This year I asked fangirls Ashley Eckstein, founder of Her Universe and the voice of Ahsoka Tano on The Clone Wars, Teresa Delgado, co-host of the Star Wars Bookworms podcast, and Bethany Blanton, co-host of the Star Wars Report podcast, to take the quiz.

Star Tours Pop Quiz

What’s your favorite trilogy?

1. OT

2. PT

3. Do I have to choose?

What’s the Star Wars line you’d most like to say?

1. “It’s a trap!”

2. “You’re my only hope.”

3. “Do or do not. There is no try.”

Pick your favorite Star Wars furry friend:

1. Wookiee

2. Tauntaun

3. Bantha

Pick your side:

1. Rebel

2. Imperial

Now let’s see what Ashley, Bethany, and Teresa answered!

The last question determines which of the two scenarios – flee with the Millennium Falcon or face-off with Darth Vader – is your best opener.

Ashley: Rebel all the way! I like to stay far away from the dark side!

Teresa: Imperial. I’m saying this purely because I love the Imperial cog. I think I would probably be a Rebel – actually, I definitely would – but come on, I can pretend that I could be on the Imperial side. In my imagination I could be evil enough.

Bethany: Rebels. They are the noble cause, after all, and the underdog. That and I would prefer fighting on the same side of the Skywalker twins. Though, a red lightsaber would be tempting…

It looks like there’s more Rebel than Imperial in this group. The bonus of fleeing with the Falcon is that there’s a little glimpse of Han (shooting first, of course) if you stare past the droid’s introduction of the Rebel spy. Then again, the Vader opening has TIE fighters in 3D!

For the second phase of the ride, fans hyperspace jump to one of three locations – the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk to battle clones on speeder bikes, the desert planet Tatooine for a podrace, or Hoth for some old school snowspeeder action. I used the corresponding animals from those planets to decide which option would fit our quiz-takers.

Ashley: Wookiee. Even though we went head to head in the March Madness competition, I would definitely say “Let the Wookiee the win!” with this answer!

Teresa: Tauntaun, but only because there is no Ewok to choose. I think the Tauntaun is a really cool animal, and I would love to have one as a pet. I have a sleeping bag version, but it’s just not the same. If I had one it would not smell bad because it would get baths all the time and it would be the prettiest tauntaun out there.

Bethany: Wookiees, obviously! Tauntauns smell, and Banthas aren’t exactly great for friends (and you have to deal with Bantha poodoo).

Ashley and Bethany might have taken the safest course on this answer. It’s rarely wise to mess with a Wookiee. The best part of the Kashyyyk version is the riders’ screams when one of the giants gets up close and personal with the Starspeeder. It’s okay for first-timers who jump; we’ve all been there. I’m going to have to say, Teresa picked tauntaun, which corresponds with my all-time favorite part of the ride. Zipping around AT-ATs with snowspeeders is – in the words of my nephew – AWESOME!

Once finished with your adventures on your first-visited planet, one of three Star Wars favorites – Princess Leia, Yoda, or Admiral Ackbar – delivers a secret message to your ship.

Ashley: “Do or do not. There is no try.” This is one of my all time favorite inspirational quotes!

Teresa: “Do or do not. There is no try.” This is my life motto. When I was teaching it was the quote that was all over my walls. It just makes so much sense for everything in life. So when I say I will try, I always have to sit and correct myself even if just in my own head. I will either do it or not do it!

Bethany: “Do or do not. There is no try.” Such a classic, but for Star Wars fans this line can also be rather cliche. For me though, this has always embodied a philosophy I “try” to adhere to: To give something your best, and approach life with a positive, can do attitude. This line and the wisdom behind it is one reason I like the character of Yoda, and it’s had enough of an impact on me to cause me to write about, and teach a class on, it.

Who can argue with wanting to see Yoda? Approves of their decision, the wise Jedi Master does.

After receiving orders to protect the Rebel spy, C-3PO and R2-D2 send the Starspeeder 1000 back into hyperspace, headed for one of three final destinations. Here’s where I had to take some liberties with the question, because the ride does, too. For Original Trilogy fans, the Geonosis ending is probably the one for you. Although the sequence starts at a Prequel Trilogy planet, you get to duel with Boba Fett’s Slave I, make a run on the Death Star, and conclude with the Rebel fleet. For Prequel Trilogy fans, the Naboo ending fits the bill. This is the one segment that utilizes 3D sight gags; everyone jumping in surprise adds to the fun. Finally, dropping into orbit for the Coruscant ending, the visuals harken back to the epic fleet battles from Return of the Jedi and Revenge of the Sith that should satisfy fans of both trilogies. This Triple Zero ending also pays homage to the original Star Tours ride as it comes to a close.

