Adventureland, Tomorrowland, and Fantasyland

by Christopher Smith

  A large broken sail on the mast of a shipwrecked vessel provides an eye-catching sign for Pirates of the Caribbean. Broken oars are used to support the sail, which has been clearly battered with canon fire. Just above the sail is a crow’s nest, where a skeleton pirate peers through a telescope and keeps an eye socket out for intruders. This sign sits in the shadow of the beautiful Torre del Sol (“Tower of the Sun”), a large tower that looms over the attraction’s entrance. A clock is displayed at the top of the Torre del Sol, and a banner reading “Dead Men Tell No Tales” hangs from the Tower.

  As guests approach the attraction’s entrance, they will see signage that provides the following warning:

  You May Get Wet!

  Join the swashbuckling adventures of

  pirates as they invade a Caribbean

  seaport. Your boat will drop down a

  short waterfall into dark, mysterious

  caverns where “dead men tell no tales”.

  The Dungeons and Barracks

  of Castillo del Morro

  Guests initially walk through an open-air breezeway with a ceiling supported by wooden beams before entering the inner corridors of the fortress. A large skull and crossbones is painted above a banner reading “Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a Pirate’s Life for Me” on the wall above that entrance, which is marked by two massive wooden doors.

  The Pirates queue consists of two separate lines that lead guests through the labyrinth of dungeons, munitions rooms, and hidden passageways of the fortress. Each of these lines provides a different experience. The line on the left-hand side of the queue is the “stand-by” entrance for Pirates and leads guests through the Castillo Del Morro’s barracks where soldiers would have lived and worked. The right hand-side of the Pirates queue is the FastPass entrance for the attraction and takes guests through the citadel’s dungeons and other militarized areas.

  The interior portion of the Pirates of the Caribbean queue is very dark. A few flickering lanterns and chandeliers provide the only light for guests as they travel towards the attraction’s boarding area, not knowing what might be around the next corner. This approach is equal parts disorienting and intriguing. It also conveys the feeling that guests are travelling deep inside a 17th century fortress. The walls, floors, and ceilings of the internal queue appear to have been constructed with large stone blocks and bricks. The “Castillo del Morro” name is etched in that stone in one of the first archways inside the fortress.

  While well-themed, the Pirates of the Caribbean queue is not filled from floor to ceiling with as many storytelling details as two of the Magic Kingdom’s other headliner attractions: the Haunted Mansion and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. However, guests will still find many thematic elements and magical secrets in the Pirates queue that help to support the overarching theme for the attraction, including:

  Several rifle cases hang on the walls throughout the interior hallways. Those cases are composed of rustic wood frames with protective iron bars that secure the rifles in place. Well-worn padlocks hang on the sides of the cases.

  The militarized portion of the queue includes numerous vintage cannons that are pointed through stone windows, presumably to the area outside of the fortress where pirates would be invading. Those canons are flanked by neatly stacked sets of cannonballs and old wooden barrels labeled “Explosives” that are presumably filled with gunpowder. Several wooden plungers that would have been used to load those cannons hang on wooden racks.

  A sign labeled “Armeria” identifies the Castillo Del Morro’s armory, which is located behind iron bars and is filled with barrels of gunpowder and other boxes.

  Numerous trunks, barrels, and crates are scattered throughout the walkways.

  Lucky guests might get the opportunity to meet Captain Jack Sparrow or Mr. Gibbs while winding through the Pirates queue, as cast members playing those roles are sometimes stationed within the queue to interact with guests.

  The Castillo Del Morro is also home to one of the most famous scenes in any Walt Disney World queue: the skeleton chess scene. Guests who enter the Pirates of the Caribbean queue on the right-hand side (the FastPass entrance) will notice prison bars that are located on the ground level of the walkway. The dungeons of the Castillo del Morro sit quietly behind those prison bars. Guests who take the time to look down into the dungeon will see two skeleton prisoners in shackles sitting at a table and staring deliberately at a chessboard. As the story goes, two imprisoned pirates became locked in a stalemate during a chess match and literally died staring at the board.

