Pirates refurb dates released

__r.jr

Well-Known Member
So just watched a ride through of WDWs POTC and no wonder why so many say DLs is better. No bayou, no talking skull, shortened caverns, one drop and no armory scene? I think I knew most of these facts but had never watched a ride though.

The one saving grace in Orlando's is its queue... Or at least it was. It's still themed immaculately and is far more elaborate than Disneyland's but the narrative premise it set up has been compromised. In fact, the narrative information began outside of Castillo del Morro in Caribbean Plaza. Walt Disney Imagineering has meddled with it in an attempt to line up like the original in Anaheim but it was never meant to be structured as such. One would think they would know the history of these park staples in regards to why these creative and design choices were made in the first place. Then again, who has the time to acknowledge it when implementing things like MyMagic+ are a priority? Established careful planning be condemned.

It's more than just getting the fortress's firing cannons back and not only for the extent of an interactive game. It's about getting back to the intention of why it was set up that way from the start.
 

SuddenStorm

Well-Known Member
Wow! That’s great, I could of sworn that at some point the dialogue changed or voice acting sounded different.

Might have been caused by switching from analog to digital sound, remastering the original track, or installing new speakers. I imagine if we went back in time and rode Pirates in the 60s it'd look and sound very different.
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
Might have been caused by switching from analog to digital sound, remastering the original track, or installing new speakers. I imagine if we went back in time and rode Pirates in the 60s it'd look and sound very different.

Audio was muddier and softer back then, as I remember the 20th century. I still marvel at the crispness and clarity of current day Disneyland audio. That's a thing you don't get so much at WDW; they just don't invest in new speakers and digital equipment like Disneyland does.

I remember a few years ago I was chatting in line at Indiana Jones with a nice young married couple from Ohio. They were music teachers, and visit WDW regularly. It was their first visit to Disneyland and they were blown away by the audio quality in rides they thought they knew like Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Small World, Space Mountain, etc. The husband in particular said he had a new appreciation for these rides now that he'd heard their soundtracks through modern technology that was obviously upgraded and maintained much better than their WDW counterparts.

These were two smart young people who had an innate appreciation for audio quality, and something I hadn't quite thought about before but had also noticed almost subconciously as an amateur.
 

BrianLo

Well-Known Member
I love the technology on the boats in Shanghai, and I believe it's being reused in Tokyo's new Peter Pan attraction, but the ride itself leaves more to be desired imo. Same goes for what I've seen of Flight of Passage.

Nah, they really are quite good as is. Pirates needs perhaps some theming extension in the backwards tunnel and Flight of Passage needs a different pre-show host. (That said I understand a simulator, no matter how grand, is just never going to appeal to certain tastes).

That's in drastic contradiction to a top five ride like Journey to the Centre of the Earth that definitely is noticeably lacking a few scenes in length. The queue room alludes to extra scenes, but then your car is re-routed and you feel a bit ripped off as a result.

In further contrast to something like Sindbad whose queue map promises seemingly too many things. You are all set up for disappointment with a cardboard whale (reminiscent of Ursula) only to round the corner and nope, there's another giant AA in full glory.

Anyways, I think since Tokyo Disney Sea is seemingly getting 3 more boat dark rides of hopefully strong quality it really will be the Disney fan's dream non-castle park for many years to come.
 

George Lucas on a Bench

Well-Known Member
DisneySea? James Cameron?

American_Waterfront_of_Tokyo_DisneySea.jpg


Oh my God.

images.jpeg
 

mickEblu

Well-Known Member
Especially since the whole ride focuses around the danger and curse that surrounds the treasure.

Showing jack at the end celebrating and unpunished sort of contradicts that since it gives off the impression of a happy ending.

Having that skeleton be jack would at least show that that isn't so.

But, the new one fits in well with the rest of the animatronics and it's a great effect and I'm not gonna complain about not having more jack in the ride.

Jack celebrating doesn’t really contradict as technically it’s in the past where he and the other Pirates are still alive. We see their demise in the beginning during the caverns scenes. With that said, Im pretty sure the imagineers intent of putting Jack at the end was to give the attraction a happy ending of sorts and has really nothing to do with the “story.” In fact I wonder how much of this story was really planned by WED. I think the “story” was kind of reverse engineered by fans and Tony Baxter after the fact. Tbh I don’t think the WED guys created the caverns with the Skelton’s with that story in mind.

