Thursday
Sep232010
Pirates of the Caribbean Like You've Never Seen It
Posted by 
Admin
Admin 
A look at the masterpiece that is Pirates of the Caribbean-- the ride. For nothing more than a glance at the amazing artistry and ingenuity of some of the world's most memorable animatronics. These shots were taken long before there were Davy Jones projections and Johnny Depps. These specific photos have never been posted on the web until now.
The parrot you see (and sometimes do not see) above the shoulder of the hairy-legged pirate.
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The hairy-legged pirate.
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The Backside of Pirates
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Don't Be Cheecken, Carlos!
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Related posts:
The Haunted Mansion Like You've Never Seen It
Carousel of Progress Like You’ve Never Seen It
Reader Comments (16)
Those are awesome! And the red-head totally looks like a tranny close up! It's weird to see that they run into wiring & boxes instead of feet! You know they're animatronics, but it's different to actually see it like that.
Who authorized the posting of these photographs? I get the feeling that if they are employees of WDC, they won't be for much longer!
These were taken years ago with permission. A part of a simple study of the detail of the ride and a little of what goes into making such a work of art.
I've always loved that bird. I miss the one from the front entrance and even the one at unload that was there a long time ago. Were there other parrots I'm forgetting?
I'm referring to Magic Kingdom of course.
I remember years ago backstage tours of certain rides were given to small groups of cast Members and photos were permitted. A few things here and there were not to be photographed if the photos would hive away a specific illusion. Nothing here is a secret. Footage and photos of Walt with uncovered pirate animtronics are all over the place.
I went on a few of those tours but didn't think to take many pics, at least not interesting ones!
Mind officially blown!
Simply amazing. This (like your recent Haunted Mansion article) are the kind of unique behind-the-scenes looks that we Disney fans love! Your articles never let me down (unlike Disney's crap-fest "announcement" yesterday).
I worked on Disneyland's Pirates back in the late 70's/early80's and was always a little surprised at how primitive a lot of the systems were. To monitor hydraulic leaks the AA figures all had a cafeteria tray underneath them with a little float mechanism. If they sprang a leak the float would (theoretically) rise and sound an alarm. Not the most failsafe system, which was a little frightening considering how flammable the hydraulic fluid was.
That bird is from the same mold as Pierre in the Enchanted Tiki Room. Love it!
WDC? Won't happen Melissa. Admin had permission. The person who GAVE him permission would lose her job for sure. If that happened a new era of happiness would engulf the Magic Kingdom and fried chicken sales would go WAY down.
This is a great work. I wanted to see it live not just in photo
Nice! This really shows the amazing combination of art and technology that makes us want to plunge down those waterfalls again and again! I rode the Disneyland version for the first time in 1967 (at 6 years old) and have been hooked ever since. There's something there that fascinates me no matter how many times I set sail. Thanks for sharing the great pictures. Keep 'em coming!!
Kurt from Boston
Hey folks, the people over at MiceChat are asking: is this the Disneyland PoTC, or the WDW version?
Thanks for them, by the way!
Taken in WDW. I can see how it'd hard to differentiate.
Fascinating and repulsive at the same time!!
I don't know if this is true or not, but I heard that the boats are on an underwater track. Can someone tell me if this is true?