Jedi Training Academy advice?

[jnbishop]

Hello everyone!

We will be heading to WDW this October with our five young kiddos. It's been nearly 3 years since we were last there. Anyway... At that time, our oldest had just turned 5. He's now 8. He saw the Jedi Training Academy show and HAD to do it. That week it rained about 5 out of 7 days, so a lot of the JTAs had been cancelled due to the weather. When the sun finally came out, the crowds came to that attraction/show. We waited in line for hours - probably 2 or 3 - to make sure he could do it.

My question... Is there an easier way? Any tips or suggestions on how to get your kids in JTA?

I'd GLADLY pay a little bit to buy them a ticket to this - but I know it's a "free" thing...

We are also happy to wait, but I'd prefer to not spend a half a day in line just so they can do this. We really missed out on a few other things at HS.

Plus... We'll have two babies this go around - a 12 month old and 4 month old...

Thanks so much!
nicole

 

[tzolkin]

Hello everyone!

We will be heading to WDW this October with our five young kiddos. It's been nearly 3 years since we were last there. Anyway... At that time, our oldest had just turned 5. He's now 8. He saw the Jedi Training Academy show and HAD to do it. That week it rained about 5 out of 7 days, so a lot of the JTAs had been cancelled due to the weather. When the sun finally came out, the crowds came to that attraction/show. We waited in line for hours - probably 2 or 3 - to make sure he could do it.

My question... Is there an easier way? Any tips or suggestions on how to get your kids in JTA?

I'd GLADLY pay a little bit to buy them a ticket to this - but I know it's a "free" thing...

We are also happy to wait, but I'd prefer to not spend a half a day in line just so they can do this. We really missed out on a few other things at HS.

Plus... We'll have two babies this go around - a 12 month old and 4 month old...

Thanks so much!
nicole

Not sure about your previous experience, but you now sign up first thing in the morning and are assigned a specific show so there should not be a lot of waiting involved. (I believe a few years ago kids were just picked for each show)

I have no idea what happens if they have to cancel a show due to rain, but perhaps you could check the weather that morning when you leave your room. If it's expected to rain in the late afternoon hopefully you could sign up for one of the morning shows.

 

[puddinpie]

Not sure about your previous experience, but you now sign up first thing in the morning and are assigned a specific show so there should not be a lot of waiting involved. (I believe a few years ago kids were just picked for each show)

I have no idea what happens if they have to cancel a show due to rain, but perhaps you could check the weather that morning when you leave your room. If it's expected to rain in the late afternoon hopefully you could sign up for one of the morning shows.

That is what we did,too. When the gates opened my husband took the boys straight to JTA sign up and I went straight to Toy Story Mania and got our fast passes, then we met back up at the front. Make sure your son goes with you, I think they require that they are there when you sign up. My kids absolutely LOVED it. They had the best time. The Jedi Master particularly honed in on my youngest, and talked to him and cracked jokes about his height, since he was the smallest up there. Very entertaining! I would sign up first thing, while we were waiting to go to JTA stage, I saw a man walk up and try to sign up and the CM said they were already full for the day and that was at 11:00 a.m. on a 3 or 4 crowd day.

 

[jnbishop]

Thanks, guys. WOW - this is a HUGE change from when we were there... Our last trip - February of 2010 - we had to go and get a "ticket" to be part of the JTA. They only passed them out for the next show... And so we started to wait at a bad time - over the lunch break timing-wise - so that's why we were in line a few hours. The CMs passed out tix to the first 20 or so kids in line - and even then they couldn't leave their spot before it began. So... It was a bit frustrating. He loved it though.

Just want to make sure - you guys have been to HS recently? wanted to be certain things haven't changed and we don't need to come up with another game plan...

Again, MANY thanks! This sounds SOOOO much easier. Would be super simple to divide and conquer - me to toy story mania with the babies to get fast passes - and my hubby to JTA with the big three to get JTA confirmed.

Blessings,
nicole

 

[puddinpie]

We were there in March this year

 

[vleeth]

How long before your show starts do you need to be in that area?

 

[puddinpie]

You sign up and they assign you a show, then you come back at your assigned time, I think it was 20 or 30 min before the actual show began. They will let you know when you sign up, I think they gave us a piece of paper with the time to return on it.

 

[neverlandmom]

Just make sure you get to the park BEFORE it opens. You want to be one of the first to go inside. It is worth the extra wait on the outside so it isn't so bad on the inside. Also since it has been awhile since you were last there the fast pass has changed a little. You have to come back by the time it's stamped on the pass itself. It used to be you could come back any time after the time. Just wanted you to be aware of that.

