After being postponed and rescheduled a couple times due to COVID-19, Star Wars Celebration Anaheim took place at the Anaheim Convention Center Thursday, May 26 through Sunday, May 29, 2022! Follow along with our recap as we take you through our experience at the convention.
Rescheduling Issues for Star Wars Celebration Anaheim
When we initially bought our tickets for Star Wars Celebration Anaheim back in June 2019, COVID-19 was not yet on anyone’s radar. At that time, the convention was scheduled to take place August 27-30, 2020.
By June 2020, Covid had made its impact, and it was evident that it wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so at that time it was announced that the convention would be rescheduled to August 18-21, 2022. Then in September 2020, D23 Expo (Disney’s bi-annual convention) announced that instead of taking place in 2021, it would take place September 9-11, 2022 at the Anaheim Convention Center. This was an interesting development, as it would put less than 3 weeks between Star Wars Celebration and D23 Expo at the same venue.
However, this ultimately did not come to pass. In May 2021, it was announced that Star Wars Celebration Anaheim would be moving to Memorial Day weekend, May 26-29, 2022, and those are the dates that finally stuck.
COVID-19 Safety Protocols
When Star Wars Celebration Anaheim announced its Health & Safety guidelines in March 2022, proof of full vaccination was required for all attendees ages 5 and up, or proof of negative test for those under 5, along with the requirement for an approved face covering.
Ticket Availability & Important Show Updates are here! ⁰Tickets will be going back on sale to the general public for Star Wars Celebration 2022 on March 15 at 9:00 AM PT. Tickets will be limited and certain types may sell out quickly! Details https://t.co/VLUNJi1bAq. pic.twitter.com/2ShzMMaSRp
— StarWars Celebration (@SW_Celebration) March 7, 2022
However, while the mask requirement remained, on April 14, 2022, Star Wars Celebration announced that it was changing the vaccination requirement, and it would now allow the option for proof of negative test for all attendees.
Important Health & Safety Update: please visit https://t.co/MA4V03dS1Q for full details.
[1/3] pic.twitter.com/Jqc8pc7rN4— StarWars Celebration (@SW_Celebration) April 14, 2022
Attendees could use the CLEAR app to upload their vaccination records or negative test information, or could present their vaccination card or test results upon arrival prior to entering the venue.
The Lottery System; Lightspeed Lane
Although at past Star Wars Celebrations attendees have camped out overnight for the big panels, camping out was not allowed this year, due to COVID concerns. This year, the only way into the first panel of each day on the Celebration Stage in the Arena (or the Twin Suns Stage or Galaxy Stage, to which the Celebration Stage panels would be streaming at that time) was to participate in and win a spot in an online lottery (or try your luck in the Standby line on the morning of, in case lottery winners did not show up).
Additionally, the ability to shop at the Funko or Loungefly booths were subject to this lottery system as well.
Attendees were given from May 16 to May 22 to submit their entries into the lotteries to attend these panels and obtain a shopping slot time.
On May 23, attendees were sent an email notifying them of the lotteries that they won, if any, each containing a QR code for entry.
The only lottery we won was for the Lucasfilm Studio Showcase panel on Thursday — but not on the Celebration Stage. It was for the Twin Suns Stage, which meant it would be in a separate room to where the panel would be streamed.
In addition to the lottery, Star Wars Celebration Anaheim employed the Lightspeed Lane reservation system. This was available at 9:00 am each morning of the convention. Attendees could log in and reserve a spot for panels at the Twin Suns and Galaxy Stages (except the first panel of the day, due to the above) or to shop at the Celebration Store. But these slots went pretty quickly each day, and oftentimes were “sold out” by the time many attendees were able to gain access to the reservation system, unfortunately.
Attending Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2022
This was our second time attending a Star Wars Celebration, our first being Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2015 (click here to see our past coverage of that convention). Due to work obligations, despite having 4-day badges, neither of us were able to attend on the Thursday or Friday of SWCA 2022. Instead, we had to wait until the weekend to attend.
By that time, we were aware of the Mandalorian Experience that had just been added last minute on Thursday, and were aware that you would need a reservation to get into it (or have the option to line up for standby admission). This was separate from the Lightspeed Lane reservation system mentioned above, and went live at 8:30am each morning of the convention (other than Thursday). The system was reminiscent of San Diego Comic-Con, in that there’s a waiting room you enter prior to the ticketing system actually starting, and then upon the start time, people are randomly sorted and let in a little at a time, while you stare at a “little walking guy” status bar as it walks across your screen. We were trying on few different devices, and our furthest walking guy had just about reached the end of that status bar, when the line was paused and we got the message that all reservation slots had been filled for the day. Oh well, we could try again the next day.
