrible that someone walked off with the camera.

Did you find it strange that there was no bag check?

We didn't make it to the family room.

Thanks. I know.

I expected a bag check. In fact the night before we got an update on the phone app about the change in weapon rule.

Hi! Sorry to have been away for awhile......catching up and loving the start of Celebration. Loved the pictures of AoA. Cars was my favorite! Your first day seemed like a lot of fun once all the confusion of getting in. Looking forward to hearing more!

Glad you are able to join us again! I agree, Cars is my favorite too!

 

[jmskinner]

Great update! Very cool that Dave stopped by. Anakin is a friend of the stars!

I so admire artists that can draw like that.

I wanted to do the Star Wars Origami but we were busy shopping. In fact, we bought the book and got it autographed. I remember them inviting us to the event, but I knew I couldn't get DH away from the shopping. Who is the kid?