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Star Wars™ Weekends will return the Walt Disney World® Resort May 18 – June 10, 2012. Taking place at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™, the event celebrates the popular Star Wars™ films and the animated TV series Star Wars™: The Clone Wars.

In addition to the Star Wars™ experiences Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ host year round – Stars Tours The Adventure Continue and the Jedi Training Academy – several additional activities are available for guest during the event:

• Meet-and-Greet opportunities with many Star Wars™ characters
• Autograph sessions with Star Wars™ actors and creative talent
• Star Wars™ parades and motorcades
• Hyperspace Hoopla – a party that ends the day with music, comedy and dancing
• One-of-a-kind Star Wars™ memorabilia

The event runs every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May 18-June 10, 2012 and requires regular theme park admission. We will bring you additional information about Star Wars™ Weekend as it is released.

By Heather Straight, Magic Maker®

I suppose it was inevitable that my children would be Star Wars™ fanatics.  Their mother has always been a fan, and their father is, well, let’s just say the man watches a lot of sci-fi.  So it’s no surprise we have two young boys who spend much of their free time pretending to be Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, who have Star Wars™ bedsheets, lunch boxes and movie posters on their walls.  They spend quality time with dad building the Millennium Falcon and X-Wing fighters from Legos, and I’ve lost track of the number of light sabers we have in the house.  It must be at least 8, not including the closet full of foam models fashioned from pool noodles and duct tape that were a party favor from the last force-inspired birthday party.

It was for these reasons that I decided to surprise them all last June with a trip to Star Wars™ Weekends at the Walt Disney World® Resort.  We’d always wanted to visit during these special weekends, because it was as if they had invented the whole thing just for our family.  What could be better than the Disney Parks AND Jedis, Wookiees and Darth Vader?  Mickey Mouse dressed up as Luke Skywalker?  Boba Fett wandering the streets of Disney’s Hollywood Studios™?  Priceless! With a little bit of planning, it’s a great trip for Star Wars™ fans, young and old.

Star Wars™ Weekends happen every weekend from mid-May to mid-June (this year they’re scheduled for every Friday-Sunday, May 20 through June 12).  So is all the hype about Star Wars™ Weekend worth it?  You bet it is!  From the moment we arrived and saw Storm Troopers up on the gates of Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ taunting guests, we knew we were in for a good time.  Some of the highlights you won’t want to miss:

1. Jedi Training Academy – our six-year-old nearly died and went to heaven when he made it into one of the shows and fought Darth Vader.  They take 30 kids per show, so my advice is to arrive in time for Rope Drop and head to the sign up location (which will be listed in the Star Wars™ Weekends special event map).  You get in line for a special FastPass that will list the show time your kids are in, and you report back about 20 minutes before it begins.  Kids ages 4-12 are welcome to participate, and the show is fun for kids of all ages to watch.
2. The opening show – get to the gates of Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ early, about 30-45 minutes before the official park opening.  Storm Troopers appear on top of the gates, and fun ensues.
3. The parade – we staked out a spot about 40 minutes early so we had front row seats for every imaginable Star Wars™ character AND three celebrities in this fantastic parade.  I mean, who doesn’t love seeing R2-D2 rolling along, followed by legions of Storm Troopers, Darth Vader, along with stars from the movies and the animated series.
4. Hyperspace Hoopla – Darth Vader dancing to “Beat It,” complete with sequined glove.  Need I say more?  This hilarious “dance party with the Star Wars™ stars” that closes the day is a laugh riot.  Every year they change things up a bit with new dance routines.  This is a tremendously popular show, so I’d suggest getting to the last Jedi Training Academy show of the day a little early to get a good spot, watch that show and then wait for Hoopla to begin shortly after.
5. The atmosphere – roaming the park with strains of Star Wars™ music piped through the speakers, stumbling upon bounty hunters, Tuscan Raiders and bargaining with Jawas was so much fun.  Around every turn was something else to see and another character to interact with.

Other highlights of this special event include autograph opportunities with Star Wars™ stars, talks/Q&A sessions given by the celebrities, special merchandise, photo opportunities with popular characters, and much more.  If you have a Star Wars™ fan in the family, this is definitely the event for you!  Don’t forget to your camera, because great photos are waiting around every turn.

Click here to request a quote to plan your vacation to this special event at the Walt Disney World® Resort.
Remember when planning that this annual event happens this year every
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday May 20-June 11, 2011.

Read more about Star Wars™ Weekend by clicking here.

Have you visited Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ for this iconic weekend?
Tell us about your experience in the comments below.

Admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ required.
Appearances and entertainment subject to change without notice.
Star Wars © 2008 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM.

While Imagineers continue to help create the newest Star Tours adventure at the Disneyland® Resort and Walt Disney World® Resort, plenty of

Jedi,Wookiees and droids are gearing up for Star Wars™ Weekends, the annual celebration of all-things-Star Wars™ at Walt Disney World® Resort.

