Planning Your Trip - Getting the Most Out of Star Wars Celebration

 

Star Wars Celebration is coming back to London! With multiple TV series, Jedi: Survivor, and even more in the pipeline, 2023 promises to be another massive year for Star Wars. And let's not forget the 40th anniversary of my personal favorite Star Wars movie - Return of the Jedi! It's the perfect time for a Celebration. For the first time outside of America Star Wars Celebration will offer four incredible days filled with absolutely everything from the latest reveals to cosplay so good it could have come from the movie set, plus more collectibles than you could dream of.

This post is the big one. It would be easy to do a Top 5 or Top 10 tips, but that would leave so much out. So page is going to be pretty much everything I can think of that will help you get the most out of Celebration whether you're going for one day or the full four day experience.

Make a Plan

The golden rule of any convention. Star Wars Celebration is massive, and even if you scored a VIP Jedi Master ticket (lucky!!) you simply can't do everything. So, as guests, panels, and exclusives are announced, start picking out your priorities.

Accept you can't do everything. I know that sucks, but if you try then you'll likely end up exhausted, frustrated and probably won't have a great time. Even Jedi Masters will have to wait in some queues and you'll always find two panels you'd love to see that clash.

The full schedule is normally released about two or three weeks before the show. Pick those one or two things that you simply have to do each day, whether it's The Mandalorian+ panel or meeting your childhood hero or heroine for an autograph, and plan around them. Use the bigger panels to your advantage. If you're not bothered by them, that could be the perfect time to hit the autograph hall or grab a bite to eat.

Be realistic about it - the bigger panels and more popular guests will have longer lines. Pick a back up or two in case you can't achieve your first choice. Being prepared and having a realistic plan gives you the best head start you can get at Celebration. But be prepared to be flexible and go with the flow as well.

Which leads nicely to...

Be Flexible

Made your plan? Great! Now be prepared to throw it out.

Have back up options planned out in case your first choice doesn't work out. With three main stages, the podcast stage, collector's track, and hundreds of exhibitors on the show floor there will always be something that takes your interest. If your first choice doesn't pan out, go with your second, or third, or just wherever the flow takes you.

And there's always a surprise waiting that can throw your plans off, like when they announced the incredible The Mandalorian Experience in Anaheim! Being flexible is key so don't sweat it if your plans get thrown out the minute you hit the show floor.

Autograph and Photo Op Times (Should Be) Movable

With Official Pix back once again for the autograph area we can hopefully expect the ability to move autograph and photo op time slots to return as well. This is incredibly useful for fans, allowing people to move their autographs and photo ops (provided another slot is available) to best fit with the panels they wanted to see once the full schedule is revealed.

Premieres

Star Wars Celebration has been home to the season premieres for Rebels, Resistance, Tales of the Jedi, and even Obi-Wan Kenobi, so don't be surprised if there's a premiere or two at Celebration Europe next year. Whilst most trailers and clips are shared on the live stream, episode premieres are not so you'll definitely need to be in the room for this one.

Look at the Live Stream Schedule

Whilst it's not confirmed that Star Wars Celebration LIVE! will be back for Celebration Europe, there's very good odds that it will be.

Since 2015 Celebration has been streamed live to fans all around the world, with the full schedule usually announced a few days before Celebration. So if two panels you want to see clash, have a look if either of them is being streamed. The live stream is normally made up of a selection of the big panels and celebrity Q&As from the Celebration and Galaxy stages, whilst the smaller panels from the Behind the Scenes and fan stages are often not streamed. Just keep in mind that some of the footage shown in the room may not be shared on the stream.

Another thing to be mindful of is that Celebration Anaheim took the unusual decision to not stream the major opening panel of each day. I have no idea why they did this or if this mistake, because in my opinion it was a massive mistake, will be corrected for Europe. These panels have been lottery winners only for the last two Celebrations but in Anaheim they did allow overflow queues so get there early if you don't win the panel lottery and want the chance to get a seat.

Don't Miss the Smaller Panels

One thing I've learnt from multiple Celebrations. The smaller panels can have some of the best content and you won't get to view them on the live stream later. David Collins' The Music of... panels have been some of my favorites from the last two Celebrations, and if he does a music panel for ROTJ in London then I'll be first in line. It's well worth going through the schedule and prioritizing a few things that appeal to you that aren't the major events.

Exclusives Without Lottery Wins

Celebration Anaheim featured 3 exclusive lotteries (Hasbro, LEGO, and Funko). For Anaheim that changed to 2 (Funko and Loungefly) with LEGO's exclusive being sold normally at their booth and Hasbro offering a pre-order QR code at their booth. Whether or not Hasbro will stick with online pre-orders or return to on site sales won't be known until much closer to the time, but it's a safe bet that at least Funko and Loungefly with have an online lottery again for guaranteed access to their exclusives.

