2008 Winter Dates:
January 21, 26, 29
February 2, 5, 9, 14, 22, 26
March 1, 6, 11, 14
7pm - 12midnight
Event Immerses Guests in World of Pirates and
Princesses
Dreams of becoming a young buccaneer or pretty
princess can come true during the new Disney's Pirate & Princess Party,
a fun-filled after-hours event coming to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney
World Resort.
Tickets are now on sale for 13 select nights from January 21 through
March 14, 2007.
With an adventure map and treasure pouch in hand, families can embark on
a quest for colorful beads, chocolate doubloons and fun throughout the
Magic Kingdom theme park. Adventurers can explore Magic Kingdom on a
quest for pirate coves and princess courts brimming with specially
themed entertainment, participate in character meet-and-greets and
experience some of the most popular Magic Kingdom attractions open
throughout the evening. Guests are invited to dress up as a wily pirate
or favorite Disney princess.
Adding to the magic of the event will be two new nighttime entertainment
spectaculars:
-
"Disney's Enchanted Adventures Parade" features a new
39-foot-long raucous pirate ship overflowing with swashbuckling
adventurers, plus a treasure-filled float with Captain Jack Sparrow
himself. The colorful cavalcade moves down Main Street, U.S.A. with
members of a flag corps each twirling the Jolly Roger, plus royal
knights on horseback, court dancers and a regal processional of
Disney princesses and princes.
-
"Magic, Music and Mayhem," a fireworks display
orchestrated to an original musical score, will fill the sky above
Magic Kingdom.
"This new party allows guests to live out the
adventures of scurvy pirates and pretty princesses," said Tara Anderson,
Disney show director. "We have created a new Magic Kingdom event that
lets you step right into your favorite stories and fairytales."
Party highlights:
-
Adventureland: Captain Jack Sparrow leads a pirate
tutorial offering young buccaneers sword fighting tips; plus a
chance to join Princess Jasmine's Royal Guard Recruitment and share
laughs with the hilarious Genie.
-
Fantasyland: A fish called Flounder and crazy crab
Sebastian kick it up with an "Under the Sea" dance party, and
meet-and-greets with Ariel.
-
Mickey's Toontown Fair: Court musicians and strolling
jugglers hail princesses Cinderella, Belle and Aurora in a princess
pavilion. Pirate Mickey and Donald invite guests to step right up
and try their luck at games in a themed play area.
-
Liberty Square: Singing sensation Riverboat Roulettes
lure guests to a haunted river boat where the ghost of Jolly Roger
spins tales.
-
Tomorrowland: Young guests meet a space pirate,
boogie down at Stitch's cosmic dance party, and enjoy break-dancing
pirates and other entertainment.
Day-of tickets are priced at $45.95 plus tax (ages 10
and over), $39.95 plus tax (ages 3-9). Phone (407) WDW-AHOY or visit
disneyworld.com/pirateandprincess. Advance tickets for all nights
are $38.95 plus tax (ages 10 and over) and $32.95 plus tax (ages 3-9).
Passholder
& Disney Vacation Club
Advance Sales: Purchase tickets by December 15th and receive
35% off the published price. $29.95 plus tax for ages 10 and up and $25.95
plus tax for ages 3-9. NOTE: This offer valid for Disney
Vacation Club Members &
Premium Annual, Annual, Seasonal and Epcot After 4pm Passholders. Passholders may purchase
discounted tickets for themselves and up to 3 guests. DVC Members may
purchase discounted tickets for themselves and up to 5 guests.
Passholders may purchase discounted tickets via the Disney Reservation
Center by calling 407-560-PASS and via
disneyworld.com/passholder. Disney Vacation Club Members may
purchase tickets via Disney Vacation Club Member Services by calling
1-800-9800. All discounted tickets will be set up for Will-Call. A
valid Annual Pass or Disney Vacation Club Member ID must be shown at the
time of ticket pick-up.
Guests with tickets to Disney's Pirate & Princess
Party already inside the Magic Kingdom can return to the main entrance
(and other possible locations in the Park) beginning at 4pm to have
their tickets swiped and receive a wristband for proof of admission for
the event and can remain in that park. Guests without tickets will
exit the park at 7pm.
Disney's Pirate & Princess Party debuts during "The Year of a Million
Dreams."
"The Year of a Million Dreams" is a first-of-its-kind celebration with
more than one million very special dreams to be granted to guests
visiting Walt Disney World and Disneyland resorts. Guests will find
Disney cast members delivering an unprecedented level of guest service.
The celebration will also be highlighted by the debut of innovative
Disney attractions and entertainment spectaculars at both Disneyland and
Walt Disney World resorts.
Pirates & Princesses on a
Winter's Magic Kingdom Evening
Jeff Kern
for themeparks.com
On an cool
Florida evening in early February, the themeparks.com crowd went
off to the Magic Kingdom to explore the new Disney's Pirate &
Princess Party. After picking up our special-event tickets
and donning our favorite Pirate or Princess Mickey Ears, we were
off to the turnstiles.
The Magic Kingdom can stay open until 7pm,
close and then open before the park is even clear for their
after-hour parties. We received our fashionable party
bracelet upon entering the park that would allow us entry to all
of the event's treasures-to-be-found.
Lightly decorated, the tunnels that lead under
the train station had red carpets etched with tiaras and
pirate hats and a fog filling the cavern coaxing guests into the
park. Upon entering the tunnel, cast members were handing
out a specially-made bag for the event for guest to fill with
booty along their journey through the park. Main Street was
dimly lit with special music for the event filling the air and
images of the skull and crossbones or a tiara floating across
the color-lit shops.