And today you can start making your plans to journey to a galaxy far, far away and step into the Star Wars saga, as we officially announce this year’s event dates for the first time. Star Wars™ Weekends 2011 will be held at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ park every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May 20-June 12.

The event features one of the galaxy’s largest gatherings of Star Wars™ characters all around the theme park, offering photo and autograph opportunities. There are special Star Wars™ parades, trivia challenges, Jedi Training Academy, limited-edition merchandise and memorabilia, behind-the-scenes presentations, star conversations and more. Star Wars™ celebrities make special appearances in talk shows and grand motorcades, and sign autographs throughout the weekend.

We’ll announce a complete and more detailed Star Wars Weekends celebrity lineup soon, but we can tell you now about two fan-favorites returning for 2011.

• Anthony Daniels, known worldwide for his portrayal of everyone’s favorite protocol droid, C-3PO, will return this year for Weekend 1 (May 20-22) and Weekend 2 (May 27-29).
• Ashley Eckstein, the voice of Ahsoka Tano, in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” will appear each weekend this year as Celebrity Host of a behind-the-scenes talk show entitled “Clone Wars: Behind the Force.”

Other events to look forward to:

Characters
Encounter over 50 Star Wars characters from the entire saga. From Darth Vader to Darth Maul and Anakin to Chewbacca, you’ll find heroes and villains from throughout the galaxy.

Celebrities from Star Wars will attend each weekend and participate in:

• Autograph Sessions
• Legends of the Force – Celebrity motorcade
• Stars of the Saga – Talk Show and Q&A

Celebrity Hosts
To be Determined

Jedi Training Academy
Each young Padawan who is chosen will learn a lightsaber combination as they prepare to fact the dark side!

Behind the Force: Experience the Clone Wars
Explore the excitement of Star Wars: The Clone Wars with a fascinating look behind the scenes of the all-new animated adventure!

Star Tours Attraction
Blast your starspeeder through the ultimate Star Wars adventure in this re-imagined attraction. The Star Tours 3-D simulator ride, which will now focus on the time period between Episodes III and IV from the films, will be open on May 20, 2011 just in time for the Star Wars™ Weekends.

Padawan Mind Challenge
Kids under 12 can test their wits before the Jedi Council!

Hyperspace Hoopla
Star Wars characters and Guests gather for an entertaining conclusion to each day’s events.

A Galaxy of Photo Opportunities

Plan now to be part of Star Wars Weekend 2011.
Contact your Magic Maker® for details or click below to request a quote.

Admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ required.
Appearances and entertainment subject to change without notice.
Star Wars © 2008 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM.

Immerse yourself in the power of the Force during Star Wars™ Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™, select weekends this spring, 2010.  You’ll find an entire saga’s worth of characters and celebrities on hand for autographs, pictures, motorcades, Q&A sessions and more, including the Jedi Training Academy for your Padawans.

Event Tickets
Admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ required.

2010 Dates
May 21 – 23, May 28 – 30, June 4 – 6, June 11 – 13

Characters
Encounter over 50 Star Wars characters from the entire saga. From Darth Vader to Darth Maul and Anakin to Chewbacca, you’ll find heroes and villains from throughout the galaxy.

Celebrities* from Star Wars will attend each weekend and participate in:

• Autograph Sessions
• Legends of the Force – Celebrity motorcade
• Stars of the Saga – Talk Show and Q&A

May 21-23: Temuera Morrison, Daniel Logan, Dee Bradley Baker
May 28-30: Matthew Wood, Lorne Peterson, Tom Kane
June 4-6: Billy Dee Williams, Ray Park, Dave Filoni
June 11-13: Ray Park, Peter Mayhew, James Arnold Taylor

Celebrity Hosts*
The celebrity hosts for each weekend will be Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett from Empire and Return of the Jedi) and Ashley Eckstein (Ahsoka fromThe Clone Wars).

Jedi Training Academy
Each young Padawan who is chosen will learn a lightsaber combination as they prepare to fact the dark side!

Behind the Force: Experience the Clone Wars
Explore the excitement of Star Wars: The Clone Wars with a fascinating look behind the scenes of the all-new animated adventure!

Star Tours Attraction
Blast your starspeeder through the ultimate Star Wars adventure.

Padawan Mind Challenge
Kids under 12 can test their wits before the Jedi Council!

Hyperspace Hoopla
Star Wars characters and Guests gather for an entertaining conclusion to each day’s events.

A Galaxy of Photo Opportunities

Click here to request your quote for a Walt Disney World Vacation and become one with the Force!

*Admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ required.
Appearances and entertainment subject to change without notice.
Availability is limited for some events. Events may be cancelled at any time.
© 2008 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM.
Star Wars © 2008 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM.
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