Category — q. Reviews

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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STAR WARS PATH OF THE JEDI

Star Wars Path of the Jedi is a brief film in the old “Sounds Dangerous” building on the way to Star Tours and the Jedi Training Academy.

It covers the Star Wars saga, and is a great first step for those planning to enjoy the various Star Wars attractions at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, especially if it’s been a while since they saw the earlier installments in the saga.

It begins in a familiar way…

…and briefly covers the “greatest hits” of the various key Star Wars characters…

And their destinies.

For those without much interest in Star Wars there’s not much to it, but it is short and air-conditioned. For Star Wars fans, though, it’s a great way to begin a Star Wars-centered visit to the Studios.

There’s more on the Path to the Jedi in my co-author Josh’s post here.

Have you seen it? What did you think?

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STAR WAR LAUNCH BAY

Star Wars Launch Bay opened in December 2015 in the old Animation Building in the Animation Courtyard area of Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

It includes meet and greet opportunities with both Chewbacca and a Stars Wars villain—currently the wuss Kylo Ren, but at the time of my visit universe-class villain Darth Vader…

…A video that’s in the categories of “Making Of” and “Universal Significance” of Star Wars, particularly The Force Awakens, although this will likely shift to the next story in the saga to be released, 2016’s Rogue Wars

…and lots of fun objects to look at.

You also may run into Storm Troopers, Ewoks, and such.

The payoff here is principally for Star Wars fans, and the bigger the fan you are, the more you will likely enjoy it.

You don’t have to have seen The Force Awakens to understand the Launch Bay, but if you are not the sort to have already seen it, you may not have enough interest in Star Wars for there to be much value here.

There’s more on the Launch Bay in my co-author Josh’s post here.

Have you seen it? What did you think?

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The studios and villas at the Jambo House section of the Animal Kingdom Lodge are going through a minor renovation.

I had the chance to stay in a renovated Studio and a renovated One Bedroom Villa in late April.

I’ve since updated my review of the Jambo House villas, and in particular a photo tour of a Jambo House refurbed Studio is here, and one of a Jambo House refurbed One Bedroom Villa begins here.

This refurb is generally quite subtle.  The beds look quite different as Disney World implements here its resort-wide simple bed-striping scheme on beds that used to be among the busiest at the Disney hotels.

But otherwise it’s some paint, new carpet, new cushions–some more orange than they used to be–bigger, wall-mounted TVs, cut-down dressers, and more power points.

A few direct comparisons:

Studio Bed Side

Studio in 2014

Studio in 2016

Note in the Studio the simpler bed, new (though similar) carpet, and new cushions on the couch.

Studio TV Side

Studio in 2014

Studio in 2016

The major change to the TV side is the TV moving out of the top of the dresser and getting much larger. They are hard to spot in this shot, but 8 power points have been added to the dresser top (4 more came to the bedside table).  The fabric on the chairs is also simpler.

As expected, there has been no addition of a fifth sleeping spot.

One Bedroom Villa Living/Kitchen/Dining Side

One bedroom Villa living spaces have seen similar changes.

One Bedroom in 2014

One Bedroom in 2016

So far as I could tell, the kitchen was identical.  The carpet, TV, dresser and cushions got similar treatment as in the Studios, and note more orange in the dining chairs, now complementing the always-orange of the dining bench.

One Bedroom Villa Bath/Bedroom Side

The toilet room has a stark paint difference…

One Bedroom Villa 2014

One Bedroom Villa 2016

The king bedroom shows the same bedding, carpet, TV, dresser and cushion changes as in Studios, and in addition the desk and easy chair have been flipped, with some orange added to the desk chair cushion.

One Bedroom Villa 2014

One Bedroom Villa 2016

One Bedroom Villa 2014

One Bedroom Villa 2016

All in, I liked the old look of the beds better.  But the new TVs, cushions, and power points are a plus.  There’s more than 70 photos of these refurbed spaces in the updated review of the Jambo House villas that starts here.

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For the first page of this review of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, click here

DINING AT DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge has some of the more interesting dining among the Disney deluxe resorts. There’s two table service restaurants–one family-friendly, the other sophisticated–at Jambo House, a third fun table service option at nearby Kidani Village,  and a strong quick service at Jambo.

Moreover, as Disney’s Animal Kingdom shifts to being a park reliably open late, dinner there becomes an option as well, at least for those with park hoppers. A short bus ride away, the Animal Kingdom includes Rainforest Cafe, Yak and Yeti, Tucker House, and the new Tiffins. All but the Rainforest Cafe require park entry.

All dining in Jambo House is on the first floor. From the main lobby (on the third floor) , take either the elevator or the stairs.

The stairs will take you past the Victoria Falls Lounge–one of the best Disney World bars.

Keep going and you’ll find the main dining area, with family-friendly Boma on one side. Here’s the review of Boma from our book, The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit 2019:

Next to Boma is the more sophisticated–and expensive–Jiko.

The Jiko review  from our book, The easy Guide to Your Walt Disney World Visit 2019:

Kidani Village is Jambo House’s sister DVC resort.

Kidani is a longish walk or short shuttle ride away from Jambo House. Its restaurant Sanaa is well worth a visit…

….especially for the bread service.

Back at Jambo house’s first level, outside and down the walkway to the left you’ll find one of Disney World’s best resort counter-service locales, The Mara.

Like the other venues here, The Mara combines African-inspired and less exotic offerings as well. (Click the menu to enlarge it.)

African stew, anyone?

Hot food is ordered through one line, which can get long. You’ll get a pager, pay, and return to pick it up when the pager goes off.

The large dining area will fill during common meal hours.

There’s more seats outside, right next to the pool.

THE UZIMA POOL AT DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE

This review continues here.

TOPICS IN THIS REVIEW OF DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM LODGE

• Summary and overview of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Theming and accommodations at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
• A photo tour of a standard room at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Amenities at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
• Dining at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
• The Uzima Pool at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

OTHER KEY PAGES FOR WHERE TO STAY AT DISNEY WORLD

• Where to stay–the Basics
• Where first-timers should stay
• Reviews of all the Disney World resorts, based on my 160+ stays in them

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I’ve just updated most of the material in my review of the BoardWalk Villas, based on my late January stay in its newly-refurbed spaces—my sixth stay at the BoardWalk Villas since I started this site.

More than 50 new photos show…

…The refurbed Studios, which now sleep five, the fifth on a fold-down bed that dismisses the table (photo at top of page)

…and the refurbed One Bedroom Villas, where most of the changes are cosmetic, and generally pretty successful.

(At the BoardWalk Inn, all Two Bedroom Villas simply combine a One Bedroom and a Studio.)

In addition all the floor plans are updated!

This updated review now has five pages:

• An overview of Disney’s BoardWalk Villas
• Theming and accommodations at the BoardWalk Villas 
• A photo tour of a refurbed BoardWalk Villas Studio
• A photo tour of the kitchen/dining/living room side of a refurbed BoardWalk Villas One Bedroom Villa
• A photo tour of the baths and master bedroom of a refurbed BoardWalk Villas One Bedroom Villa

Check out the updated review of Disney’s BoardWalk Inn, starting here.

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