Star Wars Weekends 2013

"In a galaxy far, far away..." Star Wars Weekends dates have been announced for 2013. As we've seen in past years, the weekends will run Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May 17th to June 9, 2013.

Our favorite Jedi is back hosting, that's right James Arnold Taylor will be on deck as celebrity host for the Star Wars Weekend's festivities along with Ashley Eckstein.

Star Wars Weekends began in 1997 and has grown in size and popularity since its inception. The little show that used to take place at the close of the evening "Hyperspace Hooplah" has gone from the humble Jedi Training stage outside of Star Tours to the main event stage in the center of Disney's Hollywood Studios.

The larger stage becomes the backdrop for a dance off between the Rebel Alliance and the Dark Side. If you haven't seen this, I won't ruin the surprise but let me tell you, it has been the highlight of more than one of our Disney trips.

So what else does Star Wars Weekends have to offer that will make folks frock from various galaxy's to take part?

• Characters and Parades: Our favorite Disney pals get Star Wars makeovers! Keep your eyes peeled for Stormtrooper Donald, Darth Goofy, Jedi Mickey, Princess Leia Minnie. Traditional and new Star Wars characters will also be in the park for meet and greets. The readily recognizable Darth Vader and Darth Maul are on site as well as obscure characters that true die hard fans know and love (do you know who Aura Sing is?) The Star Wars Motorcade parade offers an up-close view of celebrity guest stars and characters. The local 501st Legion participates in the parade in an upstanding fashion that is truly a sight to behold. 
• Shows: The Premier Theatre will host several different shows through each of the weekends. The celebrity guests often host shows which range from question and answer sessions with classic Star Wars characters, demonstrations on martial arts from Ray Park (a.k.a. Darth Maul) and "Talking to Myself" an amazing one man show by James Arnold Taylor. 
• Celebrity Autographs: Guest celebrities will appear each weekend (to be announced at a later date) and will be available for autographs. The autograph sessions work on a FastPass ticket system so be sure to get to the parks early to get your ticket if you want an autograph. 
• Special Merchandise: "Jabbas Hut" has become home to a large array of Star Wars Weekends merchandise. T-shirts, hats, mugs, light sabers are a few of the available souvenirs but you'll also find more speciality items like props used in the movies, lithographs and movie posters and even "real" lightsabers. 
• Hyperspace Hooplah: This technically falls under the "show" category but is so cool I felt it needed it's own bullet point. This show is amazing and will have just about every character you can imagine in a fun dance off between the Rebel Alliance and the Dark Side. This show is the highlight of Star Wars Weekends, in my opinion. I won't go into detail for those who want to be surprised but it's certainly something not to be missed.

If you're looking for a fun weekend getaway for the Star Wars fan in your family, book your Star Wars Weekends trip now. Pixie Vacations has exclusive discounts for Star Wars Weekends. Contact me for your free quote or more information.