This question comes from Tara, who asks:

My son will have just turned 5 at the time of our trip, and is small for his age – he would LOVE to be selected to participate in the onstage battle with Darth Vader.  Do you have any suggestions about what he/we can do to increase his chances (e.g., get there at a certain time to claim an early spot, have him yell loud and be animated, wear a Star Wars costume, etc.)?  Also, are there any pay-for options that would allow him to do something like this?  Thank you.

Tara:   Great question and you’re going to love this answer.  Disney changed the method for participating in Jedi Training Academy last November. It’s now on a first come, first served basis.  Prior to the change, kids were chosen randomly, usually resulting in the loudest, youngest chidlren being picked, and a lot of sad little kids who didn’t get picked.  I can tell you from my son’s experience that not getting picked can really put a damper on a kid’s trip.   The new system is much more equitable and makes perfect sense:  If a child wants to go, they need to understand that they’ll have to wait, but they will get their chance.

The biggest issue with the change is that it can result in some long waits.  My suggestion is this:  Hollywood Studios is the one park I try to get to at rope drop, mainly because the attraction my kids are most interested in,  Toy Story Midway Mania, has lines justto get a fastpass.  So I always make sure I head to TSMM first.  What you can do is if there’s more than one grown up in the party, split up. You will take your son and go get in line at t he Jedi Training Academy.  Meanwhile, the other grown up is heading over the TSMM with all your tickets to get fastpasses so you can ride later that morning.  You don’t have to rush because over to TSMM because you won’t want a fastpass for the first couple of hours because you’ll be tied up with Jedi Training Academy.  If your fastpass return time is during your kid’s show, you can still use it later.  They’ll honor a later fastpass return time on the same day.  I don’t recommend you try to do this on an Extra Magic Hours morning because crowds will be too high. 

The first show starts at 9:55 and runs about every hour or so throughout the day until 5:00 p.m.  Kids are put into a holding area where they wait in groups of about 15 for the next show to begin. There’s a bit of instruction and then they go onstage to meet Darth Vader.  It’s a really fun show, even for grown ups and those who aren’t fans of Star Wars.  There aren’t any similar activities that you can pay for, but if your son is a huge fan, Star Wars Weekends in late May and June are a great chance for him to really immerse himself in all things Star Wars.

Recently, DHS has started testing a new way of signing up for Jedi Training Academy in the afternoon. Starting at 2:00 p.m., guests can sign in and then receive a return time later that day.  Since this is still in the testing phase, you won’t want to rely on this method for getting into the show, but it’s worth checking out.  If it works for you, please let us know!

I wrote more about this here, if you’re interested.  Thanks for your question and for reading Chip and Co.

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