May the Fourth Be With You - A Look Back at Star Wars Celebration 2017 in Orlando #SWCO

Two weeks ago I had the pleasure to attend Star Wars Celebration 2017 here in Orlando, and I loved being totally immersed in the SW Universe for four days, amongst my geek peers.

However when the weekend finished, not only had I managed to catch “con crud” (the lovely mini-flu that happens when you have so many people in an enclosed space for several days), but I realized I had over 2000 photos to go through.

So while this recap is a bit late, I’m blessed with having the annual unoffical Star Wars holiday, May the Fourth Be With You, to take a look back at the panels, creations, and cosplay I encountered during the weekend.

PANELS

There were many panels during the convention, but these were the three that had the most impact on me:

The 40th Anniversary panel kicked off the weekend on Thursday, and featured a bevy of people involved in the original movie, including George Lucas, Mark Hamill, and a first time SWC appearance by Harrison Ford. There was also a loving tribute to our departed Princess, Carrie FIsher, introduced by her daughter Billie Lourd.

Friday kicked off with a first look at the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi film, due in theaters this December. When the trailer dropped, it was insane in the rooms (it was broadcast to overflow rooms because so many wanted to see it). I wrote a quick post about The Last Jedi trailer the day it happened because I was so excited about it.

Then Saturday morning, I attended the Star Wars REBELS panel, during which creator Dave Filoni announced it would be the animated series last season. Booo!! We did get to see the entire first episode of the season, and I can tell you it’s going out with a bang! I also attended a press conference with Filoni and the cast afterwards, and that write-up will be coming soon.

CREATIONS

The exhibit floor had so many amazing Star Wars creations. Real-sized droids that actually worked. Huge prop photo-ops. Life-sized figurines/statues. Cars tricked out Star Wars-style. I logged over 30k steps trying to get to them all and take photos.

Here are some of my favorites:

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Seen at #SWCO: #Chopper playing tag with a tiny #Ewok. . . #StarWars #starwarscelebration #cosplay #droids #StarWarsRebels #zengrrl #zengrrlatswco #citysurfingorlando

A post shared by Michelle Snow (@zengrrl) on Apr 16, 2017 at 6:20pm PDT

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Seen at #SWCO: This Ford pickup customized with a #HanSolo in carbonate in the bed of the truck. . . #StarWars #starwarscelebration #memorabilia #fordtrucks #customization #geek #zengrrl #zengrrlatswco #citysurfingorlando

A post shared by Michelle Snow (@zengrrl) on Apr 16, 2017 at 6:15pm PDT

COSPLAY

I had cosplay envy…there were just so many well done costumes, representing the entire Star Wars universe.

Here were some of the best that I saw:

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A little #stormtrooper bling at #SWCO. Today's the last day to check it out. . . #StarWars #starwarscelebration #cosplay #zengrrl #zengrrlatswco #citysurfingorlando

A post shared by Michelle Snow (@zengrrl) on Apr 16, 2017 at 12:55pm PDT

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Kylo Ren and Rey #cosplay at #SWCO. . . #StarWars #starwarscelebration #kyloren #rey #zengrrl #zengrrlatswco #citysurfingorlando the

A post shared by Michelle Snow (@zengrrl) on Apr 15, 2017 at 4:33pm PDT

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#PrincessLeia in triplicate at #SWCO looking totally fierce. . . #StarWars #starwarscelebration #cosplay #zengrrl #zengrrlatswco #citysurfingorlando

A post shared by Michelle Snow (@zengrrl) on Apr 16, 2017 at 6:30pm PDT

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Looks like #R2D2 got some upgrades at #SWCO. He's now got a rotating gun arm and a tie-fighter wing shield. . . #StarWars #starwarscelebration #cosplay #droids #zengrrl #zengrrlatswco #citysurfingorlando

A post shared by Michelle Snow (@zengrrl) on Apr 16, 2017 at 6:36pm PDT

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#TheForce runs strong in this family at #SWCO. . . #StarWars #starwarscelebration #cosplay #jedi #zengrrl #zengrrlatswco #citysurfingorlando

A post shared by Michelle Snow (@zengrrl) on Apr 16, 2017 at 6:39pm PDT

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU

The worst part of going through all the photos and writing this wrap-up is the fact that it was announced the next Star Wars Celebration won’t be until 2019. Two whole years! And they wouldn’t tell us where it would be held.

My guess, based on the fact that Star Wars Land is scheduled to open in 2019 at both Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando, FL, is the next Celebration will be held in conjunction with the opening of one of these, since Disney owns both the parks and LucasFilm/Star Wars.

If I have to pinpoint it, probably Anaheim, since it’s been a while since Celebration was held there. Though, let’s face it, I’m hoping for Orlando. Makes it a lot easier to attend when I don’t have to pay for travel and hotel. LOL

Were you at Star Wars Celebration Orlando? Let me know what you thought…and please drop links to any posts or photos you posted about it (off-topic links will be deleted, so don’t use this as a free-for-all).

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About zengrrl

I'm Michelle Snow, the writer and creator of Zengrrl. I write about travel, entertainment, women's issues, health, body positivity, and more, both for this blog and freelance. I have also authored/co-authored four guidebooks on Orlando and Florida. If you aren't already following me, the links are below, as well as on the top right of this page. Thanks!