I have this friend named Melissa who’s a huge Disney fan.  We travel together sometimes for work and never run out of things to talk about. Melissa and her family take a Walt Disney World vacation every year in the fall for Food & Wine and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. Melissa’s little girl, a second-grader, is really into things like cheerleading, fashion accessories, and watching Disney ride videos on YouTube.  Little Annelise is already a seasoned Disney traveler and she knows what she likes!

You’d think, wouldn’t you, that Annelise would be the perfect candidate for a makeover at the Bibbity-Bobbity-Boutique? That’s what my friend Melissa thought too when she offered to make an appointment for their most recent vacation. Turns out, we’d be wrong! See, Annelise has a bunch of girly interests, but is also really into things like zombies, age-appropriate classic horror films, and conventions like Walker Stalker Con. She did not want to visit the Boutique and be made over into a princess. She wanted to join the Pirates League!

The Pirates League experience at Walt Disney World is available to boys and girls, but is definitely more geared towards boys. On the day Melissa took her daughter there for her appointment, Annelise was the only girl in attendance. Having purchased a pirate outfit in advance (Melissa highly recommends this), Melissa and Annelise were welcomed into the League’s Adventureland headquarters near Pirates of the Caribbean.

The Disney attention to detail is in abundance in the Pirates League.  Guests start out by spinning the helmsman’s wheel to discover their pirate name before pledging the Pirate Oath.  This was the first step for Annelise on her way to becoming Betty Goodhawk.  Once Betty (the pirate formerly known as Annelise) had her new name, the real transformation began.

Pirate Oath? Check.  Pirate name? Check.  Pirate appearance? Double-Check.  One last thing was necessary to make the change complete – entrance into the Secret Room just for pirates – this part’s details are super-extremely-top-secret and cannot be shared with anyone who has not taken the Pirate Oath, sorry.

Finally, Betty Goodhawk received her official Pirate Certificate signed by none other than Captain Jack Sparrow himself.  Betty and her fellow new pirates were all invited to return in the afternoon to participate in the Pirate Parade through Adventureland.

From the pictures, it’s obvious Betty/Annelise enjoyed the experience of becomeing a pirate, but what did her mom think?  Melissa said, “The crew at the Pirates League was amazing. Always in character. We loved it, and are already planning our next experience.”

If you have a daughter, is she more a Princess or a Pirate?