WDW Daily News

Take a look at Darth’s Mall, the merchandise home for the 2014 Star Wars Weekends. Photos courtesy of WDW Daily News’, Jill Smith.

Empire magazine polled more than 250,000 film fans and came up with their definitive list of the 301 greatest movies of all time.

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Star Wars Weekends are now underway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and if you want to enjoy all of the events that are offered, I have a few tips for you and your younglings. First, if you want to get signatures from the celebrities who are visiting for the weekend, it is vital that you arrive very early in the morning in order to get a fastpass. Some people actually sleep at the entrance to Hollywood Studios in order to snag a coveted autograph time. Each weekend plays host to a different group of Star Wars celebrities, but James Arnold Taylor of Clone Wars fame will be present for all five weekends as well as Ashley Eckstein. The fourth weekend is going to be extremely crowded because Mark Hamill, Luke Skywalker himself, will be visiting. As far as Disney has announced, he will not be signing autographs, but he will be present for the Stars of the Saga Talk Show and the Motorcade. Regardless, if you want to see Luke, you would do well to arrive very early for this weekend.

Arriving early does not only apply to getting signatures. If you want to see the talk show or any of the entertainment offerings, you must give yourself plenty of time to wait in line, and prepare for disappointment if you do not make it into the show that you want. I was at DHS for the first weekend, and the entire park was super crowded. So, if you are not interested in Star Wars, avoid DHS during the next few weekends. In addition to celebrity visitors, many characters from Star Wars populate DHS during Star Wars Weekends. If you are excited about meeting some of these fantastic characters, then consult the special edition Star Wars park map for DHS, which will give you information about when and where these characters will be meeting throughout the park. These are awesome character encounters because this is the only time during the year that you really have the opportunity to meet these characters. If you are traveling with a young padawan, then you need to make a visit to the Jedi Training Academy, where your younglings can learn the power of the Force. Again, if you want to participate in this experience, you should make it a priority when you enter the park in the morning. If getting into Jedi Training Academy is super important to your family, then you should go there immediately upon entering DHS. Remember that this experience is offered year round, not just during Star Wars Weekends, so you can still do this during the week.

It wouldn’t be Star Wars Weekends without fantastic limited edition merchandise! This year, Darth’s Mall has been relocated to Soundstage 1, which is right next to Toy Story Midway Mania. The line to enter this store can get quite lengthy, so it is important to spend your time wisely. If you have already seen the motorcade or the Talk Show, then you should head to the store while everyone else is lining up for those shows. Also, some of the merchandise will sell out, so if you see something that you want, buy it the first time you see it because it may not be available later in the day. Some of the most popular merchandise selections are the Star Wars nametags that are custom made while you wait. It usually takes about 15 minutes for the nametag to be made, so order it first, then walk around the rest of the store while you wait. In addition, the Darth Vader popcorn buckets are quite popular as are the Stormtrooper mugs.

Finally, to cap off your awesome day, you have to make an effort to attend the Symphony in the Stars fireworks that can be viewed from many locations on Hollywood Blvd. You might be tempted to stand right next to the stage near the Sorcerer’s Hat to view the fireworks, but don’t do it. You will be too close to see the fireworks. You should stand farther back down Hollywood Blvd for a better view. Now if your goal is to see the characters that appear on the stage right before the fireworks, then definitely stand close to the stage and come back another night for fireworks viewing.

I hope these tips aid you in visiting DHS during Star Wars Weekends, and I hope that the force is strong with you this summer! Until next time, have a magical day, and keep moving forward!

Faron Kelly, Directorof Marketing Disney Sports discusses Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend.

The Force is coming to Disneyland Resort January 15-18, 2015 for the Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend, presented by Sierra Nevada Corporation!

Joining forces with one of Hollywood’s most iconic brands, runDisney is creating another transportive race weekend – the Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend presented by Sierra Nevada Corporation at Disneyland Resort. The intergalactic journey begins January 15 and runs through January 18, 2015.

The Star Wars event is the fourth runDisney race weekend scheduled for 2015 at Disneyland Resort, doubling the number of races held in 2013. The new race weekend offers runners a variety of race experiences for all levels, from Padawans to Jedi Masters – kids races, a 5K, a 10K and a half marathon. And for those who show an event greater strength for the Force, there will be a two-race challenge involving the 10K and the half marathon with a commemorative medal awaiting every finisher.

In addition, there will be a slew of family-friendly events throughout the weekend, including a Health and Fitness Expo and a Star Wars-themed pre-race party, plus popular Star Wars and Disney characters and other entertainment. Registration opens June 10 at www.runDisney.com.

The Star Wars event at Disneyland Resort joins the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend, the recently announced Avengers Super Heroes Half Marathon Weekend and the Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend.

“This melding of the iconic Star Wars franchise and the runDisney brand creates an ideal race experience that will resonate with core running groups as well as attract new runners to the sport,” said Maribeth Bisienere, senior vice president of Disney Sports Enterprises. “We will continue to identify opportunities to collaborate with other Disney franchises and partners to develop more unique runDisney race weekends that will appeal to an increasingly wider range of runners across the country and beyond.”

“This is an ideal intersection of family, fitness and Star Wars fun for our global, cross- generational audience and runDisney fans” said Howard Roffman, executive vice president of Franchise Management at Lucasfilm. “Star Wars is all about reaching deep within to realize your true potential and runDisney embodies that message in a very real way.”

As presenting sponsor of the race weekend, Sierra Nevada Corporation will have a presence throughout the event. Sierra Nevada Corporation, based in Sparks, Nevada, provides rapid, innovative and agile technology solutions and is best known for its Dream Chaser spacecraft, the company’s solution for providing the United States with human spaceflight capability.

