Pirates of the Caribbean. Is there any more beloved classic Disney ride? It’s become so popular that it even launched a series of highly successful movies, and we’re not going to get tired of it any time soon.
Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean
As most folks believe, the Disneyland version of Pirates of the Caribbean is far superior because it’s longer and has more scenes, but the ride recently reopened in Disneyland with some changes that could prove…dare we say…controversial? So let’s talk about it.
Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean closed back in May for a lengthy refurbishment. Well, the ride reopened today, but with some HUGE changes. Those changes concern the animatronics tech. Walt Disney Imagineering recently posted a video about these changes, calling it the “next level” of animatronics.
©Disney
Disney calls this a “hybridized technology,” and it combines…wait for it…mixing animatronic movement with…projected faces. Now, we know what projected faces look like on animatronic figures because of Disney World’s previous version of Frozen Ever After. Many Disney fans did not like the look of those faces, and Disney eventually replaced them with full animatronics.
Old Frozen Ever After animatronics with projections
But at least one character in Pirates of the Caribbean is getting this updated look, although it’s combined with a partially articulated animatronic face underneath it that can also move. The video talks about how this allows the characters to cry and emote in ways they haven’t been able to before.
©Disney
It seems Disney only used this new tech on one character in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, and it’s the static skull character you see sitting on top of all the pirate loot. He’s generally seen as a static skeleton.
©Disney
Now, though, this skeleton comes alive and tells his story of how he touched the cursed gold, which turned him into a skeleton. He also drops the coin, which turns him back into a human.
©Disney
You can watch the whole video below explaining the process.
If you want to see this technology for yourself, Pirates of the Caribbean has reopened in Disneyland with this new animatronic. At around 9:15 A.M., the wait time was only about 20 minutes, too, so now is a good opportunity to ride this classic attraction and decide for yourself if this new technology works for it.
We’ll keep an eye out for more Disney ride updates, so stay tuned to DFB for more.
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