Pirates of the Caribbean (theme park ride)

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This article is about the Disney theme park attraction. For other uses, see Pirates of the Caribbean (disambiguation).

Pirates of the Caribbean is a dark ride at the Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris theme parks that inspired the movie trilogy of the same name. It is one of the most popular and well-known Disney attractions.

During the course of the indoor boat ride, guests float through an immersive, larger-than-life pirate adventure featuring gunshots, cannon blasts, and burning buildings, all set to pirates carousing and pillaging while accompanied by Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me) written by George Bruns and Xavier Atencio.

[edit] Development

Originally envisioned in the late 1950s as a walk-through wax museum, the attraction evolved into a boat ride through complex show scenes filled with Audio-Animatronics characters after the 1964 New York World's Fair, which brought about several advances in Disney's theme park technologies. Additionally, it was planned to feature real pirates from history. Instead, humorous sketches of fictional pirates by Imagineer Marc Davis inspired the animatronic diorama seen throughout the final attraction.

Opening on March 18, 1967, Pirates of the Caribbean was Disneyland's largest Audio-Animatronics project to date and was the last attraction which Walt Disney was involved in designing.

The portrait of the female pirate above the bar in the Crews Quarters scene is an original work by Davis. The pirate captain in the scene where captured women are auctioned as brides is a test bed for updates and developments to Audio-Animatronics technology; many innovations are tried on him first. As a result, his movements are far more lifelike and expressive than virtually any other Audio-Animatronics figure in all of Disneyland.

The ride never was intended to be part of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort because of concerns that it would not be exotic enough due to Florida's geographic proximity to the Caribbean and New Orleans, the settings of the Disneyland attraction. Instead, Imagineers developed plans for a similar attraction called the Western River Expedition, which would have featured cowboys and Indians instead. After many Walt Disney World guests complained about the lack of Disney's celebrated pirate attraction, an abbreviated version opened in Florida on December 15, 1973.

The attraction was part of the opening day of Tokyo Disneyland (April 15, 1983) and of Disneyland Paris (April 12, 1992). There is no Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Hong Kong Disneyland, but there are plans to add it in the near future with some Splash Mountain-style elements.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Attraction description

[edit] Disneyland version

This parrot outside of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at the Magic Kingdom in the Walt Disney World Resort, Florida was removed during the 2006 ride revamp.

The ride begins amid glimmering fireflies during an evening abuzz with the croaking of bullfrogs in what looks like Tia Dalma's swamp. Daring adventurers board their boats at Lafitte's Landing, and are at once afloat in the heart of bayou country. On one side is an actual working restaurant, The Blue Bayou, made to look like the backyard dinner party of a southern plantation.

Once past several rickety houseboats, the soft strumming of a banjo melody (which is actually Oh! Susanna) can be heard over the peaceful symphony of nature as guests pass by one houseboat, on the porch of which an old man calmly rocks back and forth in his rocking chair. But then a talking skull and crossbones above an archway provides this taunting warning:

Psst! Avast there! It be too late to alter course, mateys. And there be plundering pirates lurkin' in ev'ry cove, waitin' to board. Sit closer together and keep your ruddy hands in board. That be the best way to repel boarders. And mark well me words, mateys: Dead men tell no tales! Ye come seekin' adventure with salty old pirates, eh? Sure you've come to the proper place. But keep a weather eye open mates, and hold on tight. With both hands, if you please. Thar be squalls ahead, and Davy Jones waiting for them that don't obey.

Then a more chilling sound becomes audible: the thundering of a waterfall, down which guests plunge. When they reach the bottom of the waterfall guests then get to enjoy the theme for the ride briefly. Then they hear the frightening echo of "Dead men tell no tales!"

After a second hair-raising plunge further into the depths of an underground grotto, guests behold the skeletal remains of an unfortunate band of pirates, guarding their loot and treasure with macabre delight.

A waterfall was recently added with a projection of Davy Jones which riders seem to float through without getting wet. He invites guests to proceed if "they be brave or fool enough to face a pirate's curse".

Suddenly, cannonballs whistle overhead and explosions throw water into the air – a fierce battle between a marauding pirate galleon and a Caribbean fortress is in full swing. Captain Barbossa leads the assault from the deck of a pirate vessel named the Wicked Wench, while "The Medallion Calls" from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies plays. From the deck of the Wicked Wench Barbossa yells,"Hoist ye colors ye bloomin cockroachers... surrender Captain Jack Sparrow... or by thunder we'll burn the city to the ground. They seem to need a bit of persuasion men. Fire at will! Pound 'em lads! Pound em'!" When a cannon is shot, guests riding in the back row of the boat can feel a powerful blast of air coming from the cannon.

The village on the Isla Tesoro beyond is overrun with pirates in search of Captain Jack Sparrow, wenches to auction, rum to drink, and treasure. One pirate is even offering cats some rum. Jack is first seen in the mayor-dunking scene, hiding behind some dresses, peeking out every so often. As the ride progresses, the town's women are being sold as "brides" to the invading pirates.

