Pirates of the Caribbean

Pirates of the Caribbean (often shortened to just Pirates) is a dark ride located at Disneyland Park in California, Magic Kingdom Park in Florida, Tokyo Disneyland in Japan, and Disneyland Park in Paris. There is also a variant of the ride located at Shanghai Disneyland, although this particular version is much different than the others, being specifically themed around the film franchise that is based on the rides. The ride follows the story of a pirate raid of a Caribbean village in an attempt to find hidden treasure. The ride originally opened at Disneyland (CA) on March 18th, 1967, with Magic Kingdom's opening on December 15th, 1973. The other two variants opened along with their respective parks, with Tokyo Disneyland's opening on April 15th, 1983, and Disneyland Paris' opening on April 12th, 1992. All of the standard versions of the ride are located in Adventureland at their park except for the California original, which is located in New Orleans Square.

Disneyland
As the concept of New Orleans Square slowly came to fruition, Walt Disney and imagineers decided one of the land's attractions would be a pirate-themed wax museum. However, after the immense success of "it's a small world" at the 1964 New York World's Fair, Walt and his team decided the attraction would instead be a boat ride in the same vein as the World's Fair smash hit. The ride's location would be tied to the Battle of New Orleans, where French pirate John Lafitte fought alongside the Americans during the conflict. Sadly, Walt passed away in 1966, just one year before the ride's opening. This means that Pirates was the last ride that Walt had involvement in creating. Thankfully, Walt was able to go out with a bang, as the ride opened on March 18th, 1967 to great success.

Magic Kingdom and the Other Versions
Originally, Pirates was not meant to be a part of Magic Kingdom at all. Imagineers believed that because of Florida's close proximity to the Caribbean, guests would be interested by the idea of a gang of pirates raiding a Caribbean village. They felt the ride just wouldn't have the same feeling of intrigue as it did in California. To the surprise of Imagineers, many guests were outraged of Pirates' absence upon Magic Kingdom's opening. With imagineers pressured to get the ride to Florida, the ride was rushed, and many scenes on the original ride were removed completely, and another being shortened significantly. Magic Kingdom's version opened on December 15th, 1973. Due to the ride's immense popularity, Disney didn't make the same mistake they did with Magic Kingdom and had the ride ready for opening day at Tokyo Disneyland on April 15th, 1983, as well as for Disneyland Paris (then known as Euro Disneyland) on April 12th, 1992.

Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland
Despite the different locations in their respective park, both California's and Tokyo's versions of Pirates are entered through a grand building which resembles antebellum era New Orleans (though Tokyo's version of the queue building is a bit more colorful). Guests continue through the queue before making their way into the station, called Laffite's Landing (in reference to Jean Lafitte). Guests board their boat ride vehicle while they are given the safety spiel by Blackbeard himself. The boat disembarks into a calm, peaceful Louisiana bayou at nighttime. Many different nighttime animals are heard as the boat slowly drifts through the water. Opposite the bayou is what appears to be a dinner party at a southern plantation (but is in reality the Blue Bayou restaurant). The boat floats by a small cabin, where an old man is seen asleep in his rocking chair and a banjo plays classic songs, such as "Camptown Races." The boat then enters a dark tunnel, where many treasures can be seen before riders are encased in total darkness. A talking skull overhead the boat gives riders a brief word of warning.

"Psst! Avast there! It be too late to alter course mateys... and there be plunderin' pirates lurkin' in every cove... waitin' to board. Sit closer together, and keep your ruddy hands in board! That be the best way to repel orders... and mark well me words mateys... dead men... tell no tales... hehehehe... Ye come seekin' adventure with salty old pirates, eh? Sure yee'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 waitin' for them what don't obey!"

