A lightsaber meetup is almost precisely what it sounds like, a gathering of Star Wars fans with lightsabers. Although most of our saber meets are at Disneyland in California or Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida, we also have events at Star Wars, comic, and sci-fi conventions.
What Is a Lightsaber Meetup?
A lightsaber meetup is a gathering of Star Wars and lightsaber enthusiasts. We usually meet in Galaxy’s Edge or at a convention, light up our sabers, and take some great photos.
Aside from the photos, some fans come to show off their new lightsabers, cosplays, or bounds. Others are there for the community aspect and want to talk about Star Wars.
Who Can Come to a Saber Meetup?
Our events are always free and open to the public. While RSVPing to the event on our Discord server or the Facebook event page is helpful for planning, anyone is welcome to join in.
While our saber meetups are free, you will need valid tickets to enter a Disney park or convention like Star Wars Celebration. Specific ticket requirements are included on each event listing.
What Happens at a Lightsaber Meetup?
Photos are the most significant part of a saber meetup. We typically do a large group shot, separate light side and dark side photos, and then a light side versus dark side photo.
Other photo opportunities include rainbows and saber cones. After the group photos, many guests take smaller group or individual shots.
Outside of photos, it’s a great place to reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and talk about Star Wars and lightsabers. Some fans will play sabacc or roll chance cubes.
If we are meeting on Batuu, it’s common to enjoy a ronto wrap, sip on blue and green milk, or even visit Oga’s Cantina.
Does Disney Provide Star Wars Characters for the Lightsaber Meetups?
While some sources incorrectly stated that Disney provides Star Wars characters for our lightsaber meetups, characters traditionally do not appear at our events.
On the East Coast, our meetups take place shortly after the last First Order appearance at the TIE Echelon. As such, it’s easy to assume that Disney provides characters for our meetups. However, this is regularly scheduled entertainment at Galaxy’s Edge in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and is unrelated to our saber events.
Additionally, Ashley Eckstein has appeared at several of our Ahsoka Tano Day meetups. While these appearances are coordinated with the Disney Parks team, she appears as a guest, not Ahsoka.
Do I Have to Bring a Disney Lightsaber?
No, you can bring any lightsaber to our events. We are an inclusive community, and all lightsabers are welcome at our meetups. That said, we do not allow actual weapons such as swords or knives.
For many of us, cardboard wrapping paper tubes are the original lightsaber. We hold to that ideology today and do not tolerate gatekeeping or toxic behavior.
Do You Allow Lightsaber Dueling?
Dueling or saber battles are prohibited at our events due to the large crowds and Disney Parks restrictions. If we see anyone dueling, we will ask you to stop for the safety of all guests. Repeat violators will be asked to leave.
Can I Cosplay or Bound at a Saber Meetup?
Yes, we encourage you to cosplay or bound for our meetups! However, please review all costuming restrictions before attending. For our in-park events, see Disney’s costume policy. We also include specific notes about themes and restrictions in the event listing for each saber meetup.
Who Hosts the Lightsaber Meetups?
Strictly speaking, no one group runs every lightsaber meetup, but our group is known for hosting them the most often. The SWGEDiscord is a fan-run group, and our events team consists entirely of volunteers.
The Disney Parks team is instrumental in helping with events inside Galaxy’s Edge. Disney has also hosted their own meetups during the Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite events.
Several other Star Wars fan groups have hosted saber meetups in the past. Undoubtedly, other groups will organize more events in the future.
How Often Do You Have Saber Meetups?
On average, we have lightsaber meetups at Walt Disney World once a quarter and every three to six months at Disneyland. While event dates vary, there are typically meetups on May 4th and around Life Day – November 17th.
When possible, we schedule events for the anniversary of both Galaxy’s Edge lands. We are also working on having lightsaber meetups outside of the park more often.
When Is the Next Lightsaber Meetup?
At Batuu East in Florida, we typically host events around Ahsoka Tano Day, May the Fourth, the Galaxy’s Edge East anniversary, and Life Day. Our Batuu West events in California are typically every three to six months depending on our team’s availability.
