From two years ago: storm troopers patrol the rooftops above the turnstiles."These are not the tourists we're looking for."
"Aw, man, they're using those Jedi mind tricks on you!"
Anyway, the absolute highlight of Star Wars Weekends is the Hyperspace Hoopla. Rather than try to describe the Hoopla, I'll just show you a nice video compilation I just found of this year's show:
(The droids' dance at the end is the best part. Love it!)
Most of the comments on Youtube are pretty negative - purists who don't like seeing their beloved characters degraded and used for silly dance routines. I get that, I really do, but I also think the show is great fun. (And thank goodness they finally got a better stage!)
That said, I think the music selections have been a lot better in the past, and I've yet to see anything that beats Vader's 2009 dance:
This gives me a big goofy grin every. single. time. Heheh.
Anyway, rest assured I'll have some photos to share when John and I do go. (Now, if only it would get below 90! Urg!) In the meantime, just search Youtube for "hyperspace hoopla" for lots more fun.
So, have any of you been to Star Wars Weekend yet? Any of you going? Let me know in the comments, and maybe John and I will see you there!
HA! I love that last video!
ReplyDeletePhssst. I think this looks like so much fun and silly. I don't know why people take their fandom so seriously sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI want to go sooo much...but I can't. I just got a new job while keeping the old one and I still have no money :(
ReplyDeleteOkay, I am USUALLY a purist, but when it comes to SW I love to see the characters mix it up a bit. I'd never seen the Vader Can't Touch This, but I LOVE it!! I love SW Weekends--I met Carrie Fisher one year, and I locked Peter Mayhew in a capsule when I was working at Mission: SPACE (for the record, we almost couldn't close the capsule because he is so tall). It's just good fun!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I went in 2007 and had a blast! My favorite part was watching Chewbacca dance the Y-O-D-A!
ReplyDeleteThat looks AMAZING! If we had anywhere near enough money, my fiance and I would be down there in a heartbeat! Thanks for sharing the vids, I died of laughter during Vader's "hammertime"
ReplyDeleteI went last weekend, but I was forced to hobble around on crutches so I was unable to partake in much of the fun. My son and hubby did get autographs from Anthony Daniels, though, so that was awesome.
ReplyDeleteYou would have liked my crutches; I wrapped them in zebra print ribbon and glued rhinestones on. I figured if I had to use them, they might as well be fabulous!
My husband and I were there last weekend for the Star Tours opening. If you can make it this weekend, you should definitely check out Inside the Saga with Anthony Daniels. It was amazing!
ReplyDeleteOh. My. God. That looks sooooooo fun. Why can't there be any fun stuff like this anywhere, or at least a days drive near me?!?!?
ReplyDeleteI haven't been to Star Tours Weekend yet, but I just went on the updated Star Tours ride this past Monday. I've only seen the 4th Star Wars movie (which I wasn't too crazy about -- except for Harrison Ford), so I thought I wouldn't like the ride. But I loved it! Imperial Walkers are so cute! Sadly, I still don't know what they are...
ReplyDeleteDance-off With the Star Wars Stars is one of my favorite things in the whole wide world. It is my dream to go one year and drag one of my best friends with me (who I know will geek out appropriately). We will round out the trip by going to Harry Potter world. SUPER GEEKEND.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I went last weekend and rode Star Tours twice before the park officially opened. Although there is a huge hype that each ride has many different elements and the chances of repeats are small, we got the same sequence twice!! I'm thinking maybe I should have played the lottery that day for all the luck!
ReplyDeleteWe will be heading back either this weekend or next weekend, so I'm looking forward to riding it again for a different experience :)
Holy cow! It must be hotter than 40 blue hells in those costumes. And I'm very impressed at the dancing abilities by the performers. I can't dance in regular clothes let alone dressed as Chewbacca! Looks like incredible fun (to watch, that is.)
ReplyDeleteI find this very entertaining! I loved it when we went last year - my only complaints were about the MCs (annoying) and the stage (too hard to see over people's heads) - but the dancing is great, and so fun to see a slightly different spin on the familiar characters.
ReplyDeleteVW: phstspai... Hiss of annoyance/semi-swear from someone who has just been cut off in an amusement park line...
I WAS THERE! (and sad you weren't!) It's the only time our family was ever in Florida so we were excited to find out we were going to be there for Star Wars Weekend. My daughter was thrilled to be the rebel spy on Star Tours. That being said, the selection of clothing for women wasn't that great, but we had a great time as a family. I heard the guards say to each other, "Hey, that sounds like fun. I want to go down there." "Well, you CAN'T!" and then more murmuring amongst themselves... worth it!
ReplyDeleteOH MY! I'm a TOTAL SW nerd fan. ( I have yet to be beat at SW Trivial Pursuit!) But, I was laughing out loud and snorting away! Especially when that ewok came out dressed like Slash! I wish they did that here in CA!!!!
ReplyDeleteOMGosh, that is seriously the coolest thing ever!!!! LOVED the Vader video!! And I have to say, when the Ewok came out to dance with Chewie, I was reminded of the video of the girl who had never seen a whole Star Wars movie, but was retelling them and had this to say about Chewie...."...he's like a deformed Ewok or something....'Cause he looks just like 'em! .... Except for three times bigger" http://vimeo.com/2809991
ReplyDeleteBwahahahaha!
Actually we are attending the Florida Anime Experience this Saturday (though my son is going on friday also with friends - bummed I have to work). Really excited as this in my first Anime-con. Wish I could go to Star Wars weekend too but maybe one day... hope.
ReplyDeleteWhy couldn't this be closer to my home? If I were anywhere near a Disney park, I would be there in a heartbeat...
