POTC Rehab.....Great! or Ehhhh?

[DisneyJunkie]

One of the main things I wanted to check out on my last trip to WDW (2 weeks ago) was the re-done Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, which added Jack Sparrow, Davey Jones, and Barbossa to its list of animatronic figures. We rode through it at least 2-3 times on the trip. I was impressed with the effects with Davey Jones in the beginning, but while it was cool to have Capt. Jack added to the ride, I'm feeling pretty "ehhhhhh" as far as the overall re-do is concerned. From all that I'd been hearing, it was a major renovation of the attraction, but when I went through it all I get was Capt. Jack in 3 spots, Barbossa in 1, and the initial entry with Davey Jones? It didn't seem like an awful lot of change to me. Am I alone in feeling that way?

 

[fargosteve]

I agree

I thought it was going to be more also. It did look freshened up though, but not much change.

 

[WaltzingMatilda]

Just got back on Sunday. I rode twice in a row and I'd say the re-do is pretty much a non-factor (though I did like the Davy Jones effect). The Captain Jack figure does look "fresher" than the other animotronics, of course. This ride is a can't miss for me anyway, so the changes were nice but all in all relatively minor.

 

[MickeyTigg]

This is what happens when you believe too much of the rumor mill. No ride could live up to the meanderings of the rumor mongor mind.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

It looks and sounds great. As for the additions, they were nice, but I don't think the point was to change a lot. It was more Small World-ish. I like the renovation, but I have reservations because it did change the feeling quite a bit. I think my jury will be out on it for quite awhile.

 

[goofyfan13]

The pirate that dunks the mayor looking for Jack Sparrow also looks new, but that could be just me.

I think the new additions are awesome. They updated a classic that was lacking, and added several awesome effects. I don't know how many times I've heard people ask, "Are we really gonna go through a waterfall?" when they first see the Davey Jones effect. Also, the improved battle scene is much, much, much, much, much, much, much better than before. The music from the movie alone enhances it, along with the added fog, debris, more smoke shooting cannons, bigger splashes, and the blast of air to simulate a cannon ball zooming across your chest.

They kept the skeleton on the boat in the storm in the first cave, well scene, the redhead scene, city on fire scene, and the jail cell scene entirely in tact, and just added Capt. Jack throughout the ride, what else could you ask for. Very well done in my opinon.




Oh yea, did I mention that the battle scene is much better? :lol:

 

[imagineersrock]

The pirate that dunks the mayor looking for Jack Sparrow also looks new, but that could be just me.

I think the new additions are awesome. They updated a classic that was lacking, and added several awesome effects. I don't know how many times I've heard people ask, "Are we really gonna go through a waterfall?" when they first see the Davey Jones effect. Also, the improved battle scene is much, much, much, much, much, much, much better than before. The music from the movie alone enhances it, along with the added fog, debris, more smoke shooting cannons, bigger splashes, and the blast of air to similate a cannon ball zooming across your chest.

They kept the skeleton on the boat in the storm in the first cave, well scene, the redhead scene, city on fire scene, and the jail cell scene entirely in tact, and just added Capt. Jack throughout the ride, what else could you ask for. Very well done in my opinon.




Oh yea, did I mention that the battle scene is much better? :lol:

I completely agree. I've always found the battle scene to be cool, but with all of the enhancements it is hands-down my favorite part of the ride now. As you said the music, fog, sounds, water, etc. are fantastic... and the blasts of air are truly fantastic. My sister got hit straight in the back of the head by one of those air "cannon balls" on our first ride through the day the ride reopened. After riding it countless times since the reopening, this past weekend I finally got hit by (2) "cannon balls" myself. Very cool.

I don't get how anyone can complain about these additions. They're exactly what we knew was coming. They kept pretty much everything there was to love about the origional, giving the whole attraction some TLC---and then on top of that made some fantastic additions (Including Captain Jack and the Davey Jones effect.)

I for one love what they've done here, and hope that within the next few years some of the other classics get the same amount of TLC.

 

[goofyfan13]

I completely agree. I've always found the battle scene to be cool, but with all of the enhancements it is hands-down my favorite part of the ride now. As you said the music, fog, sounds, water, etc. are fantastic... and the blasts of air are truly fantastic. My sister got hit straight in the back of the head by one of those air "cannon balls" on our first ride through the day the ride reopened. After riding it countless times since the reopening, this past weekend I finally got hit by (2) "cannon balls" myself. Very cool.

I've actually been on it a good 5 or 6 times since it opened, and have just for the first time felt the blast of air this last ride. It kinda made me jump cause I wasn't expecting it after riding it that many times since it changed. Very cool effect though. I just think that they couldn't have done that scene any better, you hit the drop, hear the music, and around the corner there Barbossa, with cannons blaring, deep in fog, etc.., What an awesome modification.

 

[WaltzingMatilda]

Can I say something about the last scene without spoiling it for those who haven't seen it yet?

 

[Main Street USA]

I think the poll needs the option:

"LOVE IT: They really didn't change much."

POTC is such a classic, and the Imagineers had a tough job in trying to not disturb greatness while adding a few touches to tie it into the film. The result? Perfect.

 

[figment1985]

They honestly needed to throw in some more special effects that do something to your little boat. I love the realistic looking Jack Sparrow's and the battle scene though.

 

[durangojim]

Over al I'm happy with the changes and glad it wasn't changed much. I wish they could have kept more of the original ending with the drunken shooting pirates and incorporated Jack into that rather than getting rid of the shooting scene.

 

[Master Yoda]

I think the poll needs the option:

"LOVE IT: They really didn't change much."

