Pirates Dinner Adventure in Buena Park, California brings Christmas to the high seas!
Pirate’s Dinner Adventure is an interactive, family-friendly dinner theater that has been entertaining the Buena Park area in California for nearly 20 years. The thrilling dinner show features storytelling, acrobatics, and stunts, making it a fun night for the whole family. This season, their holiday show “Pirates Take Christmas” returns with the pirate gang as well as Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Scoundrel pirates have captured Santa and Mrs. Claus, threatening to bring an end to the holiday season and disappointing the good children around the world. With help from you, your family, and a little bit of magic, you can ensure Santa beats the pirates and saves Christmas.
This was my first time visiting Pirate’s Adventure Dinner. Although the show is geared toward younger members of the audience, I can say with certainty that my two adult friends and I had a lot of fun. The playful environment and tone of the show allows anyone, of any age, to let loose and play along. I was event selected to help raise the ship’s sails.
The ship certainly makes an impression when you first enter the venue with its giant Jolly Roger sails, bridges, and pools of water. This time of year, a bit of cheer has been added to the ship with garland and holidays lights. The audience is seated at their dinner tables on three sides of the ship. This breaks us up into groups, each group having its own pirate to cheer on. I was seated in the yellow section with our pirate, Antonio, to root for.
Throughout the night, the pirates battle each other in various ways. Whether it’s a race of sorts, a physical altercation, or some other playful competition, the audience gets into it waving their pirate’s colored flag and shouting against the competition. It’s fun to see how seriously some younger audience members take it. One thing that surprised me is how there are musical elements in the show where pirates break into song.
As regards the holiday overlay, there was a lot more to it than I anticipated. I expected to hear a mention of the holidays and appearances by Santa at the beginning and end, bookending the show. But Santa and Mrs. Claus are integrated throughout the entire performance. And if you ever dreamed of seeing Santa Claus on a trampoline, you can make that dream a reality at “Pirates Take Christmas.”
Some of the show is simply their standard (and equally entertaining) regular show with the music swapped out with holiday tunes. But overall, it felt like a full-fledged night of Christmas entertainment. It should be noted that this holiday show is very different from their sister-production in Orlando, Florida.
“Pirates Take Christmas” runs through January 1, 2023 at Pirate’s Dinner Adventure in Buena Park, Calif. General admission includes a three-course dinner with unlimited soft drinks. Ticket prices for the Christmas special start at $65.95 for adults and $38.95 for children ages 11 and under. You can book tickets at www.PiratesDinnerAdventureCA.com.
Jeff DePaoli is a producer and voiceover artist living in Los Angeles. He can be heard as the voice of Disney Trivia on Alexa as well as the host of “Dizney Coast to Coast,” the ultimate, unofficial Disney fan podcast. Get your FREE gifts of “America’s Hidden Mickeys,” “On the Rohde Again,” “Theme Park Comfort Kit” and more at DizneyCoastToCoast.com. DePaoli’s opinions are his own and do not necessarily represent Attractions Magazine.
