Rumor Pirates Of The Caribbean "Refurbishment"

[GimpYancIent]

That is actually not a bad idea.... If it was immersive and imaginative, MANY would be happy to shell out cash to enjoy the ambience and take a break...

Yes, good idea. Don't waste the props, memorabilia and animatronics and provide a place for guests to hoist an ale and enjoy the atmosphere.

 

[corran horn]

They could open up a "Cap'n Jack's Black Pearl Ale House," with Jack as the retired pirate running the place, and fill the walls, windows, and ceiling with animatronic delights, movie props and special effects just like they did in Trader Sam's...

Adventurer's Club with a slight re-theming for $400 please, Alex.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Go on...good sir

If you are looking to get rid of Jack, then you do not want the Shanghai Pirates, which is full of Jack.

 

[larryz]

Adventurer's Club with a slight re-theming for $400 please, Alex.

If the concept works...

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

Like many others, I'd like for them to remove all the Jack Sparrow figures, restore all the dialogue (except for the auction scene), restore the treasure room, and restore the original music as it existed before the movie stuff.

Also this is a very astute article about the Florida pirates, by one of my favorite bloggers and now theme park theory authors.

http://passport2dreams.blogspot.com/2010/06/case-for-florida-pirates.html

Good or bad idea, (and personally I am a bit indifferent on it) I don't see Disney expending capital right now to remove elements. If anything expenditures are going to be made to bring new items to park, to drive attendance.

 

[doctornick]

If you are looking to get rid of Jack, then you do not want the Shanghai Pirates, which is full of Jack.

My suggestion was getting rid of Jack in the original ride and then having a separate ride which is based on the movies and "full of Jack" in a different park at WDW.

 

[MisterPenguin]

My suggestion was getting rid of Jack in the original ride and then having a separate ride which is based on the movies and "full of Jack" in a different park at WDW.

At this point, Disney would probably be on the side of getting rid of Jack wherever they can and not to add more Jack anywhere.

 

[tirian]

At this point, Disney would probably be on the side of getting rid of anything that doesn’t sell toys wherever they can and not to add more original ideas anywhere.

FTFY

(And yes, I know Jack’s POTC was the first egregious use of IP in the MK. At DL, that dubious honor goes to Tarzan’s Treehouse.)

 

[tirian]

@marni1971 Remember that old 2006-era blue-sky proposal to turn the POTC unload into another scene and add the upramp to the attraction’s ride length?

Because it would’ve required some structural changes, it never made sense to me. But the WDI team was confident enough in the plan that they were freely talking about it without a hint of secrecy.

 

[marni1971]

@marni1971 Remember that old 2006-era blue-sky proposal to turn the POTC unload into another scene and add the upramp to the attraction’s ride length?

Because it would’ve required some structural changes, it never made sense to me. But the WDI team was confident enough in the plan that they were freely talking about it without a hint of secrecy.

I remember it very well

 

[yensidtlaw1969]

@marni1971 Remember that old 2006-era blue-sky proposal to turn the POTC unload into another scene and add the upramp to the attraction’s ride length?

Because it would’ve required some structural changes, it never made sense to me. But the WDI team was confident enough in the plan that they were freely talking about it without a hint of secrecy.

I remember it very well

I'd LOVE to know more about what that new scene would have actually been, if anyone can say! I've been so curious about it since the first rumblings in 2005-6 and since it didn't pan out I've never been able to find out more than the mere fact that they wanted to transform the unload and include the upramp. I'm dying to know how those spaces would have been transformed for the ride!

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

@marni1971 Remember that old 2006-era blue-sky proposal to turn the POTC unload into another scene and add the upramp to the attraction’s ride length?

Because it would’ve required some structural changes, it never made sense to me. But the WDI team was confident enough in the plan that they were freely talking about it without a hint of secrecy.

That's interesting, I didn't realize they had plans to do any of that. WDW's unload is where the gunpowder room is at DL, dunno if the square footage is comparable though. I wonder if they were trying to "complete" some of the cut scenes.

I can't find many photos of the backstage lift area. Only two via google search. It's obviously unthemed and filled with ducts and such. But you can spot the boats traveling up it before getting off the ride. Just eyeballing it, it looks somewhat steeper than the lift at DL and the boats also like like they travel up it at a faster rate. I don't know if the current lift could sustain the weight of boats filled with people. Unless they were intending to gut and rebuild it.

I assume the area where the boats re-enter the load would be problematic and require demolition and re-building. I don't know what is actually in this backstage area around the bend. Though it seems only a wall separates this bend from the outside queue spillover and part of the giftshop. The archway tunnels where the boats re-enter the loading platforms are extremely low clearance. Only just barely high enough to allow empty boats through. Nowhere near tall enough for boats with people. The queue also travels overhead these tunnels, so i'd be unsurprised if that entire area needed to be torn apart and rebuilt. No idea what sort of concrete, metal and other building materials would need to be dealt with to do this.

 

[brianstl]

At this point, Disney would probably be on the side of getting rid of Jack wherever they can and not to add more Jack anywhere.

