Pirates of the Caribbean certainly is one of Disney’s most well-known and beloved attractions. Due to the massive popularity of the attraction, Disney has created follow ups to the attraction ranging from multi-million dollar movies to incredible new theme park experiences. Battle for Buccaneer Gold certainly is an attraction that cashes in on the massive popularity of the franchise and is certainly an incredible attraction in its own right.
Tucked off in the corner on the bottom floor, Pirates had far and away the longest wait of all of DisneyQuest’s attractions, as it appeared to maintain a constant 20 minute wait or so. However, I can’t confirm this for sure since I had gotten an exit pass usable only on this attraction and I was more than content to skip the longest wait. Anyway, the attraction is loosely based upon the successful franchise. Crews board a pirate ship and the objective of the entire ride is to gain as much treasure as possible. This is done by sinking other ships via a pirate’s favorite weapon- the cannon. One member is unable to fire cannonballs though, since he or she is given the all-important job of navigating the ship.
As for the ride, it’s truly a work of art. While I never got to personally steer the ship, my dad commented on how simplistic and realistic the steering was, and if you don’t just take his word, many others have commented on how easy it is to steer as well. But shooting was my assignment on the ship and in my opinion it was incredible. Firing the cannons was very fun and surprisingly realistic in terms of the cannons trajectory and how you actually pull a string as opposed to just pressing a button. While just a simple touch, I love the string since it just makes the attraction feel that much more immersive and realistic. But what was I firing at? Ships (and plenty of them), sea monsters, and skeletons. It didn’t matter at what point during the attraction, there always were plenty of targets to shoot, especially since each target required multiple hits to sink or die. One other aspect I really enjoyed, was the 3-D effect. While not as nearly well executed as Toy Story Mania, there were a sizeable amount of 3-D effects that just made the ride that much more exciting and immersive. Not only is the ride incredibly fun, but it also is pretty darn long.
Pirates of the Caribbean is far and away my favorite of the DisneyQuest attractions. Just how immersive the whole experience is really makes this ride incredible. In fact, I even liked it better than the original theme park attraction it’s based off of, which is excellent in its own right. Also, compared to the many shooting dark rides I’ve been on at parks, this blows many of them in the dust in terms of quality and flat out fun. Despite how it maintains the longest of all waits of DisneyQuest’s attractions, it’s certainly well worth riding and just an attraction that’s an absolute blast from beginning to end.
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