5 things we’ll miss about Star Wars Weekends at Disney World

Disney has confirmed that Star Wars Weekends will no longer be offered at Hollywood Studios. With construction starting on the big Star Wars addition to the park, and a number of new Star Wars attractions opening, it seems there’s no longer any room for the weekend event.

We know some elements of Star Wars Weekends will live on, including a fireworks show to end each night at the park.

But what about the absolute best things about the event? Hopefully, Disney will find ways to work them in to the new all-Star-Wars-all-the-time Hollywood Studios. Our top five:

1. The 501st Legion 

It was called the “Celebrity Motorcade,” but to us the real celebrities were the volunteers from the Empire. (We’re Rebels, but still. We can appreciate the Dark Side.) Each year, some 150 volunteers would dress in their incredibly realistic homemade costumes and march in the parade. They were awesome, we will miss them, and Disney really needs to find a way to bring them back.

2. Disney characters cosplaying Star Wars

©Steven Liebman Darth Goofy during the Celebrity Motorcade.

Who could resist Mickey Mouse and friends in their Star Wars finery? They are the perfect mashup of Disney and Star Wars: Mickey and Minnie as Luke and Leia; Chip and Dale as Ewoks; Donald Duck as a Stormtrooper; and Goofy as — who else? — Darth Vader. Seeing them was one of the best things about Star Wars Weekends. How hard would it be to find a place for them alongside the real Darth Vader meet-and-greet?

3. Rope Drop 

Rope Drop on Star Wars Weekend was something special. The skit starred Stormtroopers who were trying to control the Rebel crowd. This is when you’d get your first inkling that the Stormtroopers would be the comic relief for the entire weekende.

4. Darth’s Mall

I’m pretty sure we won’t actually be missing much in the end, because Disney has never seen a merchandising opportunity it didn’t exploit. But we sure loved the shopportunities at Darth’s Mall, including hard-to-get collectibles and a wide array of clothing from non-Disney merchants, including Her Universe.

5. The Q&As 

We enjoyed seeing the stars of the saga, along with the shows and Q&As. It wasn’t our No. 1 priority, but LOTS of people would line up hours before park opening in the morning to get FastPasses for autographs, so it would be nice to see some version of this live on in the future at Hollywood Studios.