Just beyond is the infamous "pooped pirate" drunkenly waving a map and key to a treasure vault, boasting that Jack Sparrow will never see it. Little does he know, Jack is hiding in a barrel just behind him, popping out and getting a good look at the map over the pirate's shoulder.

A skeleton at the helm of a ship

Carefree, tipsy pirates succeed in ravaging the town and setting it aflame, filling the night air with an orange glow.

Riders next float past a jail where imprisoned pirates are doing their best to escape as flames draw near. A small dog just out of the prisoners' reach holds the key to their escape in his teeth; he seems all but immune to the pleas of the pirates trying to coax him closer.

Timbers are smoldering and cracking overhead as riders sail through a storage room filled with gunpowder, cannon balls and whiskey-filled, gun-shooting pirates that are singing "Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirate's Life For Me". A shootout between the inebriated crew and captain of the pirate ship in a flaming ammunition warehouse threatens to demolish the entire village.

Finally, Jack Sparrow is seen in a room full of the hidden treasure the pirates tried so hard to keep from him. Slightly drunk (as usual), he is draped over a large throne-like chair and waves his new treasures around happily while chattering to himself (and passing guests). Every once in a while he will sing "Drink up me hearties yo ho!". Riders then return to the sleepy bayou where the journey began.

[edit] Modifications

The "auction" scene in which women are offered for sale by the invading pirates has remained largely intact since the attraction opened, though the "Take A Wench For A Bride" banner comes and goes with some refurbishments.

In its original form, the Disneyland attraction contained a scene in which pirates were shown chasing attractive females in circles (achieved by simply animated figures on turntables hidden below guests' view), along with a comical reversal in which an overweight woman was seen chasing a pirate. Some were offended by this depiction and in response, and Disney initially changed the woman chasing the pirate by having her try to hit him with a rolling pin. Then, in 1997, this sequence was changed so that the pirates now are pursuing women holding pies, and the large woman is chasing a pirate with a stolen ham.

Originally, one pirate was shown exhausted from his pursuit of an unwilling female, brandishing a petticoat as guests floated past, and uttering suggestive dialogue including "It's sore I be to hoist me colors upon the likes of that shy little wench," and "I be willing to share I be." Behind him, the woman would pop her head out from her hiding place inside a barrel. This scene was altered in the American parks, but it is still the same in the versions at Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.

The "Pooped Pirate," as he was called, was dubbed the Gluttonous Pirate and was recast in the 1997 refurbishment as a rogue in search of food. His dialogue included lines such as "Me belly be feeling like galleon with a load of treasure," and "I be looking for a fine pork loin I be." The woman hiding in the barrel was replaced by a cat. The reasons for this alteration are unknown.

At the Magic Kingdom, the chase scene was altered to show the pirates making off with various treasure as the formerly "chased" ladies attempt to thwart them. The "Pooped Pirate" here is holding a treasure map in his lap and a magnifying glass in one hand. His lines here include "This map says X marks the spot, but I be seein' no X's afore me." The woman in the barrel remains, though this time she is hiding a small treasure chest inside the barrel with her. The reasons for this alteration are unknown.

The modifications garnered criticism from longtime fans and some of the original Imagineers of the Attraction.^{[citation needed]} In Jason Surrell's book Pirates of the Caribbean: From The Magic Kingdom to the Movies, showwriter Francis Xavier "X" Atencio refers to the "softening" touches as "Boy Scouts of the Caribbean."

A closeup of Disneyland's newest audio-animatronic figure based on Johnny Depp's character Captain Jack Sparrow from the popular Pirates of the Caribbean movie trilogy.

In 2006, Walt Disney Imagineering debuted refurbishments at Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom inspired by the Pirates of the Caribbean feature films to coincide with the release of the second movie, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. With the recent revisions of the ride to incorporate features from the movie, Disney has completely done away with the sequence of women being chased by pirates. Instead, one turntable features two pirates running in a circle each holding one end of a treasure chest (taken from the aforementioned Magic Kingdom modification). In another, a woman is chasing a pirate who is making off with some stolen pies. In the third, a woman is chasing a pirate while menacing him with a weapon. The "Pooped Pirate" character is now brandishing a map and the key to Davy Jones' chest, while Captain Jack Sparrow stealthily observes from inside the barrel.

The refurbishments also included other Audio-Animatronic figures of Captain Jack Sparrow and one of Hector Barbossa (who replaces the captain of the Wicked Wench ship), along with new special effects, improved lighting and audio, and an appearance by the films' supernatural character Davy Jones, all voiced by the original actors. The skeleton beach and Hurricane scenes are now accompanied by a quiet, melancholic instrumental version of "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)." Disneyland also features a new final "lift scene". When the boats are lifted back to ground level, guests pass by a audio-animatronic of a tipsy Jack Sparrow relaxing and humming bits of the theme song amongst a collection of treasure. A similar scene replaces the original Treasure Room scene at the end of Magic Kingdom's version.

