A Pirate's Life for Me! Pirates League Pirate Makeovers

Have you seen pictures of little girls after their princess makeover, and wondered what the options are for your child who would rather be a pirate? The Pirates League in the Magic Kingdom specializes in makeovers for pirates-in-training.

There are several packages available to transform each guest into a pirate or mermaid. Read more to find out how!


The Pirates League is located in Adventureland, near the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. It is open every day, and Magic Kingdom park admission is required. Reservations are strongly encouraged, and may be made up to 180 days in advance.

Each aspiring pirate may choose one of four pirate makeover packages. Additional costumes and accessories may be brought with you or purchased separately through The Pirates League. Portrait sessions are also available for an additional charge.

Package Options

Jake and the Neverland Pirates Package - $29.95 plus tax

• bandana with faux hair
• facial effect
• sword and sheath
• Pirates League bag
• pirate coin necklace

The "First Mate" or "Empress" Package = $34.95

• choice of facial effect
• reversible bandana
• earring and eye patch
• sword and sheath
• temporary tattoo
• unique pirate coin necklace
• personalized pirate oath
• official pirate name

Mermaid Package - $39.95

• mermaid makeup and makeup palette
• hairstyle and color-changing hair clip
• color-changing mermaid necklace
• nail polish
• mermaid sash

All new pirates and mermaids have the option of participating in the Parade of Pirates in Adventureland, which occurs daily, weather permitting.

This experience is a fun option for all aspiring pirates. It is also an alternative for those who are unable to reserve an appointment for a princess makeover, or who would prefer a less costly option.

Walt Disney World: Other Character Meals

If you would like to dine with characters other than Mickey and the gang or the Disney princesses, there are 2 special options just for you!

Winnie the Pooh at The Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom

The Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom features Winnie the Pooh and friends, while Hollywood & Vine in the Hollywood Studios welcomes favorite characters from the Disney Junior television shows. Read more to find out the details!

The Crystal Palace

The Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom welcomes Winnie the Pooh and his friends (usually Tigger, Piglet, and Eeyore) for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food is served buffet-style, with all of the characters visiting each table to interact with the guests. As with every character meal, characters are happy to take pictures with guests and/or sign autographs. There is also a fun parade for guests, who follow the characters around the dining room.

Eeyore at The Crystal Palace

Breakfast is available starting at 8:05 a.m., which means that it is possible on certain days to have breakfast before the park opens. This allows guests to get pictures on Main Street with fewer crowds, as well as bypass crowds at park opening.

Hollywood & Vine

Disney Junior Play 'n Dine features characters from the popular Disney Junior television shows at Hollywood & Vine in the Hollywood Studios. Characters are part of the breakfast and lunch experiences only. Characters change regularly as Disney Junior shows grow or decline in popularity; past characters have included: JoJo and Goliath (JoJo's Circus), Leo and June (The Little Einsteins), Handy Manny, and Special Agent Oso.  There are usually 3-4 characters available at each meal.

Special Agent Oso and Disney Junior Play 'n Dine

The food is served buffet-style, with all of the characters visiting each table to interact with the guests. There are also entertainment portions where the Disney Junior characters dance with the younger (and younger-at-heart) guests. Breakfast is available starting at 8:00 a.m., which means that it is possible on certain days to have breakfast before the park opens. This allows guests to get pictures on Hollywood Boulevard with fewer crowds, as well as bypass crowds at park opening.

Conclusion

So what do you think? Are you ready for a meal with Pooh or Disney Junior friends?

For more information on other character dining experiences, read my posts on dining with Mickey and friends, or with the Disney Princesses.

Overlooked Attractions: Frontierland

Have you ever found yourself with a Fast Pass to Big Thunder Mountain Railroad or Splash Mountain, and wondering what to do with your time before that magical window opens? Although these two rides are by far the most popular in Frontierland at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, there are several hidden gems to be discovered.

Frontierland has many fun and interactive attractions that have little to no wait time, due to the popularity of the attractions mentioned above. If you find yourself with time to spare in Frontierland, try some or all of the following:

Frontierland Shootin' Arcade

This has been one of my favorite things to do in Frontierland since I was a little girl. It's something I remember always doing with my Daddy, and I'm glad to take my girls to experience it, too. This attraction has been running at the Magic Kingdom since opening day in 1971.

This is one of the few attractions that are not included with admission to the Magic Kingdom. However, it only costs $1.00 for 35 shots, and money has never been better spent on a whole lot of fun! This old-fashioned game requires you to shoot at targets with rifles that have infrared lights. The target gallery is set up like a town out of an old western movie. Some of the props move, such as the train; others are stationary, but all of them have a fun effect when you hit them.

