Saturday 2 June 2012

It's My Favourite Part Because...You'll See.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away...I think Disney is losing money on my park attendance during Star Wars Weekends.

Friday I headed off to yet another round of Star Wars Weekends at Hollywood Studios. It was actually my last chance to see the Hyperspace Hoopla once more time. Chelsea and I went around 1pm in the pouring rain, meeting a lot of opposing park traffic but not meeting any rain-soaked Stormtroopers. We immediately headed for Darth's Mall, as a roof was the only desirable quality in a location (the roof was leaking a bit, but it is a tent after all). We were joined by Heather and were in the tent for a good 2.5 hours, meeting characters (Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker) as well as one of the celebrity hosts for Star Wars Weekends, Ashley Eckstein. Ashley is a voice actor on Star Wars: The Clone Wars and has her own line of Star Wars-themed clothing for girls (Her Universe), which was on sale in the tent. She's also ridiculously pretty and nice (I HATE HER...kidding, not at all). I had her sign my shirt and she's now considering stopping by the Canada Pavilion.
She designed the shirt I'm wearing.
Thanks for your contributions to nerd girl world!
The rain eventually eased up a bit and we headed over to the Beauty and the Beast Stage show, which is very close, and then lunch at Backlot Express, behind the Indiana Jones Stunt show. We were en route to Star Tours when Heather and Chelsea got intercepted by a Chewbacca meet and greet (not me, Chewy and I have had sufficient time together). I was in Tatooine Traders, waiting for Jen to join us and chatting with a former World Showcase West merchandise manager, when the Mos Eisley Cantina band appeared from backstage, blew kisses at me while I stood there like an idiot, and went to ride Star Tours.

Jen and I were reunited with her fave Star Tours Cast Member.
You may remember him from this post
Oh yeah, welcome to Star Wars Weekends. Seeing as how I'm just made of park time, the four of us decided to stake out prime spots for the Hyperspace Hoopla, which starts at 8:00, at 5:30. Worth it, we got the last front row spots, which we defended like no one's business through a Padawan Mind Challenge show. My camera of course died five minutes into the Hoopla, but I still think it's the singular best stage show to hit the Walt Disney World Resort. Ever. EVER.


Chewy's sexy and he knows it. 

Stormtroopers march and dance in unison. They've got talent. 

Boba Fett has the moves like Jagger. 
We had time for a round on Rock'n Roller Coaster and Star Tours before my second show of Fantasmic, another reminder of how freakin' magical everything around here is. Good times. 

TTFN,

Note: With the recent mass exodus of Canadian cast, I'm just psyched beyond imagination to see Ashley and Mary. Especially if they found me a K-9 plush?

Thanks to: Jamie, for being the best damn Canadian manager to ever leave us for the Disney Cruise line. You'll eventually read this.


Tuesday 29 May 2012

Soaring, Tumbling, Freewheeling Through an Endless Diamond Sky

It's 10:45 in the morning and it feels like 7:45 due to general lack of activity around here. It's also gray and raining (all week long!), so that could be it. To the weekend!

Round 2 (Episode 2) of Star Wars Weekends was last weekend. I went every single day, but never for the whole day.
Friday was the Hyperspace Hoopla, as you all know from my last post.
Saturday, Jen and I went for park opening at 8:00, meaning we left The Commons at 7:20. Yeah, that's dedication. We arrived on time for the park to just be opening, and there were still chatty Stormtroopers on the roof. That's always a good sign.
Constant vigilance, gentlemen. 
Of course, we immediately did several rounds of Star Tours, in which we were reunited with one of our favourite Star Tours Cast Members, and I was the rebel spy two of three times (it's the hair, I swear). We then joined the queue for a character meet and greet with Chewbacca. We waited 45 minutes in line, and then when he arrived (he's got a lot of haircare to attend to, alright?), we were hugged and photographed within 10 minutes.

Chewbacca is my dance idol. Also superbly cuddly. 
We then reported to Carbon Freeze Me, for which Jen had signed up a few weeks before.  Nine-ish pictures of your face are taken simultaneously so a 3D model can be made. An encased-in-carbonite statue featuring the guest's (prisoner's) face is made and sent out 4-6 weeks later. I was the bounty hunter. That was free. After Jen got her early release (good theming there, SWW), we met Queen Amidala (we had a brief but memorable discussion about what makes droids work).

We're so regal, it hurts. 
We headed back to Darth's Mall, where we met C3PO and R2D2 and I got a Disney-style but Star Tour-themed nametag made up (I'm from Alderaan now, just so you know). C3PO recognized that I was from the Canada system and remarked that it was not unlike the sixth planet of the Hoth system. Hilarious protocol droid. Jen and I both had to report to Canada in the afternoon, so we lunched at Hollywood Studios and went back home.
Sunday, Bailey and I went back to Star Wars Weekends, again at 7:20 for more nerdiness and good times. We immediately tracked down Darth Vader, who lied to me through body language (I was wearing a shirt with Luke and Leia on it, he implied he had no idea who they were).

He was probably unimpressed with
my Crocs more than my shirt.
Then we rode Star Tours, of course. Then Bailey wanted to meet Chewbacca, so we queued again and got more pictures and hugs and covered in Wookie fur. We then booted it around the corner to the queue for Boba and/or Jango Fett (guess which on we wanted and you get a gold star). Funny thing that happened when we finally got our turn: Bailey went to pose while I took a picture, but before I could I looked up and there was a bounty hunter all up in my face seeming extremely unimpressed with my hairstyle. Before Bailey or I knew what was happening, I was being "dragged" up into the stocks near the backdrop. Let that be the first and only time I ever get arrested, alright?

My one-and-only mug shot. 
Through much difficulty, we managed to snag Stormtrooper pictures, too (they move a lot and have no attention span at all for photos) before it was our turn on Toy Story Mania. Then to Darth's Mall, for another meet and greet with C3PO and R2D2 (C3PO said I looked familiar), then lunch and a Darth Vader cupcake for dessert, and back home to prepare for work in Canada. Where I wore my Leia buns all night.
Tomorrow, Canada is saying goodbye to four of its merchantainers. It'll be a dark day, even if it's not raining.

TTFN,


Note: I met my roommate yesterday! Contrary to my belief, her program ends Friday. NNNNOOOOOO. You better believe I had roommate-related nightmares last night.

Thanks to: Aimee for the mail and Tim, who was going to let me meet Darth Maul had I not been 20 minutes late. Sorry, buddy.