ReplyDeleteAlso, the Vader Hammer Dance is the best. video. ever. ever!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I needed a laugh today and that definitely did it. How can you possibly watch dancing storm troopers and NOT smile?
ReplyDeleteMy fiance and I were at Disneyworld just last week! We didn't go to the Star Wars weekend because we didn't want to deal with the crowds. And I figure I would see the hoopla better online, as I doubt I could wait in the sun long enough to get good seats (I can let someone else do that for me :3)
ReplyDeleteBut we did go to Hollywood studios a few days before, and they had the new Star Tours up and running! Only a five minute wait for us to try it out! Woo!
We had a blast as always, and this time was even more special because he proposed to me on the white sandy beach of the Grand Floridian. <3
Now Disneyworld is guaranteed to always be special to us (if only it wasn't so far away from Vancouver BC!)
I LOVED the Hammer Time video! Vader WORKED that cape! That is awesome!
ReplyDeleteWV: Imadogra. You can be a dogra too! OY!
Vadar doing the Hammer dance made me smile for the first time since I realized I have to write nine essays in the next week and a half. Thank you! Love your blog!
ReplyDeleteHere is a fun Star Wars day that happended at my nephew's school. More schools should get on board with this kind of thing....
ReplyDeletehttp://www.standard.net/topics/schools/2011/05/24/star-wars-lands-south-weber
Can't wait! We'll be there for the last weekend. Counting down the days as we speak!
ReplyDeleteI went with my dad and my brother to ride the new and improved Star Tours, and I thought that it was really cool...There are still some problems with it, though. The 'cruiser we were in kept blacking out the video in our right eyes, or warping the color. It was really weird. Also, there wasn't necessarily a storyline that went with it, like there was with the old version. All in all, though, I really enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteYou're killin' me Jen, the need (yes, need) to go to DW is intense, especially after watching those...
ReplyDeleteBest danceoff ever was the Last Trip to Endor Hyperspace Hoopla. Han and Chewie doing Greased Lighting and Vader doing Thriller complete with shiny silver glove.
ReplyDeleteLast Trip to Endor
Went last Saturday. It was hot and crazy. Got a few pictures but need to go back for more. Too bad I work almost every weekend. =( Though I am hoping to go to the last one on the 12th of June. Here's to hoping!
ReplyDeleteHuge fan of ST, but I've never seen a SW movie. Really.
ReplyDeleteYou should've gone over during the soft opening period prior to the official start of SW Weekends. The crowd wasn't bad and the ride only had a posted 20 minute wait when I was there (though I don't think I waited a full 20). I was easily able to keep getting back in line just to check out a variety of the ride sequences. Really a fantastic update! My childhood SW fandom has waned considerably in my cynical adulthood, but the new version of the ride truly brought back some of that youthful excitement for the franchise. Do yourselves a favor and go check it out soon!
ReplyDeleteNo matter what you think of the concept, you've GOT to give the dancers props for moving pretty effortlessly in those heavy costumes in the heat. And it's amazing how much a full hood or mask can mess with your balance.
ReplyDeleteEventually I'll get to see this (living in the Midwest makes Disney visits a bit tricky). We have a family of SW fans here, so its high on my list - one of my daughters BEST memories is being picked for Jedi training on our last DL visit!
ReplyDeleteThis is on my someday list. *sigh* That and going back to another Celebration. Best. Weekend. Of. My. Life.
ReplyDeleteHowever awesome or pathetic that sounds, it's totally true.
Thankfully I'm not one of the purists because I thoroughly enjoyed that! Especially Chewbacca's response to "What are you going to do now?" and I agree that the hammertime Darth Vader was the best.
ReplyDeleteThose stormtroopers in the second video ROCK!! :D
ReplyDeleteWe were there last Sunday. My daughter (4 years old) loves Star Wars. SW and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory are the only live action movies she will sit through. So we walked up to the front gate and she yells, "Look Mom, it's the bad guys from that Luke movie. Where's the black guy?" We got some weird looks. I kept explaining, "She means Darth Vader." She LOVED Star Tours and the new Disney Junior show. We were very disappointed that Phineas and Ferb wasn't open yet. I love that show- great geek cred!
ReplyDeleteI've never seen the hoopla- we might need to go back again this weekend. Live in Tampa and have passes so we go alot. The passes will be blacked out soon for the summer so I have to get my Disney fix right now!
Okay, Jenn, I've been meaning to send you a link to the video of my (insane?) hubby & his Halloween costume, and SWW would probably be as good a time as any. :) And, yes, I do have a Southern accent, why do you ask? :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaZoqqbz8N4
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to visit, but we are Universal people. However, we have friends that will be there this weekend and probably every weekend of the "Star Wars Weekends." If you see a little girl dressed as Ahsoka. Those would be our friends and I helped make her costume.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/squeekerd1/5744414349
I have to admit to being partial to the thriller dance from a number of years ago, myself.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkTQwP2gFxU
If you like the dance of the droids have you seen the Star Wars Special of the muppets! So much fun- C3PO dances like Fred Astaire at the very end. It is one of my favourite things to watch when in need of laugh. That and EPBOT always puts a smile on my face thanks so much for being amazing!
ReplyDeleteI live down near Tampa, so of course everyone I know out of state is asking me why I haven't gone yet. It's just so stinking hot. Not only am I not keen on getting all nasty and sweaty, but dragging a two year old through it? Oy.
ReplyDeleteIt saddens me that so many people disliked the video compilation of the full show, when they loved the Hammer Time Vader video so much!!
ReplyDelete