SWW Top 7

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Friday, July 04, 2008
Jennifer von Hoffman

Sure, Star Wars Weekends are over for this year…but there’s always next year to look forward to! So, in that spirit, here are my Top 7 favorite things to do at Star Wars Weekends.

7. Take a half-day break from the SWW action. We were at Walt Disney World for the full duration of Star Wars Weekends…in fact, we stayed on until Tuesday night. I was tempted to just press on through all three days at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but something in my heart said to take Saturday evening off, and head over to Magic Kingdom for a few hours. I’m so glad we did! Something about a little spin on the Haunted Mansion, and watching Wishes from the ferry that evening, made SWW feel fresh and new the next morning.

6. Pick up a souvenir. No, you don’t have to buy one of those limited edition Big Figs if you don’t want to -- and Lord knows I didn’t. I’m more the practical type, and came home with a limited edition pin (which I shall not be trading), and a SWW logo mug, which looks lovely on my desk at work.

5. Attend Hyperspace Hoopla. You’ve seen it on YouTube, now get down for real. We’re not just talking Dancing with the Star Wars Stars…we’re talking Hyperspace Hoopla Hustle, baby! You didn’t fly all the way to Orlando just to stand around self-consciously. Put on your boogie shoes.

4. Make the most of your time in queue. Yes, you’ll be spending plenty of time waiting. And you know what? Anybody waiting in those lines is probably as big a geek as you are, when it comes to Star Wars or Disney or both. So don’t be shy, strike up a conversation and ya never know what you might learn.

3. Attend the Celebrity Talk Show. This was super-fun for us, because a friend volunteered to be on stage for part of the show, so we felt extra-specially part of the Magic. Overall the show was just great, hearing behind-the-scenes stories from Star Wars celebrities. Plus, the pre-show was almost as good as the show itself, what with Stormtroopers speaking sternly to the crowd, then teasing each other with security camera footage from the Death Star, and an honest-to-goodness clip of Stormtroopers dancing on the Donny and Marie Show. Heaven.

2. Meet your host, Warwick Davis! I know I know….he might not be the host next time. But man, he was so incredibly friendly and charming that I’ve just gotta give the man some props here.

1. Hang out on Commissary, near Star Tours, or anywhere else that Star Wars streetmosphere might be happening. One morning on vacation at Star Wars Weekends, the little inspirational message on my teabag reminded me to pay attention to the little things, because in the end these are the things that truly matter. And man, was this ever the truth for Star Wars Weekends! Yes, I loved all the other things I’ve listed above, but some of the best memories for me come from those chance encounters: Chewie walking by while I’m chatting with a friend, a member of the Modal Nodes shaking hands with my son’s plush Ewok, trading a tarnished old penny to a Jawa in exchange for some bright silver-tone beads. Little things mean a lot, and with all the programmed activities, it’s easy to lose sight of how precious those small interactions can be.