Tag Archives: star wars weekend

Star Wars Weekends 2013

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stm736501SMALLI love Star Wars and I love Star Wars Weekends. The artwork has been released for this year’s Star Wars weekend and I love it. Return of the Jedi is my favorite of the original trilogy and I have a soft spot for the Ewoks. This year is particularly special because it is the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Episode IV: Return of the Jedi. I don’t know about you but I remember seeing this one in the theatre when it was released, so now I feel old… It is also going to be interesting this year because it is the first Star Wars Weekend in which Disney now owns the Star Wars empire.

But know that this is not for the first time Disney traveler. Star Wars Weekends are hot, crowded and confusing if you don’t know your way around Hollywood Studios. If you are a seasoned veteran of WDW and you (or your children/spouse) are a fan, this is the weekend for you to visit!

The full schedule is not released but here is what is available now. Star Wars Weekends will take place May 17-June 9, every Friday, Saturday, & Sunday.

Celebrity Guests: You can get a fastpass to meet and get autographs from the celebrities.

  • James Arnold Taylor: The Official Celebrity Host for all 4 weekends. The voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi in The Clone Wars series. He performs a one man show about voice talent.
  • Ashley Eckstein: Also a Celebrity Host for all the weekends. She is the voice of Ahsoka Tano in The Clone Wars. She hosts a talk show about the cartoon series. We had the privilege to meet Ashley a few years ago at SWW and she made a wonderful impression on my daughters and made them feel like it is ok for girls to like Star Wars. (I keep telling them that the boys will think it is the coolest thing someday!)
  • Ray Park: Darth Maul from Episode I: The Phantom Menace for Weekends 1 & 2. He is also a martial arts expert and in X-Men & GI Joe. He does a martial arts show during the weekend.
  • Warwick Davis: Wicket W. Warrick (my favorite Ewok) for Weekends 2 & 3

The schedule should stay the same for the most part. Character greetings and autographs from the bunches of characters from all the movies and cartoon, specialty merchandise, Jedi Training, Padawan Mind Challenge, Hyperspace Hoopla, Star Wars Stars Motorcade Parade with stormtroopers and various characters.

I will update more as soon as the information comes available, so stay tuned!

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D-Tech Me Princess Experience – A first hand look

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dtechprincessThis past trip to WDW, we were able to have a first hand look with the D-Tech Me Experience. Last year they unveiled this technology with “Carbon Freeze Me” during Star Wars Weekend. Basically, they took a 3D image of your face and molded it into a carbonite figurine ala Han Solo. Here is a video of the “Carbon Freeze Me” experience. This was so wildly successful with the Star Wars weekend attendees that they expanded the concept this summer.detechprincess2

We were able to do the D-Tech Me Princess experience during the first week of operation. It was located at The World of Disney Store in Downtown Disney, near the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. I assumed this would be just as popular as the Star Wars so we arrived early. There was no one there and they didn’t even seem to be booked. I am pretty sure we could have walked in and had it done. IMG_1153The check in desk and photobooth were in a tiny corner of the store and out in the open for anyone to watch. First they gave each of the kids a choice of princess and hair color. One choose Belle and brown hair, the other chose Ariel with red hair.

IMG_1155They gave us headbands to hold the girl’s hair back and then they sat in a fancy salon chair which adjusted to the correct height for the camera. They were told to watch a screen and smile. The picture was taken by 10 different cameras simultaneously to make the 3D image. They take the girl’s picture several times to give you options to choose from.

It is very disconcerting to see a 3 dimensional version of your daughters face and theydtech (2)can show it to you both inside and out. The experience is very quick and efficient and the kids thought it was fun. The figurine arrived 6 weeks later encased in foam with a beautiful pink box. The girls love their figures, though it is a little creepy to see their faces on the body of a princess. They also were given a little charm bracelet to take home that day because they have to wait for the princess figurine.

A few things to know. This is only available to girls ages 3-12 years old. You must cancel 48 hours in advance or you are charged $25. Make sure your child has her eyes opened pretty wide and smiles with teeth. It looks more like them with an exaggerated expression.