There is no question we live in the digital age.  We are more connected now than ever before.  News is instantaneous.  You can call around the world, you can even video conference around the world.   Email and text messages keep us connected quicker than traditional mail ever dreamed and without the deciphering that the telegraph required.   Cell phones even smart phones are our constant travel companion.

The Disney Theme Parks are evolving in this digital age as well.  You can get an app that provides up to date information about fast pass availability, attraction wait times, and dining reservations.  You can even plan your entire trip on the app My Disney Experience.  On my last trip I traded in my traditional paper Annual Pass for an RFID version.  A chip is imbedded in my Pass; I hold it in front of the Mickey  shape at the Park entrance, place my finger in the print reader and voila I am admitted!  Our resort room key was equipped with technology that allowed us to hold it in front of a pad on the door for admittance.  Digital advancements all implemented to make your stay more magical.

But as I spent time at the Parks and observed my fellow Guests I began to wonder, how connected are we really to those we are traveling with?  For example on evening at dinner I noticed a large multigenerational group eating at a table nearby.  The youngest member was watching a video on one device; there was one member playing a video game, , another listening to something with ear buds and there were others typing away on yet other devices.  Some conversation was taking place and maybe they had had enough Disney for one day, but it got me thinking, especially when I noticed some of my own traveling party on their digital devices.  How connected are we to those we know and love?

I understand the importance of technology and the digital advances society has made.  But shouldn’t vacations require us to spend some time in conversation with those we are traveling with?   Don’t get me wrong, I travel with my share of devices and love to ‘disconnect’……but that is just it.  If I am connected all the time to something besides my traveling party, I am missing an opportunity to share the magic connecting with those I am with.

If you are spending that much on a magical vacation, please try and put aside your device to share the magic…….even if it is just for a little bit!

If you head to Disney’s Hollywood Studios during the last few weekends in May or the first few weekends in June, you will be able to experience Star Wars Weekends.  During these four weekends, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is transformed into a battleground between the Dark Side and the Rebel Alliance.  There are character encounter opportunities as well as a chance to meet various Star Wars celebrities from the six feature films as well as the Clone Wars animated series.  If you arrive at the park very, very early in the morning, you might be able to snag a coveted wristband to get an autograph from one of these celebrities.  These wristbands are hard to acquire because die-hard fans queue up the night before in order to have some quality time with their favorite actors from the Star Wars universe.

We have been attending Star Wars weekends since 2006, and this year we were able to visit the Studios during the fourth and final weekend.   We are actually still in Walt Disney World as I am writing this article in the lobby of the Pop Century Resort!  This year, Star Wars Weekends did not disappoint.  We were able to attend all of the various shows that allow you to get a glimpse into the world of voice acting as well as meet the celebrities that attended this weekend.  We saw Billy Dee Williams, Peter Mayhew, James Arnold Taylor, and Ashley Eckstein.  We watched the Star Wars parade, attended the Behind the Force Show, the Talk Show, the James Arnold Taylor show, and finally, the crown jewel, the Hyperspace Hoopla.  All of the shows were well put together, and James Arnold Taylor was a very gracious host.  He is a voice actor known for many characters, and he plays Obi Wan on the Clone Wars Animated Series.  At the end of the day, we camped out to wait for the Hyperspace Hoopla, which is basically a dance party or a dance off between the good guys and the bad guys of the Star Wars universe.  Have you ever wanted to see Darth Maul break dance or Chewy bust a move?  Well, here is your opportunity to see the Star Wars characters as you have never seen them before.  The best part of the whole event included the Harlem Shake led by C3PO.  Words cannot do this event justice; you have to see it to believe it, and there are many videos online to aid you in this pursuit!  Well, we still have a few more days at the Vacation Kingdom of the World, and reservations at Sanaa await us this evening, so have a magical day, and keep moving forward!