The Future of Pirates of the Caribbean

[thomas998]

It might be more of if Depp is found to have already done some awful things- seems he’s unsurprisingly not the greatest person of the metoo era, but there’s been no concrete proof. But I agree it probably stays, and the moments deemed not PC in this day and age will never see the light of day again.

Well the funny thing is Depp is now suing the only person to claim he was abusive for defamation. If he wins this lawsuit the metoo folks will have to find someone else to try and demonize. Frankly I expect he will win as from the start the accusations didn't make a lot of sense when seemed to have a magical bruise that appeared one day vanished the next and then popped up in a slightly different place.

 

[HMF]

Point by point
*Restore the 1973 queue
*Remove "Marketing mist" (Davy Jones and Blackbeard)
*Bring back original captain and dialouge
*Restore original Well Scene Dialouge
*Sparrow can stay or go, I really don't care as long as he is not the focus of the attraction as he is now.
*I am not going anywhere near the PC issues

 

[Imagineer999]

Point by point
*Restore the 1973 queue
*Remove "Marketing mist" (Davy Jones and Blackbeard)
*Bring back original captain and dialouge
*Restore original Well Scene Dialouge
*Sparrow can stay or go, I really don't care as long as he is not the focus of the attraction as he is now.
*I am not going anywhere near the PC issues

Yes to all those, and yes the PC changes are also unfortunate but those are clearly sticking around and have the subject of more debate than the movie stuff.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

I know the Magic Kingdom version gets a lot of flack for being the shortest version, but it does an amazing queue and prior to 2006, a narrative that was different from the other versions. You see, the Magic Kingdom queue has some nice details implying that the fortress you're walking through is in use and about to be attacked. You used to be able to hear the sounds of marching Spanish soldiers, singing pirates who infiltrated the fortress, a prisoner in the dungeon playing the guitar, a guard playing the guitar above the fountain, pirates digging for treasure in the cave, and sea gulls. The ship off in the distance from the load dock is implied to be the same one battling the fortress later in the ride. It was also implied that the cast members were soldiers helping you escape by sending your boat through the caves...only to drop into the battle minutes later! The only music loop you heard in the queue was at the entrance and it was called Pirates Arcade (Fortune Red). Well in the 2006, the Imagineers who I am assuming were from Glendale and didn't do their research on the Magic Kingdom version (or wanted to leave their mark) thinking that the time travel story was there too, made the weird decision to loudly blast the Pirates Overture from Disneyland's queue in Magic Kingdom's. The sound effects are still in the queue but now you can barely hear them. Magic Kingdom's version was, in some ways, a different attraction altogether with a story all taking place in the present instead of one about time travel. It also has a superior ending with a large treasure room that before Jack Sparrow came along, had eight animatronics.

Like I said, yes it gets a lot of flack, but the Imagineers in 1973 did put effort into Magic Kingdom's version to make up for it being a shorter ride with new details and characters absent from Disneyland's version. Here is a link to a ride through mix of the pre-2006 version of Magic Kingdom's Pirates, where you can hear what the original queue was like.

Excellent!

It's the sad story of the MK, isn't it? The best castle park ever build, turned into the worst. Through mean and sorry management, uncaring imagineers, and an ignorant audience. Your Pirates story can be repeated for nearly all attractions and lands. :'(

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Point by point
*Restore the 1973 queue
*Remove "Marketing mist" (Davy Jones and Blackbeard)
*Bring back original captain and dialouge
*Restore original Well Scene Dialouge
*Sparrow can stay or go, I really don't care as long as he is not the focus of the attraction as he is now.
*I am not going anywhere near the PC issues

Sparrow needs to go. He's always been an intrusive external element. Not holding my breath for current Disney turning a movie marketing vehicle into a good ride though!

I actually understand and not even disagree with the PC choices, but the current scenes from the antique auction all the way to the start of the burning city lack any dramatic tension, don't further the story, nor are funny or witty or piraty in their own right. Half the ride now feels like Na'vi - a bland boat ride without any point to it.

