When Walt Disney was dreaming of what would become Disneyland Park, he dreamed of a place that families could enjoy together. One where adults would not stand by and watch as their children had a great time. And, as his Disneyland dreams became more concrete ideas, he thought about all the amazing rides and attractions visitors to his magic kingdom would be able to experience.
Many of the attractions Walt dreamed of are still part of Disneyland today. Opening Day attractions that still exist include Autopia, the Jungle Cruise, the Disneyland Railroad, the Mark Twain Riverboat, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, Peter Pan’s Flight, Mad Tea Party, and King Arthur Carrousel.
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From the beginning, Walt wanted to have an attraction featuring pirates as a part of his new theme park. Originally, he planned to have the attraction be a walk-through wax museum, but then “it’s a small world” was shown at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. It was such a hit that Walt decided to change Pirates of the Caribbean into a similar boat ride.
Since its opening in 1967, Pirates of the Caribbean has become one of the most beloved and iconic attractions at The Happiest Place on Earth. Six years later, a similar attraction opened at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, and it is just as popular as its predecessor.
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While they are extremely similar rides, there are some stark differences between the Disneyland attraction and the one at Walt Disney World Resort.
Let’s take a look at exactly what makes these attractions different from one another!
Ride Queue
One of these queues is not like the other, and one is definitely better — the one at the Magic Kingdom.
At Disneyland, most of the queue is located outside and goes back and forth in traditional queue fashion. Once inside, guests in line can see guests who have come to the end of the ride, and there are some pirates and explorers painted on the wall. Small pirate artifacts are hidden in the ground, and lush greenery all around makes the area nice and calm before the storm that rages inside.
However, compared to the queue at the Magic Kingdom, it’s not nearly as exciting.
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Now, let’s talk about the ride queue at the Magic Kingdom. Guests enter the attraction and are immediately brought into the Spanish fort, Castillo Del Morro. The fort has everything from cannons, an armory, and even a prison cell housing two pirate skeletons. If you look closely, the skeletons are playing a game of chess, but the chess pieces are positioned where the game will never end.
Once you make it through the fort, you’ll be led into a grotto, full of pirate skeletons and a lagoon. You’ll even hear a voice letting you know that dead men tell no tales.
Overall Ride Experience
Which Pirates of the Caribbean ride you prefer really depends on two things: Do you like the bayou? And do you like drops?
Pirates of the Caribbean in the Magic Kingdom takes guests through a grotto before dropping them into a battle between Captain Barbossa and his men and the town they are sacking in search of Captain Jack Sparrow. The drop is fun but can be scary for younger riders, guests who don’t like drops, and guests who don’t know that it’s coming.
Disneyland’s version of Pirates of the Caribbean is located in New Orleans Square. Because of this, guests who board the attraction do not automatically find themselves in the tropics.
Instead, guests begin their journey in a New Orleans bayou before plummeting down not one, but TWO drops. Be careful, you might think you’ve accidentally boarded Tiana’s Bayou Adventure instead!
From there, guests will have a similar experience to those who ride the Magic Kingdom attraction. They will be taken through the land of the dead before encountering Barbossa and his men as they pillage and plunder and rifle and loot.
At the end of the attraction, because guests dropped down two hills, they will have to go uphill before they can exit the attraction. Be sure to say hi to Captain Jack Sparrow on your ride up!
Ride Time
Although the rides are very similar, guests who ride Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland Park get a much longer ride experience!
At the Magic Kingdom, the attraction is only about 10 minutes long, which is still really good for an attraction. It’s a fun way to give your feet a break from a long day of walking.
However, over at Disneyland, the attraction is just about 15 minutes long. Because of the time spent heading through the bayou, going down two drops, and then up the hill at the end, guests get 50% more ride time than those at the Magic Kingdom.
And there you have it, while both Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland Park and Pirates of the Caribbean at Walt Disney World are incredibly similar, they do have some very significant differences that make them each a unique experience!
Drink up me hearties, yo ho! Just make sure not to drink all the rum, Captain Jack will NOT be happy.
Have you ridden Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland and Disney World? Which version is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
