txtinkerbell
Registered: June 2012
Location: Texas
Posts: 15
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Review Date: Wed June 27, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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hyperspace hoopla, parade, Star Wars everywhere
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Cons:
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crowds,
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This past June was our family's second Star Wars weekend. We go to see the characters, parade, and special shows.....not to get celebrity autographs. The parade is great to see so many star war characters in one spot. Snag a spot early as there are huge crowds. We also enjoy getting pictures with Star War characters, even though some of the lines are a bit long. Our favorite is hyperspace hoopla. Love that they moved this to a bigger stage area and also simulcast on the American Idol screen. We usually stand on the corner by the clothing store and see everything just fine. No need to push into the crowd. This is a wonderful event for star wars fans. Just know that it will be very crowded and avoid HS on these weekends if you are not a Star Wars fan. Make sure to see the Storm Troopers on the gates before rope drop. We usually go over one day for rope drop and see the opening skit with storm troopers and stay till after the parade. We then pick another day to go later in the afternoon for character pics and Hyperspace Hoopla. This helps make the crowds seem more manageable for our family. May the force be with you!
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ears2you
Registered: December 2006
Posts: 51
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Review Date: Thu June 21, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 6
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Pros:
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fun "meet and greets"
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Cons:
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underwhelming experience, rude EMPLOYEES
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We were there June 1 and were really only interested in the "dress up" characters --the ones where it could be my husband in the suit and you would never know it. Rain cleared the park pretty good so getting signatures wasn't hard. We did the build-a-droid thing and I was disappointed that we couldn't get the little Mickey ears that is supposed to be part of them. The Manager told me there would be no way of getting them and if I was reading "the blogs" I was ill-informed about availability of these items. What a weird and rude response to have as part of management staff. I'm standing there spending $25 for 2 droids and not getting what they advertise. Really mr. manager you "ran out" of Mickey ears? Maybe I should check out an auction site, hmmm? Overall I think this "event" is overhyped.
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Barbara
Registered: April 2006
Location: Connecticut
Posts: 28
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Review Date: Wed June 13, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Everything Star Wars!
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Cons:
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The crowds, lines, heat and humidity
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Wish Disney would move this to a cooler time of the year! Celebrating daughters 10th birthday...she's a big Star Wars fan. June 1st, rained the day we were there but the rain had it's advantages...while we missed out on the parade, the rain cleared out the park pretty well. we did not have to wait in line for "build-a-droid" and we were able to get into Darth's Mall and without waiting as well. We spent a hour 1 1/2 hours in there just looking at all the amazing stuff. My daughter did not want to wait in the ridiculously long lines to get her picture taken with characters but we happend to get some great photos just by luck. We also got great seats for the hyperspace hoopla, which while very corny was also very entertaining. There is omething for everyone in this show. The music was great, seeing the characters dance was hilarious and the energy was infectious! The only thing is that my kids are still walking around the house singing "Hooplaaaaa, Hyperspace Hoopla!"
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hello12345
Registered: June 2010
Posts: 42
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Review Date: Mon June 11, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Characters
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Cons:
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Crowds and lines
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We attended final weekend. Arrived early at 8am just as park was opening. Lines to enter park were about same as normal operating day. On Friday we went straight to line for Darth Vader. Got into line at about 8:20-8:30. Vader was already out. We had to wait about 35-40 minutes in line. Tried to get in line for Chewbacca at 9:30, but line was already very long. They had Chewbacca stationed almost directly acrossed from Star Tours which made that area very congested. Went to Darth's Mall next near the Rockin Rollocoaster. I was able to get DVC and Annual passholder pin, but regular Star Wars Weekend pin was soldout! Line for Princess, Luke, R2D2, and C3PO inside Mall was too long. Guide Map does not tell you what characters are where so you have to guess and waste precious time. Has to be a better way to set up character spots? Storm Troopers wandering around the section of park near backlot tour. Some will quickly pose for pics and others will not. The Storm Troopers were very popular with the crowd. Returned on Sunday again just before park opened at 8am. It appeared they let folks in around 7:55am. Went straight to Chewbacca line and was third back at 8:15. Only problem is Chewy didn't come out until 9:30. By 9:30 the line was about 1.5 hours long I would estimate. Then we went straight to line for Darth Mall. I was in line at 9:45 and Darth mall came out at 10:30. I was 5 back from front. By 10:45 the lines for Disney Star Wars characters (Jedi Mickey, Princess Minnie, etc.) were way too long and not in shade. Called it a day at that point. Star Tours ride wait time was about twice as long as usual, 60+ minutes at some points during the day. I am not a huge Star Wars fan, but I loved it as a kid. Both my kids like the movies so it was a fun experience for them to get pictures with the main characters. My recommendation is to get to the park early right when it opens and get into line for your favorite character. They appear to stagger the appearance times in the morning. By 11am the crowds start to reach crazy level. If you have no interest in Star Wars then stay away from Hollywood Studies on Fri-Sun. Good experience overall. Character spots should be identified on the guide map and better character meeting spots should be arranged.