Ashley: Do I have to choose? I have favorite parts in every movie!

Teresa: Do I have to choose? I love Ewoks and Podraces equally. I grew up watching the OT on VHS, but the PT was my first trilogy I got to see at midnight showings, and that’s how I met so many cool Star Wars fans. They are both precious to me and I simply can’t choose a favorite.

Bethany: Do I have to choose? My two favorite Star Wars movies are The Empire Strikes Back and Revenge of the Sith. When I watched the movies for the first time as a teen, I saw them in a mixed order, watching PT and OT movies at random. I’ve always really liked parts of both, partially because of that.

Consensus once again from our fangirls. But Coruscant is a great ending to the ride, for sure!

Let’s recap the Star Tours versions that might fit each fangirl’s taste:

Ashley: Falcon opening – Kashyyyk – Yoda message – Coruscant ending

Teresa: Vader opening – Hoth – Yoda message – Coruscant ending

Bethany: Falcon opening – Kashyyyk – Yoda message – Coruscant ending

Thanks to Ashley, Teresa, and Bethany for playing! You can catch Ashley Eckstein all four weeks at Star Wars Weekends, which she co-hosts with James Arnold Taylor. Her stage show Behind the Force features voice actors from The Clone Wars, and at Darth’s Mall some awesome new additions to Ashley’s fangirl merchandise line from Her Universe are available. Teresa already attended Week 1 and will be back in the following weeks. Be sure to follow her on Twitter. Bethany is looking forward to her chance to report back on the quiz; she can be heard weekly on The Star Wars Report.

For updates on all things FANgirl follow @FANgirlcantina on Twitter or like FANgirl Zone on Facebook.

Opening day on Friday became all about the shopping. Like last year, Darth’s Mall had a two-hour line to get inside – then another line to get to see the exclusive and limited-edition merchandise, with a third line to check out. (Yet another queue in the building led to the photo area for pictures with Star Wars characters and Roxy the Rancor.) I wouldn’t be surprised if there was more line-waiting at the mall than in the rest of the park, probably due to the fact that the D-Tech imaging took up space that had been previously dedicated to checkout and merchandise counters. Luckily everyone in line was a good sport, new friends were made, and merchandise was purchased. What did I end up with? On Friday, I made sure to get my must-have Her Universe Limited Edition Return of the Jedi necklace, the Rogue Squadron dress, an R2-D2 hoodie, and lots of Disney pins. Later, I also had a chance to discuss traffic signals with David Eckstein while he was manning the Her Universe booth. I gave him a thumbs up for his YouTube appearance on behalf of Team Ahsoka during March’s This is Madness bracket challenge.

Late night in the park, when the Hyperspace Hoopla and Fantasmic shows are underway, is a great time to get on the rides. Early morning right after the park opens is the other best time, because the crowds don’t really start filling the park until mid-morning. For Star Wars Weekends I always recommend that people come to the opening ceremonies, which start around 7:30. After that you can rush to get early FastPasses for Toy Story – if you don’t, you’ll most likely be stuck in a 90+ minute line – or hurry to sign up the kids into an early morning slot for the Jedi Training Academy, when the temperature will be much cooler for their clash with Darth Vader. By the time the line was forming for the first stage show in the Premiere Theater at noon on Saturday, I already had whizzed through Star Tours (twice!), Rockin’ Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, and of course Toy Story, where I actually managed to hit some targets this time!

The first stage show of the day was Behind the Force: The Voices of Star Wars. In addition to Star Wars Weekends hosts James Arnold Taylor and Ashley Eckstein, this week’s special guest was The Clone Wars voice actor Dee Bradley Baker. They shared their excitement with the fans, interacted with the crowd, and goofed off to much hilarity. Similar to last year, they brought three fans up on stage for a mock studio recording session. With Anakin conveniently preoccupied reviewing intelligence reports with Senator Amidala, Ahsoka and Obi-Wan ventured to Jabba’s palace, where they encountered the gruff sentry droid, a Gamorrean guard, Bib Fortuna, a Jawa, and a hapless translator droid. As always, the scene was imaginative and fun, and the participants did a great job. On video, Dave Filoni introduced an exclusive teaser clip from a still-unseen episode of The Clone Wars, featuring a hilarious scene in which Yoda relies on Anakin’s expertise at evading the Jedi Council’s mandates to help the aged Jedi Master abscond from his doctor’s-orders bedrest. The show ended with Dee leading the crowd in a cheer of “The best of Star Wars is yet to come!”

