We just returned from our trip to Orlando. We were going to skip the dinner shows, but my sons (ages 10 & 8) spotted a brochure at the hotel display for the Pirate Show and BEGGED to go there, so we finally agreed.They tell you to get there an hour and a half before the show. I was worried about my kids having to wait that long, so we didn't arrive that early. It turns out that I shouldn't have worried - there's a couple of little gift shops, a little museum, and some live entertainment during this period, along with appetizers (nothing fancy) and plenty of room to move around. I think I would have felt that the show was a better value if we had more time in this area, because it is closed after the show ends.
From an adults perspective, the show is generally not worth the value. The food is not too bad, but it's not great. (At a price of around $55/adult, I would expect filet mignon, not chicken...) The set is pretty impressive, but the story line is a little tough to follow.
The show started out with several of the characters singing while the food was being dished out. The boys got a little worried that there would be singing through the whole show. There are some weird parts of the story line that don't seem to fit, like when the pirates are bouncing on a trampoline that is built into the deck of the ship and when this acrobat girl (the gypsy in the story line) does tricks on a rope. (The question "Is this a pirate show or a circus?" kept going through my head.) Closer to the end of the show, the pirates finally broke out some weapons and swords and then the boys really started getting excited. The only part my daughter (age 4) liked was the princess.
When the show ends, the crowd is directed out an exit right to the parking lot. We did hang back a bit and got to take a picture with the pirate we were cheering for, which the boys also loved.
The bottom line....
Both boys ranked this show as one of the top three things we did while in Orlando all week, including the Disney parks. As parents, if you have fun while watching your kids have fun (and you can get past how much money you just spent on the tickets) then you'll probably enjoy it.
