THE JEDI TRAINING ACADEMY
The Jedi Training Academy is an audience-participation show outside of Star Tours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios where aspiring Jedi’s receive lightsaber training and then get to test their mastery.
Worth seeing just for its cuteness, it will also help you understand why later at the pool you keep hearing “Right shoulder…left shoulder…”
Thirty kids aged 4-12 participate at a time, and you need to sign them up first. A late 2015 re-build doubled the space to the current capacity (and changed the name a bit to “Jedi Academy Trials of the Temple” but no one pays any attention to the new name) but signing up first thing in the morning is still advised.
Kids are divided into two rows for training purposes. The row nearer the stage will fight Darth Vader, and the further row Seventh Sister.
The kids are then trained…
…evil smoke appears…
…from which emerges bad guys…
…whom the kids then fight. I won’t give away the ending, but things mostly turn out all right!
The show occurs more than a dozen times a day, but if you want your kids to do it, show up at rope drop and make your way with them (they have to be present at sign-in) to the sign-in area. Sign in is at the Indiana Jones Adventure Outpost located between the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular theater and the 50’s Prime Time Café.
There’s more on the Jedi Training Academy in my co-author Josh’s post here.
Have your kids done it or have you seen it? What did you think?
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How would you incorporate this into the recommended 9 day itinerary? I’m guessing one of the HS days would have to be moved to be there at rope drop.
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Yes, Amanda, one day I’d add a rope drop to sign up for it.
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My son has participated in Jedi Training three times, including our most recent trip in April. Last year, we were there on May the Fourth, and because they allowed parents to also participate for the “holiday,” the capacity was doubled the same way that it is now, with half the class on the stage, half on the ground in front. If you were on the ground last year, you fought a terrifyingly realistic Darth Maul, and while I appreciate the inclusion of the Seventh Sister with the updated version (she’s awesome), Darth Maul was really amazing.
So hooray for more capacity, and HOORAY for the replacing of the old retractable lightsabers (there were ALWAYS kids who had issues with their lightsabers not popping out). And the new stage looks really neat, especially with Star Tours and the AT-AT right behind it.
The one thing that I really dislike about the update is the “acting.” Previously, the kids got up there, trained, fought, the end. Now there’s a “plot.” Please note the use of quotes here. The Jedi Master this year was the same one who taught the class last year, and he was great. His Apprentice, however… While she was really good with the kids, and while I understand why they include the role of the Apprentice (being vague so as to avoid spoilers), I thought it took too much time and was an unnecessarily cheesy way to bring the show to a conclusion.
That said, if you want your kids to do it, BE THERE BEFORE PARK OPENING. You’re now allowed to enter the park early and go straight to registration. We were there 30 minutes before rope drop, unaware that’s how registration was being handled. The line was already long enough that we got one of the last spots in the 6th class of the day, and the people who got in line after rope drop were lucky to get stand-by. Also be aware that you’re required to gather for your class 30 minutes before it begins, and you’re going to spend that time standing/sitting in an unshaded area next to registration. I was told by one of the Cast Members that as part of the new Star Wars Land, they’re building a temple to house this in the future, but for now, make sure you’ve got plenty of water at the ready for your little Padawan!
tl;dr It’s great, totally do it if you and your kids love Star Wars.
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Thanks Jennifer!!!
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