The Void at the DownTown Disney District

After reading countless great reviews, I finally made it to The Void Star Wars Secrets of the Empire in Downtown Disney. Thinking it was only going to be a temporary installation I found it is here to stay, have you experience it yet? You will find lots of reviews on tie experience but since no pictures are allowed within the game I will breakdown the experience the best I can.

What is The VOID?

The VOID is a full sensory, immersive experience. It’s location-based entertainment meaning you walk into real-time hyper-reality that combines interactive sets, real-time effects and amazing technology all without restraints. The plot: Under the orders of the budding rebellion, your team will travel to the molten planet of Mustafar. Your mission is to recover Imperial intelligence vital to the rebellion’s survival. Alongside the pragmatic droid K-2S0, your team must navigate through an enemy facility walking into danger at every turn. Disguised as stormtroopers, grab your blaster, solve puzzles, and fight giant lava monsters in an effort to fulfill your team's orders.

Down for the challenge? Here's how to experience The VOID: Make a reservation online or in person. They take walk ins as well. There is a waiver to sign by everyone, kids as well as adults. The cost is also the same for everyone and there is no AP discount. With resort fee it comes to about $38 per person. The entire experience from filing out the waiver to getting out of the gear is about 30 minutes total. You can experience The Void with up to.4 people at a time.

The debriefing room is where you select your color in order to better identify each person in your party, the mission is explained and you then gear up in your virtual reality vest and head gear. It is a tad heavy but once you are strapped in the weight balances and trust me it will be the last thing on your mind. They provide you with a locker to keep all of your items, phone, purse, jewelry in as none of these are allowed within the experience.

From here on out it is a visual overload and a sense of urgency grabs ahold of you as you take your first steps into the unknown, literally there really is no clue. It really is a lot to take in if you have never experienced a true virtual reality experience before. Looking at your crew they are all in storm trooper gear and the spaces you travel through are the enemies facilities and beyond. It was a bit confusing for me to be quite honest as I was also trying to keep an eye on my girl. You are immersed in sights and sound all within a space that has interactive components. When you sit on a bench that is projected through your glasses there is a bench, doorways to pass through , real guns to grab, codes that are required to open passages (those codes! If you plan on going be sure to have a member of your team that is good with memory, it's like the old school Simon game and it only gets harder if you don't enter the correct sequence). 

There is a pretty major battle scene that you are involved with for a length of time that was pretty amazing! Along with the visual aspect of the experience there are also smells. I feel for the novice or first timer of such a game it will be a bit confusing and take a couple times to get the hang of it. The VOID is rated for ages 10 and up. I feel it's better suited those a bit older and that have a general hold on gaming. Ultimately, you know your childs abilities best.

We unfortunately left the game before we got to the end (my girl tripped inside and we were helped out, may have been due to the weight of the pack or the mass amount of visual stimulation) so I can't tell you how it all ends but I hear you face a certain big guy in a black suit. You have an option to purchase a photo of your group after the game is over. You really do need to pay very close attention to what is happening to progress within the different spaces/scenes quickly. Going in not really understanding the mission and what was expected rendered me almost useless. The first room you enter before suiting up should really be a place that the objective is explained better by the staff in my opinion.

A few cons: This is not a guided trip, you are on your own to make your way through the various passages all while under the fire of the enemy. I did feel rushed in the beginning set up by the staff and feel they could better prepare you for what's to come like knowing you will be finding guns to use and entering codes to proceed as it is hard to know what is real and what is not. I also feel that if you are stuck within a certain scene they should "help" you along as to not delay the next group and keep the action going. The technology I will say was beyond amazing and I couldn't help laughing when looking at the rest of my group in their Storm Trooper suit, it really was a trip.

Would I try it again, I think I would knowing now what to expect but I wouldn't take my girl again till she was older, mentally and visually it's a boat load to take in and you are literally having to think on the fly. If you are any level of a Star Wars fan, this is a must try experience. So do you think you are down for the challenge? Think you can take on the dark side? I have 2 passes for one reader to visit The VOID and try it out for themselves. Enter below and may the force be with you!

• 1580 S. Disneyland Drive Anaheim, CA Located next to Sprinkles Cupcakes

Get 3 hours of validated parking with your ticket purchase to The VOID. For detailed parking information, visit the Disneyland web site here. Open Daily: 9am - 11:45pm

Please plan to arrive a few minutes ahead of your reservation time to check in. Due to popularity and demand, there may be periodic waits. Allow up to one hour for your end-to-end experience.