Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the most beloved rides in all of Disneyland. It is very popular and definitely a fan favorite for a lot of guests. It’s located in New Orleans Square in Disneyland park and opened on March 18, 1967. These are some really fun facts about Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland.
It Was Going To Be A Walk-Through Attraction
Pirates of the Caribbean was originally going to be a walk-through wax museum instead of a boat ride water attraction. It was changed to being a boat ride after the success of the ride It’s A Small World, which is another boat ride attraction.
It’s The Last Ride Walt Disney Supervised
Walt Disney oversaw many attractions at Disneyland and this was the very last one that he worked on. He died on December 15, 1966 and the ride opened a few months later in March of 1967. So he never got to see it completed.
It’s One Of The Longest Rides At Disneyland
Pirates of the Caribbean is one of the longest rides in Disneyland with a ride time of 16 minutes. The Disney World version is about half of that with a ride time of 9 minutes. See all of the longest Disneyland rides here.
There Is A Pirate With Real Hair
There is a pirate that sits atop a bridge that your boat goes under. When you see him look at his leg and foot because they have real human hair on them.
There’s A Hidden Mickey Made Of Barrels
Hidden Mickeys can be found all over the Disney parks. There’s one at the end of this ride right before your boat goes uphill. There are three barrels hanging together and they make a hidden Mickey. See more hidden Mickeys on Disneyland rides here.
There’s A Familiar Voice
If the voice that says “Dead men tell no tales” sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve heard it on another attraction in Disneyland. Paul Frees voiced that famous Pirates line and he is also the voice of The Ghost Host on the Haunted Mansion attraction.
It Has The Only Restaurant In A Dark Ride
When you first start the ride you can see a restaurant to your right. It’s called Blue Bayou and is inside the ride. This is the only Disneyland restaurant that looks into a dark ride.
Captain Jack Sparrow Can Be Seen Three Times
Captain Jack Sparrow is in three different scenes. He’s in a scene with a lot of people in the village, then popping out of a barrel, then at the very end with his treasure. He used to not be on the ride at all, then the ride was redone a little after the Pirates of the Caribbean movies came out so the ride would match the movies better. Davy Jones and Captain Barbosa from the movies were also added to the ride.
There Are More Than 120 Animatronics
This ride has over 120 animatronics on it. That’s a lot! These animatronics are pirates, other people, and animal animatronics. The animals are dogs, pigs, chickens, donkeys, and more.
About 400 Million People Have Been On It
The ride opened in 1967 and is still operating today. Disneyland estimates that Approximately 400 million people have been on the ride since it opened.