But, even if you don't win the lottery you may still be able to score an exclusive. Whilst it's not guaranteed, many fans have successfully lined up later in the day and been able to buy the exclusives as vendors tend to have a little extra stock. The lottery win gives you chance to buy every exclusive from that vendor but not everyone who wins the lottery will want to buy one of everything so there tends to be some stock left over after the lottery winners have made their purchases each day. Just ask at the booth where the line is/what time the line opens for non-winners.

Use Lightspeed Lane for the Celebration Store

You may have heard the horror stories about getting into the Celebration Store. In the words of Han Solo "It's true, all of it." The wait time just to get into the store can easily be hours long, and can be capped if the store reaches capacity. But you don't have to wait in it!

Use the app and grab a Lightspeed Lane pass. You'll be given a time to go back with no queue, simple as that. You can even get a return time that's faster than standing in the main line!

Sadly there's no pass for getting through the checkouts, so make sure you allow at least an hour for that.

Embrace the Queue

This is a little different now that lotteries have replaced the over night line up for the major panels, but when you do find yourself waiting in line, enjoy the queue. Sure, no one pays thousands of dollars and travels across the country or flies around the world to stand in a line, but everyone here is a fan and some of your best memories of Celebration can come from just hanging out with other fans whilst waiting in line.

Star Wars Celebration is the only event of this size that is completely dedicated to one thing. Everyone you meet at Celebration is there because they love Star Wars. Share memories, share stories. Your line buddies could become your new best friends. Some of my favorite Celebration memories are from that over night queue at the last Celebration Europe and reuniting with those friends in Chicago and Anaheim.

Free Flow

That said, unless you have to be first on the show floor to grab that exclusive or get as close as possible to the live stage for the first celebrity guests, you don't need to line up from the early hours. People were lining up for Celebration from around 6am each morning in Chicago and Anaheim (I know, I was one of them) but you don't need to. Yes, it is great to hang out with other fans and make new friends, and there's always a fantastic buzz in the air each morning before the show floor opens, but if you just want to get onto the show floor and don't want to wait in line then aim to get there a little after opening and you should be able to just walk straight in.

If You Can Afford It, Go for It

My advice on spending at Celebration would always be to focus on things you can only buy at Celebration. There's so many exclusives and, last day bargains aside, Celebration isn't the best place for picking up great deals on Star Wars merchandise.

Specifically though, I want to talk about autographs/photo ops. I've told this story before, in my piece on budgeting for Celebration, but it bears repeating here. In London I decided to get a photo op with Mark Hamill that year and get one with Carrie Fisher next time because I didn't think I could justify the expense of two photo ops at the time. Honestly, I had the money and I was just being precautious. In the grand scheme of what I spent at that Celebration I could have done the photo. Now I can't and it's something I will always regret.

I would never tell anyone to spend what they can't afford, nothing at Celebration is worth that, but if you can afford something, especially something like a photo op, then I would always advise going for it.

But also be aware that, generally speaking you will pay more at Celebration than you would at local conventions. So, especially for UK fans, it's arguably best to focus on the guests who don't travel here frequently and attend a lot of conventions this side of the pond.

Pre-Order Where You Can

Ahead of the show you will be able to pre-order a selection of exclusives from autographs to pin badges. Whilst most of the merchandise will be available at the show (the Road to Celebration pin and shirt set is pre-order only), many of the popular guests' autographs and photo ops can sell out before hand. So if you have the chance to pre-order something you want ahead of time, go for it.

Prioritize Your Exclusives

Almost every Star Wars licensee will have at least one exclusive on offer at Celebration, and that's before we get to the Art Show and the Show Store! Some will be pre-sold in advance, some will be online lotteries, some will have daily allocations whilst others may sell out on Thursday. They will be offered at multiple booths all over the show floor. You can only get in one line when the show floor opens each day so pick the ones that you want most and go for them. Pre-order where you can and keep an eye on social media so you can see if things have sold out. Good luck!

Watch Out for Unannounced Surprises

Sometimes Celebration can surprise you with unexpected guests and signings. Last Celebration Europe, Sam Witwer was one of the special guests at the Rebels panel. He wasn't, as far as I can recall, an announced guest and certainly wasn't scheduled to be signing, but after the panel on Saturday he signed for the rest of the weekend. Gareth Edwards also had an unannounced signing in the Art Show area, signing a special Rouge One print. I believe the only announcement was on Twitter. The Mandalorian Experience was a surprise exhibit announced on the first day of Celebration Anaheim. It pays to keep an eye out and an ear to the ground whilst you're at Celebration, you never know who might pop up or where!

