I was invited to experience the magic upon the Disney Dream Cruise courtesy of Disney Cruise Line. All opinions are my own! #DisneyDream
Prepare for Pirate Night on your next Disney Cruise with these 8 helpful tips to make sure your family gets the most out of biggest celebration at sea!
Three weeks ago today, we packed our bags and boarded the breath-taking Disney Dream for an enchanted weekend full of magic, Mickey, and many memories. In my previous post, I shared 10 Reasons To Sail On The Disney Dream, highlighting in detail our favorite parts of the cruise itself. Pirate night was one of them! On each of the four Disney cruise line ships (Dream, Magic, Fantasy, & Wonder) there is a themed pirate night in which guests and crew turn into swashbuckling buccaneers. In proper Disney form, they truly go ALL out for these festivities. From the giant turkey legs to the brilliant firework show, it’s a night FULL of fun for all ages.
Are you ready to set sail on the open seas with Mickey and his crew? Here are 8 tips for Pirate Night that will help you create memories and magic with your family!
BRING YOUR PIRATE GEAR
Before the festivities begin, leave the landlubber life behind and transform into an authentic buccaneer! Expect the majority of your shipmates to be in costume because this is considered a huge celebration on all of the Disney cruise ships. Whether you’re sporting a satin sash or ruffled shirt, everyone is encouraged to let their inner pirate out.
Depending on when you’re traveling, the best time to buy a pirate costume is right after Halloween. If your cruise is scheduled far enough in advance, take advantage of sales after the holiday. You can purchase costumes and accessories for the entire family at a great price. While it’s practical to bring your own pirate attire, don’t worry if you forgot to pack your suede vest and lucky eye patch. Themed merchandise is sold on board in the gift shops and in the afternoon your stateroom attendant will leave a Disney pirate bandana for each member of your party.
VISIT THE PIRATE’S LEAGUE
On Pirate Night, the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is open for magical makeovers and pirate transformations. Here, your kiddos can jump right on into the pirate life with a little help from the salon crew. Beards and bandanas, swords and scars, classic hoop earrings and black eye patches—they’re all applied with the savvy of a veteran pirate who shares first-hand tales of the sea.
New buccaneers are sworn in with a sacred pirate oath in which they have to leave their former identities behind before being let loose to enjoy the pirate themed activities on board. There are several different packages available, from the First Mate to Deluxe Maiden. It is advised that you make an appointment for a timber-shivering transformation ahead of time since it can get busy the night of. To find out more about the Pirate’s League, check out 6 Reasons To Visit The Pirate’s League On Your Disney Cruise!
FILE ON DECK EARLY
This is the most important piece of advice that every sea dog should know and while it seems like a no brainer, you’d be surprised how quickly you become occupied with all of the other activities taking place beforehand. On Pirate Night it’s best to plan accordingly. There is so much to see! Guests will gather on the top deck for games, a dance party with Mickey’s crew, and an epic showdown with a band of pirate thieves. There are also pirate themed activities throughout the entire day, from the kid’s clubs to a game show designed for savvy scallywags.
Keep in mind that the main event takes place after second seating (8:15 p.m dinnertime) so you can head back to your rooms and get dressed without a rush. Do give yourself enough time to prepare for the Buccaneer Blast Fireworks & scour the deck for a good watch post. Skip the elevator and take the stairs. Mid-ship marks the spot and it’s a show you do not want to miss!
FUEL UP ON BUCCANEER GRUB
All that fun is sure to work up your appetite and the late-night buffet has a smorgasbord of snacks to nibble on. Indulge in a mouth-watering giant turkey leg or satisfy your sweet tooth with a plate of crepes.
Even if you’re not hungry, take a walk around Cabanas. It’s typically open between 10:30-11:00 P.M , right after the big firework celebration. You’ll encounter staff dressed like pirates and also special scallywag details added to the buffet line.
Don’t forget, you can still order milk and cookies from room service when you return to your cabin. That was the highlight of many evenings during our vacation. Gotta love the free room service for late night munchies!
GRAB A FAMILY PHOTO WITH YOUR FAVORITE PIRATE
Pirate Night is prime time for photo opps with characters! Snap a selfie with Jack Sparrow himself, Captain Hook, Pirate Mickey, or one of his loyal shipmates decked out in sea rover gear. Surprisingly, the lines are pretty short for a meet and greet so there is plenty of time to capture your memories before the big show.
STAY FOR THE WHOLE SHOW
The entire night is jammed packed with action, adventure, and pirate antics that you do not want to miss. After a long day at port, the kids may be exhausted from the sun and excitement. I recommend letting them nap before dinner so they have a little pep in their step before the fun begins. The interactive show is sure to get them moving, grooving, and eventually dancing when “Club Pirate” begins. The whole show is worth staying for and it actually goes rather quickly with so much going on around you.
