At Home Pirate Day Family Fun

Have a pirate day of fun!

Looking to bring a little magic to a day at home?  I love creating Disney themed days for my kids and thought I would share my latest one here.  We're all missing the magic of Disney right now so we took advantage of some of our leftover goodies from our recent Disney Cruise Line vacation to plan a pirate themed day at home.  Here are a few ideas to recreate your own pirate experience with your little buccaneers.

Pirate Costumes 

We started off the day getting dressed in our pirate-y best.  On our recent Disney Cruise Line vacation on the Disney Dream, our whole family had makeovers at The Pirate's League on Pirate Night.  I saved all of our take home items - sashes, bandanas, eye patches, swords, etc. - and we used them to get dressed up.

Read more about The Pirate's League on Disney Cruise Line here!

If you don't have pirate costumes at your house, see how creative you can get.  Do you have any material you could use to make your own bandanas?  Can the kids draw their own swords on a recycled box and cut it out?  You could even cover it in aluminum foil to make it look more real! And don't forget, eye makeup can easily give a few pirate touches to anyone's face.

Pirate Activities

While we are social distancing / learning from home, coming up with educational activities during the day was a must.  My youngest son who is in Pre-K chose a Jake and the Neverland Pirates book from his collection to read with me that day.  We laughed at silly Captain Hook and Mr. Smee while counting Gold Doubloons with Jake and his crew.  For my older son in second grade, he found a book about pirates in one of his reading collections online from his school that he read independently.  We also practiced some pirate-y problem solving skills with this scavenger hunt that I found on Pinterest.  The boys LOVED it and have been begging me for more activities like this.  Of course, not ALL of our learning activities were pirate themed, but I did the best I could to add a little swashbuckling adventure to the day.  There are tons of pirate themed craft ideas online too that a quick s

Pirate Themed Dinner & A Movie

We wrapped up the night with an easy dinner from under the sea.  With kid favorites like fish sticks and popcorn shrimp, it was an easy crowd pleaser.  We also decided to break the rules a bit and do dinner in the living room while we watched Pirates of the Caribbean on Disney+.  If you're not sure if your kids are old enough for pirate stories starring Johnny Depp, you can end your pirate day with Jake and the Neverland Pirates.  I'm not sure about you, but I think he is one of the most underrated pirates out there and I'm so glad we can watch him again on Disney+ since he stopped airing on Disney Junior!

For more information on educational and fun content on Disney+, check this out!

So that's it!  A few easy ways to add some pirate fun to your stay-at-home day with kids.  I was able to pull this off with just the things I had on hand at the house, so it was simple, but fun.  If you try out your own pirate night, be sure to tag me on Twitter and Instagram @dsnyrunrgrl so I can "sea" your adventures!  Ahoy!!

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The Pirate's League on Disney Cruise Line

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me. . .

Each Disney Cruise Line vacation in the Bahamas and Caribbean features a special Pirates in the Caribbean night where scalawags of all ages are invited to party aboard the ship.  For this special night, the usual Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique on the ship also transforms into The Pirate's League.  We had done this experience twice before in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World, but not on one of our cruise vacations yet.  On our recent trip, we decided to make reservations for the whole family - yes, that's right - all 4 of us!

Before we start, let's go over some basic information you need to know.  This experience can be booked online in your cruise planning section on the Disney Cruise Line website.  We didn't have a problem getting a reservation and there were still some available even on Pirate Night itself, but for the best times and to ensure your reservation, I recommend doing it when your window opens if you're interested.  You can always cancel or change your reservation if needed closer to the time.  The cost is $44.95 (as of January 2020) for a variety of makeover options - 3 piratey options that are more for the boys (Jack Sparrow, Blackbeard, and Captain Hook) and 2 options for the ladies (Empress and Redd).  For an additional fee you can also purchase a costume, but I recommend bringing one from home to save on cash.  Money Saving Tip - Check your local stores in the days following Halloween for deep discounts on costumes and accessories.  You also want to carefully pick your time during the day to schedule your makeover.  We chose to do ours at 4:45 because that allowed us all day in port to enjoy the beach and pool, but still have the whole evening to enjoy our new looks.

