Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage

On our most recent family vacation I knew I wanted to do something different and something magical my family and I would remember forever on our first night in Walt Disney World! Since we are huge fans of Peter Pan and all his friends I knew I had to try the Pirates and Pals fireworks voyage.

This magical adventure departs from Disney’s Contemporary Resort usually about 90 mins before Wishes Fireworks at the Magic Kingdom starts, out on the Seven Seas Lagoon. You must check the lobby event board when arriving to The Contemporary Resort and that will let you know where you are meeting that evening for the event. Once you arrive you check in and the whole family receives their pirate bandana and a card letting you know which boat you will be on Hook or Smee we were on Smee! They have tables for some coloring fun for the kids while you wait and within a few minutes the pirate guides greet everyone, Patch and Patch! They are both very comical. They then invite you into the room for a very large display of snacks, drinks, and desserts for everyone! Popcorn, pretzels, ice cream, coffee, juice, tea etc. oh and gold doubloons lots of them, this was my daughters favorite!

I pretty much had an idea of how the night was going to go but my daughter and husband had no idea so it was very fun to see their faces when Captain Hook and Mr. Smee showed up to greet and take pictures with everyone! After having all this pirate fun Patch and Patch will ask everyone to line up depending on which boat you are going on and follow them and Captain Hook and Mr. Smee down to the boat dock area where you board your boat. Hook and Smee will send you off they don’t actually go on the Boat with you, then you set sail with Patch who is full of lots of jokes and Disney Trivia and gets the whole boat involved which is a lot of fun, and the kids win prizes from answering the trivia questions correct (don’t worry at the end of the cruise Patch will make sure every child gets a prize from his loot box). You will get the best view you will ever have of the Electrical Water Pageant, we stopped right in front of it and it was beautiful, one of my many childhood memories and I had never seen it like this before!

Then it is almost time for Wishes to begin so you will then be anchored right in front of the Magic Kingdom. It is amazing, relaxing, and no crowds! They pipe the music right into the boat and Wishes Nighttime Spectacular begins, it is beautiful!!

Once the fireworks are over and you start heading back to dock Patch starts telling the story of Peter Pan (I am smiling from ear to ear in excitement since he is both my daughter and my favorite character and I know what is about to happen) and as he tells the story you see Peter Pan waiting for you all to return. Everyone disembarks and follows Peter a little bit off the dock where you can then meet and greet with him. He is charming, fun, and wants to make sure you know to never grow up!

I have been going to Walt Disney World my whole life and this is on the top of my favorite things I have ever done, it is well worth the extra cost ($57.50 ages 10 and up $33.01 ages 3 – 9) it is one of Walt Disney’s better kept secrets and something any Pirate, Peter Pan, or Wishes fan will absolutely enjoy and remember forever!!!

Please contact me to learn more about the Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage! All my services are 100% FREE!

Faith, Trust, & Pixie Dust,
Jen Mullen
Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
Toll Free 1-888-231-0422
Email: jmullen@mickeytravels.com
www.mickeytravels.com

Disney’s Aulani Resort & Spa

When you hear the word Hawaii what do you think of? If you’re the average person, you think of surfing, sunshine, beaches, luaus, and relaxing. When you hear the word Disney what do you think of? Once again, if you’re the average person the images you conjure up tend to have to do with animated movies, the Disney theme parks, or one of the many toys available. Until recently, you never would think to mix Disney and Hawaii together to conjure an image of a splendid vacation, though. What many don’t know is that Disney has one of the most astounding and wondrous vacation spots in Hawaii that the entire family can enjoy – Disney’s Aulani Resort and Spa.

Disney’s Aulani Resort and Spa is Disney’s masterpiece in Hawaii. The stay selection involves luxurious hotel rooms and villas. The location is ideal, just outside of Honolulu’s International Airport. The resort has something for all ages with four restaurants, two lounges for the adults, a fitness center, a teen spa, a kid’s club, three different pools, and more!

