A {Teen} Pirate Adventure!

©Disney

It is no mystery that Disney trips offer a plethora of vacation possibilities.  Quite frankly you can “do” Disney any number of ways.  The most typical being the family vacation, of course, but I happen to be a great admirer of romantic excursions, “Wild Women Weekends” and even solo trips.  Perpetually trying to discover the "new" in an old friend, I devised a plan {insert villainous chuckle}. 

You see, my oldest daughter was about to turn 13.  The realization that I would soon have a teenager in my house became increasingly more difficult to ignore.  Along with this impending awareness was the knowledge that life was getting ready to change.  I was terrified that home-as-we-knew-it was about to get pretty bumpy.  My cheery, open and sharing pre-teen could possibly turn sullen, solitary and sniveling overnight.  This was a fate I was desperate to alter.

The moment before the beignet powdered sugar started flying!

As with many quandaries I am faced with, I usually end up asking myself, “How can Disney help?”  Then the light bulb came on!  We needed a mama/daughter trip! Even more brilliance emerged when it dawned on me that we needed to drive!  Yes!  She couldn’t possibly plug her ears with her ipod blaring the ENTIRE 12 hour drive to Walt Disney World!  She would have to talk!  To ME, no less!

The Pirate rooms at Caribbean Beach resort were brand new at the time so I quickly booked one for us.  In fact, the concept was so new we didn’t even have actual photos to look at and had to drool over the artist renderings instead.

Who knew at the time what kind of adventure awaited us!

We took off a day ahead to split the drive into two stints.  Stopping at a KOA in Yemassee, SC, we pitched a tent.  Hey, I said it was an adventure!  Looking at a large map in the campground office, we realized that the area we were in was referred to as Port Royal.  Ok,  Pirates of the Caribbean fans- are you with me?  No, it wasn’t exactly Jamaica…but it did sprinkle our trip with a bit more excitement!

Excitement ensued the next morning as I packed up the car and managed to… lock the keys in the darn trunk!  Yep…I am so good at doing dumb stuff like that!  Don’t be me.  I went back into the campground office and the lady there said she would call a blacksmith who she knew would come out and save the day!

Seriously.  That’s what she said.

My daughter and I, having moments ago felt so frustrated about not getting on the road as early as we wanted, sat waiting and giggling in hopes that our blacksmith in Port Royal would be none other than the beautiful Will Turner!

It wasn’t.  Well, unless he had aged considerably and worked hard on a rather rotund ale belly.

So our quest for Captain Jack developed!

Back in the car, we planned our pursuit of that cagey pirate!  Between that and blaring show tunes while singing on the tops of our voices, the time flew quickly!  Soon we were in our rooms with the plank floors, treasure chests and our very own pirate ship beds.

The pirate theme carried on for the rest of our trip.  Naturally we rode Pirates of the Caribbean…more than once, pointing out that elusive Captain every time we spotted him.  We saw the Pirate Tutorial for the first time and just slipped in for the opening of  The Pirates League.  Each day was filled with fun, exploration and time solidifying that bond with my daughter that I hold so dear.

It was a vacation we will both cherish forever and, even now, refer to often.  The laughter still feels fresh.  Oh, and that brooding teenager I feared was about to move in?  Well, she never did. 

My second daughter turns 13 this year.  I can only imagine what adventure awaits this time!

for even more Pirate Adventures, look at Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage

XO, Ami