The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has gone on to become one of Disney's most popular and successful franchises of all time. The swashbuckling adventures have become a hit with fans and have told some amazing stories over the course of the movies. But what a lot of people don't know is that those films all started with a ride. That's right, the inspiration came from the popular boat ride that can be found in many of the Disney parks around the world.
The ride didn't just inspire the film either, as the movies actually took specific moments and ideas from the ride and put them into the films. However, due to the rising popularity of the films, everything came full circle as Disney added moments from the movies back into the original attractions to enhance the story. In this article, we will reveal five things the movie took from the ride, and five things from the film that went back into the ride.
Took From The Ride: Here Doggy
One of the most famous scenes from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride is when the boat goes through the pirate prison. Those locked behind the bars are desperate to get out of the situation, but their only problem is the fact it is a dog who has the keys.
The pirates might be trying their best to get the dog's attention, but it's clear that the animal has no interest in giving them the keys. It's a funny scene and it was brought into Curse of the Black Pearl when Captain Jack Sparrow has to try and get the keys from the dog, trying to use a bone to lure him in.
Took From The Film: A Misty Meeting
At the start of the attraction in Florida, Disney decided to add in a nod to the film straight away. As the boats leave the loading platform, they turn and get met by a screen created purely out of mist where projections of several villains from the franchise can be seen.
The screen tends to alternate between Blackbeard and Davy Jones as one or the other will appear to give a creepy message to those on board. They warn guests about what's to come and the dangers that lie ahead, setting the scene for the ride.
Took From The Ride: Going Down The Bayou
The original version of the ride is located in Disneyland and it takes a while before you even get close to seeing any pirates creeping around. Instead, the ride takes you through the Bayou of New Orleans for a little while, setting the scene nicely.
Disney then took this into movies at the end of Dead Man's Chest when the group went out to look for Tia Dalma for her help. The group had to go through a creepy Bayou in order to find her home on the water, which was very reminiscent of this early scene from the ride.
Took From The Film: Mermaids
Another way that Disney decided to plus the attraction was by adding in the mermaids from Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides. At the start of the attraction in Florida, your boat takes you past a skeleton of one mermaid who didn't make it.
Lights are also shown under the water next to your boat to signify that the mermaids are actually swimming around. As well as that, the eerie song, "My Jolly Sailor Bold" plays out to give the creepy feeling to kickstart the ride.
Took From The Ride: Attack On The Port
The first time pirates truly arrive is when Captain Barbosa and his merry men launch an attack on the Port Royal. They fire cannons from the boat while the men jump onto the land and begin causing havoc, attacking everyone in sight.
This is a scene that is directly taken from the ride itself, with this being one of the most impressive sets of the ride. During the adventure, the guest's boat goes right past a port on the right-hand side, while a huge boat is on the left attacking it and trying to destroy it all.
Took From The Film: Davy Jones
Davy Jones proved to be an incredibly popular addition to the movie franchise, but he wasn't a character that came from the ride at all. However, he proved to be very popular with fans and therefore when Disney opened its Shanghai resort, an amazing Davy Jones animatronic was created.
The Shanghai version of the ride is one of the most immersive in the world and Davy Jones's inclusion is a perfect example of that. His movement is incredibly fluid with even his tentacles move around freely as he swings around from playing on his classic organ from the film.
Took From The Ride: Drinking Skeleton's
The original villainous crew from Curse of the Black Pearl all turned out to be skeletons that were cursed, and that was something that was taken directly from the ride. Many of the characters on the ride are skeletons in the early stages before the live pirates appear.
However, one scene, in particular, made its way from the ride to the movie. That is the pirate skeletons drinking scene. On the ride, they are downing some drinks with the liquid just falling down their bones, which is exactly what happens to Captain Barbosa as well.
Took From The Film: Captain Barbosa
Captain Barbosa is one of the most popular characters from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and therefore Disney quickly put him into the rides around the world. In Florida he can be seen during the epic fight scene between the boat and the port, ordering cannons to be fired across over the guest's boats.
However, in Disneyland Paris, Barbosa plays a bigger role in the ride with a really impressive animatronic figure. He is stood looking at guests until the lights go off and he turns into the skeleton version of his character, slashing his sword across to attack the visitors.
Took From The Ride: A Pirates Life For Me
If you have ever taken a ride on Pirates of the Caribbean the chances are that you'll have had "Yo, Ho, A Pirates Life For Me" stuck in your head. The song is sung proudly by a lot of the pirate characters during the ride and quickly became a very catchy tune.
Because of its huge popularity, the decision was made to add it to the films as well, giving a nod to the attraction. During Curse of the Black Pearl, both Jack Sparrow and Elizabeth Swan can be heard singing out the song when they get drunk and stranded on the island together.
Took From The Film: Captain Jack Sparrow
The most obvious and impactful change that the movies have had on the Pirates of the Caribbean attractions is the addition of Captain Jack Sparrow animatronics. Of course, because he is the main character of the film franchise, guests began to expect to see him pop up at points throughout the ride.
Therefore Disney made the decision to add the character at several points, changing the narrative of the ride slightly to people looking for him. The animatronics are incredibly convincing and look just like Johnny Depp's character from his appearance to the mannerisms.