Pirates & Pals Cover

On select nights there is a special event that celebrates the Disney pirate in all of us. The Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage starts one and a half hours before the Wishes nighttime spectacular( Magic Kingdom’s fireworks display) departs from The Contemporary Resort and is a jolly good time for adults and kids of all ages!

To begin the voyage we checked in outside one of the ballrooms where we were greeted told of all the activities we could do until the room was ready and given our boat assignment and voyage bandana. We arrived early to be able to enjoy the scavenger hunt, photo opportunities and activity pages for the kids. Before the doors to the ballroom opened our two hosts for the evening, Patch and Patch (clever right), called everyone together and let us know of all the rollicking fun they had in store and gave us a timeline of the night’s events.

checkin collage

Once inside, there were light snacks consisting of popcorn, pretzels, cotton candy, cake and a treasure chest full ice cream, including everyone’s favorite Mickey bars! There were also a FEW healthy options too, although my two year olds favorite was the trunks filled with chocolate doubloons. While eating our snacks, and that’s what it is so make sure you have dinner before, Captain Hook and Mr. Smee arrived to take pictures and sign autograph books. The line for Captain Hook and Mr. Smee was long towards the beginning, so eat and wait for the line to shorten. As things wind down Patch and Patch return to divide the group by boats and pick flag holders to parade everyone down to the dock along with Captain Hook and Mr. Smee. Although you are reminded many times before boarding, there are no facilities onboard so make sure to go before you leave. Also there are handicapped spaces onboard so this cruise really is for everyone.

hook collage

Once we cast off and began the short ride on the Seven Seas Lagoon, the electrical water pageant was just starting for the resort and they stopped the boat to give us a close up seat. For those that have never seen this it’s a floating light spectacle that displays true Disney Imagineering. The pageant debuted in 1971 and is one of Disney’s longest running shows and was the inspiration for Main Street Electrical Parade which premiered in Disneyland in 1972. After the parade ended we enjoyed the leisurely cruise over to the Magic Kingdom while joining in on some classic sing-a-longs with Patch. In true Disney fashion we arrived just in time to drop anchor and wait for Patch to ring the bell signaling Tinker Bell’s flight from the castle. The boat had the music perfectly piped in and we had a flawless front row seat to Wishes! On our ride home Patch took pictures with all of the young sailors and then we played Disney trivia so all the young mateys could take home a special prize.

Pirates & Pals End

As we pulled back in to dock Peter Pan was waiting to greet us in full “Pan” style and then of course chat, take pictures and sign autographs. It was the perfect ending to an entertaining evening. I would highly recommend this cruise to anyone and its great option for all the sibling boys that endure all the Princess things for their sisters. The cruise can make for a light night so you might want to reconsider those early breakfast reservations and sleep in. So if this cruise sounds like the perfect addition to your next Disney vacation, I would love the opportunity to help you plan for it. Please feel free to email or call toll free at 800-670-4312 Ext. 144. For more Disney tips follow me on Facebook and Pinterest.