The boat then travels down a short and shallow drop, which feels much taller than it actually is due to it taking place in complete darkness. At the bottom, riders will find themselves in a dark cavern as "Yo Ho," the ride's theme song, plays. At Disneyland, the boat travels down a second and smaller drop, an element which is absent at Tokyo Disneyland. The music changes to a slow, mysterious, and whimsical tune. The skeleton of a pirate is seen standing on a patch of sand with a seagull on its hat. At this point, guests will now hear the continuous bellows of "DEAD MEN TELL... NO... TALES!" Riders have found themselves in the cursed regions of Dead Man's Cove, a grotto where several pirates have died from the cursed treasure within. As the boats continue through the water, another skeleton is seen, this one on a broken piece of a pirate ship. A strong thunderstorm is seen behind the pirate, and riders can hear the downpour of the rain and the claps of thunder, all while strong air is blown to simulate wind. The music turns to an instrumental version of the theme song, with original tunes added in, which now sounds more grand and sophisticated. More dead pirates are seen, including two playing a board game, one lying on a large bed looking through a magnifying glass, and one more standing atop a large pile of treasure. After passing the latter, the music once again changes, this time to a new piece comprised of mostly organs. The music is dark, foreboding, and dangerous sounding. The boat approaches a dead pirate who seemingly transforms to an alive one. Meanwhile, an octopus plays around with some medallions. Afterwards, an overhead voice warns riders of the cursed treasure. Then, the boat emerges out of the cove and into the ocean shore. A pirate ship is seen attacking a fort, with both sides firing cannonballs at each other. The ship is led by Captain Hector Barbossa from the Pirates of the Caribbean films, who demands the soldiers in the fort to reveal the location of Captain Jack Sparrow and the town's hidden treasure vault, or else the village will be set aflame. The cannon fire is simulated by bright lights, splashes in the water (which may get riders a little wet), and forceful blasts of air. Afterwards, the boat enters the town, where a gang of pirates has kidnapped Carlos, the mayor, with one pirate threatening to drown him in a well if he doesn't reveal Sparrow's and the treasure's whereabouts. Carlos' wife peeks out from a window above, and encourages him to be brave a not to tell anything to the pirates, to which a pirate with a gun fires a shot at her. She screams and hides while the gun-wielding pirate laughs maniacally. Sparrow himself is then seen hiding behind some clothes, watching the scene from afar. Next, the boat passes by an auction being held by the pirates, in which the town's women are being forced to auction off their personal belongings to the pirates. Luckily for the women, a female pirate, known simply as Redd, is more concerned about the town's rum supply, as do the other pirates, except for the auctioneer, who is irritated by this. The boat travels under a bridge and past the auction as the theme song begins to play again. Pirates are seen chasing women with food, except for two who are the one's being chased! The boat passes by a pirate known as "the Pooped Pirate." He drunkenly tells his dog that Jack Sparrow will never find the hidden treasure without the key and map he is holding. Unbeknownst to him, Sparrow is hiding behind a barrel, taking peeks at the map and ready to steal both it and the key. The dog barks at Sparrow, but the Pooped Pirate doesn't realize he is there. The boat floats under yet another bridge as another drunk pirate is seen attempting to give rum to a cat. The village is then seen burning down, as the all the pirates merrily (and drunkenly) sing the theme song. The room is made to smell like burning wood to make the scene more believable. The boat makes its way into a stone building, where multiple burning jail cells are seen with pirate prisoners (though it is unknown why exactly they are there). Three pirates attempt their escape in a famous scene where a dog is shown with the key to the cell. One pirate holds a bone to lure the dog toward them, another holds a noose to trap the dog, and the last whistles to call the dog toward them. The boat enters the final big scene, the storage room. A pirate captain and his crew (all very drunk) are seen having a shootout, even though the room is filled with gunpowder that could easily explode. The ceiling itself is also falling apart and smoldering, adding to the danger. Luckily, the boat makes it out safely and finds the treasure room. Jack Sparrow has already found the room and sits in a large chair cheerily singing and talking to himself, occasionally singing "Drink up me hearties yo ho!" Sparrow will also talk to riders themselves, saying "Drink up lads! There's treasure enough for all!" At Tokyo Disneyland, Sparrow is seen with a parrot named Beauregard, whom he occasionally talks with. This is also where the ride ends at Tokyo Disneyland, with guests stepping out of the boat and onto a speed ramp which leads them back into Adventureland. Meanwhile, the boat is taken up a lift back to the loading area. At Disneyland, the ride continues on a little longer. The boat climbs up a lift hill as it passes by the treasure room. Once at the top, the boat re-enters the bayou briefly before heading into one last mini-scene. A parrot is seen on a small patch of sand with some pirate belongings and squawks lines from the ride. This scene in particular passes right next to the queue. After paying a visit to the parrot, the boat finally enters the station in the calm bayou, where guests exit the ride back into New Orleans Square.

Magic Kingdom
Located in the very back of Adventureland, guests enter the queue space known as Castillo Del Morro, a Spanish fort guarded by the watchtower Torre del Sol. Formerly, guests could choose freely between two different queues: the Soldier Side (left) and the Pirate Side (right). Each side has props and other theming related to its subject. While both sides remain intact, the Pirate Side is currently used as the Lightning Lane queue, so guests now must take the Soldier Side if they want to wait in the stand-by line. Both sides meet up at Pirate's Cove, the loading area. From this area, the small silhouette of a pirate ship can be seen through a hole on the far right (though it is much easier to see on the Pirate Side). After guests have climbed aboard their boat and Blackbeard has given them the safety spiel, the ride begins in a shortened Dead Man's Cove (skipping the bayou and tunnel scenes). Riders still hear the bellows of "DEAD MEN TELL... NO... TALES!" as they pass through the cavern. The only scenes present from Disneyland are the first two dead pirates (the one on the sand and the one on the pirate ship). The second dead pirate scene now has more violent sounding thunder. After this, the talking skull appears, although there are many differences to him. First, while he is still placed overhead the riders, he is now to the left of the drop instead of directly above it. There also aren't any decorations around him, and he has visible eyelids despite being a skull. His voice is also completely different, sounding more like the assistant to a mad scientist than a deep-voiced, smooth talking pirate. Lastly, his dialogue is changed from Disneyland. Here, he just briefly talks to the riders, laughs, and takes the ride's picture (with a very bright flash). After all this, the boat heads down the only drop present in the Magic Kingdom version. Afterwards, the boat emerges into Barbossa's attack, and from here on out, the ride is almost completely identical to Disneyland's. The next notable change doesn't come until the very end of the ride. After the jail scene, the boat enters the treasure room scene, completely skipping the storage room scene. After passing Jack Sparrow and Beauregard the parrot in the treasure room, the ride ends in the same vein as Tokyo Disneyland, with riders disembarking from the boat and climbing up a speed ramp back into Adventureland, while the boat travels up a lift back to the loading area.

