The third week of June (June 2010) we visited Disney World for the sixth time. Disney World features a lot great themed rides among other attractions and this is one of the reasons Disney World is a great place for a week of family fun. "The Pirates of the Caribbean" ride is one of the best themed rides at Disney World. It is not a fast thrill ride but the setup, the buildings, the décor, the many moving dolls of animals and people, and the special effects makes this a somewhat scary, but very entertaining ride suitable for both adults and children as young as six, perhaps five years old, in my opinion.


The Pirates of the Caribbean ride

The Pirates of the Caribbean ride is a themed raft ride located in Adventureland in Magic Kingdom in Disney World. When we rode it last time in June there was no waiting time at all. However, normally there are somewhat of a wait (but not too bad, roughly half an hour).

You are seated in boats which travel on a river into the attraction. It is somewhat dark throughout the ride and you will see some scary things which could frighten really young children. You will go through a cave and the image of Davy Jones will appear and you will see an island with skeletons pinned to the wall with swords or turning a steering wheel as well as disembodied bodies speaking scary words. There is a drop, but it is not big, and then you pass by ships battling a fortress (cannons shooting) and then a town which is being ransacked.

Here you will see, among many other things, a drunken man sitting with his pig, ladies being chased by pirates, another lady being carried off, another man is being dunked in a well, and you will see Captain Jack Sparrow (from the Pirates of the Caribbean movie) hiding. Next you enter an area where the town is on fire, and where people are running around, and some prisoners are trying to lure a dog to get the keys from him, and much more. It is basically a lot of interesting things look at. There are pirates songs sung and pirates speaking to add to the ambiance.


The Pirates of the Caribbean experience

As mentioned we've done the Pirates of the Caribbean ride on a number of occasions, with our boys and our daughter. When my middle son was seven years old he loved this ride and wanted to do it over and over. My eleven year old daughter loved it as well and both I and my wife have found it to be quite entertaining. I would do it in a heartbeat again even without the kids (unless the lines are long).

Just like Splash Mountain the Pirates of the Caribbean ride feature a lot of themed entertainment. Unlike Splash Mountain it does not feature any big drops which make it even more appropriate for a younger audience, in my opinion. However, just like the Haunted Mansion ride it can still be a little scary for the really young ones. For the really young ones I would recommend the following rides at Magic Kingdom; the "Jungle Cruise", "Dumbo the Flying Elephant", "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh", "Tom Sawyer Island", "Country Bear Jamboree", and "Buzz Lighyear's Space Ranger Spin".

Finally I would also like to recommend the Pirates of the Caribbean virtual reality ride at DisneyQuest in downtown Disney.

Recommended: Yes

Best Suited For: Families
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug