Pirates & Pals Fireworks Voyage

At Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

Ahoy there, Mateys, and avast! It’s no secret that Happily Ever After at Magic Kingdom brings pirates together from across the Seven Seas. But if you’re looking to experience the show with a whole new dash of pixie dust, then climb aboard and keep your ruddy hands inboard as we review the Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. “And mark well me words, mateys: Dead men tell no tales!”

Check-In:  Shortly before setting sail, all pirates are asked to meet in the lobby of the Contemporary Resort where boats are docked and ready for adventure. Just ask the skeleton for directions if you get lost. As you check-in, you’ll be assigned a captain, seating assignments, and some pirate garb to make sure you blend in with even the most dangerous of sea rats.

Dessert Party: To get things started, pirate guests are escorted into a private convention room for a seafaring dessert party.  Long tables are piled with all sorts of treats like cookies, cupcakes, chips, fresh fruit, pretzels, ice cream bars, and more (No ‘hen for ten’ though, sorry). Water, coffee, and Pirate Punch were also offered for this particular event.

We pillage, we plunder, we rifle and loot. Drink up me hearties, yo ho!

Meet-and-Greet with Captain Hook & Smee: As guests are finishing the dessert party, they’re joined by Captain Hook and Mr. Smee. Guests are moved along quickly but everyone is given ample time for photos.

Tales and Songs with Captain Patch: After the meet-and-greet, pirate inductees are introduced to their cruise captain for the evening. The ruthless Captain Patch will gather his new crew for a boisterous pirate parade over to your vessel. Once on board, there’s no need to swab the decks, but be prepared to join in on all sorts of pirate chants, songs, and trivia games.  Children, in particular, will be well entertained and engaged.

Electrical Water Pageant: Pirate tales and fireworks are definite highlights of the evening, but it wouldn’t be Disney without other special features along the way. Shortly after setting sail on the high seas, Captain Patch steers his crew over for a front-and-center view of the Electrical Water Pageant. It’s a landlubber’s dream for getting a small piece of the former Main Street Electrical Parade, just on water instead.

Happily Ever After Fireworks Show: As the water pageant concludes, Captain Patch takes the vessel to the center of Bay Lake, with Cinderella Castle right in plain view. Your crew will continue in song and tale until it’s time for the Happily Ever After show to begin. Although not right in the “center of action”, you’ll find that your view of the fireworks from the boat is still pretty spectacular and is truly unique. It’s not an experience you can replicate from anywhere else on Disney property.

Happy Thoughts with Peter: Dessert and fireworks may be over, but there’s still one more surprise waiting for pirates upon return from Bay Lake. Get ready for one more exclusive meet-and-greet with Peter Pan himself. For us, it was the pixie dust on top of an already pretty adventurous night.

“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it…  So come with me, where dreams are born, and time is never planned. Just think of happy things, and your heart will fly on wings, forever, in Never Never Land!”- J.M Barrie, Peter Pan

Things to Know Before You Go:

Is it worth the money? Shiver me timbers, YES!  Every tour I’ve gone on has features that make it a truly unique and exclusive experience. However, even with all the incredible experiences offered on other tours, the Pirates & Pals tour has been one of our absolute favorites. It’s just good fun, which, in my opinion, is one of the reasons people love traveling to the Disney parks. The Pirates & Pals Fireworks Cruise costs about $75/adult and $45/children aged 3-10 (after tax). Children under 2 are free.

The fireworks and electrical water pageant are subject to cancellation if there is bad weather. However, this doesn’t often happen and Disney is very professional in handling canceled upcharge events due to weather.

Unlike many of the other events offered at Walt Disney World which require long periods of standing/walking, The Pirates & Pals Cruise is quite disability-friendly. Much of your time on land can be spent sitting and you’ll also be seated for the entire cruise experience.

There are some who suggest requesting a seat on one particular side of the cruise boat for more optimal viewing. However, Captain Patch and his crew really do their best to ensure that both sides of the boat are given time to directly face the fireworks and water pageant. Children are given priority seating near the outside so bigger bodies aren’t blocking their view.

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me!

BrookeA