When you arrive, you'll check in at the front desk and roll the dice to find out your new pirate name.  After confirming your pirate selection, the buccaneers in your family will be whisked away to your chair for your swashbuckling makeover.  The makeover is quick - roughly 15 minutes - but the memories will last much longer.  The cast members entertain both the person getting the makeover and the family with jokes, stories, and songs.  At the end of the makeover, the newest pirate takes the pirate oath and officially becomes part of the league.

While it may be obvious that kids will have fun at The Pirate's League, the bigger question may be if adults can have fun there too.  Unlike the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, adults are welcome to participate.  The makeovers are the same as the ones offered for kids.  I didn't find my makeover to be overly impressive from the actual make-up side of things (could have been much bolder in my honest opinion), but I had just as much fun as my kids.  In my opinion, I think the male makeovers pack a bit more punch and thought my husband made quite the impressive pirate.

After you leave The Pirate's League, you will have a night to remember.  We used the remainder of the time before dinner to meet a few pirate characters including Pirate Mickey and Captain Jack Sparrow.  We then enjoyed our pirate themed dinner inside Animator's Palate.  Our night then continued with Mickey's Pirates in the Caribbean Night Deck Party and the fireworks at sea later on in the evening.

Dressing up for Pirate Night makes the night even more fun for the whole family and I'm so glad we made the decision to book The Pirate's League on the Disney Dream.  Would we book it again?  I think I would definitely consider booking it again for our boys - at $44.95 I feel like it was well worth the price.  It's much more reasonable than the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and a fun way for the boys to  get in on the excitement.  Be sure to check it out on your next Disney Cruise Line vacation!  Ahoy mateys!

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Pirate Adventures on the Seven Seas Lagoon

During our Halloween week visit to Walt Disney World, we knew we wanted to do something special to celebrate the festive holiday week with our 4 year old.  Once we had sticker shock at ticket prices soaring over $100 each for Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, we opted to get creative and have just as much with a smaller price tag.  With that in mind, we decided to have a pirate themed adventure day with a visit to The Pirates League in Magic Kingdom and topped off with a sailing on the Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage that evening.  I've read a lot about fireworks cruises at Walt Disney World before, but had not experienced one myself.  I was excited to try a new experience and am equally excited to share that it was a great one!

The Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage departs most nights from The Contemporary Resort.  Sailors of all ages arrive at The Contemporary and are directed to a check-in desk where you get a special bandana to let cast members know that you are cleared for embarkation.  While you wait to enter the party, cast members keep the family entertained with coloring stations and a scavenger hunt around the hotel.  Our festivities were set to begin at 7:45 and right on schedule our pirate host, Patch greeted guests and invited us into a party room.  Brody was literally like a kid in a candy store as the desserts were unlimited and the sugar rush was intense.  I think his favorite out of the cakes, candy, popcorn, drinks had to be the blue cotton candy - he tried to eat two bags, but we convinced him to save one for later.  Which by the way is a fun tip.  The food is free and cast members encourage you stock up for the boat ride.  While you're busy enjoying the treats, you'll also notice a line forming to meet two of your favorite pirates - Captain Hook and Mr. Smee.  The line moves quick and both characters are happy to play and sign autographs.  After they are done greeting each party, the characters mingle around with guests (a rare treat anymore in Disney!) and enjoy some time dancing and playing.  Mr. Smee even engaged in a sword fight with Brody while they danced to Jake and the Neverland Pirate music.