Needless to say, I agree with your other points.

 

[WondersOfLife]

In the small amount of time I worked at Pirates during the last weeks of January, I can Honestly say that I have not heard ANYthing about updates to the attraction. Disney has many other attractions to work on over this one, and Pirates is still raking in the numbers.

 

[ppete1975]

Yes! Glad someone else feels this way.

If I was in charge, id put pirates back exactly how it was (pc unfriendly, but all original effects back to their glory), and have a huge disclaimer sign that this is the historical version and although it doesn't match the world we live in (as many historical things don't) we are presenting it in its original form.
BUT wait, that's if you turn left at the main corridor (kind of a "hidden ride") if you go straight through the new corridor you end up in the expansion pad and get the best most advanced pirates ride ever. It also has 2 overlooking restaurants (a mid range and a high range) and an outdoor portion ala small world at Disneyland but more like jungle cruise.
Never has a theme park kept an original ride and created a new ride based on the same franchise but it could and should be done with pirates.

 

[bhg469]

Yes! Glad someone else feels this way.

Anyone who disagrees, has never ridden the disneyland version..

 

[larryz]

The future of PotC?

 

[ppete1975]

Anyone who disagrees, has never ridden the disneyland version..

just because it isn't shanghai or Disneyland doesn't mean it should be removed, WDW doesn't need to have the best iteration of everything. We need more rides not shuttered or removed rides. And we all know if they did this it would be 2030 before we would have pirates again.. if it wasn't scrapped along the way. Hence my fear about imagination.

 

[The Pho]

Anyone who disagrees, has never ridden the disneyland version..

Or is just a person capable of liking multiple things...

 

[Epcot_Imagineer]

Me, expecting a simple rumor on a PotC refurb, but instead getting a thread proposing the ride's demolition, discussing domestic abuse, and hating on political correctness.

 

[bhg469]

Or is just a person capable of liking multiple things...

I am not sorry for my comment because I feel like any normal person would be like me. I rode the orlando version all my life, heard about how much better Disneyland's was but i took it with a grain of salt. Waited in a huge queue which wasnt as nice as orlando, and my expectations were set event lower. Not only did it blow my mind once the ride started, but I could never ride the WDW version again and be perfectly happy.. But then again, most people who consider themselves disney fans, never actually bother to go to the west coast and experience the other park.

 

[Raineman]

Yes! Glad someone else feels this way.

I don't agree with this line of thinking, ie there is a version of an attraction at another Disney theme park that is perceived by some to be better, so let's scrap the one we have and clone the one that's "better". Using that logic, HM at MK is considered to be inferior by some people to the overseas versions/re-imagined versions, specifically Mystic Manor and Phantom Manor, therefore HM in Orlando should be demolished and replaced with one of those. If Disney ever replaces HM at MK, they will not be getting one more cent from me, and I am sure that there are people who would feel similarly if PoTC in MK was replaced. I'm all for progress and moving forward with the parks, but not at the expense of beloved, classic attractions.

 

[Imagineer999]

Me, expecting a simple rumor on a PotC refurb, but instead getting a thread proposing the ride's demolition, discussing domestic abuse, and hating on political correctness.
View attachment 357146

Well I started this thread because I wanted to discuss and hear people's thoughts about the attraction's future because it's something that has concerned me ever since there was news of Depp being dropped and the reboot being cancelled. I kinda expected some talk about PC and Depp's controversy (and that's something I avoided when I put in my personal opinion) but I am surprised by some people wanting MK's demolished because they feel that it's inferior.

 

[Imagineer999]

I am not sorry for my comment because I feel like any normal person would be like me. I rode the Orlando version all my life, heard about how much better Disneyland's was but i took it with a grain of salt. Waited in a huge queue which wasn't as nice as Orlando, and my expectations were set event lower. Not only did it blow my mind once the ride started, but I could never ride the WDW version again and be perfectly happy.. But then again, most people who consider themselves Disney fans, never actually bother to go to the west coast and experience the other park.

