Our visit with Jack Sparrow at Pirates of the Caribbean

One of my children (who I won't embarrass by naming) has been Jack Sparrow crazy for a few years. During our 2007 visit, we were excited to find a little outdoor show next to Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean ride featuring Jack. In the show, Jack and his assistant recruit kids to join his pirate crew. 

My younger group got to participate, and took home certificates naming them pirates on the crew of the Black Pearl. It was a blast. 

In 2009, though, it got even better. We were walking past the Pirates of the Caribbean ride (which had almost no line at the time) and saw Jack saunter in the door with his trusty sidekick. We immediately made a b-line for the ride. 

We caught up with him on the first turn and got autographs and pictures. He was as charmingly drunk as ever, joking around with us and staggering a lot. When I handed him my gigantic pile of autograph books he made a smart aleck comment about Jon and Kate plus Eight. It was very funny, and a thrill for my Jack-crazy teenager. 

One of the best parts about Walt Disney World trips are the surprises around every corner!