Last Tour To Endor Recap

On Saturday night August 14th Disney treated tons of Star Wars fans in town for Star Wars Celebration V. However, our Last Tour To Endor experience actually began about 10pm on Friday... Okay so it began that morning but anyway... We were in line for 12 hours to see George Lucas. In the ridiculous humidity of Orlando at night to the ridiculous 4 abreast line that we were forced to be in once the line was moved inside. Once that ordeal was over we moved in to the main theater and enjoyed an entire hour in the presence of the Jedi master himself. That was over at noon, and after I hit the Show floor one last time and then went to see most of the Clone Wars Season 3 panel, I boarded one of the first buses to Walt Disney World and Disney Hollywood Studios, for the Last Tour To Endor.

I immediately went on Star Tours twice and then proceeded to wander the park taking tons of video. It was my first time at a WDW park so I was immersed in it! I eventually made it to the main stage under the Mickey hat where I saw Hoopla, The show host of Hyperspace Hoopla. I then made the RIDICULOUSLY long line for "Indiana Jones And The Lost Jedi Temple Of Doom" I didn't mind being in the standing room only crowd until George Lucas came in the arena and then all the people with seats wouldn't let the people in the back get a good look. Other than that the show was awesome. The high point of the night was definitely the Fireworks show. This video is likely the best view you will see of it but it just doesn't compare to the live experience. Dear Disney, Last Tour To Endor was every bit worth the $75 dollars! Thanks for the memories. -Admiral Duke

Star Wars: The Clone Wars Season 3 SWCV Trailer

There were a lot of sneak peaks at Celebration V. At the Clone Wars Season 3 panel this amazing trailer for the third season was shown to the massive crowds that attended both, now you at home can sink your teeth into this juicy little morsel. Hopefully it will hold you over until Star Wars: The Clone Wars returns this fall.

George Lucas & Jon Stewart Did Not Disappoint (Aug. 14th, 2010)

After waiting in line for 12 hours with over a thousand rabid Star Wars fans in the ridiculous humidity that dominates Orlando in August, getting in to the main celebration stage with powerful air conditioning was almost enough. Then the event began. After a short wait where the crowd was amped up to 80's pop songs and colorful banter, Jon Stewart took the stage, and shortly after... The Bearded One, George Lucas joined him. Fans had contributed several questions but the life force of the event really was Jon Stewart.

George elaborated on many themes that permeate the prequels. Like Religion, Redemption and the relationships between fathers & sons. Things began to get interesting when R2-D2 came on stage to deliver a custom made Hasbro action figure of Jon Stewart, to Jon Stewart, and his reaction was one of genuine shock. It was the reaction of a true Star Wars fan, who had always dreamed of such a thing.


After that the easter eggs began to fall. George revealed that Clone Wars writers are already writing episodes for season five of the series that begins it's 3rd season this fall. He also revealed that a new character will be involved in a 4 episode story arc this season. Who is this mysterious character? None other than Darth Maul's Brother, whose name was very hard to hear in the theater, believe me I tried and after asking several other members of the press, they didn't hear it either.

After that Mark Hammil crashed the panel and helped George announce that the Star Wars films will be released on Blu Ray in the fall of 2011. What was truly mind blowing about that was when george and Mark introduced the long rumored deleted scene of Luke building his light saber from Return of the Jedi.

To finish off the panel Carrie Fisher came on stage to say a few words, and with that my 12 hour ordeal to see George lucas in the flesh was over, but holy cow was it awesome!!! -Admiral Duke

Day 2 At STAR WARS Celebration V (Aug. 13th, 2010)

Another day, another Disney panel. This time around it was all about Star Tours and Star Wars Collectibles. The obvious question was when can we expect the STAR WARS Vinylmation, the answer was simple... Later. Another question about Vinylmation was, will there be any big figs? The answer at this point is "There are currently none planned." Now if your depressed, dont be. the announced the line up for series 5 of the Disney/Star Wars crossover figures and they look awesome(we will have full photos of them soon.)

Some really great posters were given out at the event. if your rolled poster contained a ticket, you won an exclusive and very rare silver Boba Fett Racer that was limited to 500 pieces.

Where as C3PO actor Anthony Daniels was the surprise guest at yesterdays panel R2-MK was todays special guest. He came and greeted visitors of the panel and then made a very speedy exit.


Droid building is huge at SWCV. Tons of Astromech droids have been spotted throughout the celebration but none quite like this. A life size Lego R2-D2 was wandering the floor much to the delight of adults and children alike.