Mid-afternoon brought the Stars of the Saga stage show. Hosted by James, this week’s guests were Jeremy Bulloch and Ray Park. I lined up early to be sure to get a seat. With some help from Twitter, I was able to meet fellow Year of the Fangirl contributor Lillian Skye in the queue. We had a great time catching up about Her Universe, The Clone Wars, and the fun of Star Wars Weekends. Once the line moved into the theater, I hurried to our pre-arranged spot to sit with the Lady Rogues for the show. We didn’t have long to chat, though, before the always-hilarious Stormtrooper squad pre-show began. You haven’t experienced Star Wars until you’ve seen one Stormtrooper correct another on the proper diction for a Taylor Swift song. The show itself continued the hysterics. The repartee between James and Jeremy had the audience in stitches. Once Ray joined them, James lost any semblance of control over the interview. I never thought I’d see Darth Maul and Boba Fett dueling each other with toilet plungers and feather dusters. It just goes to show, though, how much Star Wars can bring people together for fun and mayhem.

Then it was right back in line for A Visit to the Maul with James and Ray. After last year’s show, I knew I couldn’t miss this year’s either – and Ray delivered. After talking about his background in martial arts and breaking into film acting, Ray demonstrated a couple of styles of unarmed martial arts as well as several awesome weapons, including an especially deadly-looking katana. Then they brought the younglings up on a stage for a short course from the master. Everything was going smoothly until Ray’s headset mic stopped working, and the lesson had to continue with a handheld microphone. The mic stand resulted in a very unexpected – and very funny – Elvis impression. Ray’s enthusiasm and humor is infectious, and the audience couldn’t stop laughing.

After Ray Park’s show, I took a chance to see if I could at least wave hello to Ashley at her autograph signing table over at Echo Lake. Even better than a wave, Ashley stopped on the promenade and we got to do the twin pose in our matching Rogue Squadron dresses, which are the perfect mix of geek chic and cool – as in temperature – apparel for a steamy Florida day.

Then it was time to scoot back over for James Arnold Taylor’s one-man show Obi-Wan & Beyond. Two years ago, when I had first started work on my novel Wynde,  I had hit the wall of dread. Self-doubts racing almost made it impossible to continue. With a full-time job and many commitments, plus an affliction of being possessed by an overeager internal obsessive editor, my dream of creating a work of fiction entirely of my own imagination seemed an unreachable dream. Then I heard James share the challenges he had faced and overcome in his first iteration of Obi-Wan and Beyond, and the drive for the goal had winds once more. Writing is still a challenge, and not necessarily for the same reasons, but each time the process seems daunting Star Wars Weekends or Celebration rolls around, I get a good dose of positive mojo from Obi-Wan & Beyond, and I’m ready to keep on reaching for my dream. So if there is one show that’s a must-see, it’s this one – which, at least every time I’ve experienced it, ends with a standing ovation. Bravo!

The last scheduled event of the day is the Hyperspace Hoopla at the Sorcerer’s Hat stage. Once again Snig and Oopla continued their longstanding rivalry with Emperor Palpatine for control of the event. Some of the more memorable dance numbers included Vader and Padme slinging Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out of Heaven” and Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble” to each other, respectively – and of course the inevitable Star Wars versions of “Gangnam Style” and the Harlem Shake. So either you love the sacrilege that is Hyperspace Hoopla or your fan skin crawls at the thought. I’ll leave it to io9′s Rob Bricken to summarize further, with video highlights included.

Sunday ended up as a slow day at the park. I managed to catch another trip on Star Tours and visit the newest addition to Hollywood Studios, The Legend of Jack Sparrow. (The disembodied talking skull, the tour guide of sorts through the pirate adventure, is voiced by James Arnold Taylor.) In the afternoon quite a heavy downpour arrived, so I plopped myself in line for Ashley’s signing at the Her Universe booth after buying a Ventress hoodie. As lightsaber umbrellas flew off the shelf, I chatted with a young fangirl in line about the Padmé shirt she had chosen to get signed. It’s amazing how Star Wars can inspire the most interesting conversations. If I had to choose my favorite conversation of the weekend it had to be the one I had with the Lady Rogues, which ranged from Tahiri’s bare feet to the origin of the Fel streak in the Legacy comics.