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momof3inMadisonAL
Registered: December 2009
Location: Niceville, FL
Posts: 67
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Review Date: Mon June 11, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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characters, jedi training,
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Cons:
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crowds, motorcade route not long enough
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First let me say, that I would recommend Star Wars weekend to anyone who is a Star Wars fan and if you have more than one day to spend at HS. Or if you go to the World enough times that it doesn't matter if you don't get to do very many rides/shows.
Then I will say that we usually do.not. go to the World in the summer... But my kids LOVE star wars, and it seemed like a fun idea for my DS6 bday. We are passholders and live in FL so we decided to go over for a quick last minute trip on the last weekend.
We dressed up with costumes we found on line (and will be reusing for MNSSHP). DH wore a C3PO mask, I had Leia hair headband, DD8 was Darth Vader, DD7 Padme, DS6 Luke and DB R2D2. We got some good pics and lots of people noticed us. There were a few other people dressed up but not as many as I would have thought.
We decided to concentrate on meeting Star WArs characters and doing Jedi training. We got to the park before 730 for the 8am opening. They let us in before 8am and we rushed over to sign up for Jedi Training. We got the 1015 class. They ran 30 kids (instead of 15) every 30 minutes. Half on the stage fight Darth Vader (like regular jedi training) and the other half fight Darth Maul on the ground in front of the stage. It was run pretty efficiently.
After signing up for Jedi Training we signed up for Padwan Mind challenge. We got the 630 time slot. That wasn't quite as much fun for the kids as I thought, but they were happy to get a star wars action figure at the end.
We sat in front of American Idol for the 1240 motorcade. We knew the celebrities weren't coming by but would have liked to see more characters than we did. We mostly just saw Clone troopers, sand people, etc. (no major characters). We just couldn't justify trying to stake out a spot for over an hour to see it all. I wish DIsney would have a longer route for the motorcade so more people could enjoy it.
We would have loved to see the Hoopla but it had started to rain and it ended up being cancelled.
It was ok that we didn't get to do many rides. We did get a fp for Star Tours, Toy Story Mania and Tower of Terror but the times for Rockin Roller Coaster were too late (9pm) by early afternoon.
Regarding the crowds, I knew it would be crowded, but didn't realize that meant 30 mins just to get lunch at Pizza Planet - and this was at 1:30pm. The line for some of the major characters were just too long (Chewbacca's line must have been 1-2 hours long). But we were able to meet Jedi Mickey, Princess Leia (C3PO and R2D2 jumped in right before we met her so we got all 3 of them), Anakin, Princess Amidala, and Ventress plus some CLone troopers.
We didn't have any long lines in Darth Mall that afternoon. There was plenty for my kids to buy (action figures, make your own light saber, etc.) with their allowance. They spent an hour or so browsing in the store while I waiting in line to meet Princess Leia. (The make your own droid was at Tattoine Traders and had a VERY long line.) It was a great experience and my son can't wait to go back next year!
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Bobdes
Registered: September 2009
Location: Westchester County, NY
Posts: 25
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Review Date: Wed May 30, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 7
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Pros:
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Good characters and parade. Love Star Wars!
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Cons:
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Ridiculous wait to buy exclusives in ONE location only
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This is DEFINITELY the place to go if anyone in your traveling party is a Star Wars fan. While the lines were long for character pics, it was still cool. The back drops they stood in front of really made a difference.
The parade was great BUT Disney needs to have more of a security presence up and down main street prior to the parade. Folks were starting to cut in front of others and there were quite a few instances were things were heating up. Also, if you tell someone they cannot sit in front of the garbage can (Curbside), please make it consistent with everyone else doing the same thing.