“With the passion and creativity of runDisney and Lucasfilm, this race weekend is going to be out of this world, which makes it a natural fit for Sierra Nevada Corporation because we are in a race of our own to take humans into space with our Dream Chaser spacecraft program,” said Sierra Nevada Corporation president and chairman Eren Ozmen.

As with other new runDisney events, the inaugural Star Wars event sponsored by Sierra Nevada Corporation is expected to be an instant hit. The new Avengers race at Disneyland Resort sold out in less than two hours. In general, runDisney race weekends have regularly sold out in record time, and last year attracted more than 163,900 runners to Walt Disney World and Disneyland – a 40 percent increase over the previous year, making the runDisney series one of the largest in the nation.

The surging popularity of runDisney events has created significant economic impact on the surrounding communities. For example, in Anaheim it’s estimated that the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend drives approximately $20 million to $30million in additional economic activity locally by attracting thousands of runners to Southern California. In suburban Orlando, the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, which is considered to be the largest race weekend in the country, attracts more than 50,000 runners and 50,000-plus spectators, for a total attendance of more than 100,000 in Central Florida.

Take a look at the Character Banners all around Disney’s Hollywood Studios for Star Wars Weekends.  The event will take every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through June 15.

For your chance to be in Star Wars: Episode VII and to support UNICEF Innovation Labs and Programs, visit: www.Omaze.com/StarWars

In a special video message from the set of Star Wars: Episode VII, director J.J. Abrams announces the creation of Star Wars: Force for Change, a brand new Star Wars initiative from Disney and Lucasfilm, in collaboration with Bad Robot, dedicated to finding creative solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems. The first Star Wars: Force for Change campaign will raise funds and awareness for UNICEF’s Innovation Labs and its innovative projects benefitting children in need.

To support the launch of Star Wars: Force for Change, Disney has committed $1 million, and fans can now donate directly at Omaze.com/StarWars for a chance to appear in Star Wars: Episode VII. By pledging as little as $10 through the Omaze fundraising platform, any eligible supporter will be automatically entered for a chance to win this once-in-a-lifetime experience. The campaign runs from 12:01am PST on May 21stth until 11:59pm PST July 18th.

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Today in a special video message from the set of Star Wars: Episode VII, director J.J. Abrams announced the creation of Star Wars: Force for Change, a brand new Star Wars initiative from Disney and Lucasfilm in collaboration with Bad Robot dedicated to finding creative solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems. The first Star Wars: Force for Change campaign will raise funds and awareness for the United Nations Children’s Fund’s (UNICEF) Innovation Labs and its innovative programs that are benefiting the world’s most vulnerable children.

Disney has committed US $1 million to support the launch of Star Wars: Force for Change. Fans can now contribute directly at Omaze.com/StarWars for a chance to appear in Star Wars: Episode VII. For each $10 contribution made through the Omaze fundraising platform, eligible participants will be automatically entered for a chance to win this once-in-a-lifetime experience. The campaign runs from 12:01am PST on May 21st^th until 11:59pm PST July 18^th.

The Star Wars: Force for Change Grand Prize includes:

• Airfare and accommodations to London for one winner and a guest
• Behind-the-scenes access on the closed set of Star Wars: Episode VII as VIP guests of J.J. Abrams
• Winner will have the opportunity to meet members of the cast
• Winner and their guest will then be transformed by makeup and costume teams into a Star Wars character and filmed for a scene in Star Wars: Episode VII

“The Star Wars fans are some of the most passionate and committed folks around the globe,” says director J.J. Abrams. “We’re thrilled to offer a chance to come behind the scenes as our VIP guests and be in Star Wars: Episode VII. We’re even more excited that by participating in this campaign, Star Wars fans will be helping children around the world through our collaboration with UNICEF Innovation Labs and projects.”

Star Wars continues to inspire generations of dreamers and doers to use their creativity to accomplish great things. Star Wars and Lucasfilm were built on the belief that in uniting creativity with innovation, you can make the impossible possible.

“The Star Wars films were made through George Lucas’s adventurous combination of technology and creativity,” says Kathleen Kennedy, president of Lucasfilm. “We wanted to honor and carry on that positive spirit as we start production on Episode VII and use Star Wars to make a difference in the world. Star Wars: Force for Change will help us do that, letting us give back to the fans who keep Star Wars alive, and raising much-needed funds for programs like UNICEF’s Innovation Labs.”

By pledging support for Star Wars: Force for Change, fans are helping UNICEF create a brighter tomorrow for kids and families around the world. Through its global network of Innovation Labs, UNICEF helps create sustainable solutions to major issues facing children in the areas of nutrition, water, health, and education. The Star Wars: Force for Change campaign will help fund innovative, life-changing projects in communities around the globe.

“UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to help the world’s most vulnerable children and young people identify solutions and create change,” says Christopher Fabian, UNICEF Senior Advisor on Innovation and co-Lead of the Innovation Unit. “We work together with the greatest technologists and designers of our time to create open-source solutions that help millions of people. The support from Star Wars: Force for Change will help to bind these innovators together on a mission to solve the world’s most pressing problems, and create a better future.”

Visit StarWars.com/ForceForChange to learn more about this new charitable initiative and the work of UNICEF’s Innovation Labs and programs, and be sure to enter through contribution or free entry for your chance to win at Omaze.com/StarWars.

May the Force be with you!

We’ve heard plenty of rumors that Disney was planning on making stand-alone Boba Fett and young Han Solo films, so that jibes. But what is Red Five?

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