Good times! For pictures of the weekend’s festivities check out my album at FANgirl Zone.

Tricia Barr took her understanding of brand management and marketing, mixed it with a love of genre storytelling, and added a dash of social media flare to create FANgirl Blog, where she discusses Star Wars, fandom, and strong female characters. She also writes about Star Wars for Random House’s science fiction and fantasy blog Suvudu.com and Star Wars Insider magazine and is a contributor for Her Universe’s Year of the Fangirl.

In her spare time, Tricia puts the finishing touches on her first novel, Wynde. For excerpts and tales of her adventures in creating a fictional universe, hop over to TriciaBarr.com.

For updates on all things FANgirl follow @FANgirlcantina on Twitter or like FANgirl Zone on Facebook.

McQuarrie Concept Art

Today the name change for the formerly titled ”Rebels” novels series made a little more sense when Lucasfilm announced the next Star Wars animated television series: Star Wars Rebels. Scheduled for a Fall 2014 debut, the stories will take place in the relatively unexplored time period between the Prequel Trilogy and the Original Trilogy. With its debut at least a year and a half away, it’s too early to expect many specifics – there isn’t even a logo yet. The first look at the series will come at Celebration Europe in late July. In the meantime, fans can keep up with official news on the new Star Wars Rebels Facebook page. And be sure not to miss the short teaser video released along with today’s announcement, in which Pablo Hidalgo gets his Disney host on to introduce us to the exciting news.

Among the sparse information shared today was great news about some of the key creative contributors to the new animated series. Dave Filoni, who excelled as supervising director on The Clone Wars, will be an executive producer of Star Wars Rebels. He’s joined by Simon Kinberg, previously revealed as a participant in the development of Episode VII and the standalone films, and animated television veteran Greg Weisman. Also returning from the amazing team on The Clone Wars are Kilian Plunkett as art director and Joel Aron as CG supervisor.

Updated Weisman and Christenson information: On Twitter, Weisman teased that hints about Star Wars Rebels could be found in his upcoming novel Rain of the Ghosts, which features a young female protagonist:

Also on Twitter, artist Amy Beth Christenson, who previously worked on The Force Unleashed at LucasArts and The Clone Wars for Lucasfilm Animation, revealed that she’s now working on Star Wars Rebels:

Another contributor is referenced repeatedly in the video, too: the late, legendary Ralph McQuarrie. His concept art played an incalculable role in the look and feel of the Original Trilogy, and it’s clear from The Art of Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope that Filoni wields in the video that his work will be equally influential on Star Wars Rebels. There’s no better way to reach back to the visual roots of Star Wars than McQuarrie’s amazing artwork.

With the best of the past and present of Star Wars working on Star Wars Rebels, the future of Star Wars television can’t arrive soon enough.

At her blog Under the Mask, clinical psychologist Andrea Letamendi takes a deep dive into the psyche of Tony Stark, using his story to shed light on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Generally, superheroes are shown surpassing insurmountable odds and digging deeper internally to overcome circumstances that would thwart the average person. Nevertheless, the best superhero stories allow the audience to connect with the character emotionally; their stories are relatable despite the audience’s inability to fly or smash things with a fist or hammer. It’s generally not even the villain who poses the greatest obstacle to heroes, but their relationship with self or family and loved ones. The dramatic manifestation of superpowers to defeat the Big Bad serves to enhance the emotional experience of conquering the foe. For stories to be successful there has to be two victories – one thematic and one objective. It’s important for storytellers to understand that it’s not the superpowers and the objective victory that make superhero tales successful, but rather the humanity of the characters and their struggles within.

When the flagship line of Star Wars Expanded Universe novels progressed down the timeline, its Jedi heroes leveled up in their abilities much like a player would in a video game. To match them in combat, their foes increasingly required powers beyond imagination. For all the superpowers and the spectacular and gruesome battles that dynamic yielded, the emotional trials for the novels’ protagonists never progressed with any sense of realism or relatability. On the other hand, for instance, consider Star Trek Into Darkness, where the Enterprise crew engages the villain – there are flashes of brutal violence, but they do not dominate the movie, instead punctuating the grave danger for our heroes. When movies or books become steeped in violence they run the risk of the audience detaching from the story, and it appears Abrams and his team are very aware of that dynamic and how to balance the tension between the external and internal battles.

