Star Wars Help, PLEASE!!

[Minnie1986]

For the love of God, please help me! I'm trying to figure out how to navigate the new Star Wars Land. The day that we're (myself and my 8 year old cousin that LOVES Star Wars) going to Hollywood Studios we'll have Extra Magic Hours from 8-9, but there is SO much to do. Any ideas as to how to navigate it would be GREATLY appreciated!

 

[MisterPenguin]

Thoughts on doing HS/Epcot in one day? We'll got back to HS for either Fantasmic or the Star Wars Light Show

If you're doing all the SW stuff in DHS, it doesn't take much to make it a full day: Indy show, a musical, Frozen Sing-along, lunch and dinner, Muppet 3D, the other rides.

Plus Epcot is a 2 day park!

 

[Courtney6682]

@21stamps

 

[21stamps]

Thank you! This seems SO much more manageable. Can you do Fast Pass for any of the meet and greets? I honestly could care less, but I know he will love it. I think the Jedi Training is what he'll most look forward to, so a FastPass will definitely be used for that. It's been so long since I've been to WDW with a child, so it's a bit overwhelming.

DHS is probably the easiest park to navigate since there is so little to do there. Most of the rides and attractions can be complete by 1PM. A bit longer if you watch the street performers.

@Minnie1986 Ok, first things first.. don't believe the hype of "so little to do"!!! It's NOT true. ESPECIALLY if you are with a Star Wars fan and doing JTA. We could not do everything in an entire day.. and I even cancelled our ADR to try to fit it all in!!!

I am about to go in a meeting, but I'll come back to this and give my HS thoughts and experience, and what I wish I would have done differently.

 

[21stamps]

@21stamps

This is one area where my mistakes can actually benefit someone else lol

 

[BigRedDad]

You can definitely spread out an entire day if you are doing the M&G's and every show. Those end up being huge time sinks. My DD is almost out of the M&G phase. There is some she will do, but not many. All of the shows are huge time sinks as well. You figure you have to be there 15-30 minutes before show time, each one will eat an hour out of the day. Each M&G can easily eat 30 minutes, if not more. So yes, you can easily make DHS a full day park if you do this.

 

[Minnie1986]

If you're doing all the SW stuff in DHS, it doesn't take much to make it a full day: Indy show, a musical, Frozen Sing-along, lunch and dinner, Muppet 3D, the other rides.

Plus Epcot is a 2 day park!

I, personally, love Epcot and would love to make it a two day event, but knowing him, he won't really care about the world showcase; it will likely be Frozen, Test Track and Mission Space, with stops here and there.

 

[Minnie1986]

You can definitely spread out an entire day if you are doing the M&G's and every show. Those end up being huge time sinks. My DD is almost out of the M&G phase. There is some she will do, but not many. All of the shows are huge time sinks as well. You figure you have to be there 15-30 minutes before show time, each one will eat an hour out of the day. Each M&G can easily eat 30 minutes, if not more. So yes, you can easily make DHS a full day park if you do this.

The only M&Gs he'll really want to do are some Star Wars characters and Mickey (who can be found at any park). The Indy show he'll love, so I'm planning on that, but otherwise, it will rides and experiences.

 

[nickys]

FWIW, I am in no way a Star Wars geek, but enjoy the movies.

I didn't watch the Launch Bay film but even I spent an hour looking at the exhibits, and the queues for the meet and greets were about 30 minutes for each one.

The Galaxy far far away is great fun. It's actually cool to watch the March of the First Order from around the crossroads....... (don't want to spoil things). They then march up to the stage area and that's where the Galaxy show happens. You can join in marching behind the storm troopers once they pass.

Star Tours is a must do. Depending on the standby time, we often go straight back on after a fastpass.

Jedi Training will be the hardest bit. If he wants to do that, you will need to be at the park 45 minutes before opening, or book a breakfast at Hollywood & Vine for before park opening. That's Disney Jnr characters though, which probably won't appeal to an 8 year old Star Wars fan! Luckily for me, the last time DS did it it was just "line up before the next show and hope to be one of the first 30 kids". That was in 2012.

I would think he'd like the Indy stunt show, one of my favourite things anywhere in WDW.

What you could consider would be something like:

RD - sign up for Jedi Training
Star Tours fp+ tier 2
Jedi Training slot
TSMM fp+ tier 1
Pick a showing of March of the First Order, followed by Galaxy show
Lunch
Launch Bay
Indy fp+ tier 2

Return for the Star Wars projections and fireworks - this is more about the projections with accompanying fireworks, not a fireworks show. We loved it, need to be able to see the Chinese Theatre to see the projections but don't need to be too close.

 

[correcaminos]

Thoughts on doing HS/Epcot in one day? We'll got back to HS for either Fantasmic or the Star Wars Light Show

We often head over to Epcot for lunch after the morning at DHS, but there is no way you can do both together in one day completely. If it's just to add Epcot for a while, it's lovely, but we usually spend more time at Epcot than anywhere else.

 

[Minnie1986]

FWIW, I am in no way a Star Wars geek, but enjoy the movies.

I didn't watch the Launch Bay film but even I spent an hour looking at the exhibits, and the queues for the meet and greets were about 30 minutes for each one.

The Galaxy far far away is great fun. It's actually cool to watch the March of the First Order from around the crossroads....... (don't want to spoil things). They then march up to the stage area and that's where the Galaxy show happens. You can join in marching behind the storm troopers once they pass.

Star Tours is a must do. Depending on the standby time, we often go straight back on after a fastpass.

