u/Alexxx2007_

How exactly does the lottery/reservation system work for panels and exclusives?

For the really big panels with major guests (like Hayden Christensen, Mark Hamill, Ewan McGregor, etc.), do you have to pay extra to attend them, or are they included with your badge and just extremely competitive to get into?

Also:

- How hard is it realistically to get into the biggest panels?
- Is it mostly luck through the lottery system?
- If you don’t win the lottery, can you still line up super early and get in?
- How early do people usually camp/queue for major panels?
- Are there separate reservations for merch booths like Funko, LEGO, etc.?

This will be my first Celebration, so I’m trying to understand how everything works ahead of time and avoid missing something important.

Also, besides:
- exclusive merch
- panels
- autographs/photo ops

what are some other major things first-timers should know about or prioritize at Celebration?

I know it might be a little early to ask this, but for people who attended Star Wars Celebration 2025 (or previous years), when do they usually announce the exclusive merch for the event?

For example, when/how did they announce the exclusive Jar Jar Funko Pop for 2025? Was it through the Celebration website, Funko Instagram, Twitter/X, livestreams, etc.?

I’m mainly interested in:
- Funko Pops
- Pins
- LEGO exclusives

So I’d love to know where I should be checking and roughly when announcements usually start happening.

Attending Celebration has honestly been a dream of mine since I was like 10 years old, and next year at 19 will finally be my first one, so I’m super excited.

Also, if anyone has tips for first-timers, things I absolutely shouldn’t miss, or other exclusive merch/categories worth checking out besides the ones I mentioned, please let me know!