 

[jnbishop]

Thanks for all the tips/info... We'll get there plenty early to get the kids signed up for this. Also appreciate the heads-up on the change in fast passes. That is definitely different than the last time we were there!

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

Just make sure you get to the park BEFORE it opens. You want to be one of the first to go inside. It is worth the extra wait on the outside so it isn't so bad on the inside. Also since it has been awhile since you were last there the fast pass has changed a little. You have to come back by the time it's stamped on the pass itself. It used to be you could come back any time after the time. Just wanted you to be aware of that.

This! My sis in law went in May. The shows filled up really quickly - like within 15 minutes of park opening and the children do have to be with you when you sign them up. As for the rain issue. Their show was cut a little short due to rain, but they felt very fortunate because the two shows after theirs ended up getting canceled. Have a great time...the memories and pictures are priceless!

 

[mmorris72]

Where exactly do you go to sign up?

TIA!

 

[Mrs. Ciz]

When you enter the park turn left and go towards the Sounds Dangerous soundstage. You may see cast members with Jedi Training Academy signs. Last I heard sign ups where at the soundstage.

 

[mmorris72]

When you enter the park turn left and go towards the Sounds Dangerous soundstage. You may see cast members with Jedi Training Academy signs. Last I heard sign ups where at the soundstage.

Thank you!

 

[jdcthree]

Take a look at Robo's post in this thread. Spot on information!

 

[justwinnie]

One other tip...

At show time, one adult should go with the kids and the other adult should go save a spot for the show at the stage.

Our boys have done it twice and it's been the highlight of their trips!

 

[mom2cgj]

Do you have any choice in which show you get assigned? I'm wondering because we have a noon TS reservation at Sci-Fi, so if they got assigned a noon-time show it would be pretty impossible. I know this would be a highlight of our entire trip for my DS8 so I really want to try to do it!

 

[Headed4Fun]

We went in February and my son was able to get in on the first show. It was AWESOME! As others have said....get to the park EARLY! We went to HS on a day when they had EMH so we already had to get there earlier to beat the crowds. We arrived at the park at 7am (gates open at 8am) and were the first ones into the park when they let us through. My son and I ran to the Sounds Dangerous stage to sign him up for Jedi Training (from the gate, go to the hat, turn left). He got signed up without a problem. My hubby took my daughter to Toy Story so they could ride it and get fast passes.

Not sure if anybody else mentioned it already but you do have to have the child(ren) that you are signing up for JTA with you because the cast members will ask them questions to make sure they WANT to participate. (nothing crazy...was just a couple of questions.) If you don't have the child with you, you can't sign them up. But, you do not need your tickets so that means somebody else can take the tix to get you fast passes for TSM.

Have a great time! And get the video camera, we still watch ours every once in a while and it gets me all teary. It was truly my son's dream come true!

 

[DisneyDreamingInMI]

We went to HS on a day when they had EMH so we already had to get there earlier to beat the crowds. We arrived at the park at 7am (gates open at 8am) and were the first ones into the park when they let us through.

I was wondering how Jedi Training Academy sign-up works on the days that HS has EMH? Do they just start the sign-ups when EMH starts? Or do they wait until the regular HS park opening time to start sign-ups?

 

[DiSZYme]

Do you have any choice in which show you get assigned? I'm wondering because we have a noon TS reservation at Sci-Fi, so if they got assigned a noon-time show it would be pretty impossible. I know this would be a highlight of our entire trip for my DS8 so I really want to try to do it!

Our second time was rained out and the offered us a replacement time that conflicted with out dinner reservations. We told them this and they gave us a later time that day and they did so without blinking, so it seems like an issue that comes up often enough that they don't mind working with you to avoid meal conflicts.
That said, I'd take the earliest thing I could get JA wise. Like I said, our second visit was rained out (where we were going to let older dd do it) and I was so happy we'd gotten little DD on the first show of the day so it wasn't lost too.

 

[Yoshiandi]

Do you have any choice in which show you get assigned? I'm wondering because we have a noon TS reservation at Sci-Fi, so if they got assigned a noon-time show it would be pretty impossible. I know this would be a highlight of our entire trip for my DS8 so I really want to try to do it!

The first time slot they gave us when we signed up 2 weeks ago conflicted with our Ressie, so they gave us a later time slot. It was AWESOME!!! We will def do again

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