Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple

Younglings, aged 4 to 12, are invited to learn the ways of the Force at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple is a popular, free activity with multiple shows per day. Advanced registration on the day of the show is required. Registration begins at park opening, even with early extra magic hours. Because availability is limited, and it's on a first-come, first-served basis, it's recommended that you arrive early to proceed registration when the park opens for the day. All participants must be present at the time of registration.

Registration takes place at the Indiana Jones Adventure Outpost. This is located between the 50's Prime Time Cafe and the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. You'll enter the park and should walk down the left side of Hollywood Boulevard. You'll take a left after the shops and pass Hollywood & Vine and 50's Prime Time Cafe. From there you should see the sign for Jedi Training sign ups.

The participants must be present at time of registration. They'll ask them a few questions to make sure they can follow directions and won't mind being in front of people in a show setting. It's a good idea to have your itinerary with you with any FastPass and dining reservation times. They'll do their best to find a show time that works for you. The show last 20 minutes and they'll have you arrive early to get ready. These shows are first-come, first-served, so if the only times left interfere with FastPasses, You may have to rearrange that instead if it's important that your little one participate.

Please arrive on time at the time they designate. This allows them to account for everyone and see if any stand-ins will be able to participate in the show. They'll entertain the kids with trivia while they pass out the Jedi robes and go over some rules and guidelines with them.

From there you'll be directed to the staged area, which has expanded to two stages. Don't worry if you don't get that front and center spot. They'll have a PhotoPass photographer on-hand to capture lots of great action shots. Participants will receive a card afterward that can be used to link the photos to your MyDisneyExperience account. (If you plan on attending, this is a great reason to pre-purchase the Memory Maker!)

The younglings will learn how to use a lightsaber and a sequence of moves proven to defeat the Dark Side. Once they've learned the ways of the Force they'll have an opportunity to use those new techniques to battle the Dark Side!

(The following photos are from Jedi Training Academy, before it was expanded and changed to Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple. They'll give you the concept though.)

You can see the PhotoPass photographer getting up close here

Check out the awesome edits you can make to the PhotoPass photos in MyDisneyExperience!

The kids have a great time, and the show is a lot of fun for the adult spectators as well! If you have any Star Wars fans aged 4-12 who don't mind being on stage with other kids, this is definitely an activity you should plan on adding to your next trip!

Please keep in mind, the shows are done outside and could be canceled due to inclement weather. I would still show up at your designated time, despite rain. They've been known to try to reschedule people if they have room in other shows, or will provide another fun alternative to the missed show ;-)

Feel free to comment if you have any questions or if you'd like to share your experience with Jedi Training!

 This post carries a disclosure Level of 0. Please see my disclosure page for more details.

Foodie Friday: Tony's Town Square Restaurant

This Friday's review covers
Tony's Town Square Restaurant

in Magic Kingdom.

Tony's, the restaurant from one of the most classic, romantic scenes in a Disney movie, is themed, as you can imagine, after said movie- Lady & the Tramp. It's located in Town Square, to the right, as you enter under the train station. Their menu is, of course, Italian. This is considered a Table Service meal on the Disney Dining Plan.

I wouldn't call it the real-deal, but it runs along the lines of Olive Garden (which I happen to like). They serve all the classics- lasagna, spaghetti, chicken parm, etc... This certainly works for my picky family.

The interior looks a little dated, but I think it's part of the ambiance of an old Italian restaurant. I love all the decor, as Lady & the Tramp is one of my faves.

Here's a copy of the menu from our last visit:

And some photos of the good stuff- the food!

Zucchini Fries

Shrimp Scampi

 The chicken parm is my fave. Like I honestly crave this stuff.

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan, sauce on the side

Spaghetti and Meatballs

 The lasagna was good, but I'm pretty spoiled to my mother-in-law's fabulous recipe (so I probably wouldn't order again)

Lasagna

While Tony's sometimes gets a bad rap, we've been three times with no issue. The food and service have always been great. When staying in park for a table service restaurant Tony's is our choice.

