We Pillage and Plunder, Plus and Enhance

From the moment it opened at Disneyland back in 1967, Pirates of the Caribbean has been considered the quintessential Disney Parks attraction. Its popularity has only grown in the past decade, with the release of the epic Pirates of the Caribbean films. The success of the movies, however, has created a new challenge for Disney's Imagineers. Going forward, entire generations will come with expectations established by the adventures of Captain Jack Sparrow, so the presentation in the parks has had to be updated accordingly.

Upon the 2006 release of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, the attraction was enhanced with a new entrance statement, a ghostly image of Davy Jones and Audio-Animatronic figures placing Captain Jack Sparrow and Barbossa into familiar scenes. Since that time, additional "plussing," including background music from the films and enhanced props and fixtures in the merchandise locations, has been implemented throughout the Caribbean Plaza section of Adventureland.

The Pirates Bazaar in the Plaza del Sol Caribe now features several richly-detailed vignettes. The one pictured above is among my favorites. I love the intricate design on the treasure chest, not to mention the fact that the map has been tacked to the wall with daggers.

Nearby is The Pirates League, added in 2009. This experience brought more of the story of piracy and the East India Trading Company into Adventureland. If you missed it, be sure to go back and read my earlier article on Pirates League and some of the amazing Hidden Disney details found within its walls.

Debuting in 2007, the interactive show Captain Jack's Pirate Tutorial offered young guests a chance to join the crew and learn how to be a pirate. The show proved so popular, it was updated in 2009 and moved to a permanent stage location across the square.

The stage, dressed as a dock for cargo being shipped and received by the East India Trading Co., easily attracts scalawags the likes of Captain Jack's first mate, Mack, especially with the stores of rum on hand and the enticing map tucked behind a scrim on the back wall.

Hang around Mack long enough, and you'll find yourself in the company of Captain Jack Sparrow himself. Careful, though. He's a clever one. Savvy? Should you suddenly hear him exclaim, "Look! The Governor's daughter!," he may just slip away.

The Pirates' Loot

The strongholds of the Pirates League in the Magic Kingdom are chock full of treasure and loot gathered from the Black Pearl's ventures to the four corners of the earth. The close observer may also discover that hidden amongst these artifacts are items from the production of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean film series.

The shelf in the photo above, located in the main office of the East India Company, holds many things, including the arrest warrant for Will Turner from Dead Man's Chest. Also in the main office is the unit seen below:

Resting on the top shelf of this unit is the branding staff used by Cutler Beckett to mark the "P" on Captain Jack Sparrow's wrist:

Inside the Muster Station, the old East India Co. warehouse, are even more Hidden Disney treasures. Peer beyond this chair and candelabra, and you may set eyes upon the chest which held the heart of Davy Jones. This was one of several prop chests used in the second and third films. Another has been incorporated into a scene in the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland.

The red you see peeking out in this next view is the "Map to the Land of the Dead" used in At World's End to lead the crew to Davy Jones' Locker to rescue Jack:

Also from At World's End (and more easily seen than the last two props) are this flag and cannon from the Empress, the ship captained by Sao Feng (Chow Yun-Fat):

There are other treasures to be found in the Pirates League, but pirates like to keep secrets. Should you decide to join the crew and take the solemn Pirate Oath, perhaps you'll be granted access to some of these secrets... such as the hidden location of Davy Jones' smoking pipe... or this hidden gem, a mark perhaps left by a certain fairy acquaintance of a pirate crew:

The Pirates League for Me

Ahoy, mates! The Black Pearl has dropped anchor, and Captain Jack Sparrow is in search of recruits to join the wildest crew that ever sacked the Spanish Main. He and his band have established The Pirates League, the newest Guest experience in Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom Park.

Tucked away in the bustling marketplace of Caribbean Plaza is the former headquarters of the infamous East India Trading Company, but their shipping office and warehouse have been shanghaied by pirates and turned into a veritable recruitment center. Evidence of the East India Co. can still be seen, but the facility has been completely ransacked and turned into the terrestrial base for Capt. Jack and his crew, the place where they hang their hats when not sailing the seven seas aboard the Pearl.

The adventure for new recruits begins when they step up to enlist in the crew. One of Capt. Jack's trusted mates walks them to a table near a massive map charting the shipping lanes used by the East India Co. and invites them to spin a box containing a pair of dice. The roll of the dice is checked against a leather-bound conscription log, and the recruit's new pirate identity is determined.

It's then on to the Muster Station to be physically transformed into a sculdugger worthy of crewing the Pearl. The pirates have blown a hole in the back wall of the East India Co. office, taking out a stronghold gate and revealing the cargo storage warehouse beyond.

The warehouse is buried in plundered booty, everything from marble statues and oil paintings to other priceless works of art (and some Hidden Disney). There are bejeweled thrones from royal courts, naval officers' chairs and ornate mirrors pilfered from the finest homes in the Caribbean.

It is here that the transformation begins. Recruits may select from several different looks (pricing and other detailed information about the Pirates League experience is available at www.disneyworld.com). Among them are styles inspired by characters and scenes in Disney's successful Pirates of the Caribbean film series. My boys opted for the "six eye" look from Dead Man's Chest and the "skeletal pirate" look from Curse of the Black Pearl. Of course, at three years old, neither of them has seen the movies. They just thought these looked the most fun.

Throughout the entire experience, the Pirate Masters of Pirates League enhance the story of the location with pirate banter and action. They're also great with the kids and completely flexible if there's any aspect of their chosen look they would rather avoid (such as the painted eyelids, which my son was unusually game for).

Once they've passed muster, the recruits are asked to recite the sacred Pirate's Oath and made official members of the crew. Being consigned to the Black Pearl, the new shipmates are entrusted with one of the Captain's greatest secrets... the location of a hidden treasure cache, where the members of the Brethren Court gather whenever they're in port. It is in that room that pirate portraits are taken and other secrets revealed, but there be no spoilers here (besides, the crew asked me not to use my "lightning box" inside).

Through another secret portal, we find ourselves back in the former East India Co. offices where we receive papers solidifying our new identities and have an opportunity to plunder some loot of our own.

A grand time was had by all, and our band of newly-christened pirates was set loose on an unsuspecting Adventureland.

Pirates League is recommended for ages 3 and up. While my 3-year-olds did just fine, others might get squeamish in the chairs or frightened by the raucous nature of the Muster Station. In addition, since my boys can't seem to avoid touching their faces, their make-up jobs were soon smeared. They didn't seem to notice, though. They loved becoming pirates and continued to play "pirate" all day long.

Which leads to one more note. Unlike the makeovers at Bibbidi-Bobbidi Boutique, which can last a couple of days by just not washing your hair, the pirate styles are pure make-up and would need to be removed so they don't end up coming off on pillowcases. Among the very impressive set of take-aways from Pirates League (top quality stuff, especially with the photos and papers) is also a handy make-up removal wipe. If you or your child selects the cursed skeleton look, ask for extras (that's a lot of make-up to remove).

Final assessment: The Pirates League is a fantastic experience for the young and young at heart, perhaps one of the most story-rich, interactive experiences in all of Walt Disney World.