What’s old is new again as Darth Vader takes over the former Jedi Training Academy stage at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The move comes as Vader vacates the Star Tours queue after being displaced by the closure of the Star Wars Launch Bay. There’s a lot to unpack here, so here’s what you need to know about the latest Darth Vader meet & greet changes.
Darth Vader Meet & Greet Moves to Former Jedi Training Academy Stage at Hollywood Studios
Back in September 2025, Darth Vader was displaced when the Star Wars Launch Bay closed in the former Animation Courtyard area of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Vader moved from the Launch Bay to the Ewok Village outdoor area of the Star Tours queue. Now, as Spring Break crowds build at Walt Disney World, Star Tours needs that space back, and Darth Vader has moved again.
Darth Vader is now meeting with guests on the former Jedi Training Academy stage next to Star Tours. The Jedi Training Academy was a COVID-19 cutback that never returned. In the Jedi Training Academy, younglings would dress up in their best (provided) Star Wars robe, and face off against Darth Vader or Kylo Ren. The Jedi Training Academy removal was made “official” when signage from the offering was removed back in 2022.
While visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios today, we noticed that Darth Vader was meeting with guests on the lower stage for the Jedi Training Academy, and we had to jump in line to meet with him ourselves. Here’s a look at where you’ll find Darth Vader now at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
From what we understand, the move is to allow the Star Tours attraction to utilize the outdoor queue for Spring Break crowds. If that’s the case, we’d expect that Darth Vader would move back to the Star Tours outdoor queue at some point in the future. We’ll be sure to keep an eye on his movements and report back to base!
As always, keep checking back with us here at BlogMickey.com as we continue to bring you the latest news, photos, and info from around the Disney Parks!