Although the Exhibit Hall floor opened at 10:00am, we weren’t in any hurry to get there. We preferred to arrive well after everyone lined up in Hall E had been let in, so that we could avoid that crowd and just walk right in the front doors of the convention center. Therefore, I was able to get my normal Saturday morning workout in before we headed over to the convention center around 11:00am.
We only live about 10-15 minutes away, so by the time we parked at GardenWalk and walked over to the convention center, it was around 11:30am or so. We went over to the Marriott to present our CLEAR app for COVID-19 vaccination verification status. There was a steady stream of people trickling in, but no wait. Upon entering, we were given a Star Wars Celebration lanyard and tote bag. Then we were directed to go to an open counter, where we each presented our CLEAR app verification and were given a wristband.
We then walked back to the main outside entrance for the venue, where you had to go through a security check. Here was the only place (in my experience at the convention) where anyone actually checked to make sure you had a Covid verification wristband and a SWCA badge. Anyway, so they had metal detectors to walk through, and if it beeped, then you were directed to the side to have someone check your bag. There were separate lines for people with no bags.
As I mentioned earlier, masks were required for this event. Or at least, they were supposed to be. When I had attended WonderCon at this same venue the prior month, they had the same requirements that SWCA had announced: wristband for Covid verification (vaccination or negative test) and mask requirement. At WonderCon, every time you entered the building AND every time you went through the doors to enter the Exhibit Hall, there was someone there to check your badge, Covid verification wristband, and make sure you were wearing a mask. There was nothing of the sort at Star Wars Celebration when entering the main building. (The only place the mask requirement was enforced at SWC, in our experience, was at the Mandalorian Experience. But more on that later.) I would say that mask compliance at Star Wars Celebration was at best 50/50.
Exhibit Hall Floor
Upon entering the Exhibit Hall floor, we just wandered around for the next hour or so. We didn’t have anything in particular we wanted to see, just wanted to look around and soak in the convention atmosphere.
The first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi had just premiered on Disney+ that week, so it was fun to see the costumes on display that we had just recently watched.
The Saber Guild had its own stage on the Exhibit Hall floor and was putting on a show when we walked past, so we stopped and watched for a bit.
The Diyorama Builders area was really cool. The displays were fun to look at, and any attendees could participate in the building – for free!
As always, Funko brought the party. That is, if you were lucky enough to score a ticket in the lottery that I mentioned earlier.
Over in Hall D, there was a big open area where costumes were on display, as well as themed vehicles and backdrop sets.
Also near that area was the Star Wars Celebration LIVE! stage. You never know who might turn up on stage there. When we walked by, there was an interview going on with authors Claudia Gray, Cavan Scott, and Charles Soule.
Behind the Scenes of The Mandalorian & The Book of Boba Fett
Being big fans of The Mandalorian and having not won the lottery for the big Mando+: A Conversation with Jon Favreau & Dave Filoni panel earlier that morning, we still wanted to try to get in some sort of Mandalorian related panel experience. We knew there was a panel in the Arena at 1:00pm for Behind the Scenes of The Mandalorian & The Book of Boba Fett, so we figured we’d venture over to the line up area shortly before 1:00pm and see if we would be able to walk in. Luckily, as we suspected, we were able to do just that.
They were just getting started as we made our way up to the top section of the Arena. For this panel, there weren’t any actors from the shows, but several crew members were on stage to talk about their behind the scenes experiences working on these shows.
They recalled how they were using the stage next to where Avatar 2 was filming, and James Cameron came over to take a look. Cameron praised the visual effects that he was seeing, which was a big deal.
Interestingly, one actor who was very taken with The Child was Werner Herzog (who played The Client). One time, Grogu was not powered up, and Herzog was very distraught, asking, “Why is it brain dead?!” so they turned it on for him.
Apparently, there was some mistreatment of the Grogu puppet on set by stormtroopers, so to put a stop to them punching Baby Yoda, Jon Favreau warned them that the puppet cost $5 million! This is what started the rumor that the Grogu puppet cost $5 million, but it was actually not true. As for what the puppet feels like, it was described as having a very fleshy, rough costume. For those wondering whether or not it has feet, yes, it does, but Jon Favreau doesn’t like its feet, so that’s why we never see them!
The crew members also talked about other behind the scenes points of interest such as bringing Cad Bane to life, the use of miniatures, and the casting and effects that went into Luke Skywalker.
Rancho Obi-Wan Experience
After the panel wrapped up, we headed up to the third floor to check out the Rancho Obi-Wan Experience. It was a mini-museum made up of collectibles throughout the years with the theme of “Boba Fett to Bo Katan: The Evolution of the Mandalorians.” The wait was a bit long at 45 minutes, but we had nowhere else to be, so we stayed. It had been awhile since we had waited in a long con line!
