Star Wars Weekends 2011 will be a Tour de “Force” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, celebrating the grand opening of the new Star Tours attraction as the Walt Disney World Resort theme park welcomes Jedi, Sith, Ewoks, Wookiees, galactic bounty hunters and stormtroopers for the park’s annual celebration of all-things-Star Wars.
The fun takes place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May 20-June 12, 2011.
Once again, Jedi Mickey and Princess Leia Minnie will be joined by some of the brightest stars from the saga. Celebrity Hosts for the event this year are James Arnold Taylor (voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: The Clone Wars) and Ashley Eckstein (voice of Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars: The Clone Wars). Ashley (seen in the photo above with R2-MK and Jedi Mickey) will host “Clone Wars: Behind the Force,” a closer look inside the popular animated TV series. James will present another event-first: he will star in a one-man show that showcases some of the many voices he has performed throughout his career, including those from The Clone Wars.
Opening weekend will kick off the month-long event in grand fashion, as fan favorite Anthony Daniels (seen in the photo above at a filming session for the new “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue” attraction), who brought C-3PO to life and is the only actor to appear in every theatrical chapter of the Star Wars saga, will make a golden return to the event. Dave Filoni, the talented artist and supervising director of The Clone Wars, also will be a special celebrity guest for Weekend I.
Star Wars Weekends II, III and IV will feature celebrities from the live-action feature films and voice artists from The Clone Wars. Here’s the complete event celebrity lineup (*talent subject to change) scheduled to appear:
Scheduled Celebrity Appearances
MAY 20-22
- Anthony Daniels (C-3PO)
- The Clone Wars Special Guest: Dave Filoni (Supervising Director)
MAY 27-29
- Anthony Daniels (C-3PO)
- Bruce Spence (Tion Medon)
- The Clone Wars Voice Talent Guest: Dee Bradley Baker (Captain Rex)
JUNE 3-5
- Ray Park (Darth Maul)
- Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett)
- The Clone Wars Voice Talent Guest: Matt Lanter (Anakin)
JUNE 10-12
- Ray Park (Darth Maul)
- Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca)
- The Clone Wars Voice Talent Guest: Tom Kane (Yoda)
And while the stars will shine, a galaxy-full of events, live shows, parades and activities also take place throughout the park during the month.
An event highlight for many is meeting the Star Wars characters, and this year is no exception. More than 60 Star Wars characters will be roaming the theme park, posing for pictures and signing autographs.
From the special “welcome” Guests receive at the turnstile areas from the stormtroopers and Star Wars trivia contests to Jedi Training Academy and the spectacular Hyperspace Hoopla, Star Wars Weekends 2011 will have more fun than you can shake a gaffi stick at. And of course, throughout the event Star Wars Weekends Guests will have the chance to take a ride aboard “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue” when the attraction launches in 3-D on May 20.
Let us know if you plan to attend this year and what you’re looking forward to most about Star Wars Weekends 2011, or if you have a favorite memory from a past event.
Comments
From the Disney site, there looks to be a Star Wars parade but I can’t find the time for it anywhere… Is it combined with the Pixar Parade?
Noooo!!! I’m a film major and the Supervising Director is the one person I’m really looking forward to and I don’t move in to the Disney CP until early June! I wish they had more crew members listed. I’m not a huge Star Wars fan but I think every film buff (or film major in my case) can appreciate the direction and production it took to make these films!
Gary, Great Post! Thank you for the information! Any idea when the Parade time will be posted? I have a ton of MP friends dying to know! Keep up the great work and may the Force be with You! Hope to see ya real soon!
I think I will make a special trip for this one, C-3PO is one of my fave Star Wars characters so to get a chance to see the actor will be one in a million. I have Annual Passes for my whole family so my kids might love it too, they were 2 when they saw the entire movie collection in a marathon (truth be told they really liked IV, V, and VI better). It’s sooo exciting!!
Can anyone tell me how/when to sign up for meet and greets? Our last day will be may 20th, and my 10 year old son and I are super Star Wars nerds, and we keep missing it. It is absolute imperative we get to meet Anthony Daniels. Can someone give me insight to how this process works?
So looking forward to it – this’ll be our fourth one (’08, ’09, ’10), thrilled that Anthony Daniels will be there for the weekend we’ll go, too. Happy to hear that Ashley Eckstein is hosting, she was great when we saw her two years ago.
Love the panel sessions, so will definitely be there. Not to mention taking tons of pictures of the parade and all the characters around the park.
@Gary Buchanan: I was not counting the Clone Wars animated movie because while Anthony Daniels voice was in the film, he was not. I liken it to James Earl Jones being the voice of Darth Vader in Ep’s 4,5, and 6, but he was not actually “in” the film itself…
We will be there for our first ever SWW for Weekends III & IV (purposely planned that way!) I have been a big SW fan since ’77 and my son is a big fan as well with the prequels and CW anitmated series! Looking forward to see Darth Maul 🙂
Our family has gone 4 times, and loved it each time. Unfortunatly, we won’t be able to make it this year (school), but here are a couple of pointers for first timers:
1) Costumes are a must for the kids!It helps them get in the spirit.
