Get your force on this summer at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

What: Star Wars Weekends 2011
Where: Walt Disney World, Hollywood Studios
When: Friday, Saturday and Sundays through June 12, 2011
Cost: Star Wars Activities are free with Hollywood Studios Admission

Last weekend we packed up the family and headed to Orlando for Star Wars Weekends. It was a huge hit for everyone! If you plan to go, here are some suggestions.

1. Get There Early

This is the single best tip for any theme park experience, but especially when it’s a special weekend like Star Wars where crowds are expected to be higher than normal. Sometimes Disney will open early as a special “surprise”. When we went, the studio officially opened at 8 am.

We arrived at 7:30 and the gates were already open. I can’t guarantee they’ll open early when you come, but you may want to plan for it just in case. My boys immediately went to Rockin’ Roller Coaster and rode it five times with no wait at all. Later in the day, waits were up to 70 minutes long!

DARTH VADER: I am your father. LUKE: Oh, it is ON helmet head!

2. Have a Plan

This is the second best tip for any theme park experience, but again, especially important for busy weekends. Spend some time before you go to plan out your day. Know before you exit one attraction where you are headed next. Don’t try to do that on the fly either, plan it out before you go. For instance, we saw the 9:40 am Little Mermaid Show and immediately went to the Animation Studio to find Sorcerer Mickey. We were one of the first five people in line when he arrived at 10 am and were able to zip in to see him and zip out.

I found this tip on my favorite Disney planning site – www.TourGuideMike.com. Although he was not as helpful as I would have liked on the Star Wars Weekend information, I wouldn’t go to the Magic Kingdom without him. He gives sound tour advice and reasons behind WHY you should do things – ensuring you don’t second guess his expert opinion.

Read the full article at Star Wars Weekends 2011 on Field Trips with Sue, an award-winning blog about things to do with kids in Atlanta and (sometimes more than) slightly beyond.

May 30th, 2011 | by Sue Rodman Comment