The kid’s club mixes Hawaiian culture with Disney magic and is set up not only for the children’s delight but also for parent’s piece of mind should they want some peaceful alone time. The club has video games, parties, arts and crafts, and many other activities to keep the children entertained and engaged while in the care of the counselors.

Disney’s Aulani resort is wonderfully laid out mixing luxury with Hawaiian culture and includes many wonderful touches of Disney magic. If you are looking at staying in Hawaii as your next family vacation, Disney’s Aulani Resort and Spa is just the spot you want to be!

To learn more about Disney’s Aulani Resort and Spa visit our website or give us a call! We are happy to tell you all about this wonderful vacation spot and how you can utilize all our FREE Disney vacation planning services to make your trip MAGICA!

Samantha Pereira
MickeyTravels Guest Blogger
www.mickeytravels.com

DISNEY PIN TRADING

Whether you’re new to Disney or a mouse-eared veteran, you’ve probably heard (or seen) the pins that visitors to the parks wear proudly on lanyards around their necks. You’ll spot them on Cast Members, too, and it’s okay to ask about them…as a matter of fact, it’s encouraged!  Let’s talk about Disney Pin Trading!

Disney Pin trading began with Disney’s Millennium Celebration back in October of 1999 and as of this writing, thousands of designs exist. THOUSANDS! You can’t enter a gift shop on property without spotting a display of them, and they’re available in pretty much any Disney character, attraction or milestone imaginable.

I should warn you: Disney pin trading and collecting is addictive! We started off with some favorite characters, but once we discovered how much was out there we were all HOOKED. My boys have huge collections: James is a Stitch disciple; Austin has two lanyards, one for his favorite rides and the other strictly for Star Wars related pins. They love pin trading in the parks, but once they’re home they display them on plain black canvases we purchased at JoAnn Fabrics. They’re a sort of growing souvenir of our family trips, and I know the boys love that they’re completely unique and ever changing. I keep my favorites on a board over my MickeyTravels desk with my own most treasured pins: a peace sign Mickey head, Cinderella’s carriage, the Grape Soda bottle cap from UP my husband gave me on our most recent trip, and of course more than one Mickey: as Steamboat Willie, in his full-color glory, and Mickey wearing a Santa hat.

One of my favorite parts of this kind of souvenir is that no two will ever be alike…each month Disney issues new pins and retires old ones so that there are a constantly changing variety of them.  So if you see a collection you love, well, you should probably snap it up because next time you visit one of the parks it might be gone.  Then again, you can make the collection by trading.  Sure, it’ll take a while, but isn’t that half the fun?

Getting started with Disney pin trading is simple: you can check out the Disney Store online for current editions and order a starter set. If you’re lucky enough to be in the parks, you can grab a few in the nearest gift shop. Be sure to get a lanyard too; you’ll want it to display your favorites. And then you trade! With other resort guests, with Cast Members working anywhere on Disney grounds, you name it! Simply approach the cast member and say, “I’d like to trade.” Be sure to offer one they’re not already wearing and offer your pin first, with the back intact. They give you the one you selected, and just like that, you’re a pin trader!

One note: be sure that you’re trading for authentic Disney pins. You can do this by checking the back stamp: it will classify the manufacturing date, whether or not it’s a limited editon or series, and the official Disney mouse-ear logo.

For some real excitement, be sure to stop in at Pin Central in EPCOT or Pin Traders at Downtown Disney…they’ve got amazing assortments of pins to purchase, in addition to trading boards and usually a pin trader or two. Let’s get started with your Disney pin trading!  Have fun and happy trading!

Contact us today to learn how you can experience the thrill of Disney Pin Trading and for all our other FREE Disney vacation planning tips and services!

Nicole Courson
Authorized Disney Vacation Planner
MickeyTravels, LLC
(412)735-6131
ncourson@mickeytravels.com

Making Magic One Vacation at a Time…