The Ink Fusion tattoo Expo is quite a big deal here. Even Disney fans got in on the action, like this young lady who had Mickey's iconic head transformed in to the symbol for the Galactic republic. -Admiral Duke

"The Solo Adventures" Review (Aug. 12th, 2010)

Billed as the worlds first ever 3D Star Wars fan film, The Solo Adventures isn't actually a "fan Film" so much as it is the coolest class project, ever. Animated by students of the DAVE(Digital Animation & Visual Effects) School located in Orlando on the Universal back lot, The Solo Adventures looks nothing like any class project I did in school. The version shown this week at Star Wars celebration V is in full 3D glory and is quite amazing to behold. The animation style evokes the look and feel of the Clone Wars television show. The production quality is top notch. The film makers even went as far as to hire Lucasfilm's official voice of Han Solo, John Armstrong which really helps to add an extra layer of authenticity to the film.

The story takes place some thime prior to Episode 4, and apparently explains why Jabba the Hutt eventually puts a price on Han's head. It's funny and entertaining and truly continues the magic of the STAR WARS universe in a way that many fan films attempt but never achieve. The Solo Adventures is really a great achivement for these students, and we certainly hope they got an A+. Now, you wont be able to see the film in 3D but, you can watch it right now. -Admiral Duke

Disney Parks Panel at Star Wars Celebration V (Aug. 12th 2010),

The Disney Parks kicked of with a history of Star Tours and the Indiana Jones parks attractions. The fun of the panel was C3PO actor Anthony Daniels who provided the color and humor for the hour. The one thing that Disney fans, and Star Wars fans alike were waiting for was some sort of special bit about the upcoming STAR TOURS: The Adventures Continue. Well, here you have it a short video preview that gives you some insight as to the far off destinations that Star Tours will visit.
- Admiral Duke

Getting Started At Star Wars Celebration V (Aug. 12th, 2010)

Celebration V is officially under way, and it is crazy! tons of fan, tons of exhibitors and much, much more. We have not even headed to any of the panels yet but we are having the time of our lives. We head to the Disney parks panel later today and we will have full coverage for you right here!

There was a line at the Disney booth the moment the show opened. Everybody was clamoring for the Star Speeder 1000 sneak peak toy and the Donald Duck Shadow Trooper.

There are tons of awesome costumes this Australian fan is Darth Vader armed with a boomerang.

Free swag from the Hasbro booth

STAR WARS: Clone Wars director Dave Filloni with fan.

More updates to come from DisFanReview.com

New Details about Disney Parks "Last Tour To Endor" (Aug. 7, 2010)

On August 14th Disney Hollywood Studios will present a very special event especially for guests of Star Wars Celebration V. Oh... You knew that? Okay. Did you know that there will be a special presentation of Hyperspace Hoopla, the Star Wars themed dance off that is a usual feature of Star Wars Weekends? Ah. You knew that too. Well did you know that guests are actually encouraged to dress in costume? Okay, now we are getting somewhere. The other thing you didn't know is that Disney parks is planning a first time ever Star Wars themed Fireworks show and a one of a kind stunt show that blends elements of Star Wars with Indiana Jones. Wicked cool right? Well check out this video from Disney parks for more details and be sure to follow our coverage of the event, because we will be there for all the fun, and excitement from a galaxy far,far away.
-Admiral Duke

The Phantom Menace of SWCV's MAIN EVENT

By far the most talked about event at Star Wars Celebration V will be “The Main Event,” George Lucas’ interview with Daily Show host Jon Stewart. If you have never seen these two men interact before, it is quite the spectacle. Jon Stewart, is himself an obsessed Star Wars fan and when he speaks with “the bearded one” it is almost as if he is channeling the spirit of every other obsessed Star Wars fan. In other words it’s a lot like you are talking to George, except John Stewart is too much of a professional to get overly star struck. Oh he does get a little giddy at times, but so would you.

So, obviously this event will be the most attended event of the entire show, but not everyone who wants to see it live, will. That isn’t a guess, that is a fact stated by Celebration V organizers. But, the situation is actually a little more crazy than it might appear on the surface. SWCV organizers say that slightly more than 7,000 people will be able to see the event live, with only 1200 guests in the room where the event will actually happen, and the rest seeing it simulcast live in other rooms at the Orange County Convention Center. What is not readily obvious is how many fans will be left out of the event.

