Jedi Jack

A trip with Jack to Disneyland is not complete without a visit to the Jedi Training Center. For months he trains with Pop Pop, for months Pop Pop has sore knuckles from stray laser sword swings, for months he looks forward to getting his Jedi sword and Jedi robes from those dedicated to the destruction of Darth Vader and the Sith Lords. Just the thought of highfiving other young padawans is a lot of excitement for five-year-olds.


To stand upon the stage and enjoy the enthusiasm of the crowd is the cherry on the cake of Jedi Knightism.














The instruction begins while standing on the stage and awaiting the Jedi Master's command to activate the light saber.

To be chosen is part of the fun. Grandma puts Jack on her shoulder, our young padawan flails his arms while grandma jumps and screams, and Pop Pop holds the camera with a huge smile. Enjoying the scene is key here. Every child needs a grandma like my Annie.

The selection process is a quick one, and there is no disappointment, because there is always another training session an hour or two later. And besides, there is always the Finding Nemo ride featuring submarines just next door, and if that does not work, Autopia is sure to be a quick replacement, but on this day Jack receives training robes and a light saber.

They listen intently to their Jedi master briefly help them focus on their galactic mission.

Oh, and then the dark lord appears, but not before Darth Maul has his chance to scare the children and other foreigners unfamiliar with Star Wars trivia. The Jedi master then picks four or five experienced "younglings." Each steps forward and begins to fulfill his dreams--to skin the knuckles of an adult wearing a Darth Vader outfit. "I sense your fear." The mechanical voice of Darth Vader echoes on the stage. Jack approaches his opponent, light saber in hand. I would love to know what goes through his mind as he swings his weapon ruthlessly to the cheers of the audience. Jack does extremely well when he stands upon the stage. The first time was a classic event.

When he was only four and did it for the first time, the crowd laughed and cheered in approval as he swung his light saber as if his life depended upon it. To Jack, it was just another day of practicing with Pop Pop or Uncle Cles. But to them, it was entertainment "to die for" in a place where children have fun until they begin crying from overexposure to Mickey Mouse parades and toys and rides. Personally, I would drive the twelve-hour trip just to sit under a tree and feel the vibes and listen to the music. Of course, the churros are not bad either, although some one pushed them hard enough to deny the paying public from purchasing more calories in the form of hot fudge and caramel dipping sauces. I hope a Sith Lord finds those do-gooders and injures them with plastic light sabers. But I guess I could just bring my own jars of the good stuff.

The short battle stops briefly while the Jedi master instructs Jack further in light saber tactics.

And before the Siths leave the small arena, Darth Maul takes at least one or two more chances to scare children and foreigners, who have no idea why adults would dress like this.

The dark lord disappears as quickly as he arrived upon the scene, enveloped in fog, lights and sound. The crowd cheers. They clap their hands to the sound of familiar soundtrack music they enjoyed when they were small.

Two Stormtroopers remain, confused about why they did not get a cool entrance and departure from the stage with the help of a fog machine. And then each young chosen one must give their Jedi weapon and robe, the only hard part of the activity, but there is always another session a few hours later or the hope of revisiting the whole thing on the next Disneyland trip.

Again, the worst part is giving up that Jedi robe and light saber.

When we finished the whole thing this past February, Ann and Jack and I walked toward Space Mountain on our way to Buzz Lightyear. Jack looked up at us with a serious look on his face. "Grandma, now you have to call me Master Jedi Jack."