DON’T MISS THE FIREWORKS
The BEST part of the Pirate Night bash? The Buccaneer’s Blast firework show, of course! As part of the celebration, watch the night sky explode with streams of bright lights and dazzling colors. With more “bang” than ever before, this pyrotechnic spectacular is choreographed to a dramatic score featuring songs from the popular “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies. Disney always finds a way to make every money magical and they really upped the ante on this one!
Arriving to the show early will make it easier to get a good standing view of the extravaganza but you can always bring towels to sit on the deck. Truthfully, every view is a good view. It was packed when we arrived so we had to wiggle our way into the crowd, but the fireworks are so bright and beautiful that you can enjoy them from any angle.
DANCE LIKE A SWASHBUCKLIN’ SCALLYWAG
Break out your best moves and end the night at “Club Pirate,” a dance party for all ages. At this time, the deck begins to clear out enough to where you don’t feel like someone’s going to grab your precious “booty” when you start movin’ and groovin’. Enjoy the vibrant light show, live music from the guest DJ, and grab a cocktail of the day to loosen up your boot strings. The kids seemed to really enjoy this portion of the festivities and I loved seeing them dressed up in their pirate apparel!
Mickey’s Pirates in the Caribbean Party was one of our absolute favorite parts of the Disney Dream cruise. This family friendly celebration turned out to be a blast. Not to mention, ALL of us managed to get through the night without having to walk the plank or give up any loot.
If you’re planning on sailing with your family on any of the Disney cruise ships, keeps these 8 tips in mind. I am confident they will make your night just as spectacular as ours was!
Looking for more Disney magic? Check out the first segment of this series where I share 10 Reasons To Sail On The Disney Dream!
Where did you get your daughters outfit with the boots?
The whole outfit is from Party City. I found it before Halloween. The boots are from Children’s Place in case you’re looking for a pair 🙂
What’s the timing of the programs? Trying to decide between dinner seatings. We are late waters but I don’t want to miss this show!
The Pirate’s of the Caribbean celebration is from 7:45-8:05 (midship) and the Bucaneer Blast firework show starts at 10:30 pm in the same area. There are two different dinner times but if you are traveling with children you will most likely have the second seating which is at 8:15. Something to keep in mind!
Just got back from a 8-day Disney Wonder cruise last week and Pirate Night was a bit different than you describe on the Dream. I’ll have to write up a post too 🙂
Hi Debra! Please do. I would love to read about your experience. We will be on the Disney Wonder in February for the Disney Social Media Mom’s Conference and Pirate Night is on the itinerary!
Awesome information! Where is the best location on the ship to enjoy all these festivities! TIA!
The Pirate celebration and fireworks show take place at the same location, mid-ship, which is Deck 11 & 12. I suggest getting there at least 20-30 minutes beforehand because it gets packed quickly. On the same day, they also offer the other pirate themed activities in places like the Oceaneer Lab for kids (Deck 5).
On a 4 night cruise, is pirate night after a day at castaway cay?
I don’t believe so. Our cruise was three nights and Castaway Cay was on Sunday. Pirate Night was on Friday I believe. Not sure about the four night sailing but I imagine they are on different days.
Hello ?Thanks for all this super info. Getting very excited about our cruise! I’m hoping to book into the bbb for the simple pirate package. Is there any time slot you would recommend as best for this keeping in mind dinner and other entertainment? Thank you
You’re very welcome! We had second seating dinner which fell between 8:00 and 8:30. Our BBB appointment was around 7:00 I believe. We had enough time to go back to the room afterwards and relax for a little before dinner. I would recommend doing it an hour before your seating just in case it takes longer than anticipated. The staff is really good about staying on time though and an hour before should be plenty of time.
Thanks for your information! We are cruising soon! We have second seating for dinner. Do we need to plan to eat elsewhere on Pirate Night because of the festivities?
No! You should be fine. We had second seating on our first cruise and had time to go back to the room and change before the celebration began. They also have a buffet available during the festivities so you can grab food there as well.
I thought pirate night was the last night of the cruise. We are doing a 4 night in September and were told pirate night is the same night we do castaway cay during the day! That’s night 3!
It depends on the length of the cruise. The first Disney cruise we went on was four days and three nights which is probably why the itinerary was different.
Where did you get your shirt and hat??
The shirt is from Etsy and the hat was purchased from Party City
I have been on the magic twice and the pirate celebration was in between the meal times. I did not see any food but I didn’t check Cabanas buffet.
Yep! It’s actually in the back. I only noticed in my second time cruising.
great thanks
So if we have a second seating should we wear costumes to dinner??
Yes. That’s what most families did to avoid having to go back to the room and change!
What is the earliest to get dressed for Pirate night? Are people in Pirate clothes in the morning or afternoon? If we do, are we going to be the only ones? Or do they get ready by the evening?
Hi there! I would say people usually start dressing up in their pirate gear maybe an hour or two before dinner, kids mostly. Most were already in their pirate outfits during dinner so they could go straight to the celebration. Saves a lot of time and you’ll be able to get a good spot on deck if you get ready beforehand.