In the highly successful Hunger Games series, Katniss Everdeen experiences tremendous growth as a warrior and a leader. In the Iron Man movies, Tony Stark evolves from a brilliant rebel to an American hero through a harrowing and unrelenting series of events. In both cases, the psychological ramifications of all that had happened to the heroes continually added weight and burden to their emotional journey. They don’t magically reset their personalities or mental health for each new story – and rightfully so, because that’s not how human beings process emotions.  This emotional layering appears for Spock in the new Star Trek movie, as well. In this way, incredibly strong characters remain flawed and the story remains dramatic.

As Tony Stark and Katniss Everdeen become better warriors, so too do they risk becoming more fragile humans. Katniss is shown as a girl who trembles in fear in the first book to one sidelined and catatonic by her emotional demons in another. The question posed by the story is: Can she find a way to not become a victim of the emotional trauma she has suffered? It’s the fact that, in the end, she doesn’t let those emotions define her that makes her actions and choices compelling. Letamendi’s piece details the anxiety and panic attacks that plague Iron Man 3’s hero:

Tony’s struggle with anxiety is poignant because it allows us to realize that he is, in fact, still human. To this end, it doesn’t matter to me if his panic attacks are indicative of clinical PTSD, complex PTSD, subclinical anxiety disorder or another psychiatric category we can use as a label. The point is this: A brilliant, powerful, and tough guy can be vulnerable, scared, and confused. Tony Stark is a superhero with the psychological makeup of a human. He is “just a man in a can,” after all.

Powering ahead into the new adventures of Star Wars on the silver screen, with the stunning visuals available through special effects and computer generated imagery, hopefully the human element of the franchise’s success will not be lost on the storytellers. After all, for most of the Original Trilogy not even Luke Skywalker had bombad Jedi powers, yet his journey is to this day one of the most beloved – and it ends with him laying down his weapon.

While Iron Man 3 is known for its brash hero, director Shane Black and co-writer Drew Pearce intended all along to defy the stereotypical roles for women in superhero movies in the third installment. At Wired.com Laura Hudson discusses “How Iron Man 3 Flips the Script on Female Characters.”

If that seems like a bold statement about a secondary character in a film, consider that the genius in Iron Man 3 who creates a powerful – indeed, perhaps too powerful – form of technology capable of changing the world isn’t Tony Stark; it’s Maya. And the hero who ultimately saves the day by taking out the bad guy in smash-em-up physical confrontation isn’t Tony Stark; it’s Pepper Potts. Sure, Tony Stark and the Mandarin are ostensibly the hero and the villain, but if you look at the things that people actually do rather than where the camera happens to focus, the female characters are the ones who truly begin to shine.

One of the most important things about Iron Man 3 – particularly as a film in the superhero genre, whose iconic heroes tend to be white guys created by white guys circa Mad Men or earlier – is the way that it allows its female characters to evolve from minor to meaningful. Initially introduced as one of Tony’s sexual conquests from his pre-Pepper days, Maya could have easily been relegated to little more than a Bond Girl. Instead, her intellect and ability create the impetus for the entire film: a weapon that might have been powerful enough to destroy Tony Stark – if he hadn’t been saved, in the end, by a woman. Similarly, Pepper Potts starts out as Tony’s assistant, and becomes up not only as the CEO of Stark Industries, but transforms into a superhero herself.

Despite great female characters on the rise in cinema, books, and television, the discussion about the need for stories to portray strong female characters is unfortunately still far from past its time. This week’s piece “Where Have All the Women Gone?’ from the L.A. Times, for example, notes a drop in the number of speaking roles for women and increases in the portrayal of women in sexually revealing clothing, including a 20% increase since 2009 for teen girls being shown dressed provocatively.  These numbers are based on a just-released study by the Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism at the University of Southern California, in which the 100 top-grossing fictional films from 2012 were studied. In a Huffington Post article on the study, the study’s lead author Stacy Smith is quoted from her press release:

The last few years have seen a wealth of great advocacy for more women on screen. Unfortunately, that investment has not yet paid off with an increase in female characters or a decrease in their hypersexualization.

