2009’s installment of Star Wars Weekends is not that far away. The festival runs on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for four consecutive weekends starting May 22nd through June 14th.

Earlier we posted articles about The Stars that will be part of Star Wars Weekends ( SWW ). There is also an article about The Parade that occurs each day of the event.

Now it’s time to discuss the other activities that go on during those four fun filled weekends.
















Star Wars Characters Everywhere!
Everywhere you look there will be Star Wars characters. It starts right at the entrance gate to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Here it is not unusual to find some Stormtroopers patrolling the rooftops. If you get to the park right at opening they usually put on a short performance that is fun to watch with humorous banter.





















Once inside the park you will see Star Wars characters roaming about. They are great about posing for pictures with you. The lesser known characters will be roaming around, while the more noted characters, such as Queen Amadala and Darth Vader will be set up in specific areas where long lines may form.
















Bring your cameras, because there are a lot of photo opportunities throughout the park. You can pose with characters or choose one of the many Star Wars backdrops that are set up to make you part of the movie.

















Jedi Training Academy
One of the favorite activities is the Jedi Training Academy that is held several times per day at a special stage set up near the Star Tours attraction. Here young padawans are chosen from the audience to take part in light saber training. After their brief training, each will get a brief chance to face off against none other than Darth Vader himself.

















Behind the Force
This special activity is held in a theater where people involved with the making of the Star Wars movies talk and show clips that take you behind the scenes. You will see how things were done and gain more fun insight concerning the movies.

Last year a special preview of the animated movie Star Wars: The Clone Wars was shown before the movie was released. This was the only place that you could see this special clip of the upcoming movie.

This year the actress that provides the voice for Ahsoka of the Clone Wars, Ashley Eckstein, is hosting the event.
















Interviews
Each day a special talk show format interview takes place in a theater where the host for the events, in this case Jay Laga’aia (Captain Typho) will interview the special guest stars that are there that particular weekend. Here you get a chance to hear what it was like to be part of making these classic movies from the people that made them. You will find out that many of the actors are also fans of the Star Wars movies.
















Souvenirs
Each year there is a special Souvenir shop set up with lots of special Stars Wars Weekends merchandise that is only available during the event. This includes limited edition pins & figurines, special T-shirts, posters, and numerous Star Wars items. They have used the name Jabba’s Hut and Wicket’s Warehouse in years past for this special shop.

Hyperspace Hoopla
At the end of each day there is a closing Star Wars Hyperspace Hoopla to wrap up the day on a high note. How can anything called Hyperspace Hoopla not be fun? This is a stage show with singing, dancing, silly Star Wars jokes and plenty of Star Wars characters. A great way to cap off your Star Wars filled day.

Make Plans To Be There!
Star Wars Weekends is fun! Whether you are a Star Wars fan or not, these weekends add even more fun to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. All of the events and activities mentioned are free with your admission to the park. You may even dress as your favorite Star Wars character if you wish. Many fans do attend in costume.

Don’t forget to check out: http://www.starwarsweekends.net/ for more information about this great event. This is an unofficial site, but it has great information about the upcoming 2009 SWW and information from past years as well.

So whether you favor the Sith or the Jedi, grab your light saber and make plans to attend one of the best annual festivals that Disney World has to offer.