DisneyHead123
Well-Known Member
I will be the contrarian here: while the atmosphere of this space is spot-on, the details are a mess.
The materials and finishes (generally) make sense with a pirate environment, the faux structural elements are (mostly) used correctly, and the drippy candles set a great mood. The first impression of the vibe is great, but when you look beyond that it all starts to fall apart.
What is this space supposed to be? Is it a restaurant that pirates built? Is it a storehouse for their loot? It seems like the designers couldn’t make up their mind, so we ended up with an odd mix of reclaimed nautical elements (anchor chandelier, stained glass window), items that only make sense in a public club or restaurant (leather club chairs, cozy booths), and Applebee’s-style kitsch that adds flair but is too calculated for pirates (carefully curated display cabinets, fireplace with not-one-but-five oversized ships in bottles).
The finished version is also too cartoony. It’s a miniaturized captain’s quarters from the stern of a ship that’s been stylized to look like a skull. None of that makes sense with how pirates would have made it. Shrinking down design elements like that is a relatively modern concept that keep it from feeling timeless; when building things by hand, they would have just built a portion of the full-scale item rather than taking the whole thing and shrinking it down and having all the superfluous scrollwork.
The skull design of the cabinet also makes little sense in the real world, unless we’re meant to believe that in addition to sailors and thieves (and antiques aficionados), pirates are whimsical craftsmen who infuse their self-styled branding into all the work they do. Similarly, why are there ornate carvings of POTC movie characters everywhere, rather than simple graffiti that was plausibly scratched in by a pirate? It doesn’t make the elements convincing, it makes them look like props.
Instead, the cabinetry could have been made from salvaged materials, like ship hatches and shutters. It could have used full-scale (or close enough to trick the eye) elements to convincingly feel like it’s a real object. It could have included wood joints to avoid the look of plywood, and it could have used angles that correlate to actual construction rather than a fanciful sculpture. Instead of looking like a real object, it’s fallen into WDI’s trap of too many layers of references getting in the way of simply making sense.
The map table is another miss for me. The designers seemingly wanted a large table that big groups could gather around; on a ship, that would be where the maps are rolled out, so it’s a logical design move. But for accessibility equity requirements, one corner of the table is at a lower elevation so people in wheelchairs can enjoy the space too. However, once you cut a piece of the table and lower it, you no longer have one big table that maps can be unfurled upon, so why even bother with the map concept? Instead of looking like a place to roll out a map, the finished product looks like a postmodern harpsichord. Additionally, nobody wants to be on their feet longer than necessary during a long day at the parks, so why couldn’t the oversized table have been at an elevation that allows all guests to be seated, or at least put stools around the high table? “Key” alert: a standing dining configuration is neither courteous nor inclusive; it may be stylish, but it’s annoying for tired guests.
MK already has a space that contemplates what a restaurant built by seafaring people would look like, and it’s one of the park’s best themed spaces: Columbia Harbor House. It manages to capture the spirit of wooden sailing vessels through its construction, while creating a practical restaurant through the size and flow of the spaces. It’s full of details that reinforce this idea, without ever becoming cartoony or pastiche. While it’s clear WDI was trying oh so very hard to make this a convincing space, it still falls short of the real lived-in feeling WED was able to accomplish half a century ago.
I respect everyone’s right to have their preferences - this is definitely more “fantastical pirates” than “realistic pirates”. That said, I love it, and I think people would have been howling if they had gone with something historically realistic here, complaining that it was boring and that Disney “cheaped out” on adding decor.
I do agree on the seating situation though. I just don’t understand the point of having a room where an unlucky few have to be on their feet. It would be different if that area was walk up and so you traded standing for getting to be there - but people will have to fight for the same reservations for a less comfortable experience.
