As our family waits to take our magical Disney World trip that we’ve been waiting for YEARS to take while we paid off over $92,000 worth of debt, we’ve been doing (mostly*) monthly “countdown to Disney” theme nights.
What’s Countdown to Disney theme nights, you ask?
Well, it’s just about the cutest fun thing our family has done.
Each month we have a themed family fun night based around Disney World.
Month one, we did Frozen based around the Epcot ride Frozen Ever After.
Month two, we did Snow White based around the Magic Kingdom Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train ride.
Month three, we did Lion King based around the Animal Kingdom Safari and the Festival of Lion King show.
And then…
I had back surgery*. Haha.
Soooooo we skipped a few months while I recovered.
In June, when I was on the mend post-surgery, we had one of our most fun Disney-themed nights yet.
We adventured to Hollywood Studios to explore Star Wars land. To say we are fans of Star Wars is a bit of an understatement. I have seen every Star Wars movie on opening night (okay, prequel on – I wasn’t old enough to have a say on the originals), and we have devoured the Mandalorian and Bad Batch TV Shows. (Have you watched those? So interesting, right?)
Star Wars Land is one of the main reasons we want to visit Disney World. We are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited to see what Disney has done.
So you better believe we based one of our theme nights all around STAR WARS.
Below are some of the details from the fun night:
DECORATIONS:
Ummmmm… there weren’t really any. Haha.
Sorry, not sorry.
I had just had back surgery and wasn’t feeling up to doing much.
And guess what?
My kids could have cared less. 😉 I put up some fans & sparkly type banners I got from Walmart, threw down a black tablecloth with some holographic-looking paper plates, and called it a day.
DINNER & DESSERT:
I asked the girls to help me come up with a Star Wars menu, and they did not disappoint. Elena (11) and Annabelle (7) drew and colored the food labels and everything. I love it 1 million x more than anything I would have designed myself.
Dinner:
Han Burgers (hamburgers)
Hutt Dogs (hot dogs)
Vader taters (tater tots)
Boba Fettuce (lettuce)
Fruit Kebobies (fruit kabobs)
Dessert:
Wookie Cookies
ACTIVITY: JEDI TRAINING ACADEMY
We thought it would be fun to have the kids do a Jedi training academy type of activity doing various Jedi tasks to become Jedi Masters.
FIRST: RECEIVE JEDI ROBES
James helped me make no-sew Jedi robes that we handed out to the kids.
We bought 2-yards of pre-cut cream & brown fabric and followed THIS tutorial loosely to create them. The robes wouldn’t last long-term for the kids to play in, but for the night, they worked great and got the family in the “Star Wars” mood.
SECOND: BUILD YOUR OWN LIGHTSABER
Jedi’s get their lightsabers by making them. (Something James reminds me of pretty often. Haha.)
EASY LIGHTSABER TUTORIAL
Supplies:
Pool noodle (we cut ours in half)
Duct Tape (we used silver)
Sharpie pen (to design)
Cut the pool noodle in half (or whatever your desired length. On the lower end, tape the duct tape around the edges. Design your lightsaber to your liking with fun buttons, designs, and flare.
THIRD: WIELD YOUR LIGHTSABER IN BATTLE
Did you know there are seven different lightsaber combat forms?
As part of our third training activity, we practiced wielding our lightsabers and trying different combat forms. Then we decided to test out with each other. The battle lasted all of thirty seconds before I decided to end the activity. (Some of my kids got a little excited with their swings.)
FOURTH: USE THE FORCE TO DEFLECT BLASTS FROM YOUR ENEMIES
Jedi training is all about using the Force. To use the Force (or spiritual energy around us that binds the galaxy together), we need to clear our minds, listen to our intuition, and allow the Force to direct us. (Or something like that.)
We practiced using the Force by deflecting gun blasts from across the room. Deflecting the gunfire with their lightsabers was one of the kids’ favorite activities.
We used nerf guns to shoot across the room while the kids used their lightsabers to try to deflect the nerf ammo shot at them. Everyone had several
FIFTH: JEDI MASTER CEREMONY
You guessed it!
All of our kids started as padawans and completed their training as Jedi Masters.
Jedi training – completed!
BUDGET:
You guys know sticking to a budget is something our family works hard to follow. We budgeted $40 for our family fun night.
Black plastic table cloth – $1
Silver prism paper plates – $2
Pool Noodles – $3 (we bought 3)
Jedi Robe 2-yard pre-cut fabric – $10
Nerf Guns – $16
All other party items we already owned or took out of our grocery budget.
Total Spent: $32
All-in-all, the kids had fun, and it was a relatively easy night for this recovering mama. I want to emphasize; when it comes to creating memories, our kids don’t need Pinterest-perfect.
Promise.
My Jedi-robes were wonky and imperfect. The decorations were lackluster and almost non-existent. And I didn’t have the energy to hunt down cute food labels.
And the night was absolutely, completely perfect.
20 Days until Hollywood Studios!
We started with Disney World being eight months away, and we are getting so close to reaching our dream of getting to Disney World!
If you LOVED our Star Wars party, check out our other Disney FUN activities and Free Printables:
Countdown to Disney World Movie Watch List Printable
Countdown to Universal Movie Watch List Printable
Frozen Movie and Activity Itinerary Free Printable