POTC is such a classic, and the Imagineers had a tough job in trying to not disturb greatness while adding a few touches to tie it into the film. The result? Perfect.

Exactly. They changed just enough. PotC is my favorite attraction in all of WDW and the imagineers did a great job tweaking a classic attraction just enough.

 

[trr313]

I like the new version, mostly the first part with the waterfall illusion. I'm glad that they didn't change too much.

 

[Nemo14]

I've always found the battle scene to be cool, but with all of the enhancements it is hands-down my favorite part of the ride now. ... the music, fog, sounds, water, etc. are fantastic... and the blasts of air are truly fantastic.

I don't get how anyone can complain about these additions. They're exactly what we knew was coming. They kept pretty much everything there was to love about the origional, giving the whole attraction some TLC---and then on top of that made some fantastic additions (Including Captain Jack and the Davey Jones effect.)

I for one love what they've done here, and hope that within the next few years some of the other classics get the same amount of TLC.

My sentiments exactly - great job!

 

[CoffeeJedi]

I really like the Davy Jones mist screen, and the Jack animatronics are great (one of them looked RIGHT AT ME, creepy...). I got my hair blown back by one of the air cannons too, great stuff!
In the "burning town" scene, you can actually hear each individual pirate now, like Thurl Ravenscroft slurring out his own drunken rendition of the song while hanging off a lamp post, i never heard them all so clearly and distinctly before now.

But i am slightly disappointed, because the old attraction had the song, completely pervasive in all scenes. It gave the attraction an energy that its lacking now. The movie music is great in the battle scene (needs to be louder though) but i don't like having to wait until the musician trio and donkey to hear the song. I think the experience was more "full" when you heard "A Pirate's Life for Me" all the way through.

 

[Dragonrider1227]

I'm on the middle of your poll. I love the changes but feel they didn't change alot. Thus, I get confused when people complain saying that they "runied" the ride when hardly anything was actually done. Of course, I think THESE people would complain if they changed a lightbulb. :lol:
I like the Barbossa, (and found it funny that the first time I heard they were doing this, I imediatly thought they'd do that and they did XD) the Jack animatronics are incredibly life-like, thus keeping with Walt's tradition of plussing technology, and the Davy Jones effect is just astounding and if you ask me, is actually the one thing that really enhances the ride.
Is there anything to complain about? Yeah, actually. I really didn't like that all the pirates are chasing after Sparrow. It's all "It be Captain Jack Sparrow we're after" and "Where be Captain Jack Sparrow?" It makes it seem as if the whole pirate world centers around Jack and I think the upgrades could've done just as well without the new diolouge but if that's all I can complain about, then they're really done something right, here.

 

[Buried20KLeague]

I'm definitely in the "eh" group. Especially at WDW. The additions in the disneyland version I thought were much better... Everything in WDW felt crammed in. You hop in the boat, round a corner and BAM! There's Davey Jones. In the DL version, he's quite a bit further in. Then in WDW, the first Sparrow AA is stuffed right along the edge of the water, between a couple of dresses that look REALLY out of place... It all looks stuffed in. In DL, There's actually what is more like a tailor shop (there might be a sign for a tailor shop if I recall), and more dresses and gowns that he's between. In fact, in DL, there's a brief gag when the AA stands all the way up, that at the correct angle he looks like he's wearing the dress. In WDW, they attempt this gag, but because of how close to the water he has to be, the dress is more off to the side, and the gag only works if you're on the right side of the boat, and even then I felt myself leaning over to make it work right. The second AA is a wash between the two. The third I don't feel looks crammed in... He's got his own scene.

I know this isn't a debate about which refurb was better between the two parks, but the point I'm trying to make is that at WDW it all seems crammed in and is therefore "eh". I think I'd feel that way even if I hadn't been on DL's... I just use that as a comparison.

And yes, I get it that the WDW is shorter, blah, blah, blah... Less room to work with, so it's gonna be more crammed in. Well, I just don't agree with that. Do something differently if you have to. Put that first Sparrow AA at a different angle in a different location, and don't worry about the dresses. Build the same AA, but have him looking around a corner, or through a window or something. He just doesn't seem to fit right where he's at. HE'S okay, but the dresses he's gotta look around just don't mix to me. Not like they do at DL.

Or put the Davey Jones effect RIGHT before going down the hill. If that means moving or removing the skeleton driving the ship, I could have lived with that. Many people don't really get what the deal is with him anyway.

And before anyone jumps my case that I'd complain about whatever they did no matter what, that's completely not the case. :wave: I'm usually all about change if it's done well. Change for the sake of change isn't good, but if it makes good sense and will be loved by the masses, I'm all for that because that's what their job is.

 

[KrazyKemp]

I'm leaning more toward the "eh" category...while seeing Sparrow, Barbosa, and Jones was certainly fun, I felt they could have done some more.

At least they could have worked on loading/unloading the boats faster. I rode it twice on this past trip, and both times got stuck in the final "burning town" sequence. Feeling every bump of every boat behind us.

 

[Julius & Boobah]

I think I must feel about Jack Sparrow as others do/did about Stitch. I don't see the huge attraction at all I think his AA is cool my personal faveourite is Barbossa.

I love the addition of the music and although the Davey Jones effect is really really cool (I thought it was on a waterfall and that we were going to get soaked until seconds before) but I think if you haven't seen the movie the ride makes less sense now. There are 2 mentions of Davey Jones but you never see him, you never know why he's after Jack or us/ It's just a little nod towards the film that was a little nod towards the ride. IMO it should have been one or the other not both.