Star Wars Rebels Dinner AT the Loew's Hollywood Hotel #StarWarsRebels

***Disclosure: I received an all-expense paid trip to Hollywood courtesy of Disney to facilitate my posts. No other compensation was provided, and all opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.***

As you all probably know by my tweets, Instagram, and Facebook posts, I am currently hanging out in beautiful Hollywood, California with a group of amazing Mom (and Dad!) bloggers. I have had the most amazing experiences including the Million Dollar Arm premiere, as well as some amazing ABC TV set visits. (Don't worry. I will be sharing it all with you over the next couple of weeks!) 

But the very first thing our group did when we arrived was celebrate Star Wars Day at the fabulous Lowe's Hollywood Hotel. After all, we did arrive on May the 4th, which is better known as STAR WARS DAY! 

We all dressed up in our geekiest Star Wars gear and headed up to Preston's Restaurant. Boy, did we ever have some surprises waiting for us there! When we walked in, we were immediately greeted by some rather foreboding looking Storm Troopers. (Yikes!) Thankfully, they weren't at all interested in taking us prisoner. They were in the mood to par-tay, as well as celebrate the upcoming Disney XD series, "Star Wars Rebels". (Coming to Disney XD this fall!) 

But Storm Troopers weren't the only ones waiting to hang with the coolest bloggers in the galaxy. R2D2 also made an appearance! He was blinking and buzzing and zipping around. Of course I was thrilled to be able to convince him to sit still long enough for me to get my photo taken with him. 

Now you may not have seen this unusual little guy before. His name is Chopper, and he will be a regular character on "Star Wars Rebels". Here's a fun fact about Chopper: He was actually an early prototype for R2D2. While this design wasn't chosen for the Star Wars films, the creators of "Star Wars Rebels" knew he'd make the perfect sidekick for the team of rebels. Everyone needs a trusty robot, after all!

That's not the only way that Star Wars films and "Star Wars Rebels" intertwine. This animated series actually falls in the time period between "Revenge of the Sith" and "A New Hope." So basically, it was AFTER Anakin Skywalker joined the Dark Side and became the villain we all know as Darth Vader but before Luke Skywalker, Leia, Chewbacca, and the rest of the gang try and save the universe in what is the earliest released Star Wars movie with Harrison Ford. 

We also got to meet the beautiful and amazingly talented Vanessa Marshall. Vanessa is the voice of Hera, the strong, female leader of the Rebel force. This gal can pilot a spacecraft like there's no tomorrow, and she is definitely a force to be reckoned with. 

Vanessa is a self-proclaimed "Star Wars Nerd", so accepting this role was a no-brainer. She is incredibly enthusiastic about her role as Hera, and her eyes lit up as she talked about The Force-which isn't yet known as such. She also had glowing things to say about the rest of the cast, which just happens to include Freddie Prinze, Jr.

 One interesting fact that makes this series different than many animated series is the fact that each and every episode is filmed with the voice actors together. Yep, they all meet up in the same room and act the story out together. This adds to the authenticity of the series, as it really allows the talent to feed off of each other in a way that you just don't see when voice-overs are done separately in different locations. Pretty cool, right?!

I even got the chance to chat with Vanessa in the hallway when I couldn't find the restroom. She was so much fun to talk to, and even posed with this selfie with me! How awesome! 

Oh wait. I forgot to talk about the food. Since it was a Star Wars Dinner, I can't forget to mention the buffet-style dinner prepared by the chefs at Preston's Restaurant. It was absolutely delicious! I enjoyed some Caprese Salad with fresh tomatoes, creamy Mozzarella, and some shaved basil. I also had some tender, flavorful beef, a ciabbata roll and some melt-in-your-mouth roasted potatoes. Just thinking about this meal is making my tummy growl right now! 

It was an wonderful and exciting start to an epic trip. I loved learning all about Star Wars, and I can't wait to check out "Star Wars Rebels" on Disney XD this fall! 

Are you looking forward to a brand new animated Star Wars Series? I'd love to hear all about your love for all things force-related!