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Pirates of the Caribbean Queue at Magic Kingdom Gets Makeover

The other day I was at the Magic Kingdom and it started raining cats and dogs. I was just finishing lunch at Pecos Bill and didn’t want to run through the rain, but I remembered you can actually walk from Pecos Bill all the way to Pirates of the Caribbean under cover. Even better, with everyone else holed up waiting for the torrential down pour to stop, I pretty much had Pirates to myself.

There’s a good reason to check out Pirates these days as the queue has been getting some upgrades done to it. There is a popular rumor of an interactive game called “Pirates Adventure: Jewels of the Seven Seas” that will let you use an RFID device to interact with elements in and around Pirates. Construction walls have been up in the queue for over a month.

When walking through the queue this time, I noticed that Disney has unveiled the first of the new theme elements. It looks like the idealic Caribbean castle the queue winds through is under attack. Cannon ball impacts have added new damage to the walls, there are even a few spots whee the cannon balls are still stuck within the wall.

While the project isn’t complete, I can get on board with this sort of plussing the story. I can’t wait to see what else is unveiled in this makeover and if the interactive game elements are added as well.

A couple more photos below the jump:

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The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow – now confirmed!

When is an attraction announcement not really an announcement? When it’s published accidentally, that’s when. It’s no secret that the Prince Caspian exhibit has been moved out of its Sound Stage in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. There has even been some speculation about what would be going into that space on various fan sites.

Usually those exhibits are ‘sponsored’ by some marketing budget or another from the Walt Disney Studios. Typically the goal is to sell DVDs or build audience affiliation for a sequel. So it was assumed that the next exhibit would be for a movie that had seen some success (which means it has a decent marketing budget) and is likely to have a sequel.

If the first movie that comes to your mind in The Muppets, then let’s say Great Minds Think Alike. Other likely candidates include John Carter or TRON: Legacy. However neither of those have had sequels greenlit. So Muppets it is. It even already has a tie-in with DHS.

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Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides Blu-Ray/DVD Review

The Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland has spawned one of the most successful movie franchises of all time. That’s quite a tribute to Walt Disney and the Imagineer team that created the ride. So, how does the fourth movie in the the set measure up? Pretty well, I thought.

A new Director, Rob Marshall, set much of the cast from the first three films on the sidelines and instead focused on Johnny Depp’s character of Captain Jack Sparrow by taking him out of his element for much of the film. That creates much of the films tension while the other characters went around in their sub-plots without many surprises. That’s not to say the performances were bad, they were great, or the writing was stiff, it moved the pace along quite nicely. But it was a different film than the first three. Which, for many, was a good thing.

The best Blu-Ray extra was the commentary from director Rob Marshall and executive producer John DeLuca. I also liked the deleted scenes. If you’re lucky enough to own a 3D TV, then you’ll want to make sure to pick up the Limited Edition version with the 3D.

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Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides hits DVD shelves on Oct 18th

The fourth film in the Pirates Of The Caribbean saga may have been missing a few key elements of the original films, but it did the legacy of the attraction it was based on proud. In Pirates 4, we dive deeper into the epic quest to find the fountain of youth. Of course, Johnny Depp returned as Captain Jack Sparrow and helped score over $1 billion in Box Office loot. Now, it can be yours on Blu-ray or DVD, including a special 3D version and digital download starting October 18th.

The full announcement is below the jump:

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Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, what should guests expect?

Disney’s classic attraction, Pirates Of The Caribbean is a water ride that takes passengers in shallow boats down a flume through entertaining show sets. There are very few working parts essential to a functional attraction, a small lift and conveyer belt into the load and… Read More »Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, what should guests expect?

Backstage with Pirates of the Caribbean Maintenance Team

Disneyland has just released their latest video in the “Every Role a Starring Role” look at backstage and how the magic gets made. Good stuff, exactly what I want from the parks… of course I want more. This video that features maintaining Pirates of the… Read More »Backstage with Pirates of the Caribbean Maintenance Team

Pirates 4: Finds additional treasure box office, #1 again internationally

Update: The figures from The Hollywood Reporter appear to be international numbers. Domestically the box office was only $39 million which is only good for 3rd place. In the battle of Pirates, Pals, and Pandas the terrors of the high seas have won out. Pirates… Read More »Pirates 4: Finds additional treasure box office, #1 again internationally

Pirates 4 Segment added to World of Color

A new segment promoting Pirates Of The Caribbean: On Stranger Tides has been added to World of Color at California Adventure: While I still haven’t seen World of Color in person myself, I am impressed with the way they’re able to continually switch in new… Read More »Pirates 4 Segment added to World of Color