Pirates League At Sea

Already wearing a pirate t-shirt and shorts with skulls and crossbones brought from home.

Many Disney guests and fans are familiar with Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutiques that transform little girls into Disney Princesses located at Walt Disney World.  When Disney realized that boys—and girls and adults—also wanted to be transformed, Pirates League was created and could be found inside the Pirates of the Caribbean area at Walt Disney World.  Knowing that both of these transformative opportunities were a hit with guests, Disney Cruise Line decided to include BOTH when building their newest ship, the Disney Fantasy.

Located on Deck 5 midship on the Disney Fantasy, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique on most days turns into a Pirates League on Pirates IN the Caribbean Night celebrated once during 7 night sailings. 

Since it was going to be our first time sailing on the Disney Fantasy, we decided to give a pirate make-over a try.  We knew Pirate Night was going to be our 5^th night on-board based on the information provided in our on-line reservation.  We were able to schedule a First Mate Make-over with our other on-line reservations.

The boy’s appointment was at 3:45 pm.  When making the appointment, it was recommended that we allow 45 minutes.  The timing was perfect.  He would be transformed into a pirate prior to dinner and most likely be able to meet characters before dining as well.

We arrived in a timely fashion and the usually pink and feminine Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique was now swathed in a pirate motif.  Even the Cast Members were sporting pirate gear for the occasion.

After checking in, the boy was asked to roll a pair of dice to determine his pirate name.  Tobias Wavewrecker was born!

Before the make-over could take place, the boy had to select from 3 different make-over options for the First Mate Package—which included make-up, headband, eye-patch, sword, earring, sash, tattoo, and commemorative pirate oath featuring his pirate name for around $35. 

Once the selection was made, the make-over commenced.  He had to lean back in the chair for make-up to be applied.  (Too bad the chairs themselves don’t lean back.)   The headband and eye-patch were next.  One rule is that the eye-patch has to be worn above the eye, not on the eye.  Safety first!  The earring was then attached to the headband—clever.

After the tattoo was applied to his hand and the sash and sword were arranged, it was time for the pirate oath.

He then received his commemorative pirate oath featuring his pirate name and we were done.  Elapsed time of the make-over:  15 minutes.

There are a variety of pirate packages to choose from beyond the First Mate Package, which was the least expensive.  Some packages include the entire costume.  There are also pirate packages for girls, which include nail polish.  And, one of the girl pirate make-overs features Tinkerbell. 

Appointments are available throughout the day and evening.  Pirate Night was on a day we were in port—Jamaica—so plan port adventures and any appointments accordingly. 

The boy took full advantage of his pirate make-over the rest of the evening, including  meeting Disney characters in their pirate attire, the Pirates IN the Caribbean deck party, show, and of course, fireworks!  It did take some scrubbing to get off the eye liner.

Last words:  We are glad we did it ONCE.  Pirates League won’t be on our agenda next time.  The cost for the 15 minute make-over was a bit pricey.  The sword did make it home in our luggage with no problems with TSA.  Oh, and I was allowed to take pictures but only of my pirate for privacy reasons--no problem. 

Disney Cruise Line and Walt Disney World--No Better Place to Be A Pirate!

National Talk Like a Pirate Day was September 19, 2012.  To commemorate, the boy wore one of his many pirate shirts to school.  When thinking about pirates, there’s no better way to be a pirate or celebrate pirates than Disney Cruise Line or Walt Disney World Resort.

While we have yet to experience the Pirate’s League at Walt Disney World, it is where ordinary guests are transformed into pirates with make-up, hair decorations, costumes, and accessories.  An pirate training session is also available with none other than Captain Jack Sparrow.  The Pirate’s League is located near the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Walt Disney World.  Another version of Pirate’s League is on Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Disney Fantasy.

Speaking of Disney Cruise Line, a highlight of any cruise is the Pirates IN the Caribbean meal, deck party, and fireworks.  This themed evening, also known as pirate night, offers something for the entire family.  Click here to read more.

Pirate Night is something we enjoy and look forward to participating in during a Disney Cruise.  And, that means bringing accessories from home—including a pirate costume for the boy (he’s on his second costume!).  We also bring eye patches, a blow up sword, and we added inflatable parrots and pirate hooks to our list of accessories for the last trip. 

