The rumor mill was true, once again! Disney officially announced today that the popular Star Wars Weekends have ended. This event began semi-annually in 1997, and became an annual tradition in 2003. My husband and I have been several times, and loved each trip. And we aren’t even huge Star Wars fans. We mostly loved the atmosphere of the event, with different characters roaming the park and interacting with guests. I can only imagine how upset die hard fans will be once they find out the news. But with the upcoming major construction projects to Hollywood Studios, it will be near impossible to hold such an event there.

In the same announcement, Disney did verify a release date of December 1 for new Star Wars experiences at Hollywood Studios. Star Wars Launch Bay will offer guests behind the scenes peeks of the new film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, special merchandise, as well as character encounters with Chewbacca and Darth Vader. Guests will also see some updates to Star Tours to coincide with the new film release. The Jedi Training Academy has been reimagined into Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple, with some references to the animated series, Star Wars Rebels.
Lucky for me, these new experiences will coincide with our upcoming trip, so I will be sure to update everyone on what to expect!