The only places Jack is safe would be Shanghai and Tokyo. Depp is just too popular in Asia, probably bigger than any other US movie star. OLC and Shanghai Shendi wouldn't block any attempt by TWDC to remove Jack from their attractions.

 

[marni1971]

I'd LOVE to know more about what that new scene would have actually been, if anyone can say! I've been so curious about it since the first rumblings in 2005-6 and since it didn't pan out I've never been able to find out more than the mere fact that they wanted to transform the unload and include the upramp. I'm dying to know how those spaces would have been transformed for the ride!

That's interesting, I didn't realize they had plans to do any of that. WDW's unload is where the gunpowder room is at DL, dunno if the square footage is comparable though. I wonder if they were trying to "complete" some of the cut scenes.

I can't find many photos of the backstage lift area. Only two via google search. It's obviously unthemed and filled with ducts and such. But you can spot the boats traveling up it before getting off the ride. Just eyeballing it, it looks somewhat steeper than the lift at DL and the boats also like like they travel up it at a faster rate. I don't know if the current lift could sustain the weight of boats filled with people. Unless they were intending to gut and rebuild it.

I assume the area where the boats re-enter the load would be problematic and require demolition and re-building. I don't know what is actually in this backstage area around the bend. Though it seems only a wall separates this bend from the outside queue spillover and part of the giftshop. The archway tunnels where the boats re-enter the loading platforms are extremely low clearance. Only just barely high enough to allow empty boats through. Nowhere near tall enough for boats with people. The queue also travels overhead these tunnels, so i'd be unsurprised if that entire area needed to be torn apart and rebuilt. No idea what sort of concrete, metal and other building materials would need to be dealt with to do this.

No idea about show scene specifics, but unload would have become a show scene and unload moved to the top of the ramp (before the queue bridge) - the ramp also being a scene.

Despite the constraints it was thought feasible, but decapitating structural beams (and more) would need to be moved or rerouted and the whole ride system altered - Orlando uses a belt on the ramp as opposed to Anaheim’s chain lift. The belt was deemed not safe enough, so a chain lift would need to be installed. Which would have a knock on with the load belts, the drop, and the boat fleet since the associated underwater dogs and clearances would need to be accommodated. The issue of cascades, the ramp and backlog space also caused issues.

 

[Mac Tonight]

"I am once again asking you to give these chickens away. Chickens should be free for everyone!"

 

[tirian]

I'd LOVE to know more about what that new scene would have actually been, if anyone can say! I've been so curious about it since the first rumblings in 2005-6 and since it didn't pan out I've never been able to find out more than the mere fact that they wanted to transform the unload and include the upramp. I'm dying to know how those spaces would have been transformed for the ride!

That's interesting, I didn't realize they had plans to do any of that. WDW's unload is where the gunpowder room is at DL, dunno if the square footage is comparable though. I wonder if they were trying to "complete" some of the cut scenes.

I can't find many photos of the backstage lift area. Only two via google search. It's obviously unthemed and filled with ducts and such. But you can spot the boats traveling up it before getting off the ride. Just eyeballing it, it looks somewhat steeper than the lift at DL and the boats also like like they travel up it at a faster rate. I don't know if the current lift could sustain the weight of boats filled with people. Unless they were intending to gut and rebuild it.

I assume the area where the boats re-enter the load would be problematic and require demolition and re-building. I don't know what is actually in this backstage area around the bend. Though it seems only a wall separates this bend from the outside queue spillover and part of the giftshop. The archway tunnels where the boats re-enter the loading platforms are extremely low clearance. Only just barely high enough to allow empty boats through. Nowhere near tall enough for boats with people. The queue also travels overhead these tunnels, so i'd be unsurprised if that entire area needed to be torn apart and rebuilt. No idea what sort of concrete, metal and other building materials would need to be dealt with to do this.

As @marni1971 has already said, there were many complications that ultimately killed the project. But whatever the new scenes would’ve been, the plans were solid enough that WDI freely mentioned them as part of the Depp refurb.

But hey, we got some mermaid projectors that nobody could keep in operating order, right?

 

[Figments Friend]

I feel 'special' for having seen the mermaids in a operational state since they were so shortlived.

I thought it was a cool effect....for what it was.

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[Brer Oswald]

I feel 'special' for having seen the mermaids in a operational state since they were so shortlived.

I thought it was a cool effect....for what it was.

-

I was too concerned about the 4 foot drop to pay much attention to the mermaids.

 

[marni1971]

I feel 'special' for having seen the mermaids in a operational state since they were so shortlived.

I thought it was a cool effect....for what it was.

-

I saw.... something. Bit of an illuminated blob. I’d say I would have preferred the AAs but the whole scene became too cluttered either way.

 

[Figments Friend]

I was too concerned about the 4 foot drop to pay much attention to the mermaids.

They were well before that, but i can understand being distracted by nerves when you know a drop is coming.
Took me ages to get over my fear of the plunge on 'Splash Mountain'...so i can relate.

The mermaids were in the area after you passed through the mist featuring Davy Jones / Blackbeard and before you reached the scene on your left of the skeleton stabbed with a sword.
After that scene, you pass by the shipwreck and skeleton at the wheel...and then the drop.

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