Throughout the party, guests are frequently reminded about the 8:15 departure time to head to the boats and to please use the bathrooms before getting on the boats as there are none on board.  Despite these warnings, our son decided he needed to use the bathroom at the absolute last possible minute and we almost missed the boat.  Anyway, at 8:15 our pirate host, Patch, and his friend, also named Patch, came back in the room to get us organized.  There were two boats that night - the Hook and the Smee.  Captain Hook led his boat down to the dock and Mr. Smee did the same.  The two waved goodbye as we sailed off in the waters of the Seven Seas Lagoon to get in position for the 9:00 fireworks.

During the sailing, Patch led our boat in some getting to know you activities as he greeted each family on board.  We were in position right on schedule and the view of Wishes was breathtaking!  It may be my new favorite spot to watch the show from as you truly get a sense of how grand the spectacle is from this distance.  After the show, the pontoon boat quickly departs to head back to The Contemporary.  Patch again leads our crew in a sing-a-long and some pirate games on the way back.  Each child leaves the cruise with a small token from the sailing.  When arriving back at the dock, Peter Pan is there to greet us.  Each guest gets a chance to have a picture with Peter Pan and sign autographs as the night draws to a close.  I was disappointed that our pictures with Peter Pan didn't link to our Memory Maker and we couldn't track them down, but we at least have our autograph and memories from the night as well as the other awesome Memory Maker photos too.




I loved our night out on the Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage.  The cost when we went in October was $69 for adults and $41 for children 3-9.  Since then, there has been a ticket price increase to $73 for adults and $43 for children.  I had no problem at all paying what we did for the cruise and thought the evening was full of fun!

  

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Yo Ho, Yo Ho A Pirate's Life for Me

Ahoy mateys! If you are like me and have a young pirate in your family, there are several experiences you don't want to miss on your Walt Disney World vacation.  Today, I'm going to highlight a magical adventure for junior buccaneers - The Pirates League.  The Pirates League is located inside of the Magic Kingdom by the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in Adventureland.  There are experiences here for kids and adults, boys and girls.  Packages include the chance for pirate makeovers and mermaid makeovers.  Similar to the more well known Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, guests can choose to participate in just the makeover or purchase costume options as well to complete the look.

We made a reservation for 9:40 AM following a breakfast at The Crystal Palace.  We chose to make an earlier reservation so that we could get the most bang for our buck.  Brody also had a Captain Hook Halloween costume that we had bought on sale from The Disney Store.  We arrived at The Pirates League right on schedule, dressed and ready to go.  Upon checking in, Brody was presented with a menu of makeover options and he decided to go for the Captain Hook option.  I was prepared for the $49 price tag and was expecting a well-executed makeover.  The experience was so much more though!!

When the young pirate or mermaid first enters, he or she is assigned a new name.  You then wait your turn in the "salon" where you can watch everyone else getting their makeover and celebrate their transformation.  When it was Brody's turn, he was invited to join a cast member in his own special pirate chair.  The cast member was entertaining and asked Brody all kinds of questions about his pirate adventures.  During the makeover, Brody was presented with a bandana, eye patch, earring, and necklace with a pirate medallion.  When he was finished, Pirate Matthew Ironeagle (the name that was selected for him at the beginning), was presented to the room.  He was given his sash and sword and then had to swear a pirate oath.  The final step in the experience involved a secret trip into the treasure room.  I don't want to spoil the surprise - but it is certainly a fun, entertaining way to end the visit.  

The last step is to of course pay for your trip to The Pirates League.  In my opinion, this is well worth the money.  It was one of Brody's favorite things we did on this trip and I think he'll remember his visit for a long time to come.  We followed up our visit to The Pirates League with a sailing on the Pirate and Pals Fireworks Cruise that night - a topic for another post!

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Coming in 2017!

Walt Disney Studios had a phenomenal year in 2016.  Zootopia, Finding Dory, Moana, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story all were big successes for Walt Disney Studios - just to name a few.  And 2017 seems to be setting up for another exciting year! Below are some quick previews from Walt Disney Studios.  I highlighted the ones that are on the "don't miss" list for my family this year!

