As I mentioned in a previous post, Season of the Force is supposed to begin in January and run into March of 2016 at Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World and November 16, 2015 at Disneyland. But what will happen to Star Wars Weekends that usually run from Mid-May through Mid-June?
If you look closely at the May park hours that I’ve provided in my May Disney World Crowd Calendar, you’ll notice that Hollywood Studios hosts Extra Magic Hours on every Sunday and every Friday during the month. Why is that significant? Well, EMH are not offered on Star Wars Weekends because Disney uses them on other days to attempt to draw away nominal resort guests from increasing the attendance even more. EMH at Hollywood Studios during Star Wars Weekends are usually offered on Mondays and Wednesdays. Star Wars Weekends dates are usually announced by Disney in December each year and the Official Disney website still says Star Wars Weekends are “coming summer 2016” though.
If Disney doesn’t make massive changes to the May 2016 Park Hours, then the initial sign points to the VERY scaled down “Season of the Force” could be taking the place of the uber popular Star Wars Weekends. If that occurs, thousands of galaxy-clad guests who clamor for a meet and greet with their favorite Star Wars character (beyond Vader and Chewie) will be left out in the brutal Hothian cold. Maybe we can cut open a tauntaun and keep warm while we wait for Disney to finally get around to making some announcements. If SWW happens, either a major EMH change will occur or it could move to an even busier and even hotter time in June.
What has Disney told us so far about Season of the Force?
- Star Wars Launch Bay will be offered. Launch Bay will feature Chewbacca and Vader meet and greets, some interactive games and play areas and will be a regular, daily feature beginning December. Nothing special for Season of the Force.
- New Jedi training academy: trials of the temple will take place, but that also will begin December and run daily. Still nothing special.
- Star tours will receive an upgrade with new scenes from Star Wars: the Force Awakens. Will be a daily thing as well.
- Fireworks on the Weekends ONLY. Special Star Wars themed fireworks (aka a tweaked version of last year’s Star Wars Weekends) will be offered.
- Special cupcakes and “themed food.”
- Lots of Star Wars Merchandise, including some that should be exclusive to Disneyland and to Walt Disney World.
- Likely to see movie clips at ABC Sound Stage.
You can see the basics in the image they released at D23 that included the elements I mentioned above, sans the cupcakes and merch.
Following Season of the Force merchandise and food images were leaked on the internet
What do you think will happen and what is your favorite leaked merchandise item? I’m really liking the popcorn bucket tie fighter!
Other than the speculated SWW, of course.
So, after March, there is nothing planned as far as Star Wars activities are concerned? At least not until the expansion is finished?
Launch bay, Star Tours and Jedi Training would continue
We are going to be at WDW Dec 11-14th. Are they going to have the Star Tours update, JTA uodate, and Launch Bay by then? and you are saying the fireworks and Hyperspace Mountain will not happen until SOTF in January?
Hyperspace Mountain is only in Disneyland and begins in November.
Yes, the updates you mentioned begin in December. Fireworks are SotF only
Hi! Thank you so much for the updates! We will be at WDW dec 11-14. I was excited to see the Dec 1 date for the launch bay. I will have a very happy 6 yo daughter-just wait until she sees her Storm Trooper dress! I just wanted to clarify on the fireworks, will those be starting dec 1 also or not until Season Of the Force begins?
SotF weekends only
Are Chewbacca and Vader meet and greets starting 12/1, or will those start with Seasons of the Force? Also, how much does it cost for character locator? For the life of me I can’t find that! Thanks!
Those meets begin with Launch Bay opening which should be 12/1
$6.99 for first year. Discount to renew, not done automatically.
in the past they have always released the calendar information (EMH etc) with everything intact – EMHs for DHS were already moved to mid week so I think it is very odd that they are on the weekends for May this time. I hope they don’t move SWW to the hot crowded months of June and July. If they eliminate SWW I will not be happy but it will save me $$$ as we will eliminate our May trip (going in January and September). Last year for SWW we got your character locater and have enjoyed using it every trip – great info and very handy to have!!
Thanks!
I’ve been told Star Wars weekends is over and will not return.
By whom?
What address do you use for writing to Disney World?
Disney seems to always be changing their calendar, so I don’t think that is a true sign that SWW is going away. They’ll just change it. I think THE most compelling reason to still believe SWW will happen is that as many people as are writing/call Disney (I’m one of them that received a phone call back)…..Disney STILL has not taken down the SWW “summer of 2016”. Keep in mind that last year it also said “Summer” and caused a minor concern that they were changing the dates…and they didn’t. I haven’t written again yet, but several people have recently received emails in the past week that specifically say SWW WILL happen…the dates just aren’t released yet. Those are in writing, signed with an actual person’s name (not just “Disney Cast member” or some such that many letters say. If it were over the phone, I’d probably not give it as much cred….but putting it in writing by at least three different named people, means it sounds more like it has been approved by Disney…or there may be some jobs opening soon, lol.
Everyone is up in arms and yet the last two years they released the dates in early December……before that is was in the new year…..so I personally think we won’t know the dates for another month…..unless Disney takes pity on us!
As for me…I have already booked airline and booked a house (off site) in anticipation of SWW. Will it be the same as years past…..sadly I doubt it….too many problem makers the last couple of years….security issues especially with people spending the night in line, etc….but I can’t imagine with a brand new movie coming out in December and at least two more movies in the making for future years, that Disney will turn off a major magnet for Star Wars and instead only offer us fireworks and cupcakes. If they do, I’ll have my doubts about the intelligence of their marketing team. BUILD that fever….if not for the upcoming movies, for the upcoming land!
As for the merchandise….I hope it’s at the Grotto next week when I get there!
It would be a first to totally revamp EMH after releasing the calendar. The have tweaked before, but nothing that major .
You basically repated me on the Summer and December dates.
Fireworks and cupcakes is for Season of the Force.
You won’t see that merch until SotF
Is Dec 1 confirmed for the Launch Bay opening? We will be in DHS on the 29th. What’s the possibility of a soft opening?
That’s what I’ve been told
I like the popcorn too! 1 question, of characters from your Hollywood studios rumor round up will you put them on character locator? THANKS!
Character Locator contains all active and possible meets