Anyway I’d be ok with all of the jacks and accompanying dialogue being removed. If I had to keep one I’d keep the one at the end and then have something alluding to the fact that he’s the pirate sitting on top of the gold in the caverns so it goes full circle. That way it would just be more like an IASW character spotting then the obnoxiousness that exists now. Kind of like “oh cool he’s one of the Pirates.”

EDIT: well maybe not, “the no fear of evil curses” dialogue kind of swats my theory of the story being reverse engineered. I still the think the story came later in the creative process though. I think they wanted to create mood/ atmosphere with the caverns and things went from there.
 
Last edited:

GiveMeTheMusic

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Tokyo has the best mansion. It has the WDW mansion but with better animatronic. Phantom Manor is really neat but has some real tonal problems. The singing busts, for example, don't belong in Paris but they're there anyways.

Tokyo's Mansion is a dream come true. All of the positives of the WDW version with no pesky modern changes, and maintained to a degree that would make domestic guests wonder if they're on the same ride. The ghosts are painted to clearly and meticulously, every detail pops. In America, the ghost AAs are fuzzy and worn. In Tokyo, every single one pops.

Their HMH overlay is superior as well, with extra Jack & Sally AAs and the benefit of clear routine maintenance at what we would consider an impossible standard.
 

D.Silentu

Well-Known Member
Especially since the whole ride focuses around the danger and curse that surrounds the treasure.

Showing jack at the end celebrating and unpunished sort of contradicts that since it gives off the impression of a happy ending.
When the ride reopened in 2006 I was sad to see that the skeletons lining the final hill had been removed. They were one of the better modern additions to the attraction and brought the cursed treasure framework full circle.
 

dweezil78

Well-Known Member
When the ride reopened in 2006 I was sad to see that the skeletons lining the final hill had been removed. They were one of the better modern additions to the attraction and brought the cursed treasure framework full circle.

I was sad too as they were originally from World of Motion!
 

SuddenStorm

Well-Known Member
When the ride reopened in 2006 I was sad to see that the skeletons lining the final hill had been removed. They were one of the better modern additions to the attraction and brought the cursed treasure framework full circle.

For every addition that actually adds to the ride- those skeletons, and now the new cave figure- Disney insists on taking something away. Such a shame.
 

vancee

Well-Known Member
Seems like POTC is having lots of trouble after the updates. I’ve noticed it said temporarily closed a couple of times the past few days. Even earlier today it was closed.

At night, I went on and got stuck for like 40 minutes. Couldn’t understand a word the Cast Member was saying, obviously wasn’t trained what to say to guests. At the end of the ride with the explosive barrels there were a bunch of mechanics with bright flash lights (even accidentally shined it in our face) behind the pirate holding the other pirate up.
 

dweezil78

Well-Known Member
Seems like POTC is having lots of trouble after the updates. I’ve noticed it said temporarily closed a couple of times the past few days. Even earlier today it was closed.

At night, I went on and got stuck for like 40 minutes. Couldn’t understand a word the Cast Member was saying, obviously wasn’t trained what to say to guests. At the end of the ride with the explosive barrels there were a bunch of mechanics with bright flash lights (even accidentally shined it in our face) behind the pirate holding the other pirate up.

Apparently the pirates keep having memories of their past lives in the old auction scene and need to be reprogrammed.
 

disneyC97

Well-Known Member
Even very young I thought of the redhead as a prostitute not upset by the auction aspect. Obviously the sad other women were not and as someone point out were variations on old maids, etc.
Understand the changes but agree the script and voices are disappointing.
 

disneyC97

Well-Known Member
Love the Florida POTC queue...still. Also the last time I was there the one/last working “Caribbean Plaza” fountain was still inside.

Though still upset the barker bird parrot is gone!
 

George Lucas on a Bench

Well-Known Member
The removal of the bird outside makes no sense. Also the waiting line kinda sucks if you're not on the fastpass side. I'm not sure why there's a ghetto section with vandalized walls on the "stand by" side.
 
D

Deleted member 107043

http://www.latimes.com/entertainmen...aribbean-auction-makeover-20180614-story.html

Didn't see this shared on here. An interesting take on the auction changes.

Some critics of the ride’s new updates — and there are several — have asserted that pirates shouldn’t be recast as more politically correct than they were. But if staying true to reality were part of the theme, then the pirates would have to be recast as multicultural (can’t you just hear Sean Hannity now?), children would also need to be auctioned as slave labor and at least half the characters would be stricken with consumption.

This.
 

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom