CE23 Celebration Europe 23 - April 7-10 2023

Hi everyone! I’m so stoked to be attending Celebration next year, albeit only for one day (that might change and I’ll probably end up booking Friday or Sunday too).

I was at the 2016 Celebration as a volunteer for the Disney Store shop since I worked for them at the time, so I didn’t get to see all that much! But I’m very much looking forward to it, even with the standing around in queues, it’s all part of the experience.

Anyway all this to say, as a first time attendee, is there anything you would recommend I focus my efforts on attending/buying?

 

I think we all have different objectives. It really depends what you are after. I would say the official store is not to be missed, also sign up for the panel lotteries. If you're into collecting, you should check the collecting track (collecting panels). The costume contest is also fun to see, although I didn't see it in Anaheim. I really enjoyed Anthony Daniels' panel. So, any panel from the celebrities. Aside from that, my personal favorite panel room is "Star Wars University", which is usually less busy and has really interesting panels. Also, check for whatever is planned for the 40th of Return of the Jedi (could be one of the lottery panels). One thing for sure, you need to spend some time looking through the schedule when it comes out and plan ahead what you'd like to see and do. It is very busy and you have some tough choices to make!
CE23 will be my 9th Celebration and will be my first time travelling to London. I didn't attend the first two CE in London, but I went to the one in Germany. I also have questions: 1) What are "must sees" in London? I've booked April 5-15, 2023, so I'll have a few days after Celebration to explore the City. and 2) Ok, strange question, but how to figure out the electric plug conversions?? I simply gave up on that in Germany, but now that I have a cell phone and will definitely bring it and will it will need charging.

 

If there is any merchandise you want to buy from the Celebration Store, I'd recommend buying it ahead of time once the online Celebration store is populated with the 2023 merchandise. Getting to the Celebration Store during Celebration can be extremely difficult and a lot of merchandise may no longer available. Unfortunately, not all Celebration merchandise will be available to purchase beforehand. You can try to secure a reservation to the Celebration Store via Lightspeed Lane (after you've activated your badge and on the morning of the day you'll be attending).

The panels are definitely worth seeing especially as Jedi_Five noted with next year being the 40th anniversary of ROTJ. You should definitely enter the lottery (through the Celebration website once it is available) for any Celebration Stage panel (especially the first panel of the day, which tends to be the most desired panel each day) that you might be interested in.

Regarding electric plug conversion, if you are coming from the US. You will need to get a Type G plug adapter, which is used in the UK. They can be purchased from sites like Amazon.com.

 

I would say be flexible and open-minded. With panels and exclusives there is always a chance you don't get in or it sells out or something, so if you get too focused on that and put you're enjoyment of Celebration all on it you could end up disappointing yourself. The good news though is that cool stuff is happening everywhere. I didn't make it into any of the lotto panels or the Celebration store in Anaheim, but with the other panels and the live stage and stuff just happening on the show floor I had a great time every day.

That said here's some ideas of what to do:

- Sign up for the lotto panels (assuming they continue the lotto). This costs you nothing and gives you a chance to see some cool stuff.
- If you lose the lotto for a panel you'd really like to see don't lose hope! There is a standby line and at least at Anaheim my understanding is if you got there fairly early you had a decent shot of getting in.
- There are also plenty of other panels you can line up for throughout the day without the lotto. I was able to get into all the panels I wanted outside of the lottery ones (I didn't try the standby lines for the lotto panels).
- If you aren't particular about panels but want to see cool people the Live Stage is pretty good. It tends to have the guests from the first panel of the day show up, so especially that first day (which usually has the biggest panel) is pretty cool. In Chicago it felt like that first day was really the only day that was worth it, but in Anaheim that had cool people showing up every day. Anyway, if you get there when the floor opens its pretty easy to get a spot front and center and then you're just feet from some Star Wars Stars.
- The official store has cool stuff, but to my knowledge its a pain to get in. I spent an entire day waiting in line in Chicago. If that wasn't a "preview day" I'd've been pretty disappointed at wasting a day there. I didn't even bother trying in Anaheim as I heard some horror stories and they were closing the line in the morning some days.

 

Me and my best friend have got tickets for Friday and Sunday. Absolutely love that I'll finally be going to one of these, and he's excited for it, too.
Completely missed the fact that tickets had already gone live, but remembered to check having been in London for the weekend. From the sounds of it, it seems we'd have missed out on the four-day tickets anyway.
With the tickets locked, planning will happen... sometime closer to the dates.