Free Swag for D23 Gold Members
After finishing up at the Rancho Obi-Wan Experience, we went back to the Exhibit Hall floor to walk around a bit more and catch what we might have missed earlier. Then I suddenly remembered that there were special offers for D23 Gold members, so I looked up the offer page to see what was there. For the most part, it was discounts at certain booths, but there were a couple offers for free swag just for showing your D23 Gold membership card.
One such free item was a Grogu chia pet! So we made our way over to that booth. However, upon inquiring, we were informed that they had already given away all of the free allotment for that item by the previous morning. I suspected that might be the case, but was hoping maybe they were limiting the number they were giving out each day. Ah well. It was worth a try!
The other free offer was at the Topps booth, and they still had it available! We got a Star Wars Card Trader drawstring backpack, Topps lanyard, headphones, and 2 card posters. It’s fun to get free swag!
That about rounded out our Saturday at SWCA, so we headed home, ready to be back the next day with one goal in mind: get into the Mandalorian Experience.
The Mandalorian Experience
As I mentioned before, the reservation system for the Mandalorian Experience opened up at 8:30am. Just like on Saturday, we were ready for it. Unfortunately, just like on Saturday, our little walking status bar guy got to the very end and then we got the message that reservations were full. This time, it had even said “It is your turn” and was in the middle of directing us to the reservation page when the message that it was full popped up! So close!
We didn’t have anything else in particular we were aiming to do on Sunday, so our goal for the day was just to do standby for the Mandalorian Experience. Knowing that the experience was located in the North building of the Anaheim Convention Center, rather than the main building, we elected to enter at the Katella entrance this time, as that would be much closer to where we needed to be.
Although the Exhibit Hall floor technically opened at 10:00am, that’s actually when they start letting people in who lined up in Hall E. We didn’t think it was necessary to go through that line, considering the Exhibit Hall floor was not our destination, so we parked at the Anaheim Garden Walk again and timed our on site arrival to shortly after 10:00am.
By that time, a slightly organized crowd was amassing into the taped off columns over by the Arena Box Office, and we suspected it was probably standby for the Mandalorian Experience, so we followed suit. Everyone around us seemed to think that’s what it was for too, so we stayed put. There was one guy trying to yell some sort of announcement, but we couldn’t hear him. One person standing next to us walked up and reported back. They were looking for people who had reservations, who would need to go straight to the door. Otherwise, the standby wait would be 2.5 to 3 hours.
Slowly but surely, they moved the group forward and into the North building. Upon entering, there were staff members telling attendees that masks were required for the Mandalorian Experience and in order to enter the building. Not sure why this did not occur upon entering the main building and Exhibit Hall floor, since masks were supposed to be required for Star Wars Celebration Anaheim as a whole, not just this one attraction (which was not even advertised as existing until the first day of the convention). But I’m glad the mask requirement was at least enforced somewhere, especially if it was somewhere we would be stuck inside for hours.
After entering the building, we were directed down the escalators and through another set of doors. On the other side of the doors were several display cases containing characters from The Mandalorian, and just ahead, there was a visible photo op with Mando! Several people wondered aloud, hopefully, “Wait, is this it? Are we in already?” But alas, this was not it, and we were not in yet. It was just a distraction. While I took photos, Josh anticipated that this was, in fact, not it, and cleverly kept walking to where the line was actually forming.
The Standby line was kept in a few columns on the right side of the room, while the much shorter Reservation line formed in one column on the left side of the room. Every so often, we would move up a bit as attendees were taken from the Standby line. By the time we were allowed to go up, it was just about 2.5 hours, like they had estimated.
First, everyone went through the Mando photo op, where staff members would take your photo for you with your phone. At this point, attendees were told that they could take off their masks for the photo, but we decided to keep ours on. Unfortunately, although the staff member took two photos, one of us was blinking in each one!
Immediately after finishing the photo op, there was a staff member who told you to put your mask back on, and informed you that masks were required to stay on for the duration of the experience. (Again, where was such enforcement at the other building?)
We then walked into the experience and saw so many awesome things from both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. We saw Mando in his ship, so many props, costumes, and sets from the shows, and even an animatronic bantha! The cutest part was seeing Grogu wave from the top of the ship. It was really amazing to see all these things on display, especially with all the expert stage lighting! You can see more of our photos of the Mandalorian Experience below and at the bottom of the page.
In true Disney fashion, there was a souvenir shop that you had to pass through upon exiting. We didn’t end up buying anything though. It looked like there had probably been more stock earlier during the convention, considering this was the last day.
We had accomplished our goal for the day, and didn’t have anything else on our agenda, so we took one last stroll around the Exhibit Hall floor and called it a day.
Star Wars Celebration Europe
The next Star Wars Celebration is Star Wars Celebration Europe, which will take place in London at ExCel London April 7-10, 2023. At the time of publication of this article, only Monday tickets are still available. Will you be attending?
Photo Gallery
You can view more of our photos from Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2022 below.
