Like the previous poster said, it depends on what kind of experience you'd like.
We've done the Pirates & Pals fireworks cruise and thought it was a blast. The meet & greet with Hook and Smee beforehand was a good time - when we went, Smee in particular was a delight. I have photos of him dancing with my little guy, who was 4 when we did the cruise. Your family can snack on the goodies, which were fine when we were there - nothing gourmet, but tasty treats. Then everyone piles onto the boat, which tootles off into the lagoon to get into position for the fireworks. While you're on the go, your "pirate guide," Patch, entertains everyone with jokes and stories and Disney-themed questions, stuff like that. Cute, silly fun. On our boat, there were a few families with older kids (our son was the youngest that night) plus a few couples without kids, so definitely a range of ages. The fireworks are lovely, and yes, the music is piped in. When the fireworks are over, the boat makes its way back to the dock, where a special character is waiting to greet everyone. That was another awesome experience for my son, who had a terrific time befriending a very kind and generous "friend of" the character. All in all, it was very fun.
We haven't done the private cruise, but it does sound wonderful. But for our money, well, we're planning on doing the Pirates & Pals cruise again on our upcoming trip....