Each land takes on its own theme for the
event. Traveling through Adventureland first, we found
ourselves in Jasmine's Court. This princess-themed area
had us meeting Jasmine for an autograph opportunity and then ran
into some camels that were dressed up and ready for a photo op
as well. Look for other interactive entertainment like
tumblers and recruiters looking for good men to guard the royal
court.
Moving into Caribbean Square, we found
ourselves New Tortuga. While Pirates of the Caribbean is
showcased here, with its recent enhancements, young pirates can
find Captain Jack Sparrow giving a tutorial on how to be a good
pirate. Keep on the lookout for a pirate band to entertain
as well before and after your voyage.
We turned the corner into Frontierland and
although not a specially-themed area for the evening since most
of the area is part of the parade route, pirate maps were being
beamed onto the pavement from lights high above. We also
noticed hearts lighting up the pavement in Fantastland.
Liberty Square, near the Liberty Belle dock,
had been transformed into Riverboat Riviera for the night.
The highlight here was the Liberty Belle (which seems to be in
refurbishment more than on the water anymore) and its floating
show "The Legend of the Jolly Roger Haunted Riverboat".
Take a look at the pilot as you set sail for a trip around the
Rivers of America.
Fantasyland became Ariel's Court for the
princesses. Autograph encounters with the Little Mermaid
start were on hand as well as a dance party over featuring the
always partying crab, Sebastian, some dancing fish and a DJ with
instructions for the kids on how to use some of that energy that
they always have stored away for these parties.
We didn't make it to Mickey's Toontown Fair,
but the Princess Pavilion was said to be in full swing with
private meet and greets with some of Disney's favorite royalty
and Pirate Mickey available and some special play areas for kids
of all ages.
our last stop was Tomorrowland and its
pirate-themed Solaris' System. The dance floor was open in
Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe with Eddie Eclipse spinning out of
this world tunes and visits by some favotite Disney characters,
like Chip 'n Dale and Lilo & Stitch.
While making our way from land to land we
found ourselves spotting balloons with a big "X". It was
the X that marked the spot to treasure. In fourteen
locations throughout the Magic Kingdom, these treasure spots
were places to fill the bags received when entering the party
with some booty. Candy coins, chocolate, beads and a
healthy alternative of raisins were available at the different
locations. Make sure to aarrgh like a pirate or curtsey
like a princess when you get your treasure.
The Castle Forecourt offered three
performances of Dream Along With Mickey celebrating the little
pirates and princesses in the crowd and to continue to dream,
just like Disney is doing with their "Year of a Million Dreams."
We took a place on the curb for one of the
Disney's Enchanted Adventures Parade. This cavalcade
featured the two things that the party focused around, pirates
and princesses. Signature floats included one with royal
couples like Belle and Beast and Ariel and Eric and a few
horse-drawn units including one with Snow White and Prince
Charming. Peter Pan favorites were in the parade including
a new float featuring Tinker Bell high atop a treasure chest and
sprinkling pixie dust on the crowd. An enormous pirate
ship snaked its way through the parade route as well with a
float featuring a very well portrayed Captain Jack Sparrow.
There's always Pirate Mickey and Princess Minnie as well to cap
it off.
To top of the festivities at 9:45pm, above
Cinderella Castle are the Magic, Music & Mayhem Fireworks
Spectacular. This show features a soundtrack created
exclusively for the party and fireworks that are synchronized to
the beat of the music. Cinderella's Fairy Godmother, that
sounded like she'd just come from a trip to Munchkinland, was
the host of the show, with special guests Flora, Fauna and
Merryweather that had a little fun with some of the color
schemes that dazzles the eye. Keep a listen out for other
Disney characters in the show, like King Triton and Captain
Hook. I took some time to admire some of the new shells
that I hadn't seen in a fireworks show before. The
fireworks featured lots of princess-like teal colored shells,
which are new to me and keep an eye out for fireworks that look
like spirals and my favorite half-moon shells. In the
spirit of other nighttime Magic Kingdom parties, look for about
1800 of fireworks with launch locations in
about six different spots around the park.
There were also lots of good
opportunities for the kids to get to see some of their favorite
Disney characters during the event. Captain Jack Sparrow
had a hideaway for one-on-one photos in the Adventureland
Verandah. We spotted Pirate Goofy and Pirate Pluto near
the Pirates attraction and Captain Hook was lurking around
Liberty Square. Over in Fantasyland, Cinderella's Coach,
appropriately surrounded by pumpkins was available for the
princesses of the crowd to have their picture taken as well.
The one thing that is always
entertaining to me are the costumes. The Magic Kingdom
encourages kids of all ages to dress for the occasion.
While many a young Belle, Ariel, Cinderella and pirates were to
be found, the adults in the bunch took time out to dress up as
their favorite princess or Captain Jack Sparrow as well.
Whether you care to dress or not, though, it's still a fun time.
A new venture for Walt Disney
World, the Pirates and Princess Party seems to be off to a fair
start. The evening that we were there, the park was far
from crowded, but there was a nice enough crowd to not feel like
you were alone in the park and that they wouldn't do this again
or try something similar in the future.
The winter weather was a bit cool
for the Floridian in me, but most of the guests seemed to be
prepared with a sweatshirt to keep the chill off. Being
off season, the wait for the attractions that were open was kept
to around 15 minutes of less. Not all of the attractions
or restaurants were open, but there was enough to keep everyone
busy for five hours, mixed in with treasure hunting and other
entertainment, an overall good value for the price of admission. |