The Hoopla Dance Party was silly but folks seem to love it.
2 hours of our day was spent waiting to buy stuff at Darth Mall. A giant tented shop behind Rock n' Roller Coaster that had all the Star Wars exclusives. There has to be a better way of doing this.
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RKaspro877
Registered: May 2012
Location: Buffalo, NY
Posts: 13
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Review Date: Mon May 28, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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This was a fun event and although we were advised by our concierge when we checked in to avoid the Hollywood Studios during Star Wars Weekend, we had a great time. We were there on Friday, May 25, 2012 and although it was very busy around the characters, we found it was easier to get on the rides and to attend the shows. We thought we would have trouble riding Star Tours, but we went there right before our lunch reservations at 12:20 pm and go a fast pass to ride between 12:45 and 1:45pm. So we ate lunch and walked right onto the ride. The stand by wait time was about 15 minutes which wasn't bad at all. We had not problems getting into Tower of Terror (rode it twice) and only had to wait 10 minutes in the stand by line for the Rockin' Roller Coaster. It was a great opportunity to get some special Star Wars merchandise for my nephew at Darth's Mall and the service there was very organized and quick. Had a great time at Star Wars weekend!
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MM from Connecticut
Registered: May 2012
Posts: 3
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Review Date: Mon May 28, 2012
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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Fun Star Wars Immersion
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Cons:
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Crowded
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We went to HS for the first day of Star Wars Weekend. My boys (5, 8) loved it. We arrived about 1 hour after park opened and immediately saw Storm Troopers on the roof, and the Star Wars theme music was playing ... very festive. The lines were very long for Jedi Training registration, so we decided to do that when we return on Monday (which we did). Throughout the park were characters in Star Wars costumes available for pictures. It was very crowded near the Star Tours ride, but other than that, it was typical Hollywood Studios crowd. We couldn't get near the parade though, due to crowds. Overall, it was very fun.
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renee1965
Registered: June 2011
Location: new orleans
Posts: 10
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Review Date: Tue June 21, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 8
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Pros:
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many activities for kids and adults
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Cons:
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you have to really be patient to stand in long, long lines
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We attended the May 28-30 weekend; it was our 4th visit & overall, it was much more organized than before, especially the meet/greet/autographs with the actors. Each time we visit, the event just gets better. My husband and kids are avid Star Wars and Clone Wars fans. My kids participated, for the first time, in Jedi training, Padawan mind challenge, & were out of this world thrilled to meet Ahsoka Tano(Ashley Eckstein). She was very gracious and took her time with each child that stood in her long line for a photo/autograph. The Hyperspace Hoopla was a blast! The cast members working at Jabba's Hut went above and beyond...participating in light saber "wars" with my kids. We all had fun, despite the heat, long lines and crowds.
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SAHeller
Registered: March 2009
Posts: 18
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Review Date: Mon June 13, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 9
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Pros:
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Special Characters/Hyperspace Hoopla
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Cons:
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crowds/humidity
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I was very wary about doing the SWW based on past reviews. I studied and read up on tips from various sites and just made sure I was ultra-prepared ... it paid off!!!
We arrived an hour early to park opening with the mindset if we get fastpasses 'great,' if not, 'no big deal.' On top of the turnstiles, as previously mentioned, was Boba Fett along with two Stormtroopers making their own little comments to the crowds including a surprise that they would open the park early if we joined the Dark Side. In pure glee, I took my chances over to the right side of the main entrance to where the Fast Passes were being handed out ... to my amazement, there was absolutely no line.
For each SW star (Matt Lanter, Jeremy Bulloch, Ray Park, etc), there was a roped off line with their names clearly printed above each line. At the end of each line, stood two CMs, one to give the bracelet the other with the FP time. You could choose one line, receive your bracelet and ticket (which contained your FP time for the day). If you wanted multiple meet/greets, then you had to then wait in a separate line and wait for extras.
I picked up one meet/greet FP and my son another. And then off we went inside Hollywood Studios along with all the other fans, we made a beeline to the Tours!!
The crowd was thick but no where near that I expected. Planning ahead, we managed to ride Star Tours five times, pics with Jedi Mickey, Leia Minnie, Captain Rex, Ahsoka, Commander Cody, a Jawa, great spot for the SW motorcade, a trip to Jabba's Hut, and two special presentations--Ray Park in action as Darth Maul and James Taylor's many voices!!!!!!!
