Via InsideTheMagic.net
A lightsaber from Savi’s Workshop is one of the most popular – and expensive – souvenirs from Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. Guests can customize their own saber or purchase a deluxe saber inspired by their favorite Star Wars character!
Hand-built lightsabers cost $249.99 per Guest, with a slightly cheaper build-a-droid experience available at Droid Depot for around $120 per Guest. But some crystal upgrades and luxury sabers can run up to $400!
Star Wars and Disney YouTuber Finding the Force recently purchased a limited-edition Cal Kestis lightsaber staff released to celebrate May the Fourth. Unfortunately, it broke as he opened it while sitting on Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland Park.
He quickly approached a Disney Cast Member, who he claimed “refused” to help him out, and made him carry the heavy saber to the back of the Disney Park. Video of the interaction made its way to TikTok and other social media platforms, where Disney Parks fans criticized the YouTuber for his behavior. Some said he went “Karen mode.”
The Lightsaber
Used by everyone from Obi-Wan Kenobi to Darth Vader to Kylo Ren, the lightsaber is the weapon of choice in the Star Wars universe. Nearly every Star Wars fan dreams of channeling the Force while visiting Savi’s Workshop!
But the Cal Kestis hilt isn’t any old lightsaber part. Modeled after EA’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, a video game, only 7,500 of this double-bladed saber were made. It comes in a wooden box and can change the blade color with the touch of a button.
Blades for the Cal Kestis saber are available in blue, green, yellow, purple, red, or white and cost between $45 and $50, depending on the blade length purchased. It’s exclusively available at Dok Ondar’s Den of Antiquities at Disneyland Park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or on shopDisney (though it’s sold out online at this time).
The Disney YouTuber’s Behavior
After Finding the Force realized his lightsaber hilt was broken, he shared his journey to exchange it with his 100,000 YouTube subscribers. Though it’s nowhere near someone like former Disney Channel star Jake Paul or Mr. Beast, the YouTube channel has a large platform to influence Disney Park Guest behavior.
As he walked through Walt Disney’s original Magic Kingdom at Disneyland Resort, the YouTuber became more frustrated that Disney Cast Members wouldn’t carry the lightsaber to Galaxy’s Edge for him.
“The purpose of this video is not to just smear Disney as a company because I vacation at Disney Parks, I’m enjoying it with my kids, I have a lot of fun there,” he said. “…I just think that there’s a major issue with the customer service.”
The YouTuber admitted that he was frustrated after missing rope drop on May the Fourth due to a transportation issue. He waited an hour to get into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, then headed to Dok Ondar’s Den of Antiquities to buy the limited-edition hilt and other souvenirs.
After carrying the 10-20 pound saber and 10-pound crate to the front of the Theme Park, he decided to film a review. Unfortunately, half of the saber wasn’t making any noise. He headed to Guest Services at Town Hall on Main Street, U.S.A, hoping for a quick fix.
The Guest Relations Cast Member informed him that merchandise from Batuu could only be exchanged there, and he would have to carry it back. They also could not help him do so, likely because of liability issues. “Are you joking?” the YouTuber asked.
“This is time I’m wasting returning their merchandise,” he said.
Another Disney influencer filmed the YouTuber as he carried the lightsaber down Main Street, U.S.A., through Adventureland, and to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. He feigned doing a workout and asked Disney Cast Members, including a Stormtrooper, for help along the way. Of course, he was denied.
When the YouTuber finally reached Dok Ondar’s, he kneeled in front of a Disney Cast Member and begged for help. They quickly found a manager who gave him a new lightsaber. He then asked for it to be shipped to his house for the trouble.
“Because the Plaid at the very front of the Park said there was nothing that could be done, that I had to physically walk this box back without handles,” he argued.
They agreed and gave him two Lightning Lane passes for his trouble, but the YouTuber was unhappy with his experience.
“I just can’t believe that there’s nothing Disney could do,” he concluded. “They couldn’t just make a phone call to have someone bring up a box for me? That just sounds like the easiest solution they could have done for a lifelong Disney Parks customer.”
Social Media Reactions
As soon as Finding the Force’s video popped up on TikToker Ryan’s (@r10883) news feed, he felt something was wrong with the YouTuber’s behavior toward Disney Cast Members. He called the reaction “going Karen” and shared footage from the original video:
In a second social media post, Ryan shared his thoughts on Finding the Force’s actions:
Particularly, Ryan was frustrated with a moment in the video when Finding the Force filmed a Disney Cast Member walking away and writing, “Thanks for nothing!”
Commenters overwhelmingly agreed that the YouTuber behaved poorly.
“Ain’t no way he acted like that was such a heavy thing to carry across the Park like people walk around holding their 30lb child across the Park…” said @gotserotonin.
“I was there on the 4th. people were walking around with [lightsabers] and going on rides,” @titi_aon recalled. “They had no issues with carrying them.”
Others pointed out that the YouTuber could’ve hopped on the Disneyland Railroad to save himself some walking or removed his black hoodie in the heat. Some said that his behavior made them stop watching his channel.
“He comes across as really entitled in some of his videos which is why I stopped watching,” @master_cinema wrote. “I understand it’s frustrating to have a broken saber, but to complain about sometimes so trivial as a 7 minute walk with a box and to be so disrespectful to people doing their job is crazy to me.”
Finding the Force responded to the backlash by commenting on his original YouTube video. He claimed people misunderstood his sense of humor and that he was never rude to Disney Cast Members:
It is worth noting that 1) I was not disrespectful to any cast member in person 2) yes my dramatic storytelling is my way of making light of a really crappy situation 3) I was only joking about the manager, I would never film anyone who did not want to be in my videos and he did send the Saber to my house because I repeatedly asked him nicely.
