Pirates of the Caribbean is a timeless Disneyland attraction treasured in the hearts of fans everywhere. The ride first opened in 1967 at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, and was the last ride that Walt Disney was personally involved in designing before his death. The pirate tale was brought from a simple theme park boat ride to the big screen in 2003 by Gore Verbinski and Jerry Bruckheimer with Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl.
Since then, the Pirates franchise has grown to includes 5 movies, a short film, video games, novels, and a reboot that is currently in the works. Though each movie has its own unique story, there are many ways that they reference the beloved source material of the original Disneyland ride.
The Pirate Song
One of the most memorable parts of the Disneyland attraction is the jaunty pirate tune. “Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me)” was originally written by George Bruns, a composer for Disney films, and Xavier Atencio, a Disney Imagineer.
The Curse Of The Black Pearl begins with young Elizabeth Swann singing the classic theme, and later in the movie, Elizabeth and Jack Sparrow sing more of the lyrics as they drunkenly dance around a fire. The song continues to be referenced throughout the films.
The Curse
It’s incredible that Disney created an entire plot for a film from a very small piece of the ride. Following the second drop, the attraction glides into Dead Man’s Cove. The cave is full of skeletal pirates, frozen in various mundane activities such as captaining a ship, drinking, or playing chess.
As the boat continues on, there are other skeletons surrounded by gold pieces that would inspire the story for The Curse Of The Black Pearl and the Aztec gold that curses the pirates with a cruel immortality.
The House Boat
The ride starts in a dark, quiet bayou surrounded by flickering fireflies, houseboats, and the sound of quiet banjo music. The setting and the rickety houseboat seen at the entrance to the rest of the ride is extremely reminiscent of Tia Dalma’s home in Dead Man’s Chest.
The mystic is eventually revealed to be none other than Calypso, a sea goddess that had fallen in love with Davy Jones.
The Dog With The Keys
One of the most iconic moments of the original Disneyland attraction is when the boats pass a jail cell full of prisoners attempting to lure a scruffy dog into dropping his ring of keys in return for a bone. Jack sits in a cell, uninterested in their attempts. "You can keep doing that forever. The dog is never going to move."
Later, in a desperate moment, Jack himself struggles to coax a prison dog over for his own escape attempt. The dog appears sporadically throughout the first three movies.
The Skeleton Drinking Wine
During the ride's float through a cove full of skeleton pirates, there is a memorable image of some of them having a hearty drink. The wine is visibly seen passing through the skeleton's body.
The first movie pays homage to the moment with Captain Barbossa stepping out into the moonlight. He takes a long drink from his bottle and it can be seen going down his throat through his rotten, cursed form.
The Drunken Man With The Pigs
Directly before moving into the burning, pirate ridden town sequence, there is a man wallowing in the mud with a bunch of pigs. In Curse of the Black Pearl, Jack Sparrow looks for old friend and fellow pirate Joshamee Gibbs on the island of Tortuga. He finds him asleep with the pigs.
It's a creative nod to the minor character in the attraction, especially since Gibbs becomes such a prominent character throughout the series.
The Burning Town
The island of Tortuga is filled with references to the scene of the burning town that is overrun by pirates. Scarlett the redhead that slaps Jack Sparrow is likely a reference to the redhead "wench" in the ride. The drunk man swaying on the stacked barrels and the pirates shooting guns are also a few of many moments directly taken from the ride.
Though not a feature length film, the short film, Pirates of the Caribbean: Tales of the Code: Wedlocked revolves entirely around the auction scene from the ride.
The Treasure Room
Near the end of the first movie, the main characters end up on the treacherous Isla de Muerta. The island marked on no map that supposedly cannot be found unless one already knew where it is.
The pirates convene in a cave, the floor covered with treasure and haphazard piles of gold. This is a direct reference to the "treasure room" sequence of the ride, where skeletal pirates are seen sitting on piles of treasure in a cavern.
The Skeleton In Bed
Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides introduces the plot of Juan Ponce de Leon and his search for the Fountain of Youth.
The moment when Barbossa and Jack Sparrow sit on either side of the skeleton in the ornate bed is a reference to the "Captain's Quarters" portion of the ride, down to the skull and crossbones resting above him on the headboard.
The Phrase "Dead Men Tell No Tales"
Just prior to the first drop, a talking skull and crossbones bids a word of warning. "Psst! Avast there! It be too late to alter course, mateys...and there be plundering pirates lurking in every cove". He ends his speech with the solemn words, "dead men tell no tales".
Supposedly meant to be a common pirate adage, the saying is quoted in the films, and is also the title of the 5th film of the franchise.