17 fun facts about the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction

Over 400 million guests have boarded the boats on the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland since it opened in 1967 and left singing “Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a pirate’s life for me.”

For those cherishing a memory of riding the attraction, or if you are going on it soon, here are 17 fun facts about the ride.

Disneyland publicity photo

Walt Disney poses with sculpted models that were used to create Audio-Animatronics figures for the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction,

1. Pirates of the Caribbean was the last Disneyland attraction personally supervised by Walt Disney.

2. The ride was designed by WED Enterprises (now called Walt Disney Imagineering).

3. The attraction was envisioned as a New Orleans-themed Blue Bayou Mart featuring a Pirate Wax Museum.

4 Pirates of the Caribbean was loosely inspired by such Hollywood films as “Captain Blood,”
“The Sea Hawk” and “The Buccaneer,” plus Disney’s “Treasure Island,” “Kidnapped” and “Swiss Family Robinson.”

5. It cost $15 million to build New Orleans Square, where Pirates of the Caribbean is located. This is equal to the amount the U.S. paid for the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, which includes New Orleans.

6. The ride’s arçade was partly inspired by the Cabildo building in Jackson Square in New Orleans that served as the seat of the Spanish colonial government in 1799. It is also noted for being the site where the Louisiana Purchase was signed in 1803.

7. Guests ride through the attraction in a 1,838-foot canal.

8. About 120 animated characters (human characters plus nine different types of animated animals) appear in the Audio-Animatronics cast.

9. Disney Imagineer X Atencio, who wrote “Yo-Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me),” is the voice of the Jolly Roger skull and crossbones, seen just before guests plunge down the waterfalls.

10. In the lyrics of the song, “Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me),” the phrase “Yo Ho” is uttered 18 times.

11. The ride is about 15 minutes long, which is one of the longest rides at Disneyland.

12. Diners at The Blue Bayou restaurant in New Orleans Square can watch the passing boats traveling through a bayou, which is the first scene of the attraction.

13. The concept of Pirates of the Caribbean has come full circle with the attraction initially inspiring the successful film franchise and then the films (starting with the release of “Pirates of the Caribbean: 
The Curse of the Black Pearl” in 2003) inspiring additions to the attraction.

14. Both Captain Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbossa from the blockbuster films appear in the attraction and the ghostly image of Davy Jones appears on a waterfall.

15. Guests can spot Captain Jack Sparrow at three different points during their journey.

16. Approximately 400,000 pieces of gold coins and set pieces were added to the attraction during a lengthy refurbishment in 2006 when some of the film characters were added to the story.

17. The Aztec pirate chest used in the film “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” appears in the Treasure Room as the last thing guests see in that scene.