As if there wasn’t enough stuff to try to enjoy at Disney World, there is now even more! Channel your inner Ariel and learn to be a mermaid. Get artful and create your very own Disney masterpiece on canvas or on a wine glass. Sign on to Captain Hook’s band of buccaneers and see if you have what it takes to be a pirate. Indulge in the comfort and privacy of a private poolside cabana.
In time for spring, Walt Disney World Resort is launching new recreation offerings and activities at select resort hotels, treating guests of all ages to even more ways to live out their Disney dreams and create vacation memories to last a lifetime.
New Pirate Experience
Ahoy, mateys! Reservations are open for a new group experience that invites young recruits ages 4-12 into the world of pirate feasting and treasure-seeking, high-energy sailin’ and swashbucklin’ fun. The new Captain Hook’s Pirate Crew at Disney’s Beach Club Resort is the latest chapter of immersive experiences for kids at Walt Disney World Resort.
Captain Hook will be lookin’ for a new band of adventurers to learn the pirate code and follow clues leading to hidden treasure. As part of Captain Hook’s Pirate Crew, these young buccaneers will comb through the resort and set sail on a pontoon boat around Crescent Lake, in the latest seafaring adventure at Disney’s Beach Club Resort.
Once the treasure is unearthed, all join in a Pirate Feast that includes selections such as Cannon Meatballs with marinara or macaroni and “gold” sauce for entrees, along with a treasure chest treat or fruit for dessert. Captain Hook’s Pirate Crew is priced at $55 (plus tax) per child; the adventures begin April 28th. For more information or to book a reservation, call 407-824-KIDS.
Mermaid School
Always wanted to be under the seas with Ariel?! You will feel like they are part of Ariel’s world during the Mermaid School at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels. Guests ages 4 and older will enjoy an hour-long class where they’ll be fitted with a swimmable “tail” and led through activities teaching them how to swim in a pool like a mermaid.
The Mermaid School will be offered at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, and Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts. Classes are $50/person (plus tax). Bookings (select dates per resort) will open mid-March, for reservations call 407-WDW-PLAY.
Cabanas at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts
Reservations are open for rentals of the new poolside cabanas at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts, where guests can indulge in the lap of luxury. These private hideaways exclusive to Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts provide guests with a bevy of services, including:
- Padded furniture (chairs and couch)
- Dedicated Disney Cast Member service
- Cocktail service
- Mounted television with cable access
- Complimentary sunscreen and other skin care products
- Mini-refrigerator stocked with complimentary soda and water
- Complimentary fruit tray
- Plush towels
- Lockable cabinet
- Charging outlets for mobile devices
These new cabanas are exclusively for guests staying at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts. Reservations for half and full day rentals are now open for dates beginning March 17th, for reservations call 407-WDW-PLAY.
New Art Programs
All-new master classes led by professional artists at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels will have guests creating their own masterpieces. Classes range from $35 (plus tax) to $50 (plus tax) per person, offered to ages 12 and older for most experiences. The artful lineup:
- Win, Paint, Show at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
- Wild About Painting, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
- Painting on de’ Bayou (adults), Painting by the Lagoon (kids), Disney’s Port Orleans – French Quarter Resort. NOTE: children’s painting class is $30 per person (plus tax); designed for ages 6 and older; accompanying parent required.
- Painting in the Vineyard, Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts
- Canvas and Wine Glass Painting on the Boards, Disney’s BoardWalk Inn
Bookings (select dates per resort) are available through 407-WDW-PLAY.
Fishing Excursions
Whether a seasoned sportsman or amateur angler, guided excursions or dockside fishing in the waterways of Walt Disney World Resort are great fun for guests of all ages. Aboard a 21-foot SunTracker pontoon (up to five guests) or a tournament-style NITRO bass-fishing boat (for one or two participants), teeming Disney waters are an angler’s dream. Outings (two or four hours) are catch-and-release. The fleet has been joined by a new NITRO ZV21, operating out of the Magic Kingdom marinas. For more information or to book an excursion, guests can call 407-WDW-BASS.
I have been visiting the parks annually since my parents first brought me at just a year old. Recently I was able to fulfill my life long dream of being a Florida local and moved from the wintery Northeast to the sunshine and fun of central Florida. Now I am hoping to share my Disney knowledge with you so you can have the best vacation possible!
