5 Things You Didn't Know About Pirates of the Caribbean in Disney World

Sing it with us — Yo ho! Yo ho! A Pirate’s Life for Me!

There are plenty of iconic rides in Magic Kingdom, but one big one that sticks out is the fan-favorite Pirates of the Caribbean attraction in Adventureland. This ride really has it all — a drop, TONS of animatronics, a catchy song that’ll be stuck in your head all day, fun effects, and a great gift shop — what more could you ask for?! While you might know allllll the words to the ride’s song and know just where to look to find those animatronics of Jack Sparrow, there are some facts about this ride that you might NOT know and today we’re going to share them with you!

1 — It Almost Didn’t Happen!

First, let’s start with the ride’s history. While it’s hard to imagine Adventureland without this ride nowadays, did you know that it almost DID NOT come to Florida? The original plans for Disney World included an interactive encounter with pirates (inspired by the Treasure Island movie) but not the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.

Why? Well, while the ride was planned for and built in California, Disney felt that Florida was a little too close to the actual Caribbean for something like this ride to be interesting. Those visiting Florida could extend their trip with relative ease to visit actual spots where pirates may have been, or museums and old fortresses focused on pirates.

That’s why Western River Expedition — a flume ride through the Wild West — was planned for Disney World instead. Think of it basically as Pirates but for cowboys. But, according to historian Jim Korkis, when Magic Kingdom opened one of the most popular questions was…“Where’s Pirates of the Caribbean?”

It seems Disney underestimated just how popular promotion for the Disneyland version of the attraction would be and how much people would want it to appear in Florida. The rest, as they say, is history and ultimately the Pirates of the Caribbean ride opened in Disney World on December 15th, 1973.

2 — Wait…I Recognize That Voice

Ever go through the ride and think to yourself “Why do some of those voices sound familiar?” Well, you’re not just hearing things. There is an important person who voices some of the characters in the Pirates ride that is also in another beloved Disney World ride.

Do you recognize the name Paul Frees? Even if you don’t recognize his name, you’ll recognize his voice! He has worked on hundreds of movies and shows. You might know him as the voice behind Ludwig Von Drake in terms of animation.

But in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, Frees has played many roles. For years, we was the voice behind the auctioneer in the (now changed) Redhead scene. He is still the voice that promises “dead men tell no tales,” and he’s also the voice behind one of the imprisoned pirates trying desperately to get some keys from the dog at the end.

But where else have you heard that voice? Well, in the Disney theme parks, one of Frees’ most memorable characters is that of the Ghost Host in The Haunted Mansion! So yes, there’s a Haunted Mansion x Pirates of the Caribbean crossover you NEVER realized was happening right before your eyes…or should we say EARS.

3 — The Famous Chess Scene

If you’re entering the Pirates of the Caribbean queue, head to the right-hand side for this next secret! If you take that route, you’ll see 2 skeletons playing chess down in one of the scenes.

Pirates of the Caribbean Chess Game — Time for Some Chess?

Reportedly, Imagineer Marc Davis set up the chess so that any move would result in a checkmate. Essentially, the skeletons are reportedly stuck in an endless stalemate.

The pirate scene is so famous that it even once got its own Disney pin!

Note that this scene isn’t out in the open — you’ll need to look down through some bars into an opening that overlooks the chess game, so take your time as you’re walking through the queue so as to not miss it!

See more about the endless stalemate here!

4 — Look for the Medallion!

If you’re a big fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise that was inspired by the ride, then you’ll likely recognize the cursed coin medallion which was a big focus of the first film. But did you know that you’ll find one of these near the ride too?

To find this, head to the gift shop immediately after the ride. While there, look for a row of vases along an upper shelf with a pirate skeleton head and two crossed swords. Then, scan to the right-hand side where you’ll see a red, double-handed vase. Look closely and you’ll see one of the cursed coins hanging from it!

Our advice? Don’t take that home and attempt to live forever. If the movies are any indication, it doesn’t really seem to work out all that well…

5 — That Music!

Finally, we HAVE to talk about the music on this ride. You’ve likely sung the “Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life for Me)” song about a thousand times, but do you know where the song comes from?

Well, it was written by the GREAT Francis Xavier “X” Atencio. In an interview with D23, Atencio was asked about where the song came from. He explained, “The last meeting we had, I suggested to Walt maybe we should have a song in this one. I had a lyric in mind and kind of a melody so I half sang it and half recited it. He liked it, he said, ‘It’s good. Get George [Bruns] to do the music for it.'”

Atencio and Bruns then worked on the music. But this song wasn’t Atencio’s only musical work in the Disney parks. There’s ANOTHER Haunted Mansion crossover here you might not have realized. Atencio actually later worked on creating the song for The Haunted Mansion — “Grim Grinning Ghosts” — and, as he explained, suddenly he “became a songwriter.”