WonkaKid
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2009
I have a lot to say but not a lot of time, so I'll keep it brief:
We had reservations for SWL at 8:00 last night. I arrived at DL around 4:00. As many of you know, I usually arrive very early to make rope drop. However, none of us wanted to put in 17-hour day there. I've done it before and it's exhausting. I wanted to be able to enjoy SWL, not look at it as something I had to get done.
Yesterday it was 81 at DL. Or so Yahoo Weather indicated. It felt more like 90. However, by the time we got to SWL at 7:40, the sun had already begun to set and an hour later the weather was cool and gorgeous (exactly how many of my past girlfriends have described me ;-)).
I left home at 2:00. With traffic and the closure of the M&F parking structure (I was redirected to Toy Story - hate that lot, it took two hours from my door to passing through the gate. On a typical Sunday morning, I go from my door to the park gates in about 50 minutes.
In any case, it was hot yesterday. However, throughout the entire SWL opening, Disney has managed crowds magnificently. I immediately book a FP for Buzz and was given an immediate return time. Around 6:00 it was literally a walk-on, which I've never seen on a normal (non-raining) day. Friends got FPs for other attractions as well and return times were negligible.
We picked up our wristbands at 5:00, as directed. We soon noticed that they gave us the wrong ones and returned to have them changed (they ones they gave us were from 5:00 - 9:00). We thought, "Well, let's just use these rather than staying till midnight." But CMs explained that they wouldn't work so we stuck with our original RT. Incidentally, when we picked up or WBs, CMs told us that there was no need to lineup early. That was absolutely inaccurate. When I met friends in line there at 7:40, the crowd was probably four times larger than a typical rope drop. Yes: line up early.
We went immediately to the Cantina to book our reservation. The line for that was approx. 20 minutes and we were given a return time 90 minutes later, which was largely accurate. We then simply walked around and looked at everything. It was fantastic. Yes, I knew SWL would be cool but it was even cooler than I expected. As we entered the plaza where Smuggler's Run is, I saw the life-sized Millennium Falcon. I'm usually not easily impressed. But this? Oh yeah. I was nearly knocked over. "Whoa!!" I exclaimed. The woman next to me said "Yes! That's the correct reaction." I then started to laugh because it was so cool. I thought to myself, "If my ten-year-old self could see me now..." It was very, very cool.
We waited till later to do SR. At 8:30-ish, the standby wait time was 55 minutes. When we came back about an hour later, standby was 15 minutes. Later that night -- around 11:00, we did the single rider line and it was virtually a walk-on.
In between our first and second ride, we went to the cantina. Yes, it was cool but I'm not a drinker and wouldn't make a huge point about going there every time I visit. But it absolutely has to be done at least once. As we waited outside, I spoke with one of the woman that tended the line. She wouldn't break character and the entire time pretended to be a native of Batuu. I asked her all sorts of questions about it, which she answered without hesitation. When I asked what her native language was, she replied "Aurebesh." Very cool. Later, I said to a friend that it was a lot like when I've been overseas (I've been to 30 countries -- 38 if you count repeats) and I started to interact with natives of whichever country I was in. I more than halfway believed I was on another planet. That's a feeling I haven't experienced since I was a kid. Yes, SWL was and is absolutely fantastic.
Much more to say but I have to get going. May post more later.
And now: SWL pics!
We had reservations for SWL at 8:00 last night. I arrived at DL around 4:00. As many of you know, I usually arrive very early to make rope drop. However, none of us wanted to put in 17-hour day there. I've done it before and it's exhausting. I wanted to be able to enjoy SWL, not look at it as something I had to get done.
Yesterday it was 81 at DL. Or so Yahoo Weather indicated. It felt more like 90. However, by the time we got to SWL at 7:40, the sun had already begun to set and an hour later the weather was cool and gorgeous (exactly how many of my past girlfriends have described me ;-)).
I left home at 2:00. With traffic and the closure of the M&F parking structure (I was redirected to Toy Story - hate that lot, it took two hours from my door to passing through the gate. On a typical Sunday morning, I go from my door to the park gates in about 50 minutes.
In any case, it was hot yesterday. However, throughout the entire SWL opening, Disney has managed crowds magnificently. I immediately book a FP for Buzz and was given an immediate return time. Around 6:00 it was literally a walk-on, which I've never seen on a normal (non-raining) day. Friends got FPs for other attractions as well and return times were negligible.
We picked up our wristbands at 5:00, as directed. We soon noticed that they gave us the wrong ones and returned to have them changed (they ones they gave us were from 5:00 - 9:00). We thought, "Well, let's just use these rather than staying till midnight." But CMs explained that they wouldn't work so we stuck with our original RT. Incidentally, when we picked up or WBs, CMs told us that there was no need to lineup early. That was absolutely inaccurate. When I met friends in line there at 7:40, the crowd was probably four times larger than a typical rope drop. Yes: line up early.
We went immediately to the Cantina to book our reservation. The line for that was approx. 20 minutes and we were given a return time 90 minutes later, which was largely accurate. We then simply walked around and looked at everything. It was fantastic. Yes, I knew SWL would be cool but it was even cooler than I expected. As we entered the plaza where Smuggler's Run is, I saw the life-sized Millennium Falcon. I'm usually not easily impressed. But this? Oh yeah. I was nearly knocked over. "Whoa!!" I exclaimed. The woman next to me said "Yes! That's the correct reaction." I then started to laugh because it was so cool. I thought to myself, "If my ten-year-old self could see me now..." It was very, very cool.
We waited till later to do SR. At 8:30-ish, the standby wait time was 55 minutes. When we came back about an hour later, standby was 15 minutes. Later that night -- around 11:00, we did the single rider line and it was virtually a walk-on.
In between our first and second ride, we went to the cantina. Yes, it was cool but I'm not a drinker and wouldn't make a huge point about going there every time I visit. But it absolutely has to be done at least once. As we waited outside, I spoke with one of the woman that tended the line. She wouldn't break character and the entire time pretended to be a native of Batuu. I asked her all sorts of questions about it, which she answered without hesitation. When I asked what her native language was, she replied "Aurebesh." Very cool. Later, I said to a friend that it was a lot like when I've been overseas (I've been to 30 countries -- 38 if you count repeats) and I started to interact with natives of whichever country I was in. I more than halfway believed I was on another planet. That's a feeling I haven't experienced since I was a kid. Yes, SWL was and is absolutely fantastic.
Much more to say but I have to get going. May post more later.
And now: SWL pics!
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