Star Wars Weekends: A Lesson in Patience

We happened upon Disney’s STAR WARS WEEKENDS event by accident at MGM Studios in May of 2005. It was the year Episode III was released so we thought it was a one time event planned specifically for the movie release. Little did we know at the time that the events have been going on for years! We extended our week long visit for one more day just to check it out.

The gigantic crowd waiting at MGM an hour (at least) before the 9 AM gate opening should have been the first sign that we happened upon something special! The other red flags were our fellow attendees that came donned in Star Wars costumes. I’m not talking about Disney ‘cast members’ – I’m talking about entire families dressed as Darth Vader, Princess Leia, even Yoda. (You know who you are!) We quickly figured out that Star Wars Weekends was a huge event and one worth investigating.

Here’s a crash course on attending Star Wars Weekends and how to avoid losing your sanity in the process.....

• First and foremost, ARRIVE EARLY! 45 minutes is a good estimate of enough time but judging by the crowd at the 2006 event, a few families may have even slept there overnight.

• P-A-T-I-E-N-C-E!  Everyone can use some extra patience when visiting Disney parks but this event is completely different. The Star Wars character ‘meet & greet’ lines at MGM make waiting in line for Goofy’s autograph at Magic Kingdom look like a school lunch line. There are lines for character pictures, lines for celebrity autographs and alas the dreaded line for merchandising! I cannot warn you enough about that merchandising line. If you plan on buying any of the goodies Lucas & Disney are hawking for the year’s event, bring your patience. (A lawn chair wouldn’t hurt – HA! and you think I’m joking!). You will be there a while. (180+ minutes, but who’s counting?) And I caution you, only bring children into the merchandising line with you if you planned ahead and packed a straight jacket. The toys and unknown goodies that await you are not worth the wait to a 5, 8, or even an 11 year old. Your kids will drive you and everyone else in line NUTS. I repeat, this is not the line to wait in if you want to get a few SWW event pins. You can buy these on eBay hours after the event kicks off. Split up and take the kids outside to gawk at the parade of authentic Star Wars personalities. This they will remember forever and you will be glad you escaped with your sanity.

• Bring a digital camera! All of the major Star Wars characters are walking around in the crowd. Luke Skywalker, assorted Jedis, Jawas, Sand People, Storm & Clone Troopers, Palpatine, even Darth Maul (that guy takes the whole “character” thing far too seriously). In 2005, Hayden Christensen (Episode III Anakin) was signing autographs and posing for pictures by Star Tours. The line was exhaustingly long but surprisingly the Ewok picture line opposite Anakin was just as long. (Go figure!)

• Buy something…anything Star Wars related (as soon as you come across a stand selling merchandise) and have your kid’s favorite character(s) sign it. We lucked out and ran into a very short line (by Star Wars Weekends standards) where Darth Vader was stationed. We had a couple of pictures and an autographed Star Wars hat signed by Vader himself – all in less than 15 minutes. Your kids won’t care (or know) that ‘Darth Vader’ is really John Doe who lives in Celebration, Florida.

• Walk around and explore but keep your eyes open! Star Wars characters pop up all over the place. Clone Troopers ran right into us (literally) coming out of the merchandising line on Mickey Ave. Florida is just cranking up to it's sweltering self in May & June so the Star Wars cast has to take breaks every 15-20 minutes or so to avoid makeup meltdown. (Remember what your kids look like after 15 minutes in Halloween makeup??) Characters were coming and going from everywhere near Star Tours and Mickey Ave.

Here's that word again! PATIENCE!
 
Don’t be surprised when... the 40 year old dressed like Hans Solo pushes your 10 year old aside to get his picture with Darth Maul. Resist the urge to slice off his arm with your son's lightsaber, he's on his way to compete in an all too serious game of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire - Star Wars Edition.
 
Don't plan your day around.... any information that Disney employees give you regarding where celebrities will be, what time character ‘meet & greets’ start or what types of merchandise will be available. Use the schedule guide that MGM prints for each weekend to check events or check Disney's website. We were sent on a wild goose chase after asking an employee working at Youse Guys Moichandice about where the line was for merchandising was. (I guess it serves me right for asking a guy working in Backlot in the middle of nowhere!)

Don't underestimate...the Florida sun. Pack some water if you can (or prepare to take out a loan to buy a few bottles). Palpatine and Darth Vader aren't stationed in shady areas for nothing. 
 
Something to consider...

I strongly caution.... ‘cutting’ in line at this event (or even being perceived to have) is likened to Yoda turning to the Dark Side. If leaving any line for any reason with the intention of returning, channel Darth Vader and state your intentions in a strong and clear voice. ( I left the merchandising line after 1.5 hours of waiting to use the restroom and get some much needed refreshements. I actually had to ask the Disney cast member who was in charge of "keeping the peace" how to ‘safely return without inciting a riot’. To my surprise, the cast member was unsure himself and was apparently doing his best to just survive the event. He must have been suffering from dehydration also and actually asked (upon my return) ‘If I had known you were going to get sodas I would have asked you to pick up a Coke and a hot dog for me!’ I was then escorted back through the maze and door system that lead to the ‘merchandising mecca’ where my husband was still languishing with our hoard of latex Yodas and Darth Goofys. 
 
The whiner...

Earlier in the day we witnessed a gentleman emotionally explaining how he needed to get through to the front of the line (he was about 20 minutes into the 4 hours wait) or he would surely perish. (He was pouring it on so thick you would think they were giving out Oscars!) Apparently waiting in line with two underage children drove him out of his mind within minutes (I TOLD YOU!) and he decided to resort to begging cast members to get the fast track to checkout. Everyone waiting in line within earshot of his pleas threatened to stage a revolt that even the Galactic Empire would be proud of if he was granted access ‘beyond the doors’. The near mayhem that resulted drove him away practically in tears and no one else dared step a foot out of line afterwards. So just remember....strong and clear voice. (It works for Darth Vader!)
 
All joking aside....
 
Star Wars Weekends is an event worth planning for! If you happen upon it like we did, have the most fun you can for as long as you can handle it. This event challenges even the most patient Disney visitor!