Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me!
Or at least, yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s outfit for me. I’ll skip the rest of the pirate life. Living on a rough sounding ship out at sea doesn’t sound like the life for me. I might be alone in this, but I’ll leave the treasure and loot alone.
Guess what? You can have the best of both worlds when you enter the fantasy world of the Pirate League at Walt Disney World. Keep your warm comfy bed, but don the look of a pirate with a fun makeover.
Let’s learn more about the experience.
What is the Pirate League at Walt Disney World?
The Pirate League is an extra guest experience that can be found near the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in the Magic Kingdom. During normal Walt Disney World operations, you are able to reserve a spot for your pirate experience.
Walt Disney World recommends making reservations way in advance of your Magic Kingdom day. The spots can fill up quickly! When reservations are accepted, Disney recommends making one about 180 days out.
If you want your little one (or whoever is experiencing the makeover) to be able to walk around the park with their pirate creation on, make sure to schedule your time early.
Guests can choose to be buccaneers or mermaids with a variety of embellishment options. The Walt Disney World Pirate experience usually has a picture menu, of sorts, for little ones to be able to pick their favorite getup. You’ll be able to select your ‘experience’ and start your adventure!
Is the Pirate League Different from Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Disney World?
Yes! The Pirate League at Walt Disney World is different from Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is geared towards guests ages 3-12. On the other hand, there is no upper age limit for guests planning to attend the Pirate League. The makeovers are different as well. At Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique the designs are all princess influences. While, the Pirate League has pirate and mermaid makeovers. It all depends on if you or your little one is seeking a life of adventure or one of fantasy. The choice is yours to be made!
How Much is the Pirate League at Walt Disney World?
The prices for the various makeovers at the Pirate League vary. There are a couple of different package options, that include more and less stuff. The beginner package starts around $20 dollars. To get the most up to date information be sure to check the Walt Disney World website.
Beyond the cost of the Pirate League makeover, you will need to have a valid admission into Walt Disney World. The cost of the makeover is not included in the normal Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom admission. That being said, it might be perfect for a birthday or a special day of celebration.
What Are the Ages for the Pirate League at Walt Disney World?
The minimum age for guests who want to experience the Pirate League is 3 years old. All kid guests need to have an adult present for their pirate experience.
In our home Walt Disney World Pirate League experience, we found out really quickly that our 2-year-old did not like face paint. Therefore, if you have a 3-year-old or even a 4-year-old, make sure that they are okay with face painting before signing them up for the real Pirate League at Walt Disney World.
Can Adults Do the Walt Disney World Pirate League?
Yes! Adults can do the Walt Disney World Pirate League! The makeovers aren’t exclusive to children. Plus, considering adults aren’t able to wear costumes at Walt Disney World on a normal park day, the Pirate League is a perfect way to get a little more creative with your Disney World outfit.
Word on Street from Walt Disney on the Pirate League
So, unfortunately the Pirates League is scheduled to close permanently on July 27th, 2020. The announcement came very quietly, but we are hoping that there will be some type of replacement. Yet, until we find out what is really changing, let’s focus on bringing the magic of the Walt Disney World Pirate League home!
How Do You Bring the Magic of the Walt Disney World Pirate League Home?
Very easily!
We were inspired by our friend from Instagram, Lauren (of @polyjuiceandpixiedust), and her adventurous pirate week when thinking of what we could do for our Magic Kingdom visit. After seeing her adventures we knew we had to visit the Pirate League.
In its location in Adventureland, the Pirate League sits far back in the Magic Kingdom park near the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. It’s always so cool to see all the little pirates and/or mermaids emerge from the Pirate League. As a spot in Walt Disney World that we have never made it to, it was a perfect fit to bring home.
Amazingly enough, there isn’t too much setup involved in this adventure. If you want, you could keep things pretty basic by sticking to the makeover only.
If you want to get a little more involved, take a look below for ways to enhance the Pirate League experience.
Let’s dive into how we brought the magic home.
Supplies Needed For At Home Pirate League
Face Paint (We really liked using the face paint crayons. Very easy to work with!)
White Shirt or Pirate Shirt
How to Create a Pirate Look
These steps are pretty obvious, but nonetheless, I’ve written them out and outlined what we did at our Pirate League adventure at home.
After you have gathered up your supplies, it’s time to transform your little one (or you) into a pirate!
Have whoever is getting transformed put on their shirt, this will help to keep the face paint off of it. Next, we went with the bandana and secured it ‘pirate-style’. After that, add on the pirate hat if you want, but leave the patch off until the face painting is complete.
Next up, face painting!
Time to get creative. We went with the black face paint crayon and got crazy with the facial hair. We tried to do a little eyeliner as well, but it made our pirate look sleepy. That being said, I fully endorse the weird eyeliner. It makes it hard to have any conversation with a straight face. Especially if your little one is the one getting the makeover and has the eyeliner on all day. …long after they take off their pirate costume.
For a finishing touch, we made sure to add in a few scars. We think our pirate probably got into a fight or two, so we wanted to document the end results.
As you apply the different layers of face paint, be sure to talk in a pirate voice and ask how life at sea be. Breaking character is not an option, so keep ye face straight in the process.
Arghh matey!
Ways to Amplify the Pirate League Experience at Home
1. Play Pirates of the Caribbean Ride Music
For a little extra depth to your Walt Disney World Pirate League at-home experience, start pumping the ride ‘jams’. The ride being, Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean. You can find some great soundtracks on YouTube. Our favorite can be found right below from WML95, featuring the ride at Disneyland. (Yes, it is different from Walt Disney World, but still equally amazing.)
2. Light a Few Candles, Then Blow Them Out
There’s a certain smell that surrounds the area of Walt Disney World over by Pirates of the Caribbean. It’s a whole lot of musty and old. Probably something you don’t want to recreate to make things as authentic as possible.
Naw.
A quick way of bringing a little more of a sensory experience to your Walt Disney World Pirate League at home adventure is to light a candle. Then, blow that candle out really quickly. While it won’t be musty smelling, the effects of the blown-out candle will definitely add another layer to your ‘decor’.
3. Dim the Lights Or Use Orange Colored ‘Christmas Lights’
If you’ve ever been on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Walt Disney World, you know it is synonymous with damp, dark and dim. If your lights are equipped with a light dimmer you will be all set when it comes to recreating the mood.
Without a light dimmer, you could turn on some battery operated candles, such as these found on Amazon. Or you could use a strand of orange Christmas lights to create an eerie glow.
4. Add in Prop Details Such as Lanterns and Gems
The added details of lanterns and gems were probably my son’s favorite additions to our Pirates League recreation. We made a few hand-held pirate telescopes as well in order to search out the treasure.
To create the gems we spray painted them red (to look like rubies) and yellow. Then after the initial color coats dried we added some glitter spray paint and some ‘gem’ stickers. The rocks were found outside in ‘nature’ and the ‘gem’ stickers were from the Dollar Tree. You can find similar ones here on Amazon.
Conclusion to Walt Disney World Pirate League
There ya go!
A few details about the Walt Disney World Pirate League and how to bring that magic home. After you have your adventures in Adventureland (appropriately named) be sure to recreate a few tasty treats at home. You can start with Mickey Pretzel, followed by the Bugs ‘n’ Grubs cone. Find the posts here and here.
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