2)The characters walking around are more than willing to interact, and take photos.
3)Get there before the park opens and look up!!! There are special “guards” there waiting to greet you. They are patrolling above the turnstile entrance gates. Make sure to listen to what they have to say to you.
4)Be early for parade seating!
5) HAVE FUN!
I am so excited..this is our first SWW and it is a surprise for my sons 6th bday…he loves SW and Darth is his fav…can’t wait to see the look on his face when he sees all the characters!!
Any word on if the Hyperspace Hoopla is being moved to a bigger stage this year? Perhaps in front of the hat where it was for Last Tour to Endor?
This is our first vist to a SWW and are really looking forward to it. My husband is a hugh fan and is really looking forward to the 2 weeks we will be there. My twin daughters are very excited and ask me ever day how long till we leave. We’ve been to other Star Wars event and loved them all. I just know this one is going to bet all the others.
This is are first time ever going. Can’t wait to ride the new ride and hopefully get some autographs from the star wars movies. We are going the first Friday and Saturday.
Are you still doing the disney/star wars crossover figures?
Does anyone know what time the Hyperspace Hoopla Parade takes place?
Ever since I had to literally rearrange our vacation 2 years ago, my husband and I have made our “Anniversary Vacation” on SWW and taken my little sister and a family friend. While I’m not as big of a fan as they are, it’s still a blast and we all have so much fun! I can’t wait! 🙂
29 days and counting!
This will be my wife & my first time to SWW & I can’t wait. Got my lightsaber ready; we’re staying @ Beach Club Villas to have an easy walk over to DHS for the opening weekend; arriving the 18th & departing the 23rd… 🙂
We’ll be there starting on the 27th of May and continuing through the next weekend! StarTours is always a highlight of our trip; you never outgrow your love for Star Wars!
YAY!!! Coming to SWW for the 3rd year in a row…my hubby, 8-year old son and I are huge fans and cannot wait…so excited to ride the new Star Tours and see C-3PO Anthony Daniels, coming for 2 weekends, LOVE IT DISNEY!!!
I can’t wait. I already have two trips scheduled, two weekends back to back. The one trip is with my parents and the other with a friend.
This will be our First sww and I must say we are all stoked!!We have 2 boys and a 5 yr old Princess Leia, that loves star wars! Im starting to get our costumes ready for when we go and get all dressed up and meet all the charracters and have a fun filled day!
I’m so happy to hear it’s your first Star Wars Weekends and you’re planning on your costumes already! It’s great when the entire family gets into the Force-filled fun.
this will be great! i will be at star wars weekends for the june 3rd weekend and the june 10th weekend. i have met ray parks before he is a nice guy.and so is jeremy bulloch. can’t w ait to meet peter mayhew.
I’m way jealous that Anthony Daniels is going to be there this year. Last time we went was in 2009 and the guests were pretty much all the B-List Star Wars “celebrities.” Daniels just seems so genuinely excited to be a part of this whole thing and seems to really friendly as well.
This is so cool! I’m going weekend one, and can not wait!
When are the pins and other merchandise going to be revealed?
Stay tuned, Keith – we’ll soon give you a sneak peek.
SWW is going to be awesome… Great to see the final artwork for this year’s shirts, etc..
Myself and 9 other family members will be spending our last day of vacation waiting to ride the new Star Tours! Can’t wait!
This is our first SWW since 2008, we’re looking forward to it! We will be there the last weekend; so many cool things happened last time I can’t wait to see what this time brings! May the force be with you!
We will be there the last. Weekend. And are so.excited!
Me and my husband we will be there the first weekend.
Question: Is Dave Filoni going to do a meet and greet or is he just going to be a part of the Clone Wars: Behind the Force?
We are so excited this is our first Star Wars Weekend.
We will be there the last weekend. Can’t wait to see the new attraction and of course Peter Mayhew/Ray Park.
Kudos on getting Ep 4 stars for the unveiling of ST2!
Darth Maul, C-3PO… what a star-studded line up. Nice job Disney at bringing in the right people for the job.
I will be attending SWW2011 on May 21! I’m am so excited to have the chance to meet Mr. Daniels! C-3PO was one of my favorites growing up! I have attended two previous SWW (2004 & 2006) and I loved it! I’m bringing a friend with me this year so I’m not a lonely nerd taking pictures all by myself with Jedi Mickey!
I’m getting totally stoked!
We are going for my son’s Make A Wish trip in June for weekend 3. He is going to freak when I tell him boba fett will be there! HE LOVES THE FETTS!!! His wish was to go to SWW to meet darth vader and the stormtroopers
Very cool! I was wondering if there will be anything special for annual passholders.
Anthony Daniels is NOT the only actor to appear in every theatrical chapter of the Star Wars saga…Kenny Baker (R2D2) was also in all 6 episodes…
Hi Rob,
Thanks for your comment. Actually, Anthony also portrayed his protocol droid pal in the 2008 theatrical release of the animated film, Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Kenny, who has been a popular celebrity guest at past Star Wars Weekends events as well, was not in the film.
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