anyone’s littles done this? I think DS would if it was a good day which I won’t know of course until. He’s 6. His little brother will be 5 and would love to do this
My kids ADORED Jedi training. They have to be able to pay attention, and follow basic directions. There was a girl in my kids' group that was 5, I think the minimum age is 4.
How old are they? Are they on spectrum ? I just worry bc usually he’s pretty good but at times he’s unpredictable
My older one isn't spectrum but has other neuro issues. He was 10 at the last trip and did really well. There were a few kids in the group that were a bit unpredictable, but the cast members were awesome about redirecting and keeping the kids engaged. It;s not really intense, they learn a few light sabre moves, dress in jedi robes and then help the good guys "battle" Kylo Ren and Darth Vader.
My son participated twice. The second time was....a bit of a challenge or rather a bite of a challenge. But the cast members were wonderful. I was able to be close enough that when things unraveled, I could step in. Then (the very brave) Padawan helped him through the rest of the show. Not only were the cast members great, but the crowd was very supportive, which my son just ate up.
Thank you so much for sharing It’s hard because his little brother is more social and and and there’s only a year difference so it’s hard excluding him .. I’m hopeful
The thing too is that you are basically within an arm's reach of the stage area the entire time the "training" is going on. You can always let the CMs know if he will benefit from being in the front so you can get to him if you need to. I think it will be fine and they will have a great time
I would just be clear with the cast members what he needs. My son's need isn't exactly invisible and he uses stroller as wheelchair. In his case they offered options to make it work. I was able to be in a place that was closer than just off stage. It allowed me to jump in and get him before he could finish his action. Then encourage him to get back in the show. The case members really seemed to want my son to participate and made a way for him. Plus, I know it doesn't seem like it cause we tend to only see our kid, but really at least one of the other kids is picking up a circle, picking his nose, kicking her brother or tearing the set too.
My son has ASD and if it's something he's interested in, he will pay attention so he did during Jedi Training (he took it very serious) I think he was 8 at the time. But if it's not something he was interested in, he wouldn't have paid attention and that has happened in other situations for us.
My 11yo ASD son will show no interest in anything until he sees his 8yo brother doing it. He gets bored easily, so I hope he will like Jedi Training. Leslie
There are YouTube videos of the full Jedi training experience. This is one posted in November that shows pretty much how it’s done. You can see that there is quite a variety of kids reactions to it. Some are very carefully following directions and others not so much. The CMs do redirect as needed - mostly to keep everyone safe from hitting into anyone else. You can also watch one of the earlier sessions if you think that might help your child. And, you can always sign and change your mind about going.
My son has done it several times both at WDW and DL. At WDW the first time he did it, he was about 5, was amazing. The cast members were wonderful to him and he had so much fun. They were very sensitive to his ASD diagnosis. The second time he was about 10 and it was a nightmare. He has a slow response time and froze in front of the crowd. He's super tall for his age, so he looks older. He's 13 now and 5'10 or 5'11. They seemed to peg him as a trouble maker from the start, even before they went out to start the show. He's not! He just has developmental and neurological disabilities. I told them ahead of time, but it's hard to understand, I guess. But anyway, they asked him to do something, he froze, he felt embarrassed, and tried to smile to cover it up, and they kicked him off the stage. The cast members made a big deal out of it and other parents in the audience booed him! My husband was filming on a Go Pro, so we have that little bit of memorabilia now. My son cried the entire day. He was broken hearted and humiliated. I called Disney after the trip to let them know for training purposes and they said they record the shows and saw what happened and were deeply apologetic. They told me they were re-training, so hopefully it's better now. Thankfully, my son's memory is sketchy and he has forgotten all about it. I will never forget, though. Why are adults so mean to kids? We have had only good experiences at DL, BTW. Maybe it was a fluke. They seem to be more compassionate to little kids with disabilities than teens.
My son really enjoyed the crowd clapping during the parade to the stage and support once there. You can hold his hand while going down the street if needed - (thought mine would but he really enjoyed walking as part of the pack ), whatever - as everyone said they work with you. As Jubilee said, they are all kids and you get various activities going on from most. Enjoy it!
