*DIS Contributors review meals, resort stays, and entertainment that they have paid for during their own vacations. They only utilize discounts and offers if they are available to the general public, such as annual passholder discounts or DVC membership discounts. They receive no additional compensation for dining experiences or events, so that they may give their honest opinions about price and value.
One aspect of Disney Imagineering that sets Disney apart from all other theme parks is the extent of the intricate levels of planning and development that go into each area of the park.
When you enter Adventureland, you are immediately surrounded by the sounds of the jungle and the tropics. Intricate theming is everywhere. As you travel throughout the land, you may come across cannons and barrels that look unsuspecting, perhaps simple decorations surrounding some greenery. At first, they may be overlooked, until a child with a map magically transforms these items into interactive pieces of a puzzle, shooting smoke out at unsuspecting guests. “What is happening?” you wonder, as you watch these kids run on to the next clue. What is happening is A Pirate’s Adventure- Treasures of the Seven Seas.
When you enter Adventureland, head to The Crow’s Nest, a small booth located near The Pirates of the Caribbean ride, where you will enter a magic land of maps and mystery. The cast members there will set you up for your first pirate adventure. At The Crow’s Nest, you will pick up a talisman that will help you to read the treasure map. As you use the map to guide you toward each goal, different parts of the land will come alive and interact with you. Your MagicBand will be placed up to the various hidden spots that you locate, causing the locations to smoke, shoot water, light up, and so much more. Each area you unlock will reveal the next part of the map where you need to head. Be sure to go in order, or you won’t find the treasure at the end!
Each mission takes approximately 20 minutes. In total, there are 5 missions. Each time you complete the mission, you are given a card to commemorate your success. If you complete all five missions, you get a special card signed by Captain Jack Sparrow. Best of all, this entire experience, including the cards and maps, is free! As a mom with two young kids, these cards and maps have served as some of the best souvenirs from our trip, and they were definitely the least expensive.
What I loved most about A Pirate’s Adventure was the reaction other guests had to my kids unlocking these clues. Guests would see my son rushing over and touching his MagicBand to a spot on a rock, releasing steam, or shooting water from what they had considered to be just a decoration. Many people asked us how we were doing it as if we were part of some magical insiders club.
Experiences like this are the magic that makes Disney so much more than a theme park. Seeing the amount of detail, thought, engineering, and ingenuity, that went into this one small aspect of the entire park system made me realize, once again, that you can truly never do it all in Disney.
If you have not tried the Pirate Adventure, be sure to check it out the next time you are in Walt Disney World. You’ll be amazed how many decorations you’ve seen over the years were truly holding magic and mystery within them.