Smaller modifications have been made to coincide with Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest. In the first treasure room, in the pirate's grotto, the Aztec chest of gold from "Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl" can be seen at the far right. In the skeletal bar room, in the very back of the room, Elizabeth Swann's discarded dress from "Dead Man's Chest" can be seen. The "Pooped Pirate" is now holding the key to Davy Jones' chest, and the pirate carrying all the stolen hats and items is holding the actual chest.

[edit] Adaptations

In 2003, Disney released Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, a feature film inspired by the attraction that stars Johnny Depp in an Oscar-nominated performance as Captain Jack Sparrow. A sequel, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, opened on July 7, 2006, with Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End set to open on May 25, 2007.

A computer game (by Akella), loosely connected to the first movie's plot, was released to coincide with the film. Port Royal, a world based on the Pirates of the Caribbean films, appears in the Square Enix video game Kingdom Hearts II.

In 2000, Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold, opened at DisneyQuest at Florida's Walt Disney World Resort. On this attraction, up to five players board a virtual pirate ship to sail around a small 3-D world. Players may fire cannons at other virtual pirate ships; if opposing ships are sunk, their treasure will be "stolen".

Ron Gilbert often has been quoted that his inspiration for the Monkey Island computer game series came from the attraction (this has been refuted to 'merely' being a source of ambience). One obvious example is the prison scene in Monkey Island 2: LeChuck's Revenge, which contains a key-carrying dog named Walt in homage to Walt Disney.

[edit] Attraction facts

Pirates of the Caribbean at Tokyo Disneyland

[edit] Disneyland

• Grand opening: March 18, 1967
• Ride capacity: 3400 guests per hour
• Audio-Animatronics: 122
  • 68 humans
  • 54 animals
• Total amount of water: 750,000 gallons
• Main lift pumps:
  • Pump number one is rated at a maximum of 20,000 gallons per minute
  • Pump number two is rated at a maximum of 18,000 gallons per minute
• First drop length: 52'
  • First drop angle: 21°
• Second drop length: 37'
  • Second drop angle: 21°
• Length of final lift back to Lafitte's Landing: 90'
  • Angle of final lift back to Lafitte's Landing: - 16 degrees
• Number of show buildings: 2 (112,826 square feet)
• Number of levels: 3
• Canal length: 1,838 feet
  • Blue Bayou
  • Upper caverns
  • Main show in basement
• Maximum ceiling height: 40'
• Show length: 14:30
• Required ticket: "E" (discontinued)
• Ride system: Flume

[edit] Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World

• Grand opening: December 15, 1973
• Audio-Animatronics: 125
  • 65 pirates & villagers
  • 60 animals
• Total amount of water: 155,000 gallons
• Drop length: 52'
• Drop height: 14'
• Drops: 1
• Show length: 8:30
• Required ticket: "E" (discontinued)
• Ride system: Flume

[edit] Tokyo Disneyland

• Grand opening: April 15, 1983
• Audio-Animatronics:123
  • 66 humans
  • 57 animals
• Drops: 1
• Number of levels: 3
  • Blue Bayou
  • Upper caverns
  • Main show in basement

[edit] Disneyland Park at Disneyland Resort Paris

• Grand opening: April 12, 1992
• Audio-Animatronics: 119
  • 64 humans
  • 55 animals
• Drops: 2
• Number of levels: 3
  • Blue Lagoon
  • Main show on second floor
  • caverns (ground level)
• Show length: 10 minutes
• Ride system: Flume

[edit] Soundtrack

[edit] Releases

• The Official Album of Disneyland and Walt Disney World (1991 CD) "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)"
• Walt Disney World Resort: The Official Album (1999 CD) "Overture" & "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)"
• Walt Disney World Resort: Official Album (2000 CD) "Overture" & "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)"
• Pirates of the Caribbean (2000 CD) 16 minute "float through," many audio elements from the attraction, plus unused music and dialogue
• Official Album: Walt Disney World Resort Celebrating 100 Years of Magic (2001 CD) "Overture" & "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)"
• A Musical History of Disneyland (2005) 16 minute "float through"

A version of "Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me)" can be heard in several Disney theme park fireworks shows:

• Fantasy in the Sky
• Remember... Dreams Come True

[edit] See also

• List of current Disneyland attractions

[edit] References

• Surrell, Jason. (2005). Pirates of the Caribbean: From the Magic Kingdom to the Movies. New York: Disney Editions. ISBN 0-7868-5630-0. Describes the origins of the attraction, its incarnations at Disney parks around the world, and the first two films inspired by it.

[edit] External links

• Pirates of the Caribbean Official Website for Disneyland and Walt Disney World
• DisneyQuest: The Official Website
• Tell No Tales: A tribute fan website to the Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean Attraction