‘Star Wars’ Celebration in a Day — 10 Tips to Make the Most of Your Single-Day Ticket
With Star Wars Celebration mere days away, fans are going to be headed to London to join the party as we come together to share our love of a galaxy far, far away and catch a glimpse of what the future holds for our favorite franchise. Back in 2016, I commuted down to London and back from Wales in a day — it was hectic but amazing. Coming from that experience, here are my ten tips to maximize your enjoyment at Celebration if you’re heading down for a single day.
Plan your commute
If you’re travelling into the city by train, then it’s worth having a handle on your commute. Heading from Euston (the main ingress point into London), you can hop on a Northern Line train to Tottenham Court Road. From there, you can travel to Custom House — which is helpfully labelled ExCeL Centre on most maps. In 2016, I took the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), but this year I’m planning on travelling on the new Elizabeth Line towards Abbey Wood and stopping off at the ISB (aka Canary Wharf station) on the way.
One tip I’d underline is to start your journey at the earliest point possible. I remember joining the DLR at a mostly deserted platform, but by the time I got to Custom House, the train was so full of sweaty nerds that no one could get on!
Study the map
If you download the Celebration App, you will find a site map, which is well worth studying to get a handle on where the different halls and activities are located. The ExCeL center is essentially two large event spaces with a hallway in between, and once you get that into your head, it’s not too hard to find your way around.
Identify your priorities
With so much to cram into a day, it’s worth writing yourself an itinerary — but don’t be too rigid with it. Nail down your most important events (panels, photo ops, etc.) and their times, then look at what else you’d like to get done and how to fit those activities around the main events. It’s worth referring to the map so you aren’t zig-zagging across the venue throughout the day — your legs will thank you!
Pre-book activities
One regret I have from Star Wars Celebration is missing out on the chance to try ILM xLab’s Trials on Tatooine. This was an early test VR project — a precursor to Vader Immortal and Tales from the Galaxy’s Edge. I pitched up late in the day, not realising that you had to pre-book a time slot, and they were fully booked. Look out for activities that you might need to book for and get there early to secure a place. Be aware that you may need to book a slot for autographs too, even if the autograph hall looks quiet.
It’s not all about panels
I went into Star Wars Celebration with the rather unrealistic expectation of coming out having seen a bunch of mind-blowing reveals in the panels. Unfortunately, this wasn’t to be. While entry is free, the bigger panels had a lottery system, so you should know by now if you’re in or not. It may be disappointing if you didn’t get into your preferred choice, but there’s so much more to see. You’re guaranteed to have a blast no matter what! Panels, big and small, are great, but with only a day to enjoy the event, it’s worth balancing the time spent in panels against the time you have to enjoy being there. In the end, I opted not to go to the Rebels panel — I missed out on the Thrawn reveal, but I have no regrets as I gained two hours to explore the floor and take in a truly unique experience.
Don’t be put off by queues
Non-ticketed panels are first-come first-served, so you may see what seems like an enormous queue, but the halls are pretty big — don’t be put off. The queue for Doug Chiang’s panel was huge, and I thought I wouldn’t get in, but I’m glad I stuck with it as it turned out there was plenty of room, and I ended up with a seat right at the front!
Leave the shop for last
Well, this one depends… If you’re after some exclusive loot, then I imagine you’ll be flying across the convention floor the second you’ve had your bag checked — all the best to you! But if you’re just after a T-shirt or little souvenir, then I’d recommend waiting until the afternoon. They have a T-shirt press on site, so they’re unlikely to run out of stock, and the queue is a lot shorter later in the day.
Dress as Rey or a Scout Trooper
Okay, this one actually won’t help you that much unless they do the same again. In 2016, there were a number of large vehicle replicas on site, including Rey’s speeder and an Imperial speeder bike. But the only way to get to sit on them was… if you were in costume! So if one of those costumes is in your cosplay library, you might want to wear it for a cool photo op.
Keep an eye on social media
For all its flaws, Twitter is a great way to keep up with any spontaneous events going on during the day. There are boards displaying updates from the official account, but they were often hours out of date. I’d definitely recommend following the official Star Wars account (@StarWars) and, of course, Star Wars News Net (@StarWarsNewsNet) to keep up to the minute with everything that’s going on.
Have fun!
There’s so much going on, and the day can be a mad rush as you dart from panel to signing to event. But make sure you give yourself a minute to just sit back and enjoy it. Mosey around the smaller booths and exhibitors, check out some cool cosplay or droid builders, or just sit back and enjoy the sight of thousands of people who all share your love of Star Wars.
Star Wars Celebration is an amazing event, and I hope this little guide helps you have an absolutely awesome day!
Also make sure to check out article ‘Tips To Get the Most From ‘Star Wars’ Celebration’ HERE.
A teacher from Wales in the UK, Aled has loved Star Wars ever since that Star Destroyer flew over his head and blew his mind.
