A Star Wars Jedi Training rant

[madfelice]

I know theres no guarantee to this but we just stood there all day and went to every show and my son didn't get picked and we're from Australia and it's his birthday. We are VERY sad!

 

[Robo]

I know theres no guarantee to this but we just stood there all day and went to every show and my son didn't get picked and we're from Australia and it's his birthday. We are VERY sad!

Sorry he didn't get chosen.

Hope the rest of your trip was/is magical and that your son had a happy birthday
in WDW!!

 

[madfelice]

Thanks Robo

 

[Harambe]

I know theres no guarantee to this but we just stood there all day and went to every show and my son didn't get picked and we're from Australia and it's his birthday. We are VERY sad!

I totally understand your frustration. When he was very young, my son always wanted to pull the sword from the stone over in Fantasyland, and rather than have him feel disappointed for not being chosen, I always whisked him right by and told him they weren't doing the show that day.

Hope your son's birthday was a happy one anyway!

 

[madfelice]

We had a wishes cruise last night too, and I rang to confirm the time we were to get there, and was told I had to be there by 7.30 which meant I had to cancel our 7pm Sci Fi reservations and when I got there I was still crying because my son kept talking about how unfair it was and it turned out we didn't have to be there till 8.45. A manager got us into Chef Mickey's though even though it was packed so that worked out OK. The cruise was great though.

 

[nooneshome]

I feel your pain. My DS13 is a big Star Wars junkie. He has tried several times to get picked with no luck. His sister has been picked and two of her good friends that we brought have been picked. Each time he was a real trooper but you could tell he was frustrated. Maybe next time!!

PS his sister was also picked to drive the remote control car at LMA. Oh yea we have had great luck with the Candy Lady at EPCOT. All of the kids we have brought have been picked!!

 

[carmiedog]

I'm sorry he didn't get picked. We're going next year for SWW and I'm worried my boys will be upset no matter how much I warn them of their chances beforehand. And with two boys, I'd rather neither of them get picked than just one. If they had fastpass for this, THIS is what I'd be in line at 6 a.m. waiting for.

Happy belated birthday to your son!

 

[isyt]

I know theres no guarantee to this but we just stood there all day and went to every show and my son didn't get picked and we're from Australia and it's his birthday. We are VERY sad!

Boy do I understand your frustration. My 6 yr old has tried so hard on 3 different trips. We will back again in August and will keep trying!!! Wish us luck !!!!

 

[Belle1962]

Sorry for your little guy. We had the same experience at Capt Jack's tutorial this past January for my grandson's Bday. HUUUUUGGGGEEEE Jack fan and he wasn't picked--as soon as the selections were done he turned away in tears and left the show area. he was wearing his birthday button and everything!!!! Since he had been picked for this show when we were there in June 2007, I explained to him that Jack remembered him and wanted other kids to have a turn. (Just like at the Jedi training--where they actually made an announcement that if you had already successfully completed the training to allow other young Jedi's the opportunity). He was still very sad and crying and 'didn't care" about sharing--it was HIS birthday!!!

 

[poeticdiabetic]

My two DSs were picked back in 2006, but after trying 3 different times. And I believe they were picked because they were dressed alike and they trainer probably thought they were twins (which they're not. 18 months apart, thank you!)

But one kid didn't get picked at all. We felt sorry for that kid.

But try to set up the expectation that more than likely, your kid will not get picked, and not because he or she's not good enough, but because the picking process is like a lottery. In other words, try hard to keep the kids self-esteem strong.

But if your kid does get picked, let the child do it and have fun! But don't come back! My two boys did it in 2006. They haven't been back since. Their reasoning is that if they don't attend, it'll allow some kid that has never done it before get a better chance. Plus, beating up Darth Vader is a "Once-In-A-Lifetime" experience!

 

[livndisney]

We had a wishes cruise last night too, and I rang to confirm the time we were to get there, and was told I had to be there by 7.30 which meant I had to cancel our 7pm Sci Fi reservations and when I got there I was still crying because my son kept talking about how unfair it was and it turned out we didn't have to be there till 8.45. A manager got us into Chef Mickey's though even though it was packed so that worked out OK. The cruise was great though.

Maybe I missed something, but was unfair?

 

[SammieG]

I understand that its frustrating for little ones... we went to every show.. and in the end i went and bought a jedi t shirt and a jedi robe as it seemed those with Star wars clothes on, got picked.. and it worked! it cost me $70 though!

However, i think its a shame if he allowed that to ruin his birthday. I know its frustrating for kids.. but its part of life not getting picked for things and a good lesson to learn.

Hope you enjoyed the rest of your vacation. Sounds like it was pretty amazing with Chef Mickeys without a reservation etc!

 

[TDC Nala]

They now pick twice the number of kids they used to during the Star Wars Weekend - a group of kids on the main stage fights Darth Vader, and a second group fights Darth Maul on the pavement just in front of the stage. A second Jedi assists the Darth Maul group.

I don't know how that's unfair, it's just unfortunate that a specific kid doesn't get picked - even with the higher capacity, there's no way they can pick every kid.

The Jedi Master won't pick a kid that they recognize as having been picked before, but I don't think they recognize everybody.

