Star Wars 30th Anniversary Celebration Comes To Orlando International Airport

One of the best things about the blogosphere is the interesting tidbits you can pick up on just about any topic.  I am a long-time fan (but not a fanatic) of the "Star Wars" movie franchise.  I have to admit that I'm more partial to Epidsodes 4, 5 and 6 (the Darth Vader, Luke, Leia and Han Solo stuff) than the later Episodes 1, 2, and 3 movies.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the original "Star Wars."  And to celebrate, StarWars.com is hosting a series of celebrations every weekend in June at the Disney-MGM Studios theme park in Orlando.  Ok, what does this have to do with airports?  Stay with me here.

To help promote the weekends, Disney has released a series of posters that will appear at Orlando International Airport to publicize the event.  The duratrans were created by Yellow Shoes, the internal advertising agency for Disney Parks, said spokeswoman Sharon Springsteen. 

"The first time we employed this tactic was last year and it was received so well, in fact, that the artwork received a gold pinnacle best-ad-series award at the 2006 IFEA show," she said.  "We created new ones this year.  There are six new designs and they are placed in 10 different duratran positions in baggage claim at the Orlando International Airport.  They are intended to promote Star Wars Weekends in a relevant and entirely creative manner that would instantly resonate with an air traveler and what travelers might expect to see if the Star Wars characters were arriving in Orlando to attend Star Wars Weekends, which they are."

I wanted to give a plug for the weekends, because they actually sound like a lot of fun for anyone who plans on being in Orlando in June.  Star Wars Weekends celebrates the entire saga of Star Wars and features celebrities from the film in autograph sessions and special talk show appearances, said Springsteen.  The event also highlights an amazing "Legends of the Force"  Star Wars Celebrity motorcade featuring a galaxy full of Star Wars characters accompanying the visiting celebrities through the theme park to a carefully choreographed photo moment so everyone can capture the magic.  The kids can attend the Jedi Training Academy, where selected children from the audience become Padawans to a Jedi instructor, learn the ways of the Force and even get the chance to test those skills with a lightsaber!  There are also kid trivia contests, hoopla activities and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Star Wars.  In all, theme park guests can come face-to-face with more than 50 different Star Wars characters roaming the park and appearing in meet & greets.  Even Mickey Mouse gets into the 30th anniversary celebration of Star Wars by donning his Star Wars Weekends costume and greeting guests as Jedi Mickey.   

Sounds like so much fun I wish I could go!  But I digress.  The posters are really cool and quite clever.  But unfortunately, Springsteen says they won't be available for sale to the general public.  Too bad, because I would pay money for the Darth Maul or Darth Vader posters.  But you can see them, below.  Photos courtesy of StarWars.com. Enjoy!