mrbenja0618 said:
I really want to maintain the surprise too. Would that idea result in a much faster ending?
Well, I guess you could have Yoda landing on Dagobah put back in to add some time.
Only about 45 seconds if I remember correctly.
As discussed elsewhere, watching the Saga in order of 4,5,1,2,3,6 would preserve the surprise while keeping Jedi as the ending.