There are also many pirate themed items for purchase on the ship.  We consider price and airport security when making any pirate themed purchases.  I don’t want to explain a toy pirate sword or gun to a TSA agent at the airport.

Gathering pirate gear can be fun and there are savings to be had.  For example, the boy’s pirate costume was actually a holiday gift from the red suited man himself, who found it on sale after Halloween.  The inflatable sword was a kid’s meal toy in 2005 and has definitely stood the test of time.  Our inflatable parrots and hooks came from the dollar store.  We also bring some pirate booty for treasure hunting on Castaway cay by using the colored bead necklaces that are passed out at parades and other celebrations.  When those necklaces come home, they go into our “pirate box” which stores all of our pirate paraphernalia.

If you are new to cruising with Disney or somewhat hesitant about showing your pirate colors, so to speak, please don’t be.  Pirate night is fun and everyone gets involved—including the crew!  And, the fireworks at sea are a bonus, too!

Disney Cruise Line--Puerto Vallarta

The third port of call on our Summer 2008 Disney Cruise was Puerto Vallarta. The Port Adventure planned for the day was to sail on a pirate ship to a deserted beach to play and then sail back. A we docked at the pier, we could see our vessel just around the corner. So after a short walk, we board our pirate ship, as shown in the photo below.

While sailing, the pirates, who were also our servers on the ships for drinks and such, put on a swashbuckling show for us, as shown in the photo below. The voyage was smooth and soon we were just off shore of our deserted beach. Small boats were used to take guests from the pirate ship to shore.

Then it was time for beach adventure! Now let me tell you that the waters off the coast of Mexico in July are warm. Warm waters mean that the jellyfish are active. And, yes, we were under a jellyfish warning, so there were no snorkeling activities on the beach and we were to use caution for all other activities. We got to know the jellyfish personally. The husband picked up an orange peel like creature from shallow waves only to discover it was a jellyfish. He tossed it far into the water. Both the boy and I got stung. The boy on his chest and I got it on my foot. Nothing serious, just a prickly sensation and a pattern of red marks on the skin. We were both fine and continued playing. I took a banana boat ride on the waves during our beach time. Fun!

The husband calls the photo above the "Lost" photo of the boy. Since I'm not a viewer of the show I don't "get it", but maybe you will. Anyway, the photo captures the level of fun and adventure we had at the beach.

After sailing back to the pier, we darned our pirate garb for dinner as it was Pirate Night on the ship. Yeah, a whole day of pirate activities! Couldn't have planned it better! After dinner, the special pirate menu, the boy went to the club for "Who wants to be a pirate?" activities. That's when he got his face painted to look like a pirate. We then picked him up from the club for the Pirates in the Caribbean deck party. OK, we weren't in the Caribbean, but this is one of Disney Cruise Line themes, so we went with it.

The deck party includes a dancing, games, characters in pirate garb, a show where Mickey saves the day, and fireworks at sea! Disney is the only cruise line that has permission to shoot fireworks at sea, as it is typically a sign of distress. A special pirate buffet on deck follows the show/party.

Tips and Hints:

• Bring your own pirate gear if you plan to dress up. Of course you can purchase items on board at premium prices. The pirate vest was a birthday gift and one of our greatest pirate finds was an inflatable sword that was in a McDonald's Happy Meal to promote a movie. That sword has been on many trips with us and always makes it through airport security.
• Bring your own beach/sand toys and life jacket if you need one. We are now past the life jacket stage for anything but boating, but we still need beach/sand toys. And, again, you can purchase them on board. I save butter containers or any other interestingly shaped plastic containers and purchase buckets/shovels at the local dollar store. After a day of play on the beach, the containers can be thrown away, making more room in the luggage.
• Play along! Where else can you dress up and act like a pirate other than Halloween?
• If your Port Adventure does not include a meal, consider taking along sandwiches from room service to take along. Just let them know you are taking it off the ship as they have special pre-packaged food that meet customs requirements.

If you want to read about our first port of call--Cabo San Lucas--click here.
If you want to read about our second port of call--Mazatlan--click here.