I think I can help with some info on the Pirates Cruise. DO IT! I wanted a special Christmas present for our six year old granddaughter. It was this or the special tea. My daughter-in-law and I quickly decided that Marlie would like some action rather than a tea. So I booked her on the Pirates Cruise. Oh man - she had a blast. It was probably the best thing we did that whole week.
Scrappinstevie - your 8 year old will love it. The kids are taken out on a pirate's ship (a pontoon boat with a Jolly Roger flag on the back). They visit different islands in Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon. They "search" for the treasure using a map. The Cast Members are great and there's a little surprise for them. The kids are encouraged to think a bit as well. Lunch (Uncrustibles, juice, gummy worms, and something else) is served. At the end, the kids are given a bag of junky junk (plastic rings and insects) and a small treasure box with coins and beads. Sounds tacky but the kids just love it.
Pospisil - don't worry about leaving your child for two hours. My daughter-in-law was SO apprehensive. Marlie is an only child and the daughter-in-law was a single mother for a long time. They are close. Disney does everything right. When you get there, you will have to sign a release form. You also have to tell of any kind of allergies. At all. Since they had the Uncrustibles, we made sure they knew Marlie had a problem with cherries so she got a grape sandwich. You get a receipt and a pager. The pager is for emergencies. The receipt is to prove you are the one that dropped the child off. You have to have both in order to claim your child at the end. You can see the entire boarding process. Each child will be paired with another one. Since Marlie was alone, she was paired with another single girl the same age. Everything they do is with the pairs. When the kids board the ship, they are singing "Yo, ho, Yo, ho, a Pirate's Life for Me" at the top of their lungs. My daughter-in-law and I did a tour of the monorail resorts during the two hours. It was fun spotting the Pirate ship out in the water. When the boat docks back at the Grand Floridian, the now successful treasure finders are again singing the Pirate theme complete with "AAAAARRRRGGGHHH!" Every single kid was smiling and having a great time. The adults again can see the docking. No child comes off the boat without the Cast Member getting the receipt and pager. All kids are matched up with an adult before they leave the area.
Hints for this. Make sure your child has a potty break before they board the boat. We almost forgot that. Also, the check in will begin at 9:00. If you are there then, you can get some great shots of your young pirate without anyone else around. They will be given a bandanna to wear and they are issued life jackets (which are severely checked for fit before boarding). After the cruise, take your pirate towards the pool area and there's a nice fountain there. Makes for great photo ops with their treasure. Have them wear the bandanna for the rest of the day. It'll have their name on one of the ears. We had Pirate Marlie for the remainder of the day and she was addressed as such when she left the Grand Floridian.
All in all, this is a hidden gem at Disney World. The price is fantastic for the cruise. DO IT!
My cousin's seven year old daughter is going too, so he won't be entirely with strangers, but still............
