After leaving the merchandise store, I went to get a good spot for the parade. I wasn't going to miss this. I found a nice comfy wooden bench to sit on while I waited, and luckily it was in the shade, because I had gotten there an hour early. Some other people who were waiting for the parade not too far from me suddenly started pointing and shouting at something behind me. Curiosity got the best of me, and I got off the bench and went to have a look.

The sight of Warwick Davis, who was signing autographs, had caused the excitement. I quickly got out my camera, ignoring the words that 'Yoda' had told me about taking pictures, and snapped a few shots. On the other side of Mr. Davis's autograph booth, stood a security officer. He noticed me, and I noticed him. Coincidence? I hoped so. I took one more picture, and then the officer raised his hand, pointing at me. I then realized that no one else was taking pictures, and that I should always listen to 'Yoda.' The officer started making his way towards me in a hurry, pushing through the crowd, and I, being the good citizen that I am, didn't stay to chat. I made a mad dash back to my seat, and the officer never showed up to talk to me. I looked back at the scene a little while later, and saw him taking to a lady with a camera, looking quite angry.

That annoyed me quite a bit. I paid (well I didn't, but other people did) to get into MGM and see these celebrities. I was denied an autograph, and then when I tried to take a simple picture, I was stopped!

I do have one of the photos that I took to show you, so at least I managed to get some shots before I was seen.

Not too long after this, the parade started. This was by far the best part of my day. In the front of the parade is Jedi Mickey in a landspeeder, followed by these little padawans, who were picked randomly by Disney staff members to be in the parade. Following close behind the small Jedi, was the Florida 501st. I had never seen my state's legion, and this was a great place to get to witness them for the first time. There were Imperial officers, Stormtroopers and Clonetroopers, along with Rebel Soldiers and Jedi, who may have been part of the Rebel Legion, or could have been part of Disney.

Some of the characters that were spread across the park for photo opportunities were also in the parade. Included were Jango Fett, Kit Fisto, the Emperor's Royal Guards, and R2-D2!

Finally, the part of the parade I'd been waiting for happened. The Star Wars stars arrived. Warwick Davis drove by first, followed, to a roar of applause, by Anthony Daniels, who had a gold jacket on and was holding a C3PO toy. He moved the toy's arm up and down to wave at the crowd. Last, but not least, was Jay Laga'aia, who was so enthusiastic, and seemed to be having a blast.

I didn't stay at MGM the entire day; I park hopped to the Magic Kingdom at around 12:30. I had left my purchases back in the merchandise shop, so that I wouldn't risk breaking the mug while carrying it around the park. I had to make my way back there, and passed Boba Fett along the way. It was a little odd and funny to see the famous and feared Bounty Hunter doing autographs.

When I left the shop, a Gammorean Guard, who was running among the crowd, stopping in sudden places to spin in circles, startled me. He would stomp his feet, and run up to random people, hopping around them. This guy was doing a great job acting like his character. I don't think I could run around in that costume and be as energetic as he was, especially with the sun blazing down on me.

That was the end of my day at MGM. As I left, I found that I had immensely enjoyed myself, despite the lack of autographs. They weren't the main point of Star Wars Weekends anyway. The entire purpose is for Star Wars fans to go to an event, see some of their favorite characters, and have fun.

To complete my day, I took the pictures outside the park that I had noticed on the way in. The first one is this massive sign. It is the big daddy of decorations set up at the park, and it lets you know that you're are getting in to something huge.

The second is a picture of an R2-D2 mailbox. I have been hoping to cross paths with one of these for months. They were all the rage a little while ago, but maybe they've gone out of fashion by now. Even if they have, I still have a picture, and a good memory. That really made my day.

Thanks for reading about my awesome experience! I hope that I can do the same thing next year, and maybe take it to the next level. Video, anyone?

Star Wars Weekends Part I