Ahoy, mates! The Black Pearl has dropped anchor, and Captain Jack Sparrow is in search of recruits to join the wildest crew that ever sacked the Spanish Main. He and his band have established The Pirates League, the newest Guest experience in Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom Park.
Tucked away in the bustling marketplace of Caribbean Plaza is the former headquarters of the infamous East India Trading Company, but their shipping office and warehouse have been shanghaied by pirates and turned into a veritable recruitment center. Evidence of the East India Co. can still be seen, but the facility has been completely ransacked and turned into the terrestrial base for Capt. Jack and his crew, the place where they hang their hats when not sailing the seven seas aboard the Pearl.
The adventure for new recruits begins when they step up to enlist in the crew. One of Capt. Jack's trusted mates walks them to a table near a massive map charting the shipping lanes used by the East India Co. and invites them to spin a box containing a pair of dice. The roll of the dice is checked against a leather-bound conscription log, and the recruit's new pirate identity is determined.
It's then on to the Muster Station to be physically transformed into a sculdugger worthy of crewing the Pearl. The pirates have blown a hole in the back wall of the East India Co. office, taking out a stronghold gate and revealing the cargo storage warehouse beyond.
The warehouse is buried in plundered booty, everything from marble statues and oil paintings to other priceless works of art (and some Hidden Disney). There are bejeweled thrones from royal courts, naval officers' chairs and ornate mirrors pilfered from the finest homes in the Caribbean.
It is here that the transformation begins. Recruits may select from several different looks (pricing and other detailed information about the Pirates League experience is available at www.disneyworld.com). Among them are styles inspired by characters and scenes in Disney's successful Pirates of the Caribbean film series. My boys opted for the "six eye" look from Dead Man's Chest and the "skeletal pirate" look from Curse of the Black Pearl. Of course, at three years old, neither of them has seen the movies. They just thought these looked the most fun.
Throughout the entire experience, the Pirate Masters of Pirates League enhance the story of the location with pirate banter and action. They're also great with the kids and completely flexible if there's any aspect of their chosen look they would rather avoid (such as the painted eyelids, which my son was unusually game for).
Once they've passed muster, the recruits are asked to recite the sacred Pirate's Oath and made official members of the crew. Being consigned to the Black Pearl, the new shipmates are entrusted with one of the Captain's greatest secrets... the location of a hidden treasure cache, where the members of the Brethren Court gather whenever they're in port. It is in that room that pirate portraits are taken and other secrets revealed, but there be no spoilers here (besides, the crew asked me not to use my "lightning box" inside).
Through another secret portal, we find ourselves back in the former East India Co. offices where we receive papers solidifying our new identities and have an opportunity to plunder some loot of our own.
A grand time was had by all, and our band of newly-christened pirates was set loose on an unsuspecting Adventureland.
Pirates League is recommended for ages 3 and up. While my 3-year-olds did just fine, others might get squeamish in the chairs or frightened by the raucous nature of the Muster Station. In addition, since my boys can't seem to avoid touching their faces, their make-up jobs were soon smeared. They didn't seem to notice, though. They loved becoming pirates and continued to play "pirate" all day long.
Which leads to one more note. Unlike the makeovers at Bibbidi-Bobbidi Boutique, which can last a couple of days by just not washing your hair, the pirate styles are pure make-up and would need to be removed so they don't end up coming off on pillowcases. Among the very impressive set of take-aways from Pirates League (top quality stuff, especially with the photos and papers) is also a handy make-up removal wipe. If you or your child selects the cursed skeleton look, ask for extras (that's a lot of make-up to remove).
Final assessment: The Pirates League is a fantastic experience for the young and young at heart, perhaps one of the most story-rich, interactive experiences in all of Walt Disney World.
That looks fantastic; thanks for the in-depth look! I love the closed-eye/open-eye "six eye" selection. Sounds like Disney has won again with a much-needed rich experience for boys. And the mention of the "lightning box" must mean that the story is carried well throughout the "show."
ReplyDeleteYes! They stayed in character the entire time. Cameras were "lightning boxes," and they would act as if I had "captured their souls." Brilliant!
ReplyDeleteDid they put those photos on a photopass card for you, or do they have to be purchased separately?
ReplyDeleteGreat article! I'm hoping my 7 year old will try this in December.
Thanks!
Mendy
Mendy,
ReplyDeleteThe photos taken by the Disney Photopass Photographer in the secret treasure room are actually provided to you at the conclusion of the experience and are included in the package price. The photos you see in this post were all taken by me and my wife as the boys were being made up. To the best of my knowledge, although Photopass is part of the Pirates League, they don't scan your photos onto a Photopass card. Of course, we didn't ask, so it may be an option. I would inquire at the location.
My 24 yer old and I (53) would like to do this. Were there many adults without young chilcren too. We're both kid pirates at heart!
ReplyDeleteYes, there are also packages for adults. We experienced Pirates League when it was new, and it was primarily children. Plenty of adults take part it in, too, though.
ReplyDeleteOur son did this last Dec. and he was not sure he wanted anything on his face after we got there. They made a note of that the pirate-ess who made him up did a great job and when we left he had a black eye and scars on his face. He also told a great story about how he got his scars from an 800 arm octopus that had 1000 swords. You do the math. It was time and money well spent. The photo is top quality and it gave us memories for a lifetime. Who knows next time I may even decide to become a pirate mom for the day. Thanks for the info Shawn. Kristin - Iowa
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