Classic
Attraction in California and Florida Adding New
Characters Inspired by Hit Film Franchise Disney's
Pirates of the Caribbean
ANAHEIM, Calif. / ORLANDO, Fla. (Feb. 2, 2006) --
First the theme park attraction inspired the movie
-- now the movie is inspiring the attraction.
Pirates of the Caribbean, the classic Disney theme
park adventure brought to the big screen in Pirates
of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, is
adding new characters and features from the
blockbuster entertainment franchise and debuting
when the next adventure begins in Pirates of the
Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest.
Both the Disneyland Resort in California and Walt
Disney World Resort in Florida will close the
attraction in March to complete the updates in time
for the opening of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead
Man's Chest on July 7. The attraction will re-open
at Disneyland on June 24 and in Florida's Magic
Kingdom on July 7.
The attraction will feature the addition of two of
Hollywood's most infamous buccaneers, Captain Jack
Sparrow and his nemesis Barbossa. Joining the
wildest crew that ever sacked the Spanish Main,
Captain Jack and Barbossa add an exciting new twist
to the attraction's original storyline as they race
to be the first to claim a cache of plundered
treasure.
"Successfully adding the popular characters from the
'Pirates of the Caribbean' films with the mythology
of our classic attraction is an example of Disney
synergy and Walt Disney Imagineering at its finest,"
said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and
Resorts. "These additions will result in an exciting
new chapter for the attraction and an unforgettable
experience for our guests, giving them another
reason to come and be a part of our continuing 50th
anniversary celebration."
Woven into some of the attraction's most memorable
scenes, the rival swashbucklers will be seen
interacting with some of the more familiar
Audio-Animatronics buccaneers found inside the
ride-thru adventure. Also making a guest appearance
is the ghostly Davy Jones from the second movie in
the series, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's
Chest. But new characters are only the beginning.
New special effects will also be added to enhance
the "Pirates of the Caribbean" theme park
experience.
"The creative legacy of 'Pirates of the Caribbean'
has come full circle with the attraction initially
inspiring our highly successful film franchise and
now the films inspiring exciting additions to the
attraction itself," said Dick Cook, chairman of The
Walt Disney Studios. "The attraction enhancements
capture the same spirit, swashbuckling humor and
action that moviegoers loved in the first `Pirates
of the Caribbean' which will continue with the
highly anticipated new tales this summer and
beyond."
Created under the direct creative supervision of
Walt Disney himself, Pirates of the Caribbean is the
quintessential Disney theme park adventure, a
swashbuckling voyage that transports guests back to
the days when pirates and privateers roamed the
Spanish Main. Starring a comical cast of rascals,
scoundrels, villains and knaves, the world-famous
attraction sends guests of all ages on a boat ride
through mysterious caverns where "Dead men tell no
tales" and then into a colonial era Caribbean
seaport under siege by a band of fun-loving pirates.
The attraction's jaunty theme song, "Yo Ho (A
Pirate's Life for Me)," sets the show's light tone
with its tongue-in-cheek depiction of high-seas
lawlessness.
The original incarnation of Pirates of the Caribbean
premiered on March 18, 1967, in New Orleans Square
at Disneyland in California. Featuring more than 120
Audio-Animatronics performers, lavishly decorated
sets and special effects, it's considered to be one
of the most spectacular and enduring attractions
ever created for a theme park. With its setting
revised slightly to fit a Caribbean Plaza location
in Adventureland, the attraction opened to guests at
Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom on December 15,
1973. More than 500 million people have experienced
the rollicking fun of Pirates of the Caribbean in
California and Florida over the past 39 years.
"Enhancing the classic Pirates attractions with new
characters and new technology will ensure their
relevance and place in Disney theme parks as
timeless adventures," said Tom Fitzgerald, senior
creative executive for Walt Disney Imagineering.
"We're adding a layer of storytelling from the films
to the attraction while retaining all the familiar
elements that make it vibrant and exciting for every
age group."
The Pirates of the Caribbean additions are one part
of the "Happiest Celebration on Earth," an 18-month
salute (continuing through 2006) to 50 years of
Disney park magic around the globe that started with
the opening of Walt Disney's original park,
Disneyland, in 1955. |
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