March 17, 2017 - Beauty and the Beast
#BeautyandtheBeast
#BeOurGuest




The story and characters audiences know and love come to spectacular life in the live-action adaptation of Disney’s animated classic “Beauty and the Beast,” a stunning, cinematic event celebrating one of the most beloved tales ever told. “Beauty and the Beast” is the fantastic journey of Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a Beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast’s hideous exterior and realize the kind heart of the true Prince within.

May 26, 2017 - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
#PiratesoftheCaribbean
#APiratesDeathForMe 




Johnny Depp returns to the big screen as the iconic, swashbuckling anti-hero Jack Sparrow in the all-new “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.” The rip-roaring adventure finds down-on-his-luck Captain Jack feeling the winds of ill-fortune blowing strongly his way when deadly ghost sailors, led by the terrifying Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem), escape from the Devil's Triangle bent on killing every pirate at sea—notably Jack. Jack's only hope of survival lies in the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to find it he must forge an uneasy alliance with Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario), a brilliant and beautiful astronomer, and Henry (Brenton Thwaites), a headstrong young sailor in the Royal Navy. At the helm of the Dying Gull, his pitifully small and shabby ship, Captain Jack seeks not only to reverse his recent spate of ill fortune, but to save his very life from the most formidable and malicious foe he has ever faced.

June 16, 2017 - Cars 3
#Cars3 


Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician, Cruz Ramirez (voice of Cristela Alonzo), with her own plan to win, plus inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet and a few unexpected turns. Proving that #95 isn’t through yet will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing’s biggest stage!

November 22, 2017 - Coco
#Coco

Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel (voice of newcomer Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (voice of Benjamin Bratt). Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector (voice of Gael García Bernal), and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history. Directed by Lee Unkrich (“Toy Story 3”), co-directed by Adrian Molina (story artist “Monsters University”) and produced by Darla K. Anderson (“Toy Story 3”), Disney•Pixar’s “Coco” opens in U.S. theaters on Nov. 22, 2017.

December 15, 2017 - Star Wars: Episode VIII
#StarWarsVIII

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Quick Trip Recap

We're fresh off our latest trip to the Walt Disney World Resort and I have so much to share about our vacation!  We traveled with my parents and stayed at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek.  This was the first time we've stayed off property with kids and I have to say that the Hilton was a perfect choice.  I'm going to update my review of the property with everything that we enjoyed with the kids, but in short, the pool, breakfast, and transportation made it easy to enjoy all the parks had to offer as well as relax around the resort during our "down time."

Daddy and Caleb enjoying the pool at the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek

Our week long trip included a 6 day Magic Your Way base ticket where we visited one park per day.  We opted to spend 2 days each at Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom with 1 day each at Epcot and Hollywood Studios.  Inside the parks, we tried a few new experiences including The Pirates League at Magic Kingdom and the Jedi Training Academy: Trials of the Temple at Hollywood Studios.  Brody, our 4 year old, loved all of the Star Wars activities at Hollywood Studios in particular.  While Hollywood Studios is getting a bad rap lately due to so much of the park being closed for the addition of Star Wars Land and Toy Story Land, I think this might have been one of Brody's favorite days.

My handsome Captain Hook!

Brody was an extremely brave Jedi as he battled Darth Vader and Kylo Ren!

We also tried a few new dining and evening experiences.  The Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage was a memorable evening and one that I would highly recommend to anyone with young kids.  We also enjoyed a fabulous date night out at Jiko with it's delicious South African cuisine and tried out the breakfast at Akershus inside of Epcot.  I was also thrilled to run in the inaugural runDisney Wine and Dine 10K my last day in Walt Disney World.

Meeting my doppelgänger, Snow White, at breakfast!

Just a few quick pictures from the inaugural runDisney Wine and Dine 10K

I'll admit that the week long vacation with a 1 year old and 4 year old had its trying moments, I still think that the boys enjoyed their time in the most magical place on Earth.  I can't wait to share all of the experiences with you from my trip over the next few weeks.  Stay tuned for some new and exciting posts!

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