Ready, Set, JEDI
As most people can gather we do this Disney thing a lot. We try to go at least once a year but more times than not we exceed that and try to justify some reason to squeeze in an extra trip here and there. I am getting pretty good at this justification if I do say so myself and Mickey thanks me for that I’m sure. The last couple of visits we had begun operating under the notion that we had done just about everything at Disney. Which is good. Trust me your vacations become a lot less stressful when you are no longer trying to squeeze seven days into a five day vacation. We had no longer felt the rush to so wake up early and hurry to the park to get as much in as humanly possible. Disney life was good and up until our latest trip all this was true. Earlier this November we embarked on our latest and greatest in Disney adventures. We approached this trip as business as usual but little did we know this would become one of our favorite Disney World vacations. It was a trip of many firsts for us staring with our youngest (5 months) first trip to meet Mickey. I can feel you squirming right now at the thought of battling Disney with a 5 month old but really it wasn’t that bad. The kid was a champ and even developed a pretty serious affliction for a few princesses while we were there. (Glad I don’t have to pay for that wedding) But with a wide range of firsts that begin with baby’s first Disney trip to trick or treating in the Magic Kingdom one new experience grabbed hold to a certain 7 year olds heart and never let go. This time we decided it was time to try to get Brock into the Jedi Training Academy. It is something we talked about for the past couple of years but could never find the time. For those who may not be familiar Jedi Training Academy is a fully immersive Star Wars experience in which your child the hero of his/ her own dreams offered at Hollywood Studios. Here they will learn the ways of the Jedi completed with light saber training topped off with an epic final battle with Vader himself. Now let back up and say that I am not all that big of a Star Wars person. My son loves it so I humor him with my fake interest in it, but in the end I am just not that into sci-fi. With that said this is pretty cool. I mean your kid actually gets to battle Darth Vader. I’m 33 and not even remotely interested in Star Wars and would like to do that. Now imagine being seven. My son loved it. For a while there I was getting concerned that he was starting to believe he was an actual Jedi. He was even trying to use “the force” on his sister. (It didn’t work, but not much does. A Jedi would be no match for my little princess). When we got home he had to tell everyone about his brush with the dark side. This was one of those things he will never forget and I would recommend to anyone who has a child even slightly interested in this. The requirements are pretty simple. Your child has to be 4-12 years old and able to go on stage. But most importantly you have to be able to run fast. No this will not help as much in defeating Lord Vader as it will in securing your spot in line. Registration opens at the ABC Sound Studio as soon as the park opens. Hollywood Studios does 15 shows a day with roughly 15 kids per show. Once all of the spots are filled registration is closed for that day. You can be put on a standby list in case their are any no shows but that would be the only way to get in after the original 225 spots are filled. The showtimes are available on a first come first serve basis and you will need to be there roughly 30 min before showtime. Here your child will be given basic instructions on the events to follow and be fitted with their Jedi robes. From here they will go as a group to the stage where they will receive top notch training from their Jedi Master . At this point your child is now part of the show as they learn to harness the power of the force they will have to rise to Darth Vader’s challenge to each of them. It is truly one of the coolest things we have gotten to do at Disney simply based off the look on my son’s face. So met the force be with you and remember, just when you think you’ve done it all Disney always has a little more magic in store.
Nick Poche’
Avid Disney fan, husband to Tiffany, father of three, Brock, Bailey, and Brennan. Lover of travel and blogger for the We Dream of Disney and Beyond Blog.