Shiver me timbers! The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow has set sail at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
Batten down the hatches as the eight-minute immersive experience is a must-see for swashbuckler fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, whether it is the attraction in Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom or the four movies starring Johnny Depp as Captain Jack. However parents of very young lads and lassies might want to reconsider plans to walk the plank on the pirate adventure because of its intense visuals and loud sounds. During my recent visit with the old salt, there were at least three parents who had to leave the show with their young buccaneers after the sights and noises proved a bit too much for the youngsters.
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Yo ho, yo ho, it’s a pirate’s life for guests as they cue up outside the attraction which has dropped anchor at Soundstage 4, right next door to “One Man’s Dream.” Sandwiched between the Walt Disney tribute and the wildly popular Toy Story Midway Mania, the Pirates experience is likely to get a lot of foot traffic as guests cavort between the Toy Story fast-pass area and the front of the park.
Ahoy me hearties. Once the doors swing open to the attraction, aspiring pirates are escorted into a pre-show area where they are given instructions and tested to see if they have what it takes to join Sparrow’s jolly crew. You then move into an eerie cavern complete with a larger than life talking skull and cross bones and pirates booty which you are repeatedly reminded not to touch. Your skeleton guide enlists the pirates-in-waiting to become members of Sparrow’s crew. You are asked to stomp your feet to ward off a larger-than-life squid and growl to drown out the haunting singing of the mermaids.
Run a shot across the bow as Captain Jack drops in to launch the opening salvo of cannonball fire aimed at the enemy which is sailing dangerous close by on a projected rear wall. As the bombardment continues guests feel the rush of cannonballs through the air, knocking Sparrow off-balance a few times. But just like in the movies, Sparrow is agile, witty, funny, sharp and cunning in engaging his recruits to help battle the unfriendly pirates.
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State-of-the-art technology transforms the captain’s treasure cove into an epic ship-to-ship battle.Blending live action, lights, sound effects, music, pirates, dancing skeletons, cannonball s, mermaids, and the Black Pearl , the attraction puts you right in the middle of the action and will delight fans of Sparrow and the Pirates of the Caribbean empire.
Before sending forth his pirates into the perilous wave of mouse-ear wearing and stroller pushing guests outside the attraction, Captain Jack advises that if they enjoyed themselves they can return in eight minutes for an encore performance.