Consider this, at Celebration IV in 2007, over 17,000 guests attended the 4 day event. However, a lot has happened in the Star Wars universe since 2007. The Clone Wars is a widely popular television series, The Force unleashed has become a mega popular video game series and fans are eagerly awaiting the launch of the new “Old Republic” online game. There is also talk about possibly 2 new television series and Star Wars Comic Books and Novels are as popular as ever. So there is a lot of buzz around Star Wars right now. Also, this years celebration event boast's something no other celebration has ever had… Luke Skywalker. Actor Mark Hammil who portrayed “the last Jedi” in the original Star Wars trilogy has never been to a Celebration event before and he is expected to be a major draw for die hard fans. With all of these factors added in it is a distinct possibility that SWCV will blow away previous attendance records.

Once you add in all these factors you begin to realize that quite nearly 10,000 Celebration guests will be left out in the cold… well seeing as how SWCV is in Orlando FL this year they will be left out in the sticky, humid and hot, but you know what I mean. The die hard fans will likely be lining up Friday night for the Saturday event. This actually poses a large problem for Disney fans who want to be in the main hall for the George Lucas event, because they will likely have to stay up all night Friday, enjoy the Interview and at some point catch a little sleep before proceeding to Hollywood Studio’s for the “Last Tour to Endor” event, that guests will be able to arrive for at 4pm. Keep in mind I am in no way complaining. Simply pointing out some the interesting pitfalls that await Star Wars fans at Celebration V. So, if there is any point to this post at all, it is this… Plan ahead, plan ahead, plan ahead.
-Admiral Duke

DisFanReview's Points of Interest at SWCV

Being that DisFanReview is first & foremost a Disney fan blog, Our focus at Star Wars Celebration V will be, of course all things Disney. On Thursday August 12th at 3pm we are excited to attend the Disney Parks panel "The Creative Force At Disney: From Star Tour to Indiana Jones Adventure." On Friday August 13th at noon, we will be attending the "Disney Collectibles - What's Cool & What's Coming" panel. On Saturday August 14th DisFanReview will be attending the "Last Tour To Endor" event at Disney's Hollywood Studio's at Walt Disney World, Of course throughout the weekend we will also have full coverage of the Disney booth on the Celebration show floor. Obviously there will be about a million other things to do at Star Wars Celebration and the following is the short list of what you can expect from DisFanReview's coverage of SWCV.

Of course, every single Gen X kid that grew up with the original trilogy remembers breaking open those old Kenner action figure packages, and we all wanted to have our own Star Wars character figure. So, since Hasbro hasn't asked me to sit for a sculpting of my action figure, posing for a photo with this giant blister pack will be the next best thing.

I'm an old sailor, so obviously... I have tattoos. I love tattoos, wish I had more. Unfortunately the budget for our trip to SWCV does not allow for any Star Wars related tattoos during the "Ink Fusion Tattoo Festival" going on at the celebration, But we will have the next best thing. We are currently working with some of the folks at Ink Fusion to do a time-lapse video of a Star Wars tattoo being created from beginning to end. We are still trying to iron out all the details, but I am very excited about this project. Should be fun to watch.

Although my years of doing ridiculous tricks and grinds on a skateboard are WAY over, I am still a major skateboarding enthusiast.Which is why I am excited about this event. A collection of skateboard decks painted with an Empire Strikes Back theme, that will be displayed for all to see then auctioned off for charity. Lots of photos will be taken!

The 501st Legion, the officially recognized fan costuming group of Lucasfilm has commissioned an amazing list of celebrity artist's to create their own unique interpretation of the Stormtrooper helmet from the original trilogy. Guest artist's include Darth Maul himself, Ray Park. Film and TV super creator J.J. Abrams(you know the guy who created LOST, and directed the amazing reboot of Star Trek). Chewbacca actor Peter Mayhew, and Weird Al Yankovic and his daughter just to name a very few. The entire display should be quite epic to behold.

Last but not least I will be scouring the show floor for any vendor who will be selling the Star Wars Trilogy on VHS... in the widescreen format. Why? Well I recently discovered that VHS is infinitely more difficult for my children to destroy than DVD & Blu-Ray. I also prefer to see Star Wars in widescreen because you get the full cinematic effect and honestly it just looks a million times better on my 16:9 TV. I'm not going to hold my breath though. I somehow doubt that I am going to find the widescreen VHS version, mainly because I have been looking for it for quite sometime. I also expect that if I do indeed find it at SWCV I will probably pay through the nose for it. Only time will tell.

These are really just the high points of our Star Wars celebration coverage, there will of course be tons of pictures tweeted on our twitter account and much more.
-Admiral Duke