My real only small frustration was the FP for the Jedi Mind Challenge. When the park opened and everyone made a beeline to the Tours, Cast members were letting everyone know where to sign up for the Padawan Jedi Training. I didn't realize that the Mind Challenge was in the same location until much later when it was too late.
Another small frustration was the Darth Maul/Ray Park presentation. It was absolutely cool to see him in action and for him to explain his training, but this lasted only about 10 minutes. They then brought a huge group of kids onstage (that had been previously selected, how? I don't know). And then we spent about the next 30 minutes of some little kids stealing the show. My son A) was absolutely envious and B) bored!! I hope they continue this again next year but minus the kids!!
Meet/Greets:
They were very strict ... only the person with the bracelet on could go in for the autograph, which was fine. My son, 7, went in on his own and a CM took my camera to take pics. He came out with all smiles and I got plenty of pics!! For the other signature, I wore the bracelet but they allowed me to go in with my son. I assured them that I was only getting his shirt signed and to take pics but these CMs didn't seem to mind either way. Overall, I was absolutely pleased!!!
My personal tips:
*we brought a spray bottle with ice water/fan
*sunscreen
*a blanket
*as soon as we got in the park, we headed to the Tour to get FP and take advantage of the 5 minute wait. When we got off the ride, it was still 5 minutes, so we did it again. When we were done with it the second time, we got FP again, used our FP from earlier and rode it a third time!!!! By now, the lines for the characters were forming!!
*Take a 'Line Buddy!' My mom and I took turns waiting in line for character pics. My kids would wait with me in line (approx. 15 minutes) then after the shots were taken, then get in line again with my mom who was about 5 minutes behind me. By that time, the characters switched!
*two hours prior to the motorcade, we chose a spot near the stage, laid out the above-mentioned blanket (we didn't choose to do it this early, but already people were marking their spots). My parents, husband, and I took turns taking the kids to do something. But we made sure that three people remained. We did the same with Hyperspace Hoopla!!
And I'd like to make one small request for the Hyperspace Hoopla... if you have little children, please hold them in your arms not on your shoulders ... so many kids missed out not because of their location (anyone near the front was there for at least 1.5 hours and we were very close) but because of little ones IN THE VERY FRONT being placed on shoulders. My son is 7 yrs. old ... I ended up holding him on my back while I leaned forward so that at least he could see something ... not much but enough to get the gist of it. My back and feet paid for the added weight later!! Unfortunately, Hyperspace Hoopla isn't displayed on the big screens on top for some reason. That would have helped somewhat.
We enjoyed ourselves. Very happy with how organized it was AND the guests were just as helpful. Some veteran SWW guests were passing out little secrets too which was helpful!!
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skmickeyfan
Registered: June 2007
Posts: 4
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Review Date: Tue May 24, 2011
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 10
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Pros:
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more organized
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Cons:
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miscommunications
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We have been going to SSW every year since it started so this year we were especially excited for the opening of the new Star Tours ride. The kids and I got in line Thursday around noon to get autograph fast passes for Anthony Daniels, Dave Finoli, and Daniel Logans. This year it was much more organized than in years past. The cast members already had areas roped off for waiting guests (at that time there were only about 6 or 7 people waiting). As soon as we arrived a cast member told us they would be giving out wristbands later in the night so they could keep a count of the fast passes (so people wouldn't be waiting for hours only to find out they won't be getting a fast pass). We were told we would NOT need the wristband for an autograph (more on that later).
During the night Disney brought out a huge truck with a screen coming out of it.... they used it to show Episode 3 and Episode 4. That was something they've never done before. Also a media event was going on in the park and at the finale there was a wonderful fireworks display. Some of us went over to the turnstiles to watch the show and a manager ushered us in the park for a better view. That was super nice.
Several news crews interviewed some of the waiting guests... both my kids were interviewed because they were in full jedi costumes. Disney also had Oscars open at 11:00 pm and stay open until around 5 or 6 so we could buy drinks and snacks.
Around 4 am we were told to take everything to our cars (chairs, coolers, etc) then around 6 they started handing out fastpasses.
