When I was six years old, I was granted a Make A Wish. My wish was to meet George Lucas. Apparently he was busy and not meeting anyone. He was probably writing The Clone Wars, so I guess I forgive him since that is one of the greatest shows of all time. If he was not, what the hell, man. I digress. They gave me two choices: visit Skywalker Ranch or attend Star Wars Weekend at Disney. Could you guess which I picked? It was Disney, of course.
I was six. I did not know or care what Skywalker Ranch was. I heard the magic word, Disney. Looking back, I would love to visit Skywalker Ranch, but I think I made the right choice for my age.
Little did I know the journey I was about to take would be a game changer. A kid who had faced death was given an amazing experience that is still one of his best memories.
This wish gave me something to look forward to after seeing Revenge of the Sith the year before, supposedly the last Star Wars movie. The trip took place in May, around my sister’s and my birthday. We were actually there on my sister’s birthday.
A limo picked us up and took us to the airport. I was amazed. I thought it was so cool to be in a limo, and it made me feel important. When we boarded the plane, also a first for me, I got to meet the pilot and visit the cockpit. The journey had already mesmerized me, and we had not even made it to Florida.
When we landed, we were treated like royalty everywhere we went: the hotel, Disney, and Universal. The customer service for a Make A Wish kid was unmatched. At the hotel, they always asked how my day was and what I did. They even left a birthday cake in our room for my sister. Disney put us in the fast lane before fast lanes were really a thing. At Universal, someone would escort us to the front whenever they saw my Make A Wish button.
There is nothing else like it.
Now for Star Wars Weekend, which was what the whole wish was about. They took me into a building that regular Disney visitors could not enter. There, they gave me an enormous chest full of Star Wars gifts. I tore it open and tossed things everywhere as I eagerly dug deeper. Unbeknownst to me, I was sitting next to Rick McCallum, producer of Star Wars Episodes I, II, and III. I found that out afterward.
My parents were cleaning up after me when Mr. McCallum intervened and asked them to stay with me. His team would clean up later. I also met Warwick Davis and Peter Mayhew, the actors who played Wicket the Ewok and Chewbacca. Lucky for me, this time I was told who they were. It was an incredible experience that I still cherish.
I also had character encounters with Chewbacca, Anakin, Mace Windu, Clone Troopers, and R2 D2, which was a fully working robot. It was incredible to watch him move around the room. My favorite character was Darth Maul. They said he was very busy and could not meet me, but I looked out the door and saw him passing by. I screamed Darth Maul, ran toward him, and fell on my face.
Rick McCallum sent people after him, so I got to meet him and get his autograph. I was treated like Darth Vader would treat Emperor Palpatine.
For the big finale, I took part in Star Wars Jedi training. They picked me to go on stage and learn to fight like a Jedi. They gave me a lightsaber and taught me a sequence of moves. I wore a Jedi cloak made by the Disney costume designers. I wanted to fight Darth Maul, but because I was on stage I fought Darth Vader. It was amazing. I was already efficient with a lightsaber because I had taught myself all the saber spins from watching the movies so much.
I fought him with great haste. The instructor said I must have had a lot of sugar beforehand.
This journey was truly life changing. During that time, I was not happy, and my parents knew it. They said the trip changed everything. I seemed like a different person. I was happy and glowing, which had not been the case for almost three years. Make A Wish is amazing. They allow kids like me to experience something truly special during the darkest times.
I hope to repay them one day by sponsoring others like me so they can experience something as special as I did.