Disney Parks Panels & Exclusive Merchandise Announced For STAR WARS Celebration VI

To be honest, Disney's involvement with  this  years  STAR WARS  Celebration has  been  rather  disappointing. Granted, at the last Celebration, Disney was gearing  up  for  the  multi-million  dollar  upgrade  of  STAR TOURS: The Adventures Continue... And  to  go  along  with  that theme they held a 'going away party' of sorts for the old  STAR TOURS   attraction at  Disney Hollywood Studios, and called it 'The Last Tour To Endor.' It was a pretty awesome event for those who had never been to a STAR WARS Weekends. 

Unfortunately, Disney has announced no such tie-in event with the parks. However, Disney Parks has announced some pretty cool ways in which they will be participating in the Celebration. D-Tech is bringing the "Carbon Freeze Me' experience to Celebration at booth 341 , where guests can have their facial dimensions digitally captured and sculpted as a customized 8" Carbonite tomb for $99.95. 

At booth 331, Disney Parks will be selling two awesome exclusives. The first is a set of two die cast STAR TOURS Starspeeders, the Starspeeder 1000, and the Starspeeder 3000 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of STAR TOURS.

The second exclusive comes from Disney Parks popular Vinylmation line. This 'hologram' Princess Leia variant figure comes from STAR WARS Vinylmation series 2 and is exclusive to STAR WARS Celebration VI only. This limited edition figure of only 2500 pieces that will retail for $18.95. 

Aside from the merchandise, Disney Parks will also be presenting two panels at this years Celebration.

Disney Parks & Star Wars – This is where the Magic Begins (Thursday, 3 – 4 pm, Room W414 ABCD)

Be among the first to get a sneak peek into what new exclusives will be coming from the Disney Parks in 2012 and 2013. You will also take an inside look behind the magic at how Disney Parks creates exclusive Star Wars merchandise, with insights from Brad Schoeneberg and Cody Hampton of Disney’s creative development team.

The New Star Tours: The Adventures Continue (Saturday, 3 – 4 pm, Room W414 ABCD)

Description: Before you take your next trip on the Starspeeder 1000, you’ll want to check out this panel that goes behind the scenes with the wizards at Walt Disney Imagineering and Industrial Light & Magic. Bill George and Steven F. Spiegel will reveal what it took to relaunch the hit attraction in 3D, and what secrets the amazing ride through the galaxy may hold.

STAR WARS Celebration VI To Host 'STAR WARS: The Clone Wars' Season 5 Red Carpet Premiere

Attendees of Star Wars Celebration VI will be the first in the world  to  see  the action-packed premiere of Season Five of  Star Wars: The Clone Wars  at  a  big screen red carpet  event  featuring  stars  of  the  hit  series  from Lucasfilm Animation.

On Friday, August 24th at 5 pm, the Digital Stage at Celebration VI – the venue optimized for high-definition digital theatrical exhibition with state-of-the-art surround sound – will present an evening of Star Wars: The Clone Wars entertainment beginning with a special presentation of the Season Four finale, the episodes “Brothers” and “Revenge.” These are followed by “Revival,” the long-awaited Season Premiere, on Cartoon Network this fall, that continues the story of the resurrected Darth Maul.

Maul and Savage Opress continue to wreak havoc in the galaxy. As part of Maul’s wicked master plan, the Sith brothers recruit a cutthroat band of pirates. Obi-Wan Kenobi leads the Jedi hunt for Maul, which results in a lightsaber-clashing confrontation that will prove deadly.

Following the screening, there will be a Q&A session with supervising director Dave Filoni along with special guests from the series.

Anyone holding a Celebration VI badge is welcome to attend, on a first-come, first-seated basis. The queue for this incredible event will form in Valencia B, right next to Celebration Digital Stage (Valencia A). Come early and catch some of the pre-show excitement on the red carpet!

*Source - Star Wars Celebration Website

Mark Hamill Returns To STAR WARS CELEBRATION VI

The actor behind Luke Skywalker is set to appear on stage at Celebration VI in Orlando this August, as well as meet fans and sign in the autograph hall.

