Pretend to be a pirate! (Disneyland Resort Paris - Attraction Pirates of the Caribbean)

Member Name: GuruOnAMountain

Product:	Disneyland Resort Paris - Attraction Pirates of the Caribbean
Date:	29/05/07 (166 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very atmospheric and cleverly designed ride.

Disadvantages: Queues can be long and it isn't very thrilling for adults.

Whether you've visited Eurodisney or not, you're sure to have heard of Pirates of the Caribbean after the release of a trilogy of successful films based on the ride. However, if you're a big fan of the movies, don't expect to see any of the characters on the attraction. The ride existed before the movies and therefore there is no Jack Sparrow, Will Turner or Elizabeth Swan in sight, more's the pity, unless models of these characters have been added since my last visit about a year and a half ago. Nevertheless, Pirates of the Caribbean is one of my favourite rides at Disney and still has much to offer!

As anyone who has ever visited a popular theme park will know, your first experience of the ride will most likely be the queue. Queues for popular attractions can often be massive and waiting over an hour to get on an attraction is pretty standard and Pirates is no exception to this rule. However, Pirates is one of the better designed queues. When you enter the queue you will wind your way through rope barriers into a smuggler's cove. The lights are dimmed and flickering torches light your way towards the boats. Towering rocks surround you and the ground is fairly uneven, making it all seem quite realistic. Its quite easy to get lost in your surroundings and time passes relatively quickly.

As you draw nearer to the boats you'll notice the staff are all dressed as pirates and they'll help you climb aboard a small boat and head off on your journey.

If you're familiar with the Its A Small World attraction at Disney or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at Alton Towers and other such rides, you wont be surprised by how Pirates functions. You move leisurely through the water surrounded by scenery, sounds and smells. Moving animatronic characters capture your attention and the attention to detail in the characters and the scenery is stunning.

A nice touch is The Blue Lagoon restaurant which is situated underground in the middle of the ride, so feel free to wave to the people there enjoying a drink or a meal as you float past! Or if you're feeling flush, return there for something to eat yourself later on, although be prepared for steep prices.

There is nothing in the way of big thrills, however. The most exciting parts of the ride are a couple of small, quick declines (but nothing that will get you wet) and some 'cannonballs' hitting the water behind you as your boat gets fired at.

The fact that the ride is far from 'white-knuckle' means that most kids will be able to ride it and enjoy it, although it might frighten very young children or children of a nervous disposition. Most adults can enjoy the atmosphere of it, too and unless you were a dedicated thrill-seeker, I doubt you'd regret riding it.

The exit to the ride is through a shop selling plenty of pirate themed merchandise so if you've got kids with you, you might have to prepare yourself to endure some begging off them!

Summary: Disneyland Paris attraction.