We announce all lightsaber meetups on our events page, our Discord server, Facebook, and Instagram.
On our server, we promote each meetup in the #announcements channel and share specific details and updates in the #discord-events channel. There is also an events tab at the top of the channels list that includes our upcoming events.
We also create a Facebook event for each saber meetup and post an announcement on our page. Dates and event details are shared in both our Instagram posts and stories.
Are There Lightsaber Meetups Outside of the Disney Parks?
Yes, we do hold saber meetups outside of Disney. We usually have events during Star Wars Celebration and Orlando MegaCon. Long term, we hope to have more meetups at cons around the globe. If you are interested in hosting a meetup at a con near you, contact @FreeBird, @PleasantlyGrim, or @RooksJeff on our Discord server.
Can I Request a Saber Meetup?
Reminders & Tips For Our Galaxy’s Edge Lightsaber Meetups
Whether this is your first saber meetup or your one hundredth, here are some important reminders and tips to make the most of your time:
- Our events are completely free but do require valid park admission.
- Lightsaber dueling is strictly prohibited, and we will ask guests to leave.
- If you see something or feel uncomfortable, please talk to a SWGEDiscord volunteer.
- Please be kind and respectful of both Disney cast members and SWGEDiscord volunteers.
- Unless stated otherwise in the event details, meet in the courtyard by the TIE Echelon 15 minutes before the posted event time.
- Please do not gather early, as it makes non-saber meetup guests think there is a show. If you are hanging out, please consider the marketplace, the garage, or the pathway leading off-world.
- Photos usually take between 30 and 60 minutes. However, you are free to join or leave the event at any time.
- Unless otherwise stated in the event details, we take photos in front of the TIE Echelon and the Millennium Falcon.
- We traditionally have SWGEDiscord photographers to take group photos. Guests are also welcome to take their own photos.
- If Disney Photopass Photographers are available to take photos, we will post the codes on the SWGEDiscord and the SWGEDiscord Facebook Event and Group pages following the event.
- Photos from our photographers are posted on our Photos page, as well as on the SWGEDiscord, the SWGEDiscord Facebook Event and Group pages, and the SWGEDiscord Instagram accounts as soon as possible. Our photographers usually need one to two weeks to process all of their photos.
- Every member of our team is a volunteer. We do not hire or pay our crowd handlers, photographers, videographers, streamers, content creators, or even celebrities who attend our event.
- Content creators are always welcome. Please check in with our volunteers at least 15 minutes early so we can help facilitate a spot for you during the event. However, we do request that you do not attempt to sell your content to event guests.
If you have any questions, ask on the SWGEDiscord server or message us through Facebook or Instagram.
What Is the Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Discord?
The Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Discord is a fan-run discussion group celebrating all things Star Wars and Disney parks. We are perhaps best known for hosting lightsaber meetups at Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland and Disney World.
In addition to our saber meetups, we host trivia nights, watch parties, a monthly book club, and other in-person and virtual events. There are also channels dedicated to planning your visit to Galaxy’s Edge on either coast, the latest stock updates, and all of your favorite Star Wars shows, movies, books, and comics.
Join the discussion free on our family-friendly Discord server, and follow our social channels.
Rooks is an SEO strategist, copywriter, and content editor who occasionally masquerades as a designer, photographer, brewer, or cook.
A lifelong Star Wars geek, his earliest memories are playing with Kenner action figures while watching the Original Trilogy on VHS. Aside from keeping up with the latest Star Wars content, he enjoys living out his own Star Wars story at Galaxy’s Edge East.
Rooks is passionate about cooking and loves discussing and occasionally writing about food, beer, and cocktails. Never far from his emotional support laptop, you can often find him hammering out words at local coffee shops or breweries around Orlando.
His other interests include starting a new hobby every week, watching old Columbo episodes, and avoiding folding the laundry. Aside from Star Wars, his fandoms include the MCU, Harry Potter, Battlestar Galactica, and the Lord of the Rings.