The character greetings

Currently, all of the character greetings at Star Wars Land are random. You hunt down Chewbacca, Rey, and others during your visit. It’s a conscious choice by Disney, and it leaves room for Star Wars Weekends to return with its old methods.

During the event, guests would stand in line to meet Darth Vader and Boba Fett, just as they do now for BB-8 at Star Wars Launch Bay. The difference with Star Wars Weekends was that many of your favorite Disney characters also appeared. And they wore Star Wars-related costumes!

I mentioned Jedi Mickey’s a moment ago. At this character meal, Chip ‘n’ Dale would dress like Ewoks, Minnie Mouse would wear Princess Leia’s garb, and Mickey pretended like he was Obi-Wan Kenobi. These blurring of the lines between Disney and Star Wars characters thrilled guests and led to many unforgettable photo ops.

The shows

Here’s what I miss the most about Star Wars Weekends. Speaking as a non-fan, I was blown away by the cleverness of the various presentations. The Legends of the Force Motorcade is a parade that Galaxy’s Edge should have right now. And The Symphony in the Stars fireworks hasn’t been matched by later attempts at Hollywood Studios to have a Star Wars fireworks display. Even at the start of the day, the Storming the Park opening provided an adrenaline rush that’s unparalleled at Disney theme parks to this day.

Finally and most importantly, Star Wars Weekends came with a dance-off. It’s the most imaginative and innovative Disney show that I’ve ever seen. Bad guys talked smack, jokes were made at the expense of some of the most feared villains in the galaxy, and aliens danced. Boy, did they ever.

Chewbacca threw on a crown and grooved to Hey Ya! Boba Fett did a remarkably accurate Michael Jackson dance. I mean, Darth Maul was willing to fight for his right to party! And Princess Leia twins twerked their way to victory. This show was wholly out of character for Disney, laid back and hysterical to watch. Its absence bums me out.

Here's the long story short about Star Wars Weekends. Disney killed it so that nothing would compete with Star Wars Land for attention. Now that Galaxy's Edge is open, a celebration like this would enhance the themed land rather than distract from it. And the loose vibe of this weekend party is precisely what Disney needs right now to combat the perception that all they care about is intellectual property and profit margins.