Whether we label them strong female characters, impactful female characters, featured female protagonists, or simply well-written female characters, the heart of the problem is that if the numbers of female characters represented on screen is still declining, then we’re experiencing fewer of all types of female characters. By definition Iron Man is a superhero, and that definition implies he has strength and that the character is male.  In no way does Tony Stark being strong male character suggest he isn’t weak in other ways. In fact, the success of Iron Man 3 suggests that an emotionally flawed superhero is quite compelling, especially when there are powerful and capable women rounding out his story. Strong female characters deserve comparable treatment, like Katniss received, in both their physical and emotional strengths as well as their flaws and vulnerabilities.

I’ve discussed numerous times the importance of women becoming part of the storytelling process, whether as writers, directors, or producers. The Annenberg School report seems to validate this as an effective way to change the state of female characters in movies:

When a female works behind the camera in the key creative role of writer or director, there are more women shown on screen, and fewer female characters are hypersexualized.

We’re still climbing uphill. Not that I don’t look forward to the discussion of ‘we need more strong female characters’ being a thing of the past, but we’re not even close to equality of portrayals yet.

Thanks to some help from my contributors, FANgirl Blog has been running on autopilot for the past three weeks or so while I spent a some time touring Peru and the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, then catching up on Darth Real Life. If you haven’t yet read the pieces from some of my favorite fangirls about the many reasons they love Star Wars, check them out. I had sent out the questions about six weeks ago thinking they would require little effort to answer. The responses came back long and passionate, which probably speaks to how easy it is for fans to share their love for the Star Wars franchise.

Two years ago after visiting Africa, I found a way to incorporate my travel into the blog, and while I was traveling this time a few blog posts started to formulate. Experiencing different cultures and landscapes definitely inspires the muse. The Incan ruins in Peru and the unique and fearless wildlife of the Galapagos offer insight into the abilities of mankind and the miraculous ways nature finds a way for its magnificent creatures to survive.

As a Star Wars fan, I dreaded spending May the Fourth offline, but it proved the day of a lifetime: it started walking next to giant tortoises big enough to ride, and it ended swimming with penguins, sea lions, and a stingray.  Inspired and feeling a little adventurous I decided to ask the Official Star Wars blog staff if they might be interested. Oh, hey, and they said, Yes! So you can check that out here.

To all my fellow fangirls and the trusty editor Lex, who helped pull together last week’s Fangirls Around the Web and also shared their love for Star Wars on the blog, many thanks. Now, off to Star Wars Weekends to make a few more memories and hopefully some more inspired posts.

IGN: Star Wars has a history of strong, female characters, especially in the Expanded Universe, but not necessarily in the lead role of any given project. Did you see this as a chance to change that?

Hardman: Having a female lead was very appealing to us. That was the one element that was pitched to us by Randy at the beginning. It’s one of things that lets us tell stories that are both fresh and familiar in the Star Wars universe.

You can check out the rest of the article here.

Last year I previewed the event for Suvudu, and most of the major highlights remain the same, including the Star Tours ride, the Jedi Training Academy for the younglings in your family, and the Hyperspace Hoopla dance party. This year James Arnold Taylor and Ashley Eckstein return as the celebrity hosts for all four weekends. The slate of VIP guests includes Ray Park, Jeremy Bulloch, Warwick Davis, Tim Rose, Billy Dee Williams, and Peter Mayhew from the Star Wars films, and Dee Bradley Baker, Jim Cummings, Sam Witwer, and Tom Kane from The Clone Wars. Jason Fry will also be returning this year, including book signings of the Clone Wars Episode Guide.

Also new this year is a photo opportunity with a “life-size” rancor. The giant beast, which was Jabba the Hutt’s prized pet in Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, will be on display during the event. The handcrafted replica is 17 feet long and weighs more than 700 pounds. The reptomammal sculpture is well-traveled — it’s a popular piece at Star Wars events around the globe and will make its way to our park for Star Wars Weekends.

~ Disney Parks Blog

Last year’s post also included my tips for making the most of your Star Wars Weekends experience. This year I asked the Lady Rogues, ever-reliable attendees, for their advice for Star Wars Weekends newbies:

• If possible, pack or buy food and eat it while you’re waiting in line to see any of the awesome stage shows.
• The Backlot Express by Star Tours has self-service drinks and is an great place to catch a break from the sun and watch the Jedi Training Academy.
• If you go to Star Wars Weekends more than once, we recommend once you’ve seen the Hyperspace Hoopla from the front of the stage, head around to the back or side for a different view the next time. You can catch some memorable moments with the characters.
• Another great place to catch a break from the sun is the Great Movie Ride. It’s a slow moving ride through the movies with great air conditioning!