Best known for playing a young moisture farmer destined for greatness in the original Star Wars Trilogy, Mark Hamill has had a busy and varied career. Since appearing at Luke Skywalker in George Lucas's blockbuster space opera, Hamill has established himself as an icon in the voice-acting industry, most notably as the Joker in the Emmy Award-winning Batman: The Animated Series. Beloved by fans for his manic portrayal of the Dark Knight's arch-nemesis, Hamill has voiced the character in a number of spin-off series including Justice League and Superman: The Animated Series, as well as several videogames.

Other iconic voice performances include Hayao Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky and Nausicaa: The Valley of the Wind, the Wing Commander videogame series, The Batman, The Incredible Hulk, The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man: The Animated Series, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Futurama, Robot Chicken and Metalocalypse.

Hamill is also the co-writer of a five-issue Dark Horse Comics series entitled The Black Pearl, a dark, edgy thriller that subverts the notion of what it means to be a costumed superhero. Hamill plans to direct a movie of the series based on a screenplay that he has co-written.

Friday, July 20 at 11:59PM (ET) is the last chance for fans to purchase Celebration tickets and receive them in the mail. (International Badges will not mail and must be picked up onsite).

Spend An Evening With Kevin Smith At STAR WARS Celebration VI

                                                                                    Photo From BeyondHollywood.com

Star Wars Celebration welcomes writer, director, and fanboy Kevin Smith to a galaxy far, far away! Making his first official Celebration appearance, Smith will kick off the convention with a special adults-only presentation of "Evening with Kevin Smith" on August 23rd!

Kevin will be appearing for an evening of stories and conversation in the Orange County Convention Center's Chapin Theater, discussing his career, his fandom, and how Star Wars intertwines both. Smith, most known for the world he created in Clerks, and since expanded in Mallrats, Chasing Amy, Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, and Clerks II, has also written, directed, and produced projects including Cop Out and Red State. 

In the comics world, he's penned stories for heroes including Spider-Man, Daredevil, Green Arrow, Batman, and Green Hornet. Online, Smith is behind the SModcast podcast and SModcast Internet Radio channel featuring regular weekly podcasts from Smith and over 20 of his contemporaries and collaborators.

Smith has yet to work officially on a Star Wars project, but his is the voice of the zeitgeist in the pop culture world, and he's long been a fan of the Star Wars saga, with its characters, elements, and fan paraphernalia a part of many of his works. Smith will be coming to Star Wars Celebration to speak about his long love-affair with Star Wars, how it shaped his youth, and how it still informs his career.

Star Wars Celebration's "Evening with Kevin Smith" begins at 7:00 PM on August 23rd and is a separate, ticketed event from the rest of Star Wars Celebration. Tickets go on sale on Monday, June 25th to current Star Wars Celebration attendees (check your emails on Monday morning for the link and password) and July 2nd for the general public. 

Tickets begin at only $15 and go up to a limited $75 package, which includes a signed Kevin Smith photo. Tickets are free to Celebration VIPs who have purchased Jedi Knight and Jedi Master tickets. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.starwarscelebration.com. Please note that Celebration's "Evening with Kevin Smith" is recommended for adult audiences only.

Daniel Logan/BOBA FETT Invites You To STAR WARS Celebration VI

Best known for his role as a pre-pubescent Boba Fett from STAR WARS Episode II: Attack Of The Clones and the Cartoon Network series STAR WARS: The Clone Wars, Actor Daniel Logan stars in an all new promotional video for STAR WARS CELEBRATION VI! This quick video showcases just a scant few clips of all the wonderful stuff that was available for fan enjoyment at 2010's Celebration V, and does a pretty good job of communicating the fun and enjoyment ahead for all those in attendance. Remember, DisFanReview will be on hand once again. Join us August 23 - 26th in Orlando for STAR WARS CELEBRATION VI!

Ian McDiarmid & More Announced For STAR WARS Celebration VI

Star Wars Fans REJOICE! We have three big things to tell you about Star Wars celebration VI! The first being, Ian McDiarmid. This is the first ever signing he has done in the US. He doesn't normally do conventions, but of course, Star Wars Celebration is when the stars shine. 

