Pirates Take Over the Ship!

Once we got back on board the ship in Cabo, they lifted anchor and set sail into deeper waters, even though we were going to spend another day in Cabo.  Why?  Because Disney Cruise Line is the only cruise line in the world that does fireworks at sea!  (This is kind of a big deal, and something they are very proud of.) They had to get out away from land so that they could safely do the fireworks show, and it had to be Thursday, because Thursday night was the night everyone looked forward to all week - Thursday was Pirate Night!

Everyone on board, and I do mean EVERYONE, was decked out in their pirate digs.  Everyone, that is, except us.  We somehow didn't get the memo to pack our eye patches and hooks.  Too bad, because we have some pretty great pirate stuff at home, as you might imagine.  But we made due.  I tied a scarf around my head, and some of the boys made newspaper hats.

Captain Hook must have thought we looked piratey enough to been seen with us, huh?

What a motley crew!  Scary.

Who needs eye patches and hooks? Chip and Dale showed us how to make our own.

Nathan and his best buddy Chip.

Chip was admiring Nathan's awesome hat when Stitch came over and swiped it off of Nathan's head and put it on his own, then danced around and pretended he was Chip.  Silly Stitch!  The boys and Chip all got a kick out of it.

At dinner in the Animator's Palette there were pirate scarves waiting for all of us, and the kids used crayons to pirate-up their paper hats a bit.

After a visit from Mickey himself during dinner, we were really ready for a magical Pirate Night aboard the Disney Wonder.

The boys were really in the mood!  Sword fights in the halls and pushing the elevator buttons with the tips of their weapons, just like real pirates do - pirates that have elevators on their ships, that is.

Up on deck is where the action was!!!  Everyone loves a party, but a pirate party, well, it doesn't get much better that that!  There was music and dancing, and the boat was rocking!  Everyone was having a heck of a time when all of the sudden...

Captain Hook and his crew of dastardly pirates descended on ropes down onto the stage and announced that they had taken over the ship!

But have no fear!  Suddenly, high over our heads Captain Mickey appeared and swung on a rope from one smoke stack to the other - flying through the air to save the day.  Our hero!

He dropped onto the stage and said, "You came to see a show, and I'm going to give you a show!  Look to the sky!"

Suddenly the black sky above us exploded into bright fireworks!  It was more explosive than any cannon battle!  It was awesome!

Aaargh, mateys!  

Then came the scurvy grub!  One whole side of the deck had been turned into a pirate feast!!!  Never mind that we had all just come from dinner, this was quite a spread.  There was a whole bunch of Caribbean inspired food and fruits and goodies.  There was a made-to-order crepe station, and everyone's favorite, whole turkey legs!  You just can't help but feel like a real pirate when you walk around on a boat gnawing on a turkey leg. We thought we were full, but we just could help but collect some of this here booty!

There were also pirate ice sculptures, and the deserts were beautiful!  No one wanted the party to end, or for their tummy to get full.  

When everything settled down, they showed the Pirates of the Caribbean movie on the giant screen on the deck.  Disney sure knows how to throw a pirate party!

Even when we had had our fill of plundering and looting, as all pirates eventually do, and had gone below deck to our staterooms, we found that magic pirate night was not quite over.  Instead of chocolates on our pillows, there were gold coins, and a towel folded in the shape of a monkey was hanging there playfully.  Shiver me timbers!