Magic Kingdom's Pirates of the Caribbean (A Resorts Gal Ride Guide)

Pirates of the Caribbean is a classic ride at Magic Kingdom Park in Walt Disney World. We consider this ride a must-do for most guests. This attraction is located in Adventureland and has no height requirement.

While not an opening-day attraction, Pirates of the Caribbean opened at Disney World in 1973, when the park was two years old. The original version of this attraction is in New Orleans Square at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California.

Given the popularity of the attraction and the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series, other versions have been built at Disney Parks around the world. Those versions are available at Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland, and Shanghai Disneyland.

Each version is unique, featuring various audio-animatronics and its own storyline. Below, we’ll discuss Magic Kingdom’s version in more detail. So throw on your favorite head scarf and get ready to sing the pirate anthem, “Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirate’s Life for Me.”

Jailed pirates throwing the dog a bone. The dog has a set of keys in his mouth.

Here’s a quick reference chart for the pirate’s ride at Magic Kingdom.

Pirates of the Caribbean	Magic Kingdom
Location:	Adventureland
Height Requirement:	None
Lightning Lane:	Yes, with Lightning Lane Multi Pass
Ride Type:	Boat Ride
Seats Per Vehicle:	Three to Four Per Row
Rider Switch:	No
Early Theme Park Entry:	No
Extended Evening Hours:	Yes
Good For:	Nostalgia Fans of Pirates of the Caribbean Almost everyone
Scare Factor:	Mild, but it is a dark ride.
Must-Do List:	High Priority
Perfect For:	All Ages
Special Mention:	On-Ride Photo Opportunity

Additional Info: Guests in wheelchairs or ECVS must transfer to the ride vehicles. Details for those with mobility issues (e.g., wheelchairs and ECVs) can be found on Disney’s site.

Make sure to check our one-stop Lightning Lane Guide to plan your attractions.

Simplify Planning With Our Ride Spreadsheets

Subscribe to the Resorts Gal newsletter and we’ll send you a copy of our complimentary planning spreadsheets.

Pirates of the Caribbean at Magic Kingdom

Pirates of the Caribbean is located at the very back of Adventureland. It’s around the corner after you pass the entrance to Jungle Cruise.

entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean with the attraction's signage

A sign outside the entrance reads:

You may get wet! Join the swashbuckling adventures of pirates as they invade a Caribbean seaport. Your boat will drown down a short waterfall into dark, mysterious caverns where “dead men tell no tales.”

A sign that warns guests that they may get wet. It reads, "Join the swashbuckling adventures of pirates as they invade a Caribbean seaport. Your boat will drop down a short waterfall into dark, mysterious caverns where dead men tell no tales."

Pirates of the Caribbean has a stand-by entrance and a separate Lightning Lane entrance.

Stand-by entrance with a posted wait time of 10 minutes for Pirates of the Caribbean.

Once you enter the interior portion of the queue area, it gets fairly dark. You’ll make your way down to the loading area for the slow, dark boat ride.

From time to time, Captain Jack Sparrow roams the queue, so don’t be surprised if you stumble upon him. Well, him stumbling upon you is more likely, although rare.

Pirates of the Caribbean is portrayed during nighttime, which helps with the special effects and animatronics. Each boat has five rows and holds about three to four guests per row. Parties will be seated together in a row.

At the beginning of the ride, you’ll sail through a dark cavern past Dead Man’s Cove. Skeletons and the like are scattered about on a nearby beach, warning of the danger ahead.

Shows the skeletons of pirates on a beach with pirate flags in the first scene of the ride.

At this point, an on-ride photo opportunity is available for those with Memory Maker. After passing the beach scene, you’ll want to look at the skull hanging overhead. It’s immediately to the left after passing the beach scene.

When the skulls light up red, you’ll notice a flash as it takes a photo of you and other guests in the boat. It is one of the more difficult photo opportunities to get just right, similar to the photo opp at Haunted Mansion.

After the on-ride photo, you’ll float through a mist and encounter a mild drop. This drop is the only drop during the ride. It will likely feel more significant than it is in all actuality. You might experience a tiny splash of water. However, this is not where you want to be concerned about getting wet.

Will you get wet on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride?

Many want to know if you’ll get soaked while riding this attraction. In most cases, you’ll barely get splashed. When you come down the only drop, you can expect a small splash. This drop isn’t steep but may surprise you if you aren’t familiar with the ride.

The main splash comes from the cannonball blasts in the first scene immediately after the drop. This is where you’ll see Captain Barbossa poised on the ship as he directs the pirates to “Fire at will!” If you’re on the right side of the boat, you could receive a decent splash of water. Or it might completely miss you.

A couple of years back, Pirates of the Caribbean received new boats. Unfortunately, the new boats had problems with the splash effect. However, that issue was resolved. But I still prefer to err on the side of caution and keep personal items secured in a backpack.

As for the rest of the ride, you’ll encounter various pirate scenes. Most scenes have Captain Jack Sparrow (played by Johnny Depp) placed somewhat inconspicuously in the background. Make sure to look for him if you are a fan.

Captain Jack Sparrow hidden on the Pirates of Caribbean ride.

A few years ago, a new scene replaced the former auction scene. That scene features Redd, a female pirate.

Redd, female pirate on Pirates of the Caribbean at Magic Kingdom

Other scenes include pirates in various predicaments as their theme song continues to play in the background.

As you round the corner, a couple of pirates have been jailed. A dog holds the key to the cell nearby while the pirates tempt him with a bone.

Toward the end, you’ll pass Johnny Depp sitting in the treasure room. He hums the pirate tune while admiring his treasures. At this point, you’ll exit the ride and join a moving speed ramp up to the ground level. An elevator is to the far left for those who need assistance.

When you reach the top, you’ll exit into the ride’s gift shop. This is an excellent place to pick up Pirates of the Caribbean souvenirs. We think the best time to ride Pirates of the Caribbean is immediately during or after the daily Festival of Fantasy Parade. If you want to see the parade, watch it from the step-off point across from the former Splash Mountain. After it passes, you’ll want to head straight to the ride.

During the parade, traffic is cut off to Adventureland, so wait times for all the attractions in the immediate area usually drop off dramatically. You might also take advantage of attractions like Pirates of the Caribbean later in the evening or during fireworks.

The Resorts Gal Spin on Pirates of the Caribbean

We wouldn’t miss it! So you know it gets the green light! However, if the line is significantly long, we would apply the red light technique and come back later in the day. If you don’t think you’ll make it back to this area of the park, you can give it the green light and wait it out.

Resorts Gal Traffic Signals

Green Light

We give an attraction the green light if we consider it a must-do, regardless of the posted wait. We also give the green light for attractions we deem suitable to experience anytime. For example, some attractions have high capacities. Therefore, the lines continuously move and you shouldn’t have a long wait unless the attraction experiences downtime.

Red Light

We recommend checking the posted wait times for red light attractions. Then, make a quick judgment call on whether to wait, skip it, or return later. We also red light some attractions that we feel might not be suitable based on our experience.

You might also want to check out these other Magic Kingdom Rides:

If you are planning a Disney vacation, visit the list of Walt Disney World Resorts. They include the following resort categories:

If you are considering staying in the Orlando area and not on Disney property, try these resort reviews:

In the Comments

So, are you a fan of Pirates of the Caribbean? Is this an attraction you always experience when you visit Walt Disney World? Let us know in the comments.