Pirates & Pals Fireworks Voyage by Karen Stewart
On November 9th, my husband and I and a good friend of ours went on the Pirates & Pals Fireworks Voyage. We entered the Contemporary Resort Hotel, where a sweet Cast Member named Donna, who gave us our boat and seat assignments, our bandanas, and a rundown on how the night was going to go, greeted us. As instructed, we put our bandanas on, and waited with our boat mates for the captains to show up. The doors opened, and two pirates came to invite us into the party. They introduced themselves as the Boat Captains, Patch and Patch. They then led us into a room, where we were instructed to eat and drink to our heart’s content, and to make sure we got our pictures taken with Captain Hook and Smee, who were waiting to see us off on our voyage. We snacked on cake and ice cream, popcorn and cotton candy, and so much more. There was coffee and tea, lemonade and sweet tea to quench our thirst.
After we’d had our fill of snacks and beverages, our boat captains separated us into our boat groups, and we marched outside. We boarded our boats and set sail, with our trusty Captain Patch to lead us. We sang songs and got to know each other, got sworn in as Pirates as we got into position to watch the Electric Water Parade. It was so cool to have a front row seat!! After it was over, we sailed off to watch the fireworks. On our way there, Patch filled our heads with Disney facts and trivia, sang a rousing chorus of “A Pirate’s Life for Me” and took pictures with the kids.
Patch was the perfect Captain for our voyage! He made something that could have simply been fun into something magical. As promised, we had the perfect view of the fireworks over Cinderella’s Castle. Once the fireworks started, everyone was quiet, enthralled by the beauty and the music. On our way back to the dock, Patch led us in a trivia contest, where he called on the smallest pirates for the answers. Every small pirate won a prize on our boat! As we approached the dock, Patch asked us to make one more wish. He said if we wished really hard it would come true. We all wished for a special guest to meet us at the end of the dock. I guess we all wished hard enough, because there was our secret surprise guest, at the end of the dock, just like Captain Patch said!!
This was a fantastic experience. From start to finish we were engaged, amused, and enthralled. If you have kids or if you are a kid at heart, I highly recommend this event. We had so much fun, and it truly was a night to remember. Getting to watch the fireworks from the Lagoon was such a unique experience. It’s definitely different from watching the fireworks from Main Street. The boats are full, but not crowded, and there was not a seat where your view was obstructed. This is definitely another example of Disney Magic at it’s best.
About Karen:
Karen and her husband Ronald are both TMSM Nation Members. Both originally from the North Eastern section of the US, Ronald’s service in the US Military relocated them to Florida, where they stayed after he retired. They love Disney, and trying sharing their love of Disney with friends.
For more information or to book your Pirates and Pals cruise visit www.disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/contemporary-resort/pirates-and-pals-fireworks-voyage/
Michele also contributes theme park news for Fox 35 Orlando 11pm news and on the radio on WDBO.
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