 

[JuliaK+3]

This is something that's been worrying me for awhile now. Both DS's know there is a chance they won't get picked when we go but they have their hearts set on fighting Darth Vader. I think it's unfortunate that they're most likely to pick the kids that are jumping up and down and going crazy. I understand that they're putting on a show but the well behaved shy kid who loves star wars and who just raises his hands because that's what he's taught to do has no shot.

They'll be wearing Star Wars shirts that we got from Kohls 2 months ago and I'm toying with the idea of bringing their toy light sabers and costumes from home. It's more to carry but if it helps...

Another fear is what if 1 gets picked and one doesn't . Like the pp said, if I could get fastpasses for it, I'd be up at 6 am trying to get them.

 

[eeyorethegreat]

It is hard when kids have the expectation that they will get picked and then don't. I'm sorry you spent so much of the day with your son hoping he would get picked and then not having it happen.

When we go to events where kids are chosen I make it clear to them that they should not expect to be chosen and that it likelyhood they won't be chosen but that doesn't mean they can't enjoy the show. If one of them does get picked it is an extra bonus. we also make it a one shot deal meaning we go to one show if they don't get picked we watch the show and move along with the day. I figure there are so many other things to see and do we can't let that one incident ruin the entire day/trip.

Again sorry you and your son felt badly about not getting chosen but I do hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip and made many happy memories!

 

[Belle1962]

This is something that's been worrying me for awhile now. Both DS's know there is a chance they won't get picked when we go but they have their hearts set on fighting Darth Vader. I think it's unfortunate that they're most likely to pick the kids that are jumping up and down and going crazy. I understand that they're putting on a show but the well behaved shy kid who loves star wars and who just raises his hands because that's what he's taught to do has no shot.

They'll be wearing Star Wars shirts that we got from Kohls 2 months ago and I'm toying with the idea of bringing their toy light sabers and costumes from home. It's more to carry but if it helps...

Another fear is what if 1 gets picked and one doesn't . Like the pp said, if I could get fastpasses for it, I'd be up at 6 am trying to get them.

I think if you have them dressed the same, like a previous poster, it will give the Jedi master the idea that they are together.

Also--while we there a number of people had SIGNS, yes SIGNS, that said things like pick me, I want Darth Maul, etc. NONE of those people were selected. Could have been a coincidence but.....could be the CM's want to discourage this behavior.

FWIW: We arrived very very very early for the first show and kept a spot on the rope line. Facing the stage---far left corner. My DGS did not jump up and down and yell and scream--he knows better. He did wave enthusiastically. (I think the CM's knew/saw that he had waited patiently for almost 30 minutes). Anyway--I'm not sure how far back into the crowd they go...too easy for a kid in front of a kid who was picked to think they were the one picked, etc. They had two stages in January--the upper stage and the ones on the ground. So they picked a very large number of kids.

 

[victorandbellasmom]

I'm so sorry your son wasn't chosen. It can be very disappointing to try and try at several shows and still not be chosen. Can I ask, how old your son is? I heard that there's an age limit, at least for the one at disneyland it's like 12 or something. I know there are several tips for getting your child chosen for jedi training. We've used them before and has worked each and every time. Ds and dd have each done it twice at disneyland.

 

[Arcturus1020]

I know theres no guarantee to this but we just stood there all day and went to every show and my son didn't get picked and we're from Australia and it's his birthday. We are VERY sad!

So sorry to hear this. Same thing happened to us when we went down, and it was DD's birthday, too.

You could always contact the 501st Legion / Terror Australis Garrison to see about setting up a birthday party for your son (Request An Appearance). I'm sure they'd be happy to help out (providing they have that day and members available) and they may even have a Vader show up! It's a free service to everyone everywhere, although they may ask for a donation to a charity.

 

[bumbershoot]

The training for a young kid is tricky. I felt my son was too young, but my husband wanted to stay there (I'm talking about Disneyland). I made up a little sign for my son and he waited patiently for almost 40 minutes, which I was very impressed with!

I was concerned b/c even though we had told him over and over that he might be picked, I had a feeling he would be upset if he wasn't. And *to me* if he is still young enough that he would cry if not picked, then he's still too young for the training...I had a strong feeling that he would NOT appreciate not being picked, and I really felt he was too young for it.


As it was, we had another sort of "life isn't fair" thing happen. After waiting so long, after having the CMs look at him quite a bit, especially once I gave him the little sign I made up...when they had them stand up and cheer, he realized he had to go to the bathroom. Not 5 minutes before they were going to start! And even though the bathrooms are close, we couldn't have gotten out, done, and back to "our" spot in 5 minutes.

So we had to take him out (at a brand new 4, when a kid has been out of dipes since he was about 2, you do NOT mess around with possible wet pants) and we were ALL in or near tears at how sad it was*.



*compounding the sadness was that only 1.5 hours earlier either my husband or I had lost DS's too-big-for-him "build your own" lightsaber, and it was GONE, someone walked away with it and never turned it in to lost and found...so it was just a bummer of a morning.

 

[madfelice]

Maybe I missed something, but was unfair?

Hey, I never said it was unfair, we are talking about what a frustrated and overwrought 10 year old was saying. I was upset that it meant so much to him. I had warned him that the likelihood was that it would not happen, but it was what he wanted more than anything for his birthday. As we are fromm Australia, there wont be another time. He was disappointed and I was upset at his disappointment. I explained that it was a random selection thing, but they were also picking adults and late teens!!