Watch for updates from the events over the next few weeks and another round of the Star Tours Pop Quiz featuring some fangirls who can be spotted at Star Wars Weekend.

Tricia Barr took her understanding of brand management and marketing, mixed it with a love of genre storytelling, and added a dash of social media flare to create FANgirl Blog, where she discusses Star Wars, fandom, and strong female characters. She also writes about Star Wars for Random House’s science fiction and fantasy blog Suvudu.com and Star Wars Insider magazine and is a contributor for Her Universe’s Year of the Fangirl.

In her spare time, Tricia puts the finishing touches on her first novel, Wynde. For excerpts and tales of her adventures in creating a fictional universe, hop over to TriciaBarr.com.

For updates on all things FANgirl follow @FANgirlcantina on Twitter or like FANgirl Zone on Facebook.

Joe is a transmedia, cross-platform genius. He’s modeled, including for Calvin Klein and on the runway for Armani. He’s done motion-capture acting for video games, including Kratos in God of War, and voice acting for the Star Wars: The Old Republic MMO as my favorite Sith, Lord Scourge. He’s done stage acting, including swapping his suave British accent for a Southern drawl in A Street Car Named Desire. He’s appeared in Thor as Gundroth, been featured in Cinemax’s new series Banshee as the super scary but strangely seductive The Albino, and now as GATT5000 in the upcoming Star Trek Into Darkness.

I’m early and Joe is stuck in L.A. traffic, but I’m feeling like a particularly lucky girl for two reasons.

First, I seem to meet the nicest Sith Lords. Maybe the really Sithly ones won’t have lunch with me, but at the moment I don’t really care. Joe, a self described “professional scary guy,” has been nothing but easygoing while setting up our interview.

Second, by working for FANgirl Blog I’ve had the privilege of working with people who are passionate. We share a love for Star Wars, sci-fi, geekery, and horses, but we are also enthusiastic about our vocations. Tricia is intense about engineering and transportation systems. Lex is so keen about the law that he’s a professor. I’m a neurorehab physician – don’t get me started about using appropriate safety gear, like helmets or carseats.

Joe arrives for our interview fresh from his workout, shower, and protein shake, looking very L.A. in a black t-shirt and jeans. Joe’s first passion, body-building, is obvious. To say he is ripped is an understatement – like saying Paris is romantic or the Porsche 911 Turbo S packs a little acceleration.  Sitting next to me, he bends his arm against the edge of our table. I reckon the diameter of his bicep is wider than my seven-inch hand span. I notice this in my professional capacity as a physician and FANgirl media professional, of course. To be fair, I will admit his muscles do incite one of the deadly sins in me: envy. For a recent role, Joe spent more time in the gym to gain twenty pounds and has become leaner and stronger. Twenty more pounds? Why doesn’t my time at the gym work like this?.

As we talk, Joe’s passion for his work as an actor is obvious. Joe and his equally multi-talented and gorgeous girlfriend, the actress Mercy Malick, have lectured at Stanford University’s drama department. Our conversation is candid. There’s so much similarity between writing and acting, which after all, is physical storytelling. Joe is open – and humble – about the preparation for difficult roles like The Albino. He discusses his alopecia, an illness that can cause near-total hair loss. We chat about the difficulty in trying out for roles and inevitable rejections, and the responsibility he feels with social media and fans.

In fact, I’m so engrossed in our conversation that if it weren’t for my notes, I might have even forgotten Lord Scourge.

Click to read my interview with Joe Gatt.

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In addition to quotes from Ashley Eckstein, Granshaw talked to Tricia and Victoria Schmidt about the importance of the Year of the Fangirl campaign. Tricia emphasized that the increasing visibility of the geek girls community provides more support for more voices to speak out against negative aspects of geek culture. Victoria – whose Jaina Solo cosplay is currently featured in FANgirl Blog’s banner image – noted that many geek girls haven’t realized how many of their fellow fans existed until campaigns like this raise their profile.

It’s barely three months in, and Year of the Fangirl is already making a difference.