Well I disagree and I have rode the Disneyland version. In fact, I grew up riding WDW's before I rode Disneyland's...and I still love both versions very much. Yes, WDW's is shorter but like I said earlier in the thread, there are things unique to it that you can't find in Disneyland's version (a different storyline, a larger queue with many details, and the superior treasure room finale. Oh and Old Bill was originally made for the WDW version to distract guests from a boat storage area behind the chase scene. He was so popular that Disneyland got him a few years later) and it was never meant to be a fully carbon copy of Disneyland's. I have always found each version of the ride to be fascinating and unique. We may have a shorter ride experience in Florida, but it does still have its fans and I'm one of them. Also if everything was the same I wouldn't want to travel and visit the other Disney parks and there are several attractions where some people claim that one version is better than another. Some people love the WDW Haunted Mansion more because it has a longer ride but other people prefer Disneyland's because it has the Hatbox Ghost and the original hitchhiking ghost effect, and some people simply prefer Disneyland's just because it's the original. Some people prefer Phantom Manor over both WDW's and Disneyland's versions! So does that mean we should demolish the American mansions and make them both Phantom Manor? Should we demolish DINOSAUR and replace it with Indiana Jones because some people like Indiana Jones better? I'm sure you understand my point. We don't need to destroy and rebuild classics to be more like another park's version just because some people like one version better.

Besides, the WDI crew faced some limitations when it came to MK's Pirates. For example, they couldn't put in two drops because the humid and fragile landscape of Florida didn't allow it and guests were angry that MK didn't have Pirates right away so WDI did what they could to give guests Pirates ASAP and they did try to make it unique and different from Disneyland's.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

Put it this way, that movie was way too popular for them not to do something with it. I scoffed at the idea of a movie being made out of a theme park ride. How could that be popular? Well, it was. So when people went to WDW not all of them realized the ride pre-dated the movies by a few decades. Jack Sparrow had to be added, there was no way around it. I guess I am in the minority here, but I always thought it was pretty good how they added him. There is enough of him in there to show you that he exists but not too much where it takes away from the other scenes. I have always thought it was a nice balance.

 

[MattFrees71]

Well I started this thread because I wanted to discuss and hear people's thoughts about the attraction's future because it's something that has concerned me ever since there was news of Depp being dropped and the reboot being cancelled. I kinda expected some talk about PC and Depp's controversy (and that's something I avoided when I put in my personal opinion) but I am surprised by some people wanting MK's demolished because they feel that it's inferior.

Yes, I am floored at the notion of suggesting demolishing MK Pirates. It's a solid ride on its own when you don't compare it to Disneyland's. I'd love to see a return of those aforementioned original elements and getting rid of Jack Sparrow.

As for other changes- if anything, they could maybe add more track (another scene and/or drop) while largely keeping what is there. Looking at Google Earth, besides the railroad (which would indeed be an obstacle to work around) there is nothing else next to the show buildings, so I at least wouldn't think that it would be impossible if they really wanted to.

 

[aliceismad]

I own all the Pirate movies, and I love the 1st and 3rd ones. But I still felt like Jack is an intrusion - both at WDW and DLR. I’d love to see them redo all of the animatronics, but it seems that will never happen. Likewise, I don’t see them pulling Jack. So it’s stuck as a mishmash of new and old for a while. It’s still a decent ride, both at DLR and WDW.

I’m the (apparently rare) person who has no issue with the changes for “PCness.” But I don’t think OP wants that debate opened here.

 

[JIMINYCR]

I'm hoping Depp's inclusion fades away over time and we go back to a ride that just plays off of the pirate theme and is once again fun to take in. Never liked Depp, never thought his addition made the attraction any better. I expect Dis will let it play out until they feel hes no longer necessary and one day we will just see him gone from the scenes.