As you can tell by some of the articles I do, I look forward to a lot of things when it comes to Walt Disney World.  Well this time around I’m anxious to partake in my other favorite pass time – that’s right, yours truly is an avid fan of all things Star Wars.  But much to my chagrin over the years, I have been unable to time my visits to the World to coincide with Star Wars Weekend.  Well, not this year loyal reader…as I have made reservations to go to the first Star Wars Weekend, and I am extremely excited about that. 

For those of you living under a rock the last few weeks, Star Wars Weekend has been confirmed through the month of June.  Since 1997, Walt Disney World has sponsored a series of special Star Wars Weekends at the Studios.  Activities normally include celebrity appearances, as well as trivia contests and prize give-aways, Star Tours "ride-a-thons," and a special Star Wars themed parade.  Actors featured over the years include Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Jake Lloyd (young Anakin Skywalker), David Prowse (Darth Vader), Kenny Baker (R2D2), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), and Anthony Daniels (C3PO) among others. 

What’s even more special about Star Wars Weekend this year is that Studioscentral.com will be hosting a special event for those coming to Weekend 1 of Star Wars Weekends! 

Guests who book the special rate with Mousefantravel.com will have access to a private catered dinner on Sunday, June 8 at 6pm for just us in a very special room called the “Prop Shop.”  Inside are an assortment of various props from a number of extinct attractions and parades, props not in use at the moment, old signs and more.  Take a look at some pictures of the Prop Shop taken by our very own Matt Hochberg.

The dinner will be an all-you-can eat affair, with grilled vegetable cous cous with feta cheese, red skin smashed potatoes with roasted shallot butter, oven roasted rosemary balsamic chicken, tarragon rubbed slow roasted beef, smoked tomato demi, and lots of other assorted goodness.  After dinner, the Studioscentral gang will be planning something special for the group–while all the details have yet to be nailed down, I can tell you that fun will be had by all (and maybe some free stuff will be involved).  If you are interested and want more information head on over to Mousefantravel’s site.

So what if you are like myself, and this is your first time going to Star Wars Weekend: What do you do? Where do you go? What are some tips on touring? Here are some basic guidelines that will get you started:

• Plan to arrive early! Due to the large scale of the event, lots of people will be attending, so plan on getting to the gate at least 40 minutes before the scheduled opening time. Moreover, Star Wars Weekend is smack dab in the middle of the Summer busy season.  Be prepared to fight the crowds (bring your lightsaber if you have one).
• Plan for lots of lines. Scheduled events, autographs, merchandise, and Star Tours will have very long lines.  So be prepared to wait for that autograph or that Luke Skywalker Mickey Big Fig.
• While there may be large crowd levels, regular attractions will more than likely be running at normal capacity or even under due to everyone participating at the events.  People like me will be too busy clamoring for an autograph of Space Alien #43 to ride Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster.  So if you have some time, take advantage of the events to ride your favorite attraction.
• Time to bring out your Slave Leia and Boba Fett costumes and dress up!  Hey, why not, right?
• If merchandise is what you are interested in, know that it can get sold out quickly.  Spend the early part of your day buying what you want.  The longer you wait, the more likely it’ll all be sold out.  
• If you’re planning on attending, be sure to make reservations for lunch & dinner ahead of time!  Not only do you have to compete with the guests with the Disney Dining Plan, you have to compete with Star Wars Weekend level crowds all jockeying for a place to sit in the air conditioning.  Be smart, and make you advanced dining reservation post haste!

While these tips are a good start, they are just the tip of the Super Star Destroyer. For more info on Star Wars Weekend planning, Studioscentral is your one stop shop (shameless plug time).  In the coming weeks, our site will host a couple of Star Wars Weekend chats hosted by Matt Hochberg and our very own resident Dark Lord of the Sith.  In addition, check out the Star Wars Weekend blog, your source for up to date info, tips, tricks, and coverage of Star Wars Weekends, updated regularly by Matt and the Dark Lord of the Sith himself. 

Stay tuned younglings … until then, May the Force Be with You!

Next week: Spring has sprung! We’ll take a look at Disney’s Annual Flower and Garden Festival over at Epcot.