From 2008-2011, the building in Hollywood
Studios between One Man’s Dream and Toy Story Mania was a one-room walk
through Narnia memorabilia tour. The exhibit housed short movie clips,
authentic concept art, storyboards, as well as some of the actual props
and costumes used during the making of the Disney movie series. From
September 2011 until December 2012, this building sat empty. In May of
2012, Disney announced a new attraction “”The Legend of Jack Sparrow”
would be filling this space. For several months after the announcement
very little information was released about the Jack Sparrow attraction,
but walls went up with those wonderful “Pardon Our Pixie Dust” signs,
while Disney worked it’s magic. In November, Hollywood Studios announced
this new attraction would open December 6, 2012.
I happened to have the pleasure of seeing this attraction the week of
December 11 while I was at the parks. Going off the original concept
from the old Narnia tour, I was expecting to walk through a prop and
costume tour. Boy was I WRONG! The outside of the attraction’s building
is decorated to look like a treasure map with the Pirates of the
Caribbean skull and cross bones over the banner “The Legend of Captain
Jack Sparrow” with Jack’s personal Jolly Roger flying high to ensure all
know this is Captain Jack’s place!
Upon entering the building you realize, this is NOT going to be a
walk through memorabilia tour. As you enter the first room you come face
to face with a large door adorned with a Skull and sword style
crossbones sculpture over it. Or IS it a sculpture? Once the magic of
the sea surrounds you, you are warned by a now enchanted Skull and
Crossbones, who will become your guide through the rest of the
attraction, that those seeking adventure on the seas are searching for
Captain Jack Sparrow. You are also told only a true pirate is fit to
sail with Captain Jack. You are then allowed to proceed to the next
room, and of course as a last warning, you are told, Dead Men Tell No
Tales.
Once
all the members of the tour have entered the second room you learn the
room is magic and anything can happen. From this point the show now
surrounds you, with video, sound, light and interaction from the rest of
the “crew” you have joined. While standing in the room the focal point
is in fact the bow of the Black Pearl, but you are surrounded by pirate
treasure, contraband, and a small stage where the lucky person chosen
prior to the show gets to present the skeleton key to the attacking
skeletons so that the adventure can begin.
From this point the “crew” led and directed by the enchanted skull
will then battle the Flying Dutchman and Davy Jones, the Kraken,
Mermaids of the non-Ariel variety and other such nautical villains. But
when the Dutchman returns for another battle the skull reveals it is
time to swear in the crew, and call them to muster for the Captain. At
this point Captain Jack, in film format played by Johnny Depp and the
Red-Head (we wants the Red-Head) from the original Pirates of the
Caribbean attraction appear on the deck. After the ship is fired upon
Jack realizes it’s time to be a Captain, and that he must protect the
Pearl, with the help of his new crew.
Once the new crew has proven itself Jack and the “strange talking
skeleton in the sky” decide the crew has performed well and that they
should take the Pirate’s Oath, or at least Jack’s shortened version of
it. Once everyone says “aye” the crew is told to prepare to make sail,
and the is invited to join the skeleton in a round, not Jack’s concept
of a round, but in signing a round of “A pirate’s life” and then told
to weigh anchor as the ship will be sailing with the tide. The crew
then makes it’s way back out of the building to continue on with the
pillaging and plundering of helpless tourists, I mean to continue their
day at Hollywood Studios.