Disneyland Paris
Paris' version of Pirates is entered through a fortress that has been severely damaged by what was likely an attack from the pirates themselves. The queue begins outside and weaves its way through various courtyards before entering the fortress. Throughout the inside portion of the queue are many skeletons of dead pirates, locked up in the dungeons of the fort. The crew's quarters of a pirate ship can also be seen from the queue. Guests eventually exit the fortress theming (while still being indoors) into a nighttime lagoon setting reminiscent of the bayou from the original. Guests enter the station and climb aboard their boat, where they are dispatched into the Blue Lagoon. In a similar vein to the original ride, nature is seen on one side of the boat (a jungle rather than a bayou however) while a restaurant is seen on the other. The boat drifts through the waterway past the rushing waterfalls of the jungle and into an old, worn-down fortress. The boat is then taken up a lift hill while the sounds of guns and swords echo through the building, along with "DEAD MEN TELL... NO... TALES!". Near the top, a wall of mist where Davy Jones and Blackbeard appear alternately is present. Regardless of who appears, riders will hear one of 3 lines.

"Ahh but they do tell tales... so says I (character who appeard)... hmhmhmhm..."

"Hahahahahahaha! Ay... tales there be a plenty in this cursed place..."

"If ye be brave or fool enough... to face the pirates curse... proceed!

Once at the peak of the lift, riders can view an upcoming scene of the ride before entering the flame filled depths of the fort. Shadows depicting battles against pirates and soldiers are seen inside, and the famous jail scene comes soon after. The boat then travels into a hole in the fort caused by a cannonball and travel down the ride's first drop. At the bottom is the aforementioned scene visible from the top of the lift hill. This scene is the battle between the fort and Captain Barbossa and his crew, except without Barbossa!. In fact, after the first drop, the ride is an almost direct replica of the previous versions, but there are some small differences. The first change comes in the chasing scene. The scene is mainly the same, but there is a new pair of animatronics, a male and a female, who are having a sword duel. Also here is a projection of two pirates chasing a woman in addition to the animatronics. Upon entering the burning town, the normal dialogue present in the scene is spoken in French while the theme song is sung in English. After passing through the burning town scene, the boat enters the arsenal scene, a more fleshed out and advanced version of Disneyland's storage room scene. Several flammable supplies are stored inside, and the fire from the burning town is just the thing to make the entire room explode. As the supplies are ignited and explode, the boat makes a narrow escape down the ride's second and final drop. The ride's picture is also taken during this drop, as indicated by the bright flash which occurs. The boat then enters the heart of Dead Man's Cove, which now contains many skull heads made in the rock work, and the area itself now looks a bit less realistic. The boat passes by Captain Barbossa, who maniacally laughs at riders just as he is turned into a zombie from the Cove's curse. The boat continues safely past him and encounters Jack Sparrow and Beauregard. Sparrow sings happily of his new found treasure as Beauregard occasionally chimes in. Interestingly, all of Sparrow's dialogue is in French except for the lines from the theme song, which remain the original English lines from Johnny Depp. Soon after, the boat returns to the station as the talking skull appears, instructing riders in both French and English to remain seated until reaching the dock, where a cast member will instruct them where to go. Guests leave their boat and exit back out into Adventureland.

Trivia

 * The wall of mist with projections of Davy Jones and Blackbeard at Disneyland Paris was formerly present at both Disneyland and Magic Kingdom, but was removed in 2018.
 * At Magic Kingdom, a mermaid effect was formerly used. Projections of mermaids were shown in the water and pumps were used to simulate their splashes. The effect was removed due to several technical issues. Some guests have even reported seeing Windows Panasonic error boxes in the water.
 * Disneyland Paris' version of the ride was the last to implement the characters of the films, with them being added in 2017.
 * In April 2017 at Disneyland, the ride underwent a surprise "refurbishment" and re-opened soon after on the same day. Cast members temporarily removed the first Jack Sparrow animatronic with Johnny Depp himself, surprising several riders. This was a promotional stunt to promote the 5th Pirates film, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales."
 * Two finger incidents have occurred on Magic Kingdom's version of the ride. Both incidents happened when a rider lost the tips of their fingers after sticking their hand outside of the boat. It first happened to a 40-year old man, and then a 12-year old boy. So when they tell you to keep your hands, arms, feet, and legs inside the ride vehicle at all times, they mean it!
 * In the auction scene, the pirates were originally auctioning off the women of the town to become their brides. Redd was formerly one of the women being auctioned before she became one of the pirates.
 * The jail scene was once referenced in SpongeBob SquarePants in the episode "Escape from Beneath Glove World." In the episode, 3 fish pirates are seen in "Glove World Jail" trying to lure a worm (dog) to give them the key to the cell.