Bring a Poster Sleeve

It's a tradition for most of the major panels to give out posters at Celebration. These posters are normally pretty sturdy card stock that you won't want to bend in a poster tube so a plastic poster sleeve is the best way to protect them without having to take them back to your hotel or car after the panel. As a bonus you can also use it for any art prints, photo ops, and autographs too (just make sure you let the ink dry!).

These next bits of advice are a bit more generic but still important for Celebration (or any convention):

Study the Surrounding Area Before You Go

Find out the route from your hotel to the convention center before you go. Are you close enough to walk or do you need public transport? Are there grocery or convenience stores within walking distance of your hotel? If you're using public transport, where are your stops and what's the time table? What's good to eat around the convention center and around your hotel? Maybe even make a list of places you'd like to try before you go (and again, how to get there if they're not within walking distance of where you're staying). Knowing all these little things in advance can really help take the stress out of your trip.

Bring Your Own Food and Water

Convention center food is over priced and staying hydrated is important, simple as that. Sure, you can leave and come back but bringing your own food and water means you don't have to. It saves you money and gives you more time to spend enjoying everything that Celebration has to offer.

Portable Chargers and Spare Batteries Are Essential

Whether it's for your phone, camera, or lightsaber, there's nothing worse than having that essential bit of kit die whilst you're out and about. Pixel blades look amazing but die fast, and chances are your phone will have your lottery wins, panel reservations, autograph/photo op codes, and light speed lane pass for the store, as well as serving as your camera and social media hub, so a good charger and spare batteries are essential to keep everything topped up during the day.

Backpack/Tote Bag and Poster Tube

It's nice to be hands free. In addition to holding your essentials a decent backpack or tote bag should be able to hold whatever you're planning on buying, from shirts to action figures. A poster tube is also a must if you're planning on buying art prints, along with a hard sleeve or file for autographs and photo ops to keep your pictures in perfect condition (you can see my full convention bag guide here).

Comfy Shoes and Clothing

It goes without saying, you'll be doing a lot of walking so comfy shoes are arguably the most essential thing to take with you. And if you're planning on getting new shoes make sure you have time to break them in before you go. In terms of clothes, London should be pretty moderate during the day but could get cold in the evenings, and, since this is England, be prepared for rain. Again, comfort is a big thing as you'll be on the go a lot.

Hygiene

This one should go without saying. Personal hygiene is a must at any convention. Shower, use deodorant/antiperspirant, and have fresh clothes every day. You'll feel better and the people around you will definitely thank you for it. Breath mints or gum can help you feel fresh throughout the day. Hand sanitizers are also recommended, you'll be coming into contact with a LOT of people and sadly not all of them will have good hygiene.

Always Ask Permission Before Taking Photos with Cosplayers

Pretty straight forward this one. Cosplay is not consent and if London is anything like previous Celebrations there will be signs everywhere helping to enforce this. Be polite, be respectful. The vast majority of cosplayers will be more than happy to pose and take pictures with you, but just remember that, like you, they might be rushing to that panel that they really want to see.

Take Cash

Not all vendors will take cards and ATMs inside the convention center will most likely charge high fees for withdrawals.

Stay Vigilant

Whilst the vast majority of people at Celebration are there for the love of Star Wars, there's sadly always going to be some scum and villainy in attendance. Keep a close eye on your money, phone, and any other valuables whilst you're enjoying the convention.

A Second Suitcase?

If you're planning on buying a lot then consider brining a second suitcase to get all your purchases home. Alternatively, you could post your stuff home (there are two Post Offices within walking distance of the ExCeL Center). Check out how much your airline charges you for a second case and compare it with the shipping rates to see what's best for you.

Make a Note of Booth Numbers

The show floor is massive. If you see something you think you might want to come back to later, make sure you make a note of the booth name and number. It will save you having to hunt around for it later.

Last Minute Deals

Whilst you'll want to get most of your Celebration exclusives picked up as quickly as possible, try leaving any none-exclusives until Monday. A lot of dealers would rather lower their prices than have to pack stuff up and ship it back home. Just be mindful that whatever it is may sell before Monday so it's a balancing act.

If you've made it this far, congratulations (and thank you!). One last bit of advice before you go:

Concentrate on the Moment

As Qui-Gon says, be mindful of the here and now. Four days may seem like this epic, long event, but I promise it will be over before you know it. Celebration is full of so many amazing and wonderful distractions that it can be overwhelming. There's always something to see and do. So as you race from panel to panel, every now and then just try to step back and enjoy the moment. Take in the atmosphere of being surrounded by thousands of others who share your passion for Star Wars. It's an amazing feeling.

May the Force be with you.