Changes

A complete archive of past updates for this guide is kept at Al's Archives - reading the reports there will help paint a better picture of what has been going on at the park.

The information below covers some past changes that may not be in the archives:

As you probably know PIRATES had many new changes for its 30th anniversary rehab. [Besides all the politically correct stuff you heard about on the news.] Well, here's the list of everything that was changed thanks to a VERY helpful soul at DL:

The Skeleton in the Captain's Quarters now has the magnifying glass adjusted so his eye socket is seen through the glass as you float by.

The shadow projection of the dueling Sword fighters is now projected on the smaller, left-hand fort in the Bombardment scene. The projection was originally seen above the Pirate with the Pigs in the Burning City.

The Auctioneer has been re-programmed. He now gestures to his men when he wants them to blast the bidding pirates. He gestures to the Redhead and to the Gravitationally Challenged Wench as he refers to them. Much more fluid motion now. The female goat behind the Auctioneer is from World of Motion in WDW, replacing the male goat.

The first Chase turntable was removed. In its place is a Horse (from WOM), a Pirate (WOM), and a male Goat (from behind the Auctioneer). The Pirate is moving the basket of fruit he is holding back and forth, trying to keep it from the Horse and Goat. This Pirate was riding an Ostrich in the Animal Power scene of WOM.

The Pooped Pirate is now the Stuffed Pirate, newly voiced by Corey Burton doing a phenomenal job of imitating Paul Frees. Though his pursuit has changed from the Wench in the Barrel to Food, the cadence and tone, and even some of his dialog are amazingly similar to before.

The Pirate on the Barrels (from Arsenal scene just before the upramp, last on left) is on the stairs behind Stuffed Pirate. The barrels have rum now, not dynamite, and they have been pierced, causing a fountain flow of amber rum into the mugs of two Pirates on the steps below him. Both of these are from WOM, and one of them was riding a camel. This scene was originally drawn by Marc Davis 30 years ago, but was not put into Pirates then.

The second turntable lost its Wench; now the Pirate has a net and is chasing several chickens. Recent drawings had him holding an axe, but that was nixed. The chickens came from the Chicken Turntable, which was around the fountain at the top of the stairs (between 2nd and 3rd Turntable). The third turntable has the Wench holding food on a tray, but still running from the Pirate. The fourth turntable has the old Pirate with food and loaves of bread under his arm, being chased by yet another Gravitationally Challenged Wench, seeking now the chunk, not the hunk. The pan, not the man. The pie, not the guy. The loaf, not the loafer. The food, not the dude. You get the picture.

There are rumors that an additional figure will be added to that scene, but as yet unknown.

In the Burning City scene, the pigs wallowing on the right with the Pirate now sing in sync with the Yo Ho music! They had never been cut right, they just grunted aimlessly before. Now they grunt "yo, ho, yo ho!", not words but grunts in rhythm with the music.

There is a new skeleton in the first of the 3 Jail cells. It is lit a little differently from the 2 cells with Pirates. It adds a tension, an overshadowing of imminent doom if those Pirates do not get the key from the dog. Now there seems to be much more terror, the fact that a dumb dog holds literally the key to these Pirates' lives.

In the Arsenal scene, the Pirate on the Winch on the right (WINCH, not WENCH! Shame on you!) now has the bar of the winch across his chest, and in front of his shirt and lacy collar. Instead of looking like it is going clean through his body.

In the place of the Pirate on the Barrels on the left, there are 2 Pirates from WOM (where they were in Animal Power trying to push/pull a stubborn zebra). They are now trying to leverage a huge Jolly Roger flag full of treasure up the ramp, but are not helping each other. They pull and push out of sync with each other, not cooperating, as if they might break out in a fight any minute.

Note the portrait of another famous Disney Pirate in their sack, Blackbeard's Ghost (Peter Ustinov). Up the ramp just a bit from them is a pair of skeletons, locked in a death grip. One plunging a sword into the other laying across a chest of treasure. Another skeleton lays above those two.

Now heard overhead is the reprise of the Grotto warning "Dead Men Tell No Tales". This is the most important part of the whole upgrade, the end of the story. Instead of laughing it up and getting away with all their destruction and theft, the Pirates are doomed to DIE! Just as the skeletons seen in the earlier part of the ride, the circle is now complete and they are living the curse, Crime doesn't Pay!

Another thing to note is that now all 7 Deadly Sins are represented: Anger, Pride, Greed, Lust, Envy, Sloth and Gluttony.

Technically, the ride control system was completely replaced with a newer, more complex system. In addition much of the down ramps and up ramp flume-canals have been replaced, since they were leaking very badly. (Filling up the basement of One of a Kind shop could definitely be termed a "bad thing.")

A rehab a year later offered the additional enhancements listed below:

A few small, and very effective changes have been made. But first, take a moment while in line to see the new dedication plaque they've installed in the queue area directly below the entrance door - it commemorates this as the "original" Pirates attraction and lists all the Imagineers who worked so hard to put it all together originally. A very nice touch!

Inside you'll see the shooting star has returned to the sky above the bayou and that the first drop now takes place in almost total darkness - a really great effect. New more colorful lighting illuminates many of the caves with the ghost pirates, and the Treasure room now has pulled back somewhat the treasure from the water's edge and nearby boats and their prying fingers.

A literal fog bank envelops the huge Pirate ship attacking the town - and the projection of the sword fight is much clearer now on the fort's walls. Mayor Carlos [Don't beee CHE-EE-KEN Carlos!] has been fixed and is now spitting up more of that well water, but the goat was missing [but still heard from] in the redone chase [now gluttony] scene further on. All throughout they've done a great job of cleaning fixing up all the little things that had broken down over the past year, a job well done.

Of course by now, you've probably read about all the changes made for the NEW TOMORROWLAND.

On MAIN ST. the DISNEYANA SHOP was remodeled. It was extended into the MARKET HOUSE area directly behind it to expand the merchandised usually offered there.

The PENNY ARCADE has been switched from being under the control of the attractions folks to the merchandising department. A complete remodel has just about wiped out the arcade area to install a taffy counter instead, the rear area was absorbed into both the Candy Shop and the new Ice Cream shop next door. The new decor is quite garish. Too bad the charm and what was one of the few attractions left on Main Street is now history just to increase sales. Sigh...

Over in ADVENTURELAND the TIKI ROOM has had its show shortened by one number (the Offenbach tune) and has been ever so slightly politically corrected by eliminating some of the more colorful ethnic banter between the parrots. Although some purists may cringe, the changes make for a brisker show and (at least at the performances I've attended) have finally stopped the walkouts that used to plague this attraction due to many people's MTV attention spans. It's nice to see that Walt's original touch was kept instead of replacing this old favorite.

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