Avast, tis a fine day in history because on this very day back in 1967, the Pirates of the Caribbean ride opened at Disneyland!
“Pirates of the Caribbean” Ride at Disneyland (Photo by Barry King/WireImage) *** Local Caption ***
The ride was pretty much an instant hit, ferrying thousands of guests per day through a pirate’s life. It was such a hit that it eventually spawned an entire movie franchise that boasts five movies to date, with a rumored sixth one in the works.
Check out some fun facts about the classic ride below!
Small World Inspiration
ANAHEIM, CA – JUNE 24: Producer Jerry Bruckheimer (L) and his wife Linda exit the ride at the after party for the world premiere of “Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest” held at Disneyland on June 24, 2006 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
You can thank It’s A Small World for getting that song stuck in your head and inspiring Pirates of the Caribbean’s boat journey. According to the Walt Disney Family Museum, Walt himself originally envisioned a walk-through attraction more like a wax museum with different scenes. But it was quickly determined that guests might miss parts of the story and a walk-through has limited capacity, hence the switch to a boat ride, which had been a proven entity with It’s A Small World.
A Feat of Engineering
Pirates of the Caribbean Ride at Disneyland (Photo by Dean Conger/Corbis via Getty Images)
Or should we say, “Imagineering,” as is often the phrase used by the Disney company! Creating the animatronics to give each individual pirate life was one of the more complex aspects because, compared to It’s A Small World or the Enchanted Tiki Room, the characters are “real people” and more “sophisticated,” according to an interview with some of the people involved at the Walt Disney Family Museum.
There was also the matter of creating a structure that could withstand an earthquake while holding hundreds of thousands of gallons of water, which they managed to do. As the museum noted, most people don’t realize they’re sailing under tons of water when they’re in the lower-level scenes in the ride.
Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me)’s Unexpected Origins
ANAHEIM, CA – MARCH 16: A pirates shares his “bounty” with two “friends” in the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland in Anaheim on March 8, 1997. (Photo by Bruce Chambers/Orange County Register via Getty Images)
One of the most recognizable songs in the Disney catalog, “Yo Ho (A Pirates Life for Me)” wasn’t written by any of the studios famous songwriters, but the writer of the ride’s story.
Xavier “X” Atencio was an artist and writer who came up with a lot of the language we use to talk like a pirate today, like “Avast there! Ye come seeking adventure and salty old pirates, aye?” per The Los Angeles Times, including the lyrics to the song, despite not being a songwriter. But Walt signed off on his tune and, with music by George Bruns, it became an institution in the parks (and in our heads once we start humming it).
Fun Fact: Atencio is also responsible for The Haunted Mansion’s spooky and charming ditty, “Grim Grinning Ghosts.”
Movie Updates
Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” Ride at Disneyland (Photo by Barry King/WireImage)
Once the first few movies in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise came out, Disneyland ended up making a few changes to the original ride that incorporated elements from the movie. The most famous is the addition of Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow in various scenes, as well as giving the cavern treasure scene a complete makeover with new “sub-plots” as the Walt Disney Family Museum put it.
International Versions
“Pirates of the Caribbean” Ride at Disneyland (Photo by Barry King/WireImage) *** Local Caption ***
Disneyland Tokyo and Paris both have their own Pirates rides that are pretty similar to the original in California with a few differences here and there. But the biggest change is Shanghai Disneyland, which has an entirely different story tied directly to the films, titled “Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure.”
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