Fellow agent, Sarah and her family are also fans. They enjoyed the wait staff so much they got a photo to cherish the experience. (Thanks for letting me share, Sarah!)

This is a wonderful location for parade viewing, too! If you get the right reservation time you could watch the parades (afternoon or evening Electrical Parade) while you wait for your table. Or if you're lucky enough you could be seated outside or in the room looking out into Town Square as we've been lucky enough to experience our last two trips.

 Oh, and just so you know, if someone orders spaghetti, it's kind of a requirement that you re-enact that famous scene...

This post carries a disclosure Level of 0. Please see my disclosure page for more details.

The Pirates League Review

Alas, my beautiful daughter feels she's outgrown the wonderful Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. She still enjoys photo ops with the princesses, however the frills of the dresses are no longer "her style". No fear though, because we found an awesome alternative- The Pirates League at Magic Kingdom. Which is wonderful because my little guy was finally big enough to want to partake in some of the fun extras as well. This suited the both of them perfectly!!

We made our reservations at 180 days, but were able to find some availability to change dates later. When making your reservation, be sure to reserve a spot for each member of your party who will be participating. This is an all ages activity! 

Finally, our trip had come! We signed in approx. 15 minutes prior to our reservation time and only had to wait about 5 minutes or so. It started with the kids getting their official pirate names from the captain's log

A few minutes later we were taken back to the Muster Stations. Each of the kids got their own veteran pirate to give them their makeovers and turn them into the adventurer of their choice

Options include The First Mate and Empress Packages (starting at $34.95 plus tax), Jake and the Never Land Pirates Package (starting at $29.95 plus tax), and The Mermaid Package (starting at $39.95 plus tax) (**Ask about The Mermaid Deluxe Package for $74.95 plus tax**)

My kids chose the First Mate (Captain Hook) and the Empress  Packages.

At the end of the makeover each new recruit is sworn in

Once they were sworn in we were taken to a secret hidden chamber where we found treasure we cannot even begin to speak of... Dead men tell no tales... This is also where a PhotoPass Photographer snapped some great shots. (They're available for purchase, but you can have them scanned to your Magic Band. This is especially great if you've pre-purchased the Memory Maker, as we all know I am a huge proponent of doing, because you'll receive whatever photos they take free for you to download at home!)

I was very fortunate to have received some Disney Magic while we were there. Someone noticed my 30th birthday shirt and asked if I'd be interested in receiving a complimentary Mermaid Makeover. Turns out they have a veteran pirate in training that I suppose they thought could get a few more makeovers under her belt. It didn't matter- the kids thought it would be awesome, and I jumped at the opportunity.

It was a lot of fun, and I certainly wasn't the only adult in the room getting a new look. I noticed this was a very cool family activity for several!! It's definitely something I'd do again, but I would probably opt for the pirate next time (it's more my style).

Though there is a parade, we didn't participate this time. We did, however, stop outside with a PhotoPass photographer for some cool photos.

And later we got this awesome magic shot in front of the castle. I love that our photographer suggested it when he saw my Little Captain Hook.

Oh, and back to the Memory Maker, you can add some pretty cool borders to your photos when you get home before downloading.

All in all, this was an awesome experience. We'll certainly do it again!

For more info, check out my previous post here.

Oh, and the kids' totally awesome pirate shirts and my festive birthday shirt were done by my friend Belinda of Time4MommyCreations. She does excellent custom work for shirts, both in embroidery and vinyl. She also does a multitude of other custom creations. If you can dream it, she can likely do it! Check her out!

This post carries a disclosure Level of 0/1. I paid for my children's makeovers and while there was offered some Disney magic for a free makeover of my own. Disney had no way of knowing I may one day blog about the experience. These opinions are my own and were in no way persuaded by the free service. I definitely recommend trying this out! Please see my disclosure page for more details.

Wordless Wednesday: My Favorite Character is...

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