The Force is strong in this one

One of the cooler parts of Disneyland is the Jedi Training Academy, a stage show of sorts in which children are invited to train with a "Jedi Master," then must face off against the Dark Lord himself: Darth Vader.

Melissa had talked about this while we were planning our visit, but we'd kind of forgotten about it once we arrived. Today, we happened upon it as we were passing through Tomorrowland. Melissa checked the schedule, and we came back for the next showing awhile later.

During the 30-minute performance, about a fourth of the children in the audience are selected to come up and participate. Niranjana, with her polka-dot fleece, was selected and learned to fight with a light saber.

Then Darth Vader and Darth Maul showed up with a couple of storm troopers, who tried to convince the children they should turn to the Dark Side. All refused, of course, and they faced off against the two forces of evil.

By the time Niranjana's turn to battle Darth Vader came up, she dispatched him fairly quickly, handling the big guy in less than 30 seconds.

This was a pretty amazing experience for our little girl, and she was beaming for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Bravo to Disney for creating this experience.

Here's a bit of the action on video: