Pirates of the Caribbean

Pirates of the Caribbean is a simply stunning attraction. This is one of the jewels of Disneyland Paris and is a must-do ride when visiting.

Pirates of the Caribbean attraction is a ride which features in many Disney parks throughout the world, but of course, Disneyland Paris version is unique in many ways.

The Disneyland Paris version stayed true to Walt Disney’s original version of the ride from 1967 & was therefor the only version worldwide which did NOT feature characters from the movie franchise (as the Walt Disney ride was the precursor to the movies). In 2017 however the ride was updated & new features were added including Captain Jack Sparrow, Captain Barbossa & many other characters from the film franchise were added.

We are also treated to amazing music in the form of the iconic “Yo-ho Yo-ho a Pirate’s life for me” score playing throughout.

Pirates of the Caribbean Story

Pirates of the Caribbean ride is housed in a massive under siege fortress. We begin the voyage by entering the queue area in the form of a winding courtyard. This leads us into the building itself as we pass through dungeons. The dungeons feature many detailed artefacts with iron gates, pirate skeletons & rope. The winding dungeons lead us past a scene where we can look down to see a crew’s quarters with yet more skeletons & period chandeliers. There are feature cannons & cannonballs left strewn along the way until we reach the main ride.

You begin to smell the sea as we voyage toward the ride starting point and as we turn the last corner we are met with a beautiful scene reminiscent of a Caribbean harbour area or port. It is nightfall and the lanterns show us the way past yet more cannon & fort walls. Soon it is time to board our vessel. These boats take up to 20 passengers each & we head off into the great blue seas of a lagoon.

As we pass through an archway we are led into a dimly lit area where we see some “land luvvers” having a meal in a dining area on our left. These are the guests of Captain Jack’s Restaurant des Pirates. We have no time for these people though as we have to explore the area further.

The boats pass a stricken shipwreck and enter an old fortress. We begin to hear gunshot & sword fighting from the fort ahead as we climb upwards & then dip down into a tunnel area. Inside, flames have begun to engulf the fort, and the shadows of fighting pirates and soldiers are seen. We move on to an iconic scene as we see pirate prisoners trying to coax a small dog to give them the keys which he holds in his mouth. The flames are getting closer!

The boats go down a waterfall in the side of the fort caused by a cannonball and pass the ‘bombarding the fort’ scene, where we see pirates firing on the fort & the soldiers bombarding the ship with cannonballs causing splashes in the water beside your boat.

We survive the cannon & enter the “town scene” where we see a kitten stranded on the water balancing on a crate. Meiow! A pair of sword-fighting men duel for a girl who looks on in trepidation. The boats then enter the main burning town scene, where the original English vocal tracks are present, singing the attraction’s theme song ” Yo-ho, Yo-ho!”. Pirates have taken over & there is carnage.

The boats pass under an archway and enter the arsenal. The supplies are ignited by the ensuing fire and explode which throws the boat down another drop. Lights flash as an on-ride photo is taken, and the boats go down another drop into darkness. They emerge into the “cursed scenes”, where we see the darker side of pirates & many skeletons. The pirates appear cursed to live on as skeletons & can be seen playing piano, drinking & continuing there hellish ways. We pass a mountain of treasure in the final scene…… but was it worth it for the cursed pirates? a Skull and crossbones are seen over an archway as we return back to port. We have concluded our swashbuckling adventure & lived to tell the tale.

Pirates of the Caribbean Tips

Due to it’s large throughput this ride manages to keep a low queue time

Try to ride first thing in the morning or late in the evening to minimise wait and perhaps walk straight on! If it’s really quiet ask the Cast Member to send you around twice in a row!

The ride features 2 small drops. On the final drop you will see a flash and you can purchase the on-ride photo in the shop which you leave through

This is not recommended for children under 1 year of age due to the loud noises of cannon and dark atmosphere

If you are weary from a days walking then this ride is perfect as it lasts a breath-taking 10 minutes !