Abe A.
Yelp
"Yo Ho Yo Ho a pirate's life for me", Pirates of the Caribbean is an original Disney attraction and one of my favorite rides. It also boasts the catchiest tune, that you will find yourself singing by the end of the ride. This is a must do attraction when visiting Magic Kingdom. It is a dark ride throughout the que and the entire ride. You will be riding in a boat and going through different scenes all filled with pirates. This ride is on a flat track but does have one drop, and I will say, be prepared, you might get wet during this scene. One of the last scenes is probably the most photographed and iconic Pirates scene- the pirates in jail trying to get the dog to bring the key to them. In recent years, they have also added Johnny Depp's character, Jack Sparrow, to a few of the scenes.
I don't believe the ride is scary, but I could see younger kids being afraid. It can get loud in certain parts, and the scene after the drop, there is a life size pirate ship with canons shooting water.
The line can get pretty long, but there are times when it drops. I would say if the line states 30 minutes, go for it. If it is over 30 minutes, skip it and come back later. The line is also all completely covered, so perfect for those rainy days and for those super-hot days.
My issues with this ride is the actual wait time. This has one of the highest capacities in the park, it is a continuous ride, they load very fast, so it's hard to understand why sometimes the line never moves. I also think the cast members do a not-so-great job of estimating the wait time. It might say 10 minutes, but you end up waiting 30 or it can say 30 and you wait 10. It's hard to estimate, I usually go off how far out in the first room, is the que. If it is not that full, the line is usually pretty good. I also don't understand how they load the boats. I understand from personally working in attractions in the past, there is a capacity quota each hour, and theirs is really high. However, it would be nice if they "look" the party. They love jamming an entire group of 4 or 5 ADULTS in one row. One time they put 5 of us, and one of our friends literally sat on our hips between my wife and I, because there was not enough room. It definitely did not feel safe. The rows are not long enough or big enough. My wife has long legs, and her knees are always smashed against the row in front of us. I also don't know how they could control this, but the boats get top heavy or side heavy. When all the kids are on one side and adults on the other, the boat tips. I have literally been level with the water which also did not feel too safe. I don't really know how that could be fixed, but I would think there is something they could do. I will say, don't be afraid to ask for 2 rows for your party. The cast members are usually very accommodating, you just need to ask.
Overall, one of my favorite rides and one we will do each and every time we visit Magic Kingdom. I really love this ride even more in the summer, its dark, it's cool inside and it's really chill. You should check it out.
ACES!