Ahoy, Me Hearties…anyone else love to set sail on the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction as much as I do? Most people head off to one of the popular Magic Kingdom mountains as soon as they arrive, but for me, I’m on my way to Adventureland to take a swashbuckling voyage with everyone’s favorite pirates. I love being serenaded by the catchy “Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirate’s Life For Me” tune while enjoying the hilarious sight gags filled with Disney-style pillaging and plundering. So for all of you buccaneers out there that love this attraction too, here are ten secrets about Pirates of the Caribbean in Walt Disney World:
- Pirates of the Caribbean was one of last attractions overseen by Walt, although he did not live to see its completion. Originally imagined as a walk through wax museum, Walt changed it to a boat ride after construction had already begun.
- Although the Disneyland version of Pirates of the Caribbean was a huge hit with guests, it was not an opening day attraction at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. Due to Florida’s close proximity to the Caribbean, the company didn’t think guests would be interested in the attraction. After an overwhelming amount of guests’ requests, Disney listened and built a similar version of Pirates of the Caribbean in Walt Disney World that debuted on December 15, 1973.
If the voice of the auctioneer in the attraction sounds familiar, that’s because it belongs to incredibly talented voice actor Paul Frees. Over his career that spanned decades, he voiced characters such as Mr. Granite from “The Flintstones,” Boris of “The Rocky & Bullwinkle Show,” Burgermeister Meisterburger of “Santa Claus is Comin’ To Town,” and of course, the spooky Ghost Host at The Haunted Mansion in Magic Kingdom.- That drop in Pirates of the Caribbean is not for thrills, it actually moves the boats out below the Walt Disney World Railroad’s train tracks and into the large show building that houses the attraction. And if you were wondering why the drop isn’t longer, it’s because it cannot go that deep due to the high water table in the area.
- The Magic Kingdom version of Pirates of the Caribbean is the shortest in duration in the world. With a running time of approximately 8 minutes and 30 seconds, it is a full 7 minutes shorter than the Disneyland version.
Have you ever noticed the two scallywag skeletons playing chess in the queue? Look carefully at the board and you’ll notice they are locked in eternal check. Once during a rehab of the attraction, the pieces were inadvertently moved. Imagineers didn’t know how to set the game back up, so a search began through old drawings. Luckily, they found a detailed sketch on the back of one them that showed the arrangement of the pieces.- The fire in the attraction looks so real, ever wonder how they do that? It’s a combination of cloth, fans, and lights together that make the effect look so realistic.
- Do you love to search for hidden Mickeys during your Walt Disney World vacations? Pirates of the Caribbean has many. Hint: Look for the classic Mickey Mouse shape in locks placed in several locations in the queue and the ride itself.
Approximately 155 thousand gallons of water are used for Pirates of the Caribbean as well as 125 audio animatronics.- While you would expect to hear about ghosts in the nearby Haunted Mansion, there are stories of apparitions in Pirates of the Caribbean as well. If you don’t want to get stuck on the attraction, be sure to say a kind word to resident haunt George. To read more about George and other Walt Disney World phantoms, please click here.
Once inside the wrought-iron gates that surround the stately mansion, guests step gingerly past the home’s cemetery, with tombstones featuring witty epitaphs to the dearly departed.
Summoned to the front entrance, guests enter the foyer and then an octagonal gallery that stretches…and stretches — or does it? Paintings on the wall grow longer, but the floor and ceiling never seem to move. Other portraits morph into ghastly images, including a dapperly dressed gentleman that transforms into a decrepit corpse.
Guests board doom buggies for their ghost-guided tour of the mansion. Sound and lighting effects create the mood as the darkened, eggshell-shaped vehicles glide silently through the cobwebbed library, conservatory, hallways, ballroom, attic and graveyards. Guests even ride through Madame Leota’s séance, a collection of flying objects choreographed by a disembodied spirit trapped inside a crystal ball.
The five singing busts in the graveyard scene warble the attraction’s theme song, “Grim Grinning Ghosts.” Though sometimes mistaken for Walt Disney, the face on the bust farthest to the left actually belongs to Thurl Ravenscroft, the song’s soloist. Ravenscroft is known to millions of fans as the voice of Tony the Tiger, the mascot of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes cereal.
Madame Leota also graces the crystal ball in the attraction’s séance scene. Leota Thomas provided the face for the crystal ball, and voice artist Eleanor Audley provided the voice. Audley is also famous as the voice of the evil Maleficent in Disney’s classic animated feature “Sleeping Beauty.”
Ghosts aren’t the only ones hiding in The Haunted Mansion. There are several “Hidden Mickeys” to be found as well. The ballroom scene features one of the most famous — a plate and a pair of saucers on the dining table form Mickey Mouse’s familiar silhouette.
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