However, given his track record, its highly unlikely he will be doing any other conventions in the US, making this a once in a lifetime chance. So, any fan headed out there to Star Wars Celebration this year, should definitely rank visiting him on their top 5 things to do.

No stranger to Star Wars Celebration is Seth Green, he is returning this year with Robot Chicken partner Matthew Senreich. Their show Robot Chicken which airs on Cartoon Network's, Adult Swim, has had three entire specials devoted to the Star Wars Saga.  Seth Green is in many ways a highlight unto himself during Star Wars Celebration. He likes to pop up everywhere.

Of course this is just the tip of the iceberg, there are tons of celebrities coming to Star Wars Celebration. Including Princess Leia herself, Carrie Fisher. For a full list go to: www.starwarscelebration.com

And did we mention the toys? Okay, well in this case, its just one specific toy. It is THE toy for Star Wars Celebration, and were kinda geeking out because it is an exclusive from Side Show Collectables, and, it is a figure based on a character created by one of our favorite artist's, Tom Hodges. Commander Ganch was a character in the online web comics Star Wars: The Clone Wars.  

The Star Wars Celebration Store will premiere Sideshow's 12" figure of Clone Commander Ganch, available in very limited numbers starting the first day of the show. 

The exciting one-sixth scale figure boasts a number of exclusive features, including:

• Phase I and II helmets
• Detailed fabric body suit and collar
• Highly detailed full-body armor set
• A variety of interchangeable hands and boots
• BlasTech DC-15A long range blaster rifle
• BlasTech DC-15S blaster carbine
• Two (2) BlasTech DC-17 blaster pistols and holsters
• Armored body with more than thirty points of articulation
• Base with Ganch armor symbol and lower support stand

The commanding officer of the 612th Attack Battalion, Clone Commander Ganch is a no-nonsense, by-the-manual soldier who devotes all his energies to following orders to the letter. His hardened attitude comes from witnessing what can go wrong when troops lack discipline. Ganch first appeared in a series of Star Wars: The Clone Wars web comics illustrated by Tom Hodges. 

~Captain Cay

Star Wars Celebration VI Returns To Orlando In 2012

Last summer I was finally able to fulfill a decade long dream to attend a Star Wars Celebration. The event is equal parts fanboy con, and religious experience. Stuffed with guest celebrities, fans in costume and tons and tons of exclusive and hard to find Star Wars merchandise. At last years Celebration V, There was a tattoo exposition, Disney's Jedi Academy, and even an exclusive Star Wars themed event at Walt Disney World's Hollywood Studio's. There was literally, something for everybody.

If I had one complaint, It was simply that Orlando weather in August is MISERABLE. 97% humidity is absolute torture to a guy who is accustomed to the dry desert heat of New Mexico. However, the weather didn't even become a factor until the last couple days. We slept outside overnight Friday/Saturday to get choice seats to the George Lucas/Jon Stewart interview. Which was only an issue because it resulted in my first ever bout with dehydration. The weather was also the only downside to Disney's Last Tour To Endor event on Saturday. Fortunately, massive amounts of water insured that I remained completely hydrated. But I've got to say, I've never been so miserable and yet completely elated to be at a Disney Park. It was my first visit to Disney World after all.

Even with the stifling humidity the entire experience was mind blowing, and I would gladly do it all over again. Which is fortunate, because it looks like I will. Lucasfilm has just announced that the sixth Star Wars Celebration will be returning to the Orange County Convention Center August 23-26th 2012, and tickets are now on sale. No other major details have been revealed, but It's safe to assume the event will be Return Of The Jedi themed(as the 30th anniversary of the film will be 2013). It is also a safe bet that we can expect another exclusive Disney World event. Get your tickets now, and make sure to keep your eyes open for DisFanReview, because we are definitely going to return to Orlando for STAR WARS CELEBRATION VI.

Originally Posted on DisFanReview.com June 2nd 2011