 

Buying from the Celebration Store hasn't previously been possible until after Celebration, and only the stuff that didn't sell out at Celebration. With the exception of course being the cancelled Celebration, where everything was available.
Those with Jedi Master VIP tickets used to get access the night before, but that is no longer listed as part of the perks. However those with Jedi Master VIP tickets do have a Celebration Store privat shopper for onsite or preshow for one time use.

Some on FB have said, that they have heard, that Lyte will no longer be used, but what, if any, comes in stead remains to be seen.

 

I was trying to see the VIP perks for this upcoming Cele. next year and compare them. Uh-Oh, no pre Cele. shopping for VIP's? Hmmm, if that's so, that may allow everyone else a chance to have a better selection of goods! but... things could change! Reed can do that. I hope things go well for everyone, wish I could go.

 

I don't think there has been anything official on Lyte yet. But it was used just recently and it worked fine.

 

Seen elsewhere:

 

Guessing they may use a UK based reseller. I hope anyway!

 

Thank you all for your super thorough replies, much appreciated! I only had tickets for Saturday to start, but I may purchase Friday if they’re still available in a few weeks to capture the first day magic too ☺️

I’m not very good with recommendations but I can tell you some of my favourite things to do in London if you have time to squeeze them in!

Little Venice (Warwick Avenue Station) is a beautiful little spot where you can get a boat to Camden, which is a great place to spend a day just exploring the area. I also recommend Greenwich, walking up to The Royal Observatory (you also get an amazing view from here!), and also seeing a show at the Planetarium if you can.

If you’re into Parks, Regent’s Park and Holland Park are beautiful green spaces, if you’re into Museums we have a few but I highly recommend V&A, and the Natural History Museum is also worth a visit, the architecture alone is worth it. If you’re into markets, Borough Market is great for food and Portobello Road the best for antiques.

Soho (I recommend Japes if you’re into Chicago pizza!), Covent Garden, and Chinatown are also lovely to just explore, people watch, and eat your way around. Also Fortnum & Mason to buy a really overpriced tin of biscuits - but they’ll be the best biscuits you’ve ever had!

 

If you are a SW (or other franchise) collector be sure to pay a visit to the Forbidden Planet Megastore on Shaftesbury Avenue. Take £££.

 

This’ll be my first celebration and second time visiting London from the US. Pretty excited, something I’ve wanted to do for a long time now so I’m glad I managed to get tickets for all four days. Plan on staying after to check out more of London and a few other places like York and Dover. I teach history so this trip is going to be a big deal for both my love Star Wars and History. Will also be going solo so hoping to do some socializing with fellow fans before, during, and after!


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Question, in 2016 we were actually staying overnight in Excel to get the band to go to the desired panel.. so it will look different this year?

 

Everything now a days is getting too complicated, I still say, first come, first serve! it's more motivating and fun- overnighters can be fun too. as some of us know.- it seems so long ago.

 

Thanks CASWFan for the electric plug advice... I'm from Canada. (Canada and the U.S. have the same type of electric plugs)
Also thanks Solari and LAJ_FETT for the great recommendations for things to see and do in London! Great ideas there!

Whoa. I unfortunately missed out on getting a pass for the Sunday. Seriously. I've got a Friday, Saturday, and Monday. Worst would be I simply don't go on Sunday. I didn't have a Saturday pass for Chicago, so I didn't go for that day and I spent the time at the hostel watching the Disney panel (which was livestreamed to YouTube). I've seen on Reddit that the Lyte Ticket Exchange will not go ahead for CE23. I'm sure that I saw a note about that on the Website. It's not there anymore. I also find it funny that in the "Hotels and Travel" section of the Website, ReedPOP only mentions the different trains and stops, but no word about planes! They usually offer a discount for flights, which I used for the first time in Anaheim. It's usually with United Airlines. It may be posted later. Well, I hope that the Ticket Exchange gets a run... perhaps ReedPOP will do it themselves? It seems to me that they have the means to do that. Hopefully, I can get a Sunday ticket!

 

The overnight camping ended when Disney took over the franchise.

 

Really no need for it anymore..

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True, but it was sort of fun to be part of it.

 

As you have all no doubt seen over the last few days, we Brits know how to queue!

I'm like 99% sure SWC will still be lottery based but after the last few days I feel very safe in saying that no one here would raise an eyebrow at all if they just used an old fashioned queue for the panels (or the 2016 wristband system since it worked far better here than in Orlando 2017).

 

All hail the British! I will never complain about "lines" again or how bad my feet hurt due to the lines! May The Queen rest in peace.

 

Something in the UK is trickling! Think it's the rain in my study from a hole in the roof!!