Star Wars Weekends

It all started with Jedi Mickey’s release in 2006.  He looked fantastic in his Jedi Robe, artist signed/numbered base and poised with his light saber overhead.  The true DefendEAR of the Universe!  Standing at almost 24 inches, plus base he was simply a must have, a once in a lifetime type of collectable that epitomized the entire union of Disney and Star Wars that is Star Wars Weekends.  There was no way I could do without him and on this my wife agreed.  He was worth the wait and the cost.  So we saved our pennies, prepared and on that first weekend Friday, my wife got into a line and she waited for hours.  I was in charge of child entertainment, which meant that we were experiencing as much of SWW as we could fit in, all the while my wife patiently waited with a number of very dedicated Disney/Star Wars Fans. 

When you're in a situation like one of these incredible lines, you have a unique opportunity to bond with others who like you either love Disney, Star Wars or in a tragic case like mine BOTH.  To this day she does not regret waiting in line.  She will tell you it was HOT and that the line was really long, but that the people were GREAT.  Everyone had their own story and item that they were holding out for, fingers crossed that it would be there when they got to the head of the line.  For everything that 2005 was with the release of the movie and SWW merchandise, 2006 was a merchandise bonanza.  In the end my wife claimed our Jedi Mickey, and he has become the SWW centerpiece in our home.  My wife will happily tell anyone who mentions it, that Jedi Mickey is hers.  I refuse to argue that point without an attorney present.

Then came 2007.  We loved our Jedi Mickey and adding another to commemorate our 2007 trip seemed natural.  I guessed that I might then be able to lay claim to one or the other depending.  The rumors were slow coming and I was excited because it appeared there would be another released.  Then it happened.  They did not release one for 2007, but rather bombarded us with four different FIGs for the year, releasing one per weekend.  At first I was elated thinking it a good thing to have a selection to choose from.  Then upon seeing, Princess Leia Minnie, X-Wing Pilot Mickey, Darth Goofy (you had to love the boxers!) and Storm Trooper Donald I realized that I really couldn’t choose, and I wanted them all.  Then the realization of what this was going to cost set in quickly, along with the fact that I could only go to one weekend and would have to chance getting what I could.  My wife loved Storm Trooper Donald, my daughter loved Minnie Leia and I had to have Darth Goofy.  Come to think of it, Pilot Mickey was awesome too.  So I pinched and I saved for several months, knowing that I may only have a shot at one, maybe two. 

Weekend two was my scheduled weekend and as luck would have it, it was Princess Leia Minnie who was available, along with pilot Mickey who had not sold out in weekend one.  My wife again gave the go ahead, waited diligently in line for a shorter time than 2006, but still a long wait spent with good people and conversation.  In the end we purchased both.  Still she was disappointed not to have gotten Donald and I also wondered about Darth Goofy.  Ah but there was hope, even if at this point I had thrown all financial wisdom into the wind. 

Fortunately Disney Mail order allowed people to sign up for specific Figs and would ship them to you if they were available after the last weekend.  Donald was weekend 3 and Goofy was weekend 4, so there were some tense moments, but in the end we were able to procure the final two.  It took me a few months to replace that money I had burned by buying four rather than just one, but it was worth it.  Now I have a wonderful display over the top of my bookshelves and entertainment center showing all five Big Figs.  They have been very popular with everyone who has stopped by and we don’t regret the investment at all.  They are our happiest SWW treasures. 

Now we find ourselves approaching SWW 2008 and the rumor mill wastes no time in presenting me with a problem.  At least four Big Figs are thought to be coming this year with the minor threat of a fifth.  Mickey as Anakin, Minnie as Queen Amidala (I hope the globes in her dress light up!), Donald as Darth Maul and Goofy as Jar Jar Binks.  There is even a Stitch as Yoda, pictured like the others as a small plastic collectable that could be in the mix.

Four more…. at least.  Let me be the first to say that I am not loving the Goofy as Jar Jar piece.  That isn’t my biggest problem though.  To date, I have managed to get all of them, the complete SWW group.  I rarely achieve a complete set of anything these days.  To make this even more of a problem, the rumor is that the price is going up on them by $25 each over last year.  Early in the year I guessed incorrectly they would only introduce one this year after the slow sales of this relatively expensive collectable in 2006.  I was prepared to purchase at least one, but was keeping an open mind that two might be a possibility. 

Four more and I not only am having a coronary over the cost of each of them, but also I have no idea where to display them!  They are in fact BIG Figs.  Cannot someone adhere to the Sith rule of Two!?!  What happened to “always two, no more, no less”?  Oh and the kicker to the rumors is that this will be the last year for the Star Wars Big Figs.  So here I am, like last year looking at what I like and what the family likes.  My daughter has said that we simply have to get the Queen Amidala Minnie.  My wife really likes the Darth Maul Donald.  I am anxious to see the final look of the Anakin Mickey… and then there is Jar Jar Goofy.  I can’t even comment on that yet except to hope for the development of Yoda Stitch. 

 There are too many possibilities at this point, but the rumors persist.  Four more?  Maybe Five, all available starting the first weekend.  The last year, all but extinct.  I don’t have that kind of money!  Where am I going to put them?  Still we have the entire collection so far.  This is only the beginning, but I’ve got a bad feeling about this!