A Pirate's Life for Me

Chapter 1: She's a Pirate

The first time Nora walked into the Magic Kingdom she'd been too dazed to cry.

How could she even begin to describe her experience? Everything was clean and concise. There wasn't a blade of grass out of place. The second there was a mess, it got swept up by a Cast Member. And while Main Street was flooded with people, it was easy to maneuver through the crowd as Cast Members helped with the flow.

Plus it smelled like waffle cones.

Cheerful music swept through the air wherever she went, perfectly matching the theme of each land. Cast Members smiled. Pluto walked by, ears flopping, waving as guests cried out his name. People were smiling and laughing, most of them clad in mouse ears and Disney memorabilia.

And, the second she saw the castle, its spires twinkling in the bright Florida sun, she knew she was home.

Her MagicBand hugged her wrist, swinging next to her side. She'd made Fast Passes, though she knew they weren't the best ones. Jungle Cruise was pretty good, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad was all right, but she knew PhilharMagic was a lame one. Still, that's what she snagged, because at least she'd get to see the little Mickey head light up and chime when she used it.

She'd researched everything, and she meant everything. Attractions, shows, food, bathrooms. Yes, bathrooms. Because at Disney, even the bathrooms were amazing. Clean, with pretty music, themed to the land. Oh, she loved it.

So while she'd never stepped foot inside a Disney park, she had the layout memorized like a pro. It looked much different than the 2D map, but she'd seen enough videos to know where everything was. She knew how to use her MagicBand, how to make Fast Pass reservations, how to go through an entire day as efficiently as possible, and that you can't just eat anywhere you want without a reservation, which would normally be a six month in advanced thing. Going by herself meant she could probably swing by snagging reservations, but she didn't exactly have the money for that yet.

Which was a shame, because the merch called to her. She was itching to buy everything, especially with her AP discount, and she couldn't.

But still, Nora was here, living her best life. She was ecstatic.

And yet she was stuck in the hub, frantically trying to figure out where she wanted to go. The world was her oyster (literally) and she had no idea what to do first. Because she didn't want to just wander around, she wanted to do something. She wanted to commemorate her first day at Disney. She wanted to be able to say "Yes, this is the first ever attraction I did, thank you very much."

But it couldn't just be any attraction. It was like picking a Pokémon. That was your first starter forever. Your little buddy, tied to your soul in a way that so few things could.

Okay, maybe that was a stretch, but it was important to her.

And she couldn't just ask someone, or many someone's, about their favorites. No. It had to be hers.

She did love rollercoasters, but at the same time going on one of those first felt too intimidating. She couldn't say it would be her favorite until after she rode each one. As much as she loved Fantasyland, she didn't feel any of those dark rides speak to her on a spiritual level. Well, maybe a little, but not first ride worthy. The Haunted Mansion gave her the heebee jeebees, so that was a no.

But there was one thing that she had loved since she'd seen it as a twelve year old—Pirates of the Caribbean.

It was her favorite movie trilogy, her favorite romance, her favorite wacky, quotable, beautiful adventure.