The wait for this attraction is not usually long, and even if there is a bit of a line, 35 shots go by quickly, and the next person can take their turn. This is a must-do for me when going to the Magic Kingdom, and I am always disappointed if we miss it for any reason.

Country Bear Jamboree

One of the last attractions that Walt Disney personally helped design, the Country Bear Jamboree is a fun show full of audio-animatronic bears who sing, dance, and enter from above on a swing! 18 hillbilly bears perform in this crazy show that is not always politically correct, and it's fun for kids and adults alike. This show has been playing at the Magic Kingdom since the park opened in 1971.

The Country Bear Jamboree was recently refurbished in the fall of 2012. The original show had a running time of a little bit over 15 minutes, and now the time has been reduced to 10 minutes. There is rarely a wait for this show, beyond the wait for the previous show to finish. The shows run one after another, and it is a nice air-conditioned break from the rest of Frontierland. It is definitely a fun break, especially in the summer months!

Tom Sawyer Island

This fun interactive attraction opened at the Magic Kingdom in 1973, but was designed personally by Walt Disney for Disneyland Park and opened there in 1956.

To get to Tom Sawyer Island, guests journey by raft across the Rivers of America to arrive on the island, where they are free to explore until dusk (when the Island closes). Sites to visit on Tom Sawyer Island include: Harper's Mill, Injun Joe's Cave, Fort Langhorn, Potter's Mill, and Tom Sawyer Scavage Fort. There is plenty on this island to fill hours of time for the adventurous at heart!

Conclusion

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and Splash Mountain are definitely the thrill rides of Frontierland, and not to be missed. However, use your time wisely and don't forget to visit the rest of Frontierland as well!

What is your favorite Frontierland attraction?

Not "Short", Just "Vertically Challenged"

Those of us, young and young-at-heart, who are vertically challenged have found a lot to love at Disney destinations.

Have you ever been to a "traditional" theme park with younger and/or smaller children? Do you have some children in your family who are tall enough to ride the thrill rides and others who can only do the kiddie rides?

Going to a theme park can be very frustrating when the majority of the rides require riders to be 48 or even 52 inches tall or taller! I have a 2 girls who love roller coasters, one is tall enough and the other isn't; and it's such a shame to see the sadness when one gets to ride all of the rides and the other has to stay in the kiddie section, which is a postage stamp compared to the rest of the park.

Not so at Disney destinations!

Did you know that...

There are only 16 rides in the four major Walt Disney World theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom) that have any height requirement at all?

3 of those height requirements are relatively low?

• Tomorrowland Speedway (Magic Kingdom) - 32 inches to ride, 54 inches to drive
• Goofy's Barnstormer (Magic Kingdom) - 35 inches
• Kali River Rapids (Animal Kingdom) - 38 inches

Goofy's Barnstormer

13 of those rides require a height of at least 40 inches?

• Magic Kingdom: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, Stitch's Great Escape
• Epcot: Test Track and Soarin'
• Hollywood Studios: Star Tours and Tower of Terror
• Animal Kingdom: Dinosaur

Test Track

 Only 5 of those 14 rides require a height of at least 44 inches?

• Space Mountain (Magic Kingdom)
• Mission: Space (Epcot)
• Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom)

Expedition Everest

And only 2 of those 5 require a height of at least 48 inches?

• Rock 'n' Roller Coaster (Hollywood Studios)
• Primeval Whirl (Animal Kingdom)

Rock 'n' Roller Coaster

At the age of 4, our daughters were able to ride all of the attractions with height requirements of 40 inches. At the age of 5, one daughter was able to ride Space Mountain (barely), which has a height requirement of 44 inches! They LOVED it!

Splash Mountain

There are many reasons why I love Disney destinations so much, and this is a major one. Very rarely do I have to tell my children that they are "not tall enough" to ride. Disney considers their audience, which is families, many with young children. There are very few things those children "cannot" do in the parks!

Disney's Rider Switch Policy

This is one of the best perks at Disney for those who know about it!

If you do have one member of your party who does not meet the height requirement, Disney has a "Rider Switch" policy. A family can ask a castmember at the entrance to the attraction for a "Rider Switch Pass." This allows one adult to stay with the child(ren) who do not meet the height requirement, and the rest of the group to experience the attraction.

When the group is finished, the adults "switch", with the stay-behind adult getting to experience the attraction without waiting in line (usually through the Fast Pass line). The Rider Switch Pass allows up to 3 people to participate, so some of the group can ride again!

My older girls love this, since they get to ride twice: once with Daddy and once with me! I think they'll be disappointed when their little sister meets the height requirement.

Please note: The Rider Switch option is only intended for groups with members who are unable to ride an attraction, not for those who don't happen to want to experience it.

What do you think about Disney's height restrictions? Have you used the Rider Switch? Comment below!