Lightspeed Details! Lotteries, Panel Reservations & Virtual Lines

There's been lots of information revealed today so let's start with the big one! No opinions here, just the facts as best as I can work them out.

You can (and should!) read the full article over at the official site, but here's my hopefully simplified breakdown.

NOW UPDATED with new information from the Celebration website

Panels

There will be 3 types of panel entry at Celebration Chicago. Lottery. Online Reservation. And good old fashioned queuing. Which type depends on which panel you want to see.

Celebration Stage - Morning Lottery

The main panel each day will be the morning panel held on the Celebration Stage. For these four panels an online lottery will open on Friday March 29th and run through to 23:59 central time on Thursday April 4th. The lottery will also cover the live streaming of the main panels to the Galaxy and Twin Suns Stages.

Entry to the lottery is via the email address you used to purchase your Celebration tickets or the confirmation code you received. You can enter the lottery once for each of the tickets on your purchase (so if you bought 4 tickets you will have 4 lottery entries). Multiple entries for the same email address/confirmation code will be void.

UPDATE - You can enter the panel lottery at the Celebration website from Friday March 29th.

UPDATE - You can group you lottery entry with your friends (up to a maximum of 6 per group) even if you did not purchase your badges together. This will ensure you are able to sit in the same seating section of the Wintrust Arena. On the lottery webpage select "I am submitting as a group" and you will be given a field where you can enter a group code a friend you, and a unique group code you can share with your friends. If your group wins, all members will get admission, even if they did not purchase badges together.

UPDATE - Kids badges cannot enter the lottery but adult entries have the option of adding a lottery submission for Kids badges when they make their entry. Children under 6 do not need a badge. When entering the lottery you will be asked if you have any children under 6 attending with you. Children under 6 will not count against  your group size.

Winners will receive an email containing confirmation and a QR code for each member of their group. In addition to receiving a panel reservation for the main stage, winners will receive an allocated seating section for the first panel of the day.

All winners MUST claim their reservations by midnight central time on Friday April 5th. You can use your email address or confirmation code to check the status of your entry. Winning reservations can be added to you activated badge for your convenience. Alternatively, you can present you email confirmation and QR codes, either printed or on your phone, to gain entry.

Panel reservation confirmations and QR codes can only be redeemed once. Once a barcode has been scanned, no one else will be able to enter the panel on that barcode. Lottery wins are not transferable.

Any unclaimed admissions after April 5th will be added to the advance panel reservations on the mobile app, Celebration website, and onsite kiosks, for fans who did not win the panel lottery (more on this system in the Galaxy/Twin Suns Stage section).

UPDATE - The official site no longer mentions having to claim your winning reservations or of unclaimed admissions being added to the advance panel reservations. So it seems like once you've won you're all set. Just make sure you check what the emails says and follow any instructions, things seem to be changing daily so you don't want to get caught out.

There will be no stand by line for the morning panels on the Celebration Stage as they are expected to be at capacity. Entry is at the corner of South Indiana Avenue and East Cermak Road.

VIPs are not eligible to enter the lottery as they have guaranteed seating for the Celebration Stage.

UPDATE - Special Guest and Exhibitor badges are not eligible to enter the panel lotteries.

Celebration Stage - Subsequent Panels

All Celebration Stage panels following main morning panel WILL NOT require a lottery or panel reservation. Fans will be seated first-come, first-served for subsequent panels until the stage reaches capacity.

HOWEVER! The main stage arena WILL NOT be cleared after each panel. Fans are free to stay in their seats, move to new seats or leave after every panel.


Galaxy & Twin Sun Stages - Light Speed Panel Reservations

For panels on the Galaxy and Twin Suns Stages a partial allocation of seating capacity will be available for fans to reserve in advance.

This does not include the live streaming of the morning panels as those are covered by the Celebration Stage lottery. For those panels there will be separate lines in the morning queue hall and fans will be escorted to the stages when the show floor opens. There will be no stand by line as these panels are expected to be at capacity.

UPDATE - An activated badge is required to make a panel reservation.

UPDATE - Panel reservations can be made from 10:00 on April 11th via the Celebration app. There will be additional kiosks on the show floor where fans can make day-of reservations up to 15 minutes before a panel starts if any remain.

Fans will be able to make one reservation per stage per day.

Fans are asked to arrive 35 minutes before the panel is due to start and for all guests with panel reservations to be scanned into the room at least 15 minutes ahead of the panel. You can scan either the QR code in the app or your activated Celebration badge to gain panel entry.

UPDATE - Seating at the Galaxy and Twin Suns Stages is not reserved and guests will be seated on a first-come, first-served basis. Because there is no reserved seating it is recommended you keep your group together whilst queuing for the panels as saving seats is prohibited.

UPDATE - Panel reservations can be made by all adult badges (5 day and single days), Jedi Master VIPs, and Media badges. Kids badges cannot make reservations but adults can add Kid badges when making their reservations. Special Guest and Exhibitor badges are not eligible to make panel reservations. Children under 6 do not need a reservation but must be seated on their parent or guardian's lap.

UPDATE - Panel reservations are not transferable.

UPDATE - Fans that have purchased badges from Lyte or another fan will need to activate their badge using their personal email or have an order confirmation number re-issued by Showclix. Confusingly after saying yes, the official site also warns that badges purchased outside of Lyte may not be eligible. To be safe it may be best to contact ReedPOP/Showclix ahead of time if you are having trouble activating a badge bought from another fan or  if you won't have the badge in hand until you are in Chicago.

Galaxy & Twin Sun Stages - Unreserved Seats & Panels

For the remainder of the seats and panels without Lightspeed Panel Reservations, fans will be able to walk up on day and queue as they have in previous years. Seating is limited and lines will be closed if they reach capacity.

Other Stages

All panels on the Podcast Stage, University Stage, Collectors Stage, and Fan Stage are open to all fans on a first-come, first-served basis on the day. And, of course, The Star Wars Show Live! Stage will be on the show floor for fans to enjoy streaming of the major panels and guest interviews.

Vendor Lotteries

Hasbro, Funko, and LEGO will all be using an advance lottery for their exclusives this year. Fans will be able to enter these via the Celebration app and website. As with panels, lottery entry is linked to your email address/confirmation code and multiple entries will be void.

Lotteries open on Wednesday March 27th and end at 23:59 central time on Wednesday April 3rd.

Fans will be notified if they have won by Thursday April 4th.

UPDATE - Winners will receive an email confirmation with a QR code. These can be printed, kept on your phone, or linked with an activated Celebration badge. These will then be scanned to gain entry to the exclusives queue at the vendor's booth on the show floor. Winning codes can only be redeemed once.

Lightspeed Lane Virtual Queue

The popular Lightspeed Lane for the show store is going digital. Instead of running to the show store to grab a paper Lightspeed Lane pass, fans will now be able to reserve a time window to visit the Celebration Store via the Celebration app.

UPDATE - In addition to the Celebration Store, the Lightspeed Lane will allow fans to reserve access to "other select show features". These have not yet been confirmed (I suspect the Vader Immortal demo will be one of them).

UPDATE - Fans can reserve their Lightspeed Lane time slot from 10:00 on April 11th. An activated badge is required. As with panel reservations, you can use the QR code in your app or just scan your badge to gain entry to the Lightspeed Lane when your time arrives.


To use all these features you will need an valid badge and you must activate your badge at www.starwarscelebration.com/activate

The mobile app is coming soon to www.swc-mobile.com

Ok, that's a still really wordy but I hope it broke it down a bit clearer! For those entering the lotteries, may the Force be with you!