Star Wars Weekends 2015
By , Cruise Specialist | June 01, 2015 ( Comments)
There are mere months until Disney releases the highly anticipated “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” It is such an exciting time to be a Star Wars fan, but what is one to do while waiting for the new movie? Go to Star Wars Weekends in Walt Disney World!
Set your course for the Force and visit Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios during select weekends in May and June, and you’ll be treated to several Star Wars attractions that will leave you salivating for the new movie.
Recently I was lucky enough to spend a Sunday experiencing the might of the Empire and joining the Rebellion. Throughout the day, there are several shows starring the weekend’s current celebrity guests. In attendance this past weekend were James Arnold Taylor (voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi), Ray Park (Darth Maul), Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett), and Ashley Eckstein (voice of Ahsoka Tano).
The first show I attended was a sneak peak at season two of the new show “Star Wars: Rebels.” It was a great show featuring the talents of Ashley Eckstein and James Arnold Taylor. They brought with them some exciting previews showcasing great trailers and clips of the new season. The highlights were some clips featuring the return of Darth Vader… being voiced by the legendary James Earl Jones!
The next show was called “Stars of the Saga,” which featured the Star Wars Weekends host, James Arnold Taylor, interviewing both Jeremy Bulloch and Ray Park in a humorous and enlightening way. The highlight of this year was actually the preshow! It was starring Star Wars Weekend favorites, the Main Gate Stormtroopers! These bumbling, incompetent excuses for the Emperor’s army argued over the pronunciation of Han Solo’s name (Han, Hans, or Haan). They even made reference to “Beauty and the Beast,” since the shows were being held in the theater normally occupied by the stage show.
Third in line was a show starring Ray Park (Darth Maul). Since he does all his own stunts and fights scenes, (he’s a master martial artist) he came on stage and did full-on demonstrations of his prowess. He even selected some younglings from the audience and trained them in the ways of the Dark Side! It was truly a spectacle to see!
The final show was starring James Arnold Taylor. Aside from voicing Obi-Wan Kenobi on “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” he literally does thousands of other characters that we are all familiar with such as Fred Flintstone, Tidus from Final Fantasy X, and more. It was a hugely entertaining show and was the best of all four.
Aside from the special shows, there also were some Star Wars-themed tasty treats that you can only find during Star Wars Weekends, including the Darth Vader, Jabba the Hutt, and Yoda Cupcakes. Each was unique. Vader was chocolate peanut butter, Yoda was Chocolate-Nutella, and Jabba was Sea Salt Caramel! Yum!
I was also fortunate enough to snag two hard-to-get reservations at special Star Wars dining events. The Star Wars breakfast at the Sci-Fi Drive In was AWESOME! While eating my delicious Beef Tenderloin and eggs with a glass of blue milk, I was able to watch clips from Star Wars on the big screen and enjoy visits with Stormtroopers, Jawas, Boba Fett, Darth Vader, and the one and only Greedo! It was loads of fun, and well worth the high price. Memorable moments included being arrested by a Stormtrooper for being a Rebel, trading trinkets with Jawas, and getting Force Choked by Lord Vader.
For dinner, I was able to eat at the Rebel Hanger, which is located in a small section of the normally cafeteria-style Backlot Express. It was totally redecorated with Star Wars-themed goodies, including TIE Fighter wings, X-Wing s-foils, Mandalorian Helmets, and Rebel Supplies. The backstory was great! It was supposed to be an abandoned Imperial warehouse on a remote planet that became frequented by smugglers and Rebels — which explained Chewbacca making an appearance, and the random patrols of Stormtroopers coming through. The food selections were also Star Wars themed! A hummus dip inspired by Darth Maul stole the show!
To cap off the night, visitors to Star Wars Weekends are treating with the firework show, Symphony in the Stars! These fireworks are some of the very best Walt Disney World has to offer, set aloft to the music of the Star Wars Saga and preceded by a preshow starring your favorite Star Wars characters. This fireworks show alone is worth the trip to Star Wars Weekends. DO NOT MISS IT!
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Star Wars Weekends this year, and would love to sneak up again next Sunday to feel the Force some more! This experience really gets me excited for Disney Cruise Line’s Star Wars Day at Sea! Stay tuned!
Wanna go? Call me at 1-800-439-1909 ext 7856 and get the best Disney Advice around! (and a great price!)
Nico