The opening show was great with Jedi George Lucas making an appearance. The only problem we had was when it was time for us to get the celebrity autographs. Remember we had been in line since noon the day before and had no sleep. When my son went to get Anthony Daniels autograph he was told he needed his wristband and fastpass. He had taken off his wristband because we were told we no longer needed them. The castmember said he could not get the autograph. Needless to say I was not a happy camper after being up for over 24 hours and it was also extremely hot. After several more guests told the castmember they also had taken off their wristbands (and me getting a little nasty.. remember no sleep) they finally said they would let us in with just a fastpass. The same thing happened with Dave, but again I was adament (had to get a manager this time) and they let us get our autograph. So even if the castmember handing out the wristband says you don't need..... you do... don't take it off!
We did not see any of the shows because we were exhausted so we will be seeing those on week 4 when we go back.
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allears
Registered: September 2005
Posts: 554
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Review Date: Sat May 22, 2010
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Would you recommend the product? Yes
| Rating: 0
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Pros:
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Cons:
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Merchandise issues
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This review of Star Wars Merchandise was sent in 5/21/10 from Chris:
I am sending this in the hopes it can help out some of your readers who are going to be attending Star Wars Weekends. After going through this today, I think it would be good to spread the word about the ridiculous change Disney made to the merchandise area this year.
Attending Star Wars Weekends for another year is always fun, and basically everything that applies to previous years regarding autographs, character greetings, the shows, etc. remains the same.
The only change, and it is a big one, is how the merchandise is being handled, and today I saw a lot of people end up spending a long time waiting in a line they didn't have to be on.
To make things easier, I will break down the merchandise into three categories:
General Merchandise - These are the Star Wars and Star Wars Weekend items that are available to everyone, and in plentiful supply.
Passholder Merchandise - These are the items that are only available to Disney Annual Passholders (or, in one case, Vacation Club Members).
Limited Merchandise - These are the items where you are restricted in the number you can buy, and there is a limited amount available.
In past years, Disney set up the merchandise in the large, warehouse-like "Hot Set" area. All the General Merchandise was spread out on the floor. The Passholder Merchandise was available at the multiple (I think over 15) registers by request. Limited Merchandise was off to the side, with a separate line to purchase, and you could approach the line (not crossing into it) and see the items.
For whatever reason, Disney decided to ditch this method and go with a different setup. The "Dark Side Depot", which is outdoors in what is normally a merchandise area has the same Star Wars items that are always available at Hollywood Studios, along with the Star Wars Weekend Event Shirts and Caps.
For everything else, you have to go to "Boba's Bounty" which is located in the air conditioned exit area of the Studio Backlot tour. Here's where the problem begins.
There is a long lineup area outside, then a line that works it's way through the inside area before emptying into the surprisingly small shop area. At the head of the line, a cast member lets people into the shop area "nightclub style" meaning they wait until people have exited and they feel there is sufficient room to let in more shoppers.
Inside the small shop area, you have to get on a short line to see and select the "Limited Merchandise" while the General Merchandise is spread out on the store floor, and the Passholder Merchandise is again at the registers (of which there are six).
Obviously, them using a smaller area and less registers is already going to cause a backup, but it gets worse because only two people are manning the Limited Merchandise area, making for slow going.
On top of that, many people waiting on line might have no interest in the Limited Edition items, but they still end up waiting on this line, just to be able to go grab General Merchandise or go to the registers to get Passholder Merchandise.
To their (slight) credit, Disney did have a cast member occasionally come out and state that if someone only wanted General Merchandise, they could be pulled from the line and let into the store (this was only to those waiting on line on the "inside" not those still lined up outside the doors).
However, I saw this lead to at least once instance where a person was allowed in, and then they walked over and got in the line for the Limited Merchandise (hardly fair to the others).
There was also confusion over whether those who wanted Passholder Merchandise had to stay in the line, or if they could be "bumped up" and allowed in the store (which they could be, since that merchandise was at the registers, not the Limited Merchandise table).
To give you an idea of how bad the line got, we had a one hour wait outside (and this was DURING the only "Stars Of The Saga" talk show), then another hour-plus inside. I can only imagine how long the wait was earlier in the day.
Needless to say, the consensus of almost everyone I spoke to on line is that Disney made a mistake in changing the merchandise setup, and while I can understand the need for a lineup for the Limited Merchandise, they should make those items TOTALLY SEPARATE from the Passholder and General Merchandise... you know, like it used to be!
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