In this post we give an overview of Pirates of the Caribbean, a dark boat ride at Disney’s Magic Kingdom theme park in Walt Disney World. We cover the basics of the ride, how to ride it, and our thoughts on the experience before closing with an FAQ. Read on to learn more!
Related Posts
This post is a quick guide to Pirates of the Caribbean, but we have related content that dives deeper into topics. Our Magic Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lane post covers Lightning Lane strategy in deep. The Magic Kingdom Rides and Entertainment Guide gives brief introductions to all the park’s offerings. For putting together your day at the park, we have a One Day Plan for Magic Kingdom.
Pirates of the Caribbean Basics
Pirates of the Caribbean is a ride at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. The ride
does not offer rider switch
has a Lightning Lane that is a part of Genie+
does not have a single rider line
is NOT a part of Early Entry at Magic Kingdom
is about 8 minutes long
You’ll find a video of the ride a bit below in this post.
Where is Pirates of the Caribbean located?
Pirates of the Caribbean is located at the far end of Adventureland. Entering the park, you’ll head to the hub and take the first left over the Adventureland bridge. Heading farther into the land you’ll pass Swiss Family Treehouse, Magic Carpets of Aladdin, and Jungle Cruise before arriving at Pirates of the Caribbean.
If you’re riding it first at rope drop, which isn’t typically recommended, you’ll wait with the group heading into Adventureland (better yet, wait in the hub and watch the welcome show because you don’t have to worry about crowds at Pirates immediately). Most everyone in that group is heading to Jungle Cruise, you’ll continue to Pirates of the Caribbean.
How to Ride Pirates of the Caribbean
If you have Genie+, Pirates of the Caribbean is a “medium” priority ride. You won’t be using your first pick on it, so you’ll just want to keep an eye on its return times as the day goes on. Quite often, we don’t use Genie+ for it because the waits often don’t justify spending a Lightning Lane.
Whether you have Genie+ or not, you might try to fit Pirates of the Caribbean into your rope drop strategy (since the ride isn’t part of Early Entry, “rope drop” refers here to the opening of the western half of the park). If you started this side of the park with some combination of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Haunted Mansion, and Jungle Cruise, then Pirates of the Caribbean can be good to hop on if its wait is, say, 20 minutes or less, before heading to the rest of the park.
If you’re visiting Magic Kingdom with small children, Pirates of the Caribbean might be a good option because it has no height requirement. That said, the beginning of the ride is creepy and then BAM! intense before the more leisurely and whimsical dark boat ride commences. This was not a good ride for us during Zoe’s fearful age of about 15 months to 2 years.
Pirates of the Caribbean Ride Experience
Pirates of the Caribbean is a dark boat ride. There is one small drop near the beginning of the ride. The bulk of the 8 minutes is a ride through scenes of pirates looting a Caribbean fort. You can watch a video of the ride here:
Pirates of the Caribbean FAQ
Was the Pirates of the Caribbean movie based on the ride?
Yes. While Jack Sparrow has been added to a few scenes of the ride, the movie was originally based on the ride.
When did Pirates of the Caribbean open?
Pirates of the Caribbean opened on March 18, 1967 in Disneyland and December 15, 1973 in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
Is the Pirates of the Caribbean Ride Scary?
The ride isn’t altogether scary, but it does have scary parts, particularly near the beginning, and it’s a “dark ride.” This combination can make it tough for some kids to get through. If the ride kicked off with just the ride through the town then I don’t think our toddler would have ever had much difficulty. But the combined creepiness of the start, the small drop, and the intensity of the start of the town scenes made it hard to recover during their more nervous phase.
All Your Other Disney World Planning Questions Answered
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Just starting out? Check out our Walt Disney World planning guide! If you're still picking dates, we've got everything you need to know about Disney World crowd calendars. For picking your hotel, check out our Walt Disney World hotels guide.
When it comes time to book we’ll help you find discount Disney World tickets. Decide whether you need a dining plan in our Complete Guide to Disney World Dining Plans! And don't forget to book those Disney World Advance Dining Reservations!
Don't forget to master your Disney World Genie+ and Lightning Lane strategy a few months in advance. We'll keep you out of long lines so you can maximize the magical time in the parks! We've got park-specific guides as well: Magic Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, Epcot Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, Animal Kingdom Genie+ and Lightning Lanes, and Hollywood Studios Genie+ and Lightning Lanes.
Know what to ride with our guides to: Magic Kingdom rides, Hollywood Studios rides, Epcot rides, and Animal Kingdom rides! Plus learn about the water parks with our guide to Blizzard Beach and our guide to Typhoon Lagoon! And for some some fun prep, check out our Ranking of Every Ride at Walt Disney World.
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