  The chessboard itself is a good example of the amazing attention to detail that Disney Imagineers utilize when trying to immerse guests into a particular story. The position of the chess pieces on that board depicts an actual stalemate:

  The chess game between the two long gone buccaneers visible from the queue is trapped in a perpetual check. The only available move leads to a never-ending repetition of the same series of moves. One can only imagine how long they found themselves in this state before their untimely demise. Unfortunately, the game was once disturbed during a routine rehab. When it was time to put it back the way it was, none of the Imagineers were able to re-create this oddity and restore these pirates to their ever-so-static state. A search was undertaken to find the notes describing the arrangement. It wasn’t until someone looked at the back of one of Marc Davis’s drawings that they found a detailed sketch laying out the board just as it needed to be arranged in order for the gag to work. Talk about a complicated punch line!

  —The Imagineers, The Imagineering Field Guide to the Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World, An Imagineer’s-Eye Tour (2005), 49.

  Regardless of which line guests take through the Pirates queue, all points lead to the attraction’s loading area, a small moonlit Caribbean port known as Pirate’s Bay. Guests should pay close attention to the caves near the boarding area, as they might see a small flicker of candlelight and hear the sounds of pirates digging for treasure. A pirate ship can be seen floating in the distant moonlight, and a series of other pirate ships wait in the dock for guests.

  The Attraction

  Dead Man’s Cove and Hurricane Lagoon

  The ride vehicles for Pirates of the Caribbean are open-air “bateaux” (the French word for boats). As the attraction begins, the bateaux depart Pirates Bay and turn a corner into a dark cavern. Guests will see what appears to the naked eye to be a waterfall just ahead. The face of the notorious pirate Blackbeard, played by Ian McShane in the 2011 film Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, eerily appears on the waterfall. Guests hear the following narration (which may vary):

  OMINOUS BACKGROUND VOICE

  Dead men tell no tales. Dead men tell no tales.

  BLACKBEARD

  Aye, but tales there be aplenty in this cursed place.

  OMINOUS BACKGROUND VOICE

  Dead men tell no tales.

  BLACKBEARD

  Ah, but they do tell tales—so says I, Blackbeard.

  OMINOUS BACKGROUND VOICE

  Dead men tell no tales.

  BLACKBEARD

  If ye be brave or fool enough to face a pirates’ curse, proceed.

  Although many guests are afraid of getting wet, the bateaux pass underneath what is in reality a fog screen composed of hundreds of droplets of water. These droplets are so small that everyone aboard stays dry (for the most part).

  Guests next sail through a dark cavern, with waterfalls cascading down the rocky background. For a short period of time, guests could see shimmers in the water to the left and right of the ride vehicles that appeared to be mermaids. This was a tribute to the fourth film in the franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011), which features mermaids. Unfortunately, that effect is no longer in place.

  Guests then enter Dead Man’s Cove, a sandy beach to the left side of the waterway. This beach is not a happy place:

  A pirate skeleton lays on its back inside a partially dug grave, a sword having been plunged into its stomach.
A pirate flag and shovel are close beside.

  Another pirate skeleton leans against a wall, with its hand still firmly gripping a sword while a seagull nests in its hat.

  Yet another pirate skeleton lays face down in the sand, a sword plunged deep into its back.

  Crabs scuttle alongside an empty treasure chest.

  At one point, a mermaid skeleton wrapped in a net sat ominously in a small wooden boat that was shipwrecked on the shore. This prop has now been removed.

  As the boats continue to float forward, guests see one of the most effective scenes in any Walt Disney World attraction, and my personal favorite in Pirates of the Caribbean: Hurricane Lagoon. An eerie skeleton captain stands firm at a ghostly ship’s helm, turning the captain’s wheel back and forth as a powerful hurricane rages in the background. The skeleton captain is “forever lashed to the cursed wheel, sailing for eternity into stormy seas.” The flashing lightning in the background, the strong gusts of wind, and the cool temperatures all add to the spooky atmosphere.

  A 1972 sketch of the Hurricane Lagoon scene by Imagineer Marc Davis includes the following handwritten notes:

  Thunder and Lightning!

  The wind blows sails, ropes and clothes on skeleton.

  The sound of a roaring gale and The creaking of Timbers against The rocks.

  The ships wheel animates with the skeleton!

  —Jeff Kurtti and Bruce Gordon, The Art of Walt Disney World Resort (2009), p. 31-32.

  As discussed above, the scenes depicted in Dead Man’s Cove and Hurricane Lagoon show the “result” of the Pirates’ dastardly conduct. As the bateaux go down a short waterfall in almost complete darkness, they travel back in time to see the tale of what led the cursed pirates to their untimely end.

  The Fort

  After guests pass over the waterfall, they find themselves in the harbor of a Caribbean port city in the midst of an epic attack. To the left-hand side of the ride vehicles guests see a grand pirate ship that is commanded by Captain Hector Barbosa. A sign on the ship’s stern identifies it as the “Wicked Wench.” Captain Barbosa is certainly not alone. If guests pay attention to the Wicked Wench, they will see another pirate peeking above the ship’s railing to take aim for the next cannon blast.

  To the right-hand side of the ride vehicles, guests see a large Spanish fort that stands guard for the Caribbean town. Cannons rain fire from both the ship and the fort, as guests find themselves in the middle of the crossfire. Many of the cannon balls miss their intended marks and instead plunge loudly into the water. This results in large splashes of water that will sometimes give guests an unwanted surprise.

  During the attack, Captain Barbosa barks: “Strike your colors, ya bloomin’ cockroaches! Surrender Captain Jack Sparrow—or, by thunder, we’ll burn this city to the ground!” The Spanish soldiers in the fort defiantly yell back at Barbosa, threatening to sink the Wicked Wench and proclaiming that they will never surrender!

  Town Square

  After passing through the pirate attack, the boats round a corner and pass by a town square. The buildings in this scene continue the Spanish Colonial architectural influence, with stucco exteriors and red clay tile roofs. It is clear that the Pirates from the Wicked Wench have made landfall, as the square is filled with hilarious sights:

  A group of surly buccaneers surround poor Carlos, the town’s mayor, as the mayor is dunked in and out of a water well. When Carlos is pulled up, he spits out a stream of water as other prisoners look on in understandable fear.

  Other town citizens are lined up with their hands tied with ropes, all awaiting their turn for interrogation.

  A portly pirate in a striped shirt plays a flute, as other musical pirates join in on the fun.

  The pirates are interrogating Carlos for information, as one pirate asks, “Where be Captain Jack Sparrow…speak up or do you fancy a swim with Davy Jones?” The mayor’s wife watches from a second floor balcony and famously yells: “Don’t tell him Carlos! Don’t be cheeee-kennn!” Guests will then hear a rifle that shoots into the air, as Carlos’ wife disappears behind the window’s shutters.

  The lead pirate interrogator has a hook for a hand…but don’t worry, he is not Captain James Hook from Peter Pan fame.

  Paul Frees voices Carlos the mayor. Frees was an American voice-actor whose career spanned more than 40 years. During his illustrious career, Frees worked for numerous companies including Walt Disney Studios, Jay Ward Productions, and Rankin/Bass. Among his many credits, Frees voiced the “Ghost Host” narrator for the Haunted Mansion. He also recorded the echoing “Dead Men Tell No Tales” used in the Pirates attraction. Despite his noteworthy accomplishments for Disney, Frees is perhaps best known for voicing the villain Boris Badenov on Jay Ward Productions’ The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.

  Poor Carlos’ fate of being dunked into a well in perpetuity presented Disney Imagineers with some real world problems. First and foremost, having the audio-animatronic character sit in water all day would have wreaked havoc on the complex inner workings of the machine. In addition, having the character’s clothes constantly doused in water would create a terrible mildew smell. The answer to these problems came from Alice Davis, the wife of Marc Davis (the leading Imagineer behind both Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted Mansion). Alice, who was a well-regarded Imagineer in her own right, came up with a perfect solution to Carlos’ watery problems: mineral oil. Adding a coat of mineral oil to Carlos’ shirt created the illusion that the garment was perpetually wet without risking damage to the audio-animatronic or an unwanted smell.

