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Grand Gatherings - "Magical Fireworks Voyage"

 

Groups meet near the Contemporary marina where a buffet of fruit, cookies and beverages is provided.

Soon, Captain Hook and Mr Smee arrive to join the fun, and pose for photographs.

After bidding farewell to Captain Hook and Mr. Smee on shore, your group will sail with Patch the pirate along Seven Seas Lagoon by Magic Kingdom. This memorable evening includes ideal "seaward" viewing of the "Electrical Water Pageant" and the spectacular new "Wishes" fireworks extravaganza over Cinderella Castle.

The voyage features group trivia and song activities and a celebration for special occasions like birthdays, reunions or anniversaries. The irrepressible Patch regales you with tales of Peter Pan on the trip back to shore.

Speaking of Peter Pan, he awaits your return to pose for photos and sign autographs.

Ages 10 and older, $32.99; ages 3-9, $14.99.

Available to book 90 days in advance.

Photos


Reviews

"The Magical Fireworks Voyage, or the ‘Peter Pan Fireworks Cruise’ as it is often referred to, is on select nights during the week, and meets over at the Contemporary Resort. On the night we went, we met outside, in the back, under the stars with a full moon rising behind us over Bay Lake. Be careful though – in inclement weather or low temps, your group will meet inside, on the fourth floor at the end of the concourse near the shops.

Once our group gathered, we were given special event pins as our identification for the cruise, and told which boat we were going to be on and what rows we were in. It was then we were allowed into the roped-off area, to mingle amongst each other while dining on wonderful assorted confections. The food here varied widely, from chocolate cake and decadent mousses, to the more nutritious fruit tarts and light custards. They also had a coffee and tea bar, with assorted flavorings and sugars. Everything was done up in a pirate theme, and the urge to sing ‘yo ho! YO ho!” was strong (I later succumbed, to my husband’s embarrassment.) It was intimate and fun.

Soon, Captain Hook and Mr. Smee joined us. They went around, teasing the adults and mocking the children. They were very good natured. My daughter is petrified of Captain Hook, had been since a little girl. She started to get a headache, and I thought we were have to leave, she was so upset. Mr. Smee noticed, and came over shyly. He coaxed my tearful daughter out, and asked what the matter was, through a series of playful pantomiming. Crocodiles? No. Indian princesses? No. Ticking clocks? No. That man, my daughter pointed, hiding her head, but not so much so that she couldn’t see what Mr. Smee responded in return.

“Him?” Mr. Smee gestured. A wave of his arm dismissed him, then encouraged her to hid behind him while he approached Captain Hook. Pretty soon, a goofy Hook was making my daughter laugh, trying to get her to tie his shoes and fix the flap that refused to stay up above the laces. They became best buds after that, and I was forever grateful to Mr. Smee. (As an aside, I have seen this pair again, breaking down another child’s fear – they seem to have this scenario under control, perhaps from a lot of experience.)

Soon, two gregarious pirates named ‘Patch’ joined us. One was to lead all the folks down to the Captain Hook boat (that was us) and the other down to the Mr. Smee boat. Our characters went with us, and ‘warned us’ if we should see Peter Pan, to let them know. Patch sang and told jokes as we strutted, bounced, and sang our way down the marina, to the waiting boats. It was then I tried to sing a hearty ‘Yo ho! Yo ho!” but Patch yelled at me, telling me I had the whole song wrong, and I should learn to do it right. He broke into a fabulous rendition, trying to teach us all how to sing it. At least the kids got it right.

Once onboard the ‘ship,’ we were offered blankets for the chill, and given rules about keeping arms and legs inside the ship, else he was going to have to make us walk the plank. He pointed out the brilliant moon (lest we missed it up to this point) and said that it didn’t get any better than this. We set sail, ready for our tour around the islands.

Patch was great. He got us singing, cheering, told jokes and stories. He announced each group, and we all had to cheer wildly. He asked about birthdays, and anniversaries, and if there were any special events being celebrated. I was trying my hardest to get my friend and her boyfriend up in front – I knew that they played ‘Kiss the Girl’ and made the couple dance in front of everyone during the song, yet the plan backfired and my husband and I had to get up and dance. Dang, I should know better than to sit next to her. At any rate, it was great fun.

We pulled into the Seven Seas Lagoon, right alongside the other ship. Our Patch and their Patch started a shouting match across the water, as to who had the better ship. We won, I think, if screaming yourself hoarse could be considered the prize.

Patch then asked us to scoot the ‘wee ones’ across the boat, and that the fireworks would soon begin. The music was piped into the boat, and as the Castle glowed, we could see Tinkerbell fly down from the castle, and the fireworks burst behind her. It was truly magical.

The show was wonderful. We weren’t fighting crowds. The kids had a great view, as did we, and we could HEAR the whole story, without extraneous crowd or vendor noise. A couple of times, the boat drifted, but when it did, the captain expertly, and quietly, maneuvered us back into place. It felt like we were the only ones in the world, and that Jiminy Cricket was talking right to us.

Too soon, it was over, and we were all hushed, in awe of the show. As we headed back to shore, happy and tired, Patch pointed out a twinkling light on one of the islands. “Look! There’s Tinkerbell! I wonder what she’s trying to tell us! Do you think we will find Peter Pan?”

Sure enough, as we pulled back into the marina at the Contemporary, a boy dressed in green and carrying a lattern with a twinkling fairy waved to us from the dock. He sprinted back up the dock, and waited for us to take pictures and sign autographs.

It was a wonderful evening, full of emotion and memories. Of all the experiences I have been to, this one is my favorite, by far. The food is great, but goes by fairly unnoticed, as the entertainment is the key to this experience. The characters are with you a good amount of time, and are very personable. Patch is amazing; that he does this show night after night is unbelievable." Marion (3/05)


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