Pirates of the Caribbean
 |
| Pirates of the Caribbean | |
|---|---|
| Type | Flume ride Darkride |
| Opened | 12 April 1992 |
| max. Speed | 2.2 km/h |
| Duration | 10:00 min |
| Capacity | 2,800 riders per hour |
| Number of boats | 40 |
| Capacity per boat | 22 |
| Queue | average wait 
|
| Additional | 124 audio-animatronics |
Contents |
The story
Adventureland is a land of sandstorms, tropical islands and hidden treasures. In other words, a perfect environment for plundering pirates!
And indeed, pirates have conquered the old Caribbean fort at the furthest part of Adventureland: deep within the dungeons of this old Spanish fort, visitors are invited aboard a boat to join in celebrating the pirate victory.
The story starts in the queue. As you walk through underground corridors you see all kinds of dark spaces eventually ending up on a tropical island where you find your boat for this adventure.
After boarding, you initially sail through the Caribbean jungle lagoon by night, passing the diners at the Blue Lagoon Restaurant. Then you are hoisted up a waterfall. You approach an old fort, that was previously used as a defence against plundering pirates. In the next cave you're warned for an approaching abyss... The next thing you see is a cat desperately trying to survive by clinging to a piece of driftwood.
Next, you see a group of locked up plunderers. At first sight everything seems alright, but then you notice that the fort is under attack! And before you know it, you're in the middle of a fight between the ruthless pirates and the defending troops. But despite the bravery of the troops, their battle is lost, because around the next bend singing and dancing pirates are plundering the city.
But that's not the end of the story: after a few explosive moments you see what happens to the greedy pirates...
The attraction
This attraction is fun for the whole family because of its fantastic sets and realistic pirates, a terrific soundtrack ('Yo Ho-Yo Ho-A Pirate’s Life for Me') and its many details. You'll want to return for sure!
In other Disney parks
In 1967 the first 'Pirates of the Caribbean' attraction opened in Disneyland Anaheim. Unfortunately Walt Disney passed away before this attraction opened; he died a year before. In 1973 Walt Disney World opened its 'Pirates of the Caribbean' attraction, and in 1983 Disneyland Tokyo opened its own.
Although the different attractions share a common theme, there are important differences between the four versions. For instance, the version in Paris has more scenes, and the scenes copied from the American parks are placed in a different order. Because the attraction in Paris is the latest one, the quality of the Audio Animatronics is improved, and the scenes are more detailed. The queue in Paris has more theming than the queues of the other versions.
Tips
- When you walk to the exit, you will see in an adjacent cave the photos that were taken during the ride. You can buy your picture in the boutique Le Coffre du Capitaine beside the exit.
- In the boutique Le Coffre du Capitaine, you can buy all sorts of pirate related items, like miniature ships, pirate figurines and toy muskets and spyglasses.
- Because of the large capacity of the attraction, you almost never have to wait long, even if the rest of the park is crowded.
- When you haven't had enough of pirates, you may want to check out the Blue Lagoon Restaurant. This table-service fish restaurant is situated beside the moonlit lagoon that visitors of the attraction sail through in the beginning.
Facts
- The movie trilogy of the same name is based on the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' attractions in the different Disney parks around the world.
- The attraction in Disneyland California is adjusted in 2006 be adjusted to better comply with the movie: Jack Sparrow and Davey Jones will be added, and the overall storyline will be more like the movies. Soon thereafter, a Jack Sparrow figure was added to Disneyland paris' Pirates of the caribbean atttraction, too.
Limitations
- This attraction is not suitable for children younger than one year.
- During the ride you go down two small hills, so you could get a little wet.