  Once the boats drift past the Town Square, guests can see Captain Jack Sparrow to the right-hand side of the waterway standing in an alley between two dummies dressed in women’s clothing. Jack is clearly hiding from the encroaching brood of pirates, and cautiously moves his head back and forth.

  The Auction

  The auction scene in Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the most famous and controversial scenes in any Walt Disney World attraction. The original auction scene that entertained guests for over 40 years is discussed in more detail below, but in short involved a series of “wenches” being auctioned off to the highest pirate bidder. Following a refurbishment in 2018, guests now get a much different experience.

  As guests float further into the Caribbean town, they will see a large banner that reads “AUCTION.” The word “Mercado” is painted on the exterior of one of the buildings to the left-hand side of the boat, identifying this as the town “Market.” Many baskets are stacked on the ground, further adding to the theme of a market. One is filled with clucking chickens, others are filled with fruits and vegetables.

  On the left side of the waterway guests will see a famous audio-animatronic pirate known simply as the auctioneer. Like Carlos, the auctioneer is voiced by Paul Frees. The auctioneer is leading the festivities and stands in front of a group of town citizens who are unwillingly bringing their finest goods to be auctioned off to the highest buccaneer bidder. These citizens carry a variety of precious goods, including a marble bust, an oil painting, an antique chandelier, and a large grandfather clock. A few goats stand guard over the festivities, one of whom is draped in precious jewels.

  A red-haired female pirate known simply as the Redhead assists the auctioneer. As you will see below, the Redhead formerly played a much different role in the Pirates attraction. She is perhaps the most distinct audio-animatronic in the attraction. The Redhead holds a rifle in her right hand and a half-empty bottle of rum in her left. With two pistols in her belt, she is ready for any pirates who get out of hand. The Redhead appears to have raided the town’s supply of a pirate-favorite beverage, as she is surrounded by wooden barrels labeled “Rum.”

  Standing behind the auctioneer is a “portly” audio-animatronic female character who was formerly described as “stout-hearted and corn fed.” Rather than being auctioned off herself, this character now merely holds a large hen in one arm and a basket of eggs in another.

  The full n
arration for the revised attraction scene is as follows:

  Auctioneer: Now you scurvy scum, do I hear ten? A hen for a ten.

  Pirate: Ten, I’ll give ya twenty… for the rum!

  Auctioneer: Pipe down you lilly-livered lubber. Strike yer feathers dearie, show em yer flock.

  The Redhead: Eh, send them hens to Davy Jones. It’s the rum they want!

  Pirates: Yeh, the rum!

  The Redhead: Ha, ha, ha. Drink up me hearties, yo ho!”

  Auctioneer: Quiet ye scum (gunshots fired). Weigh anchor now ye swabbies, what be I offered for these hearty hens? Everyone an egg layer.

  Pirate: Not lest they be layin golden eggs!

  Auctioneer: Belay there ye bilge rat!

  The Redhead: Oh quit yer cluckin’ the gentlemen want the rum, don’t ya boys?

  Pirates: We wants the rum!

  Many of these lines are in fact derivations from the original script of the auction scene, during which the auctioneer sold “wenches” for brides.

  A Pirate Chase and a Pooped Pirate

  After leaving the auction scene, the boats pass underneath a bridge and enter the residential center of the Caribbean town. The drunken pirate invaders have now taken to breaking into homes in search of food, treasure, and women. Guests will notice a plump pirate with flowing hair and a distinctive handlebar mustache. Affectionately known as the “pooped pirate,” he sits on a barrel with a treasure map laying in his lap and a large golden key in his hand. Be sure to pay attention to the barrel that sits behind this pirate. Captain Jack Sparrow just happens to be hiding in that barrel, popping out periodically. The foolish key-holding pirate does not pay attention to the warnings of a nearby barking dog to warn him that Captain Jack Sparrow is spying on the treasure map:

  Oh, it’s the treasure map for sure, and no mistake. And by thunder, that scoundrel Cap’n Jack Sparrow will never lay eyes on it—nor this here key neither, har har.