Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage

If you are looking for something new to do on your next Walt Disney World visit, I highly recommend the Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage!  Lasting about two and a half hours, this unique experience includes an all you can eat dessert buffet, multiple character meet and greets, a boat ride complete with your very own pirate captain who sings songs, tells jokes, and plays some trivia for prizes, and of course an amazing view of the nighttime fireworks show, Wishes.  We arrived around 8:30 pm.  After we checked in, we each got a bandanna.  Then the kids worked on a pirate puzzle and I took a few pictures.

Then, we were led into a room filled with snack and desserts of all kinds!  This is also where we got to meet our first two character, Captain Hook and Mr. Smee!  I loved this meet because there were only so many people waiting to meet them.  Captain hook loved the kids' pirate costumes, and Mr. Smee danced with them.

Here are some pictures of the snacks and desserts

This was our boat's pirate captain, Patch.  He was absolutely hilarious!

After Wishes, we came back to the Contemporary where we got to meet Peter Pan!

All of this does cost a little bit extra, but is 100% worth it.  This is now a must do for my family on every trip.

Road trip tips

My tips for a peaceful road trip with kids

* Invest in a portable DVD player for the car.  Watching a movie will kill an hour and a half to two hours, and is a great idea when they start arguing. 

* Pack a bag of non-electronic items for each child. You don't want them glued to a tv screen or video game screen the entire time.  Include a few favorite items such as their favorite stuffed animal, favorite book, or action figure. Also make sure to pack a few new items- coloring book & crayons, word search book, new book, etc.  I would recommend you have about 5-8 items in this bag. 

* Play games together as a family.  If you have younger kids, a game of I-Spy is fun.  For older ones, see who can find the most state license plates in 30 minutes.  Or how about road sign ABC's (Exit for "E", Rest Area for "R", etc.).  

* Stop to eat.  While eating in the car to save time might sound like a good idea, the kids (and you!) will need a break from the car.  Pack sandwiches to save money, then stop at a park or picnic area to eat and let the kids run around for a few minutes.  They might even get tired enough to take a nap!

* Have a "special" bag up front with you.  In this bag, put a few new toys, a new DVD (if you have a DVD player in the car), etc.  About halfway through the trip (or longer, if you can make it), give this bag to the kids.  It will be like Christmas morning, and they will be excited to play with the new things. 

What tips do you have for a successful road trip?