Jedi Training will be the hardest bit. If he wants to do that, you will need to be at the park 45 minutes before opening, or book a breakfast at Hollywood & Vine for before park opening. That's Disney Jnr characters though, which probably won't appeal to an 8 year old Star Wars fan! Luckily for me, the last time DS did it it was just "line up before the next show and hope to be one of the first 30 kids". That was in 2012.

I would think he'd like the Indy stunt show, one of my favourite things anywhere in WDW.

What you could consider would be something like:

RD - sign up for Jedi Training
Star Tours fp+ tier 2
Jedi Training slot
TSMM fp+ tier 1
Pick a showing of March of the First Order, followed by Galaxy show
Lunch
Launch Bay
Indy fp+ tier 2

Return for the Star Wars projections and fireworks - this is more about the projections with accompanying fireworks, not a fireworks show. We loved it, need to be able to see the Chinese Theatre to see the projections but don't need to be too close.

I like this idea. Thanks!

 

[Minnie1986]

We often head over to Epcot for lunch after the morning at DHS, but there is no way you can do both together in one day completely. If it's just to add Epcot for a while, it's lovely, but we usually spend more time at Epcot than anywhere else.

As an adult, Epcot is my favorite as well, because of the world showcase. I also do want to do the "get a stamp from each country on your "passport" " experience with him. It's just a lot of planning because A- it's a surprise, so I can't ask him and B- we're only there for four days. I'm actually thinking MK might be our shortest day, because it's the only park he's been to before. Does that make sense?

 

[correcaminos]

As an adult, Epcot is my favorite as well, because of the world showcase. I also do want to do the "get a stamp from each country on your "passport" " experience with him. It's just a lot of planning because A- it's a surprise, so I can't ask him and B- we're only there for four days. I'm actually thinking MK might be our shortest day, because it's the only park he's been to before. Does that make sense?

It makes sense. We did a quick trip in March and made some choices then. No AK or DHS for us. 2 1/2 days at Epcot (arrival and depature day) and a half day at MK. Okay we walked through Epcot on our way back to our room to do another TT run lol. So MK was there but not a focus. Can you tell which park we like best as a family?

 

[I am Timmy]

Disney hasn't announced it, and so, it's possible it won't close or the timeline change, but, this is from one of our most trusted insiders and he's very definite that WDW is definitely intending to do this. DHS isn't going to be about making movies, but being in them. And, more specifically, being in a Disney-owned movie. So, a Mickey Mouse ride is going in. And they want to get it done while they have direct back lot construction access to the building while Star Wars Land is being built.

Thank you for responding! I knew it would eventually be changed, I just didn't realize the ride would be closing so soon. I will miss it for nostalgia's sake, but I know it really needs to be updated. My family rides it with me to humor me. Every time. I love movies, I can't help it!

 

[Minnie1986]

@Minnie1986 Ok, first things first.. don't believe the hype of "so little to do"!!! It's NOT true. ESPECIALLY if you are with a Star Wars fan and doing JTA. We could not do everything in an entire day.. and I even cancelled our ADR to try to fit it all in!!!

I am about to go in a meeting, but I'll come back to this and give my HS thoughts and experience, and what I wish I would have done differently.

Any words of wisdom to share? Greatly appreciated!

 

[Maddie Terwilliger]

For the love of God, please help me! I'm trying to figure out how to navigate the new Star Wars Land. The day that we're (myself and my 8 year old cousin that LOVES Star Wars) going to Hollywood Studios we'll have Extra Magic Hours from 8-9, but there is SO much to do. Any ideas as to how to navigate it would be GREATLY appreciated!

Oh my goodness. If you CAN, I'm sure your cousin would absolutely LOVE the Jedi Academy. It is space limited, so you would need to get to HS super early and sign up RIGHT when you get there because people fill up all the spaces for it for the day. Here is some information about it according to Disney:

"Jedi Knights have assembled Force-sensitive children from throughout the galaxy to test their abilities.

Under the tutelage of the Jedi, the recruits learn how to use the Force—and their wit—to wield lightsabers. Now that the Empire has driven the Jedi to the distant corners of the galaxy, the training must proceed in secret at ancient Jedi temples.

But not even this precaution can shield the Jedi from the evil forces of the Dark Side for long. Soon, the temple opens and the students are challenged to use their new skills when they come face-to-face with their greatest fears—in the frightening form of notorious Star Wars villains!"

I've watched this show a million times when I go to HS and the little ones (especially the little boys) ADORE wearing the Jedi robes and being on stage battling Darth Vader. It truly is a once in a lifetime experience for Star Wars fans!!

 

[Minnie1986]

Oh my goodness. If you CAN, I'm sure your cousin would absolutely LOVE the Jedi Academy. It is space limited, so you would need to get to HS super early and sign up RIGHT when you get there because people fill up all the spaces for it for the day. Here is some information about it according to Disney:

"Jedi Knights have assembled Force-sensitive children from throughout the galaxy to test their abilities.

Under the tutelage of the Jedi, the recruits learn how to use the Force—and their wit—to wield lightsabers. Now that the Empire has driven the Jedi to the distant corners of the galaxy, the training must proceed in secret at ancient Jedi temples.

But not even this precaution can shield the Jedi from the evil forces of the Dark Side for long. Soon, the temple opens and the students are challenged to use their new skills when they come face-to-face with their greatest fears—in the frightening form of notorious Star Wars villains!"

I've watched this show a million times when I go to HS and the little ones (especially the little boys) ADORE wearing the Jedi robes and being on stage battling Darth Vader. It truly is a once in a lifetime experience for Star Wars fans!!

I'm going to try my hardest. I know he'll love it!