Originally Posted By davewasbaloo I have to admit, growing up with the Redhead on POTC and Jessica Rabbit really distorted my view of women. Thank god I found someone as beautiful in real life!
Originally Posted By bubsmom YIPPEE!!!! Great report!!! I can't wait to ride this again!!! By far, my favorite ride at DL and now, to have it all fresh and new!!?? What more could I ask for,,?? << swooning... Oh yes,...Capt'n Jack!!!
Originally Posted By DopeyTink34 will the captain sparrow characters be out roaming around on the 26th of june or will they show up at a later date?
Originally Posted By lasvegasgirl What a great report !!! Our family will be there Oct. 6th........ seems like that is far away... dang.........
Originally Posted By wonderingalice <------Grins and fans bubsmom to revive her... Right now, it looks like December for us... I can't wait!! Might just HAVE to make a quickie side trip before then for a quickie with the Cap'n (if bubsmom will share! ;-)
Originally Posted By Westsider Thanks for the kind words gang! It's my pleasure. I wrote that up after a very long day and after some time had passed from my ride-throughs, so there were a few things I forgot to mention that impressed me. But before I mention them, here's a few answers to some of the questions posed in this thread... Spoiler Warning!!! 1. The Jack Sparrow AA figures look really convincing. You know how sometimes animatronics of real people don't quite look right? (Example: sitting in Hall of Presidents and asking yourself "Is that Lyndon Johnson or my Junior High gym teacher?") Well, with these Jack Sparrow figures they really did a very good job at capturing Depp's appearance. Barbossa on the ship also looks great. You really can tell who the new figures are supposed to be, there's no facial distortion at all. Good job WDI! 2. The Paul Frees audio is still in the Transition Tunnel. Or, at least, I think it is. The echoing "Dead Men Tell No Tales" line is now sort of a refrain, and Davy Jones appears ahead of you and answers the echoing voice with dialogue for a few moments, before the echo voice returns for another line or two. To be honest, I was so focused on the new Davy Jones effect during all of the rides I took that I wasn't focusing on the audio that has always been there. If it's not the original Paul Frees stuff cleaned up and digitized, it's a very convincing rework of the original audio. You have to ride it to understand fully, but the Davy Jones effect needs the echo audio lines that have always been in that cave to make sense. It's sort of a call and answer thing, with Davy Jones replying to the echoing voice. It's very, very cool. Other observations that impressed me.... The digital projection effects throughout the ride are such a great improvement over what was there originally. Rain, clouds, lightning, fire effects are all very much improved. I didn't realize how hokey and dated most of those lighting/projection effects had gotten over the last 40 years until I saw the new stuff they replaced them with. It was really time to change and update a lot of that technology in that ride. The fog in the battle scene has been given a big booster shot. When we were riding we had less than 20 boats cycling in the flume, instead of the usual 44, and so the air movement in that scene was dramatically less than normal operation and the fog got really thick. But even taking that into consideration, they completely replumbed all of the fog nozzles and when the ride reopens all flights from New Orleans International will be grounded until further notice. I just hope the fog isn't so thick you can't see the new barrels floating in the lagoon. Yep, there are barrels everywhere now! And those cannons firing in that scene? BOOM! Props, props, props. There are movie props and various odds n' ends placed everywhere. Only the diehard fans will recognize half of the new props as being new, but there's just a lot more "stuff" all over the ride. Some of it was created just for the ride, but a lot of it was just trucked over from the movie warehouse once they were done filming. According to WDI, Disneyland got most of the good stuff and not a lot of the goodies went out to Florida. Animatronics. Everyone got a nice tune up. Of course there's the new figures, and they all look great. I'm not an expert on what the latest models are called by WDI "A-100"? "Mark Nine?" But I do know a thing or two about calling in defective animatronics to maintenance ("Inoperative Eye Blink on Figure 24"), and these new figures have a lot of movements programmed in to them. All of the other primary Pirates figures like the Auctioneer and Pooped Pirate have been thoroughly reworked, and the secondary figures and townspeople all look great too. The new island at the entrance inside the queue turned out nice too. It's not a big change in that scene, but the 80's fiber optic map is gone and I think that's for the best. There's still an old animatronic friend there in that scene, but it all looks different and I think it really sets the mood for the reworked ride nicely. The cool thing is that a young guy who spent a few years as an Attractions Host on Pirates is now a new Imagineer and he got assigned to redesign that scene. Sort of Old Home Week for him, and he did a great job. I'm sure he has a bright future at WDI. There's a couple rather minor observations that didn't impress me so much, but I won't mention them yet. I'll let the ride open and let people form their own opinions on some of the changes. Maybe most people won't even notice, or care, but for someone who knows the ride very well I have to wonder why they didn't address them or why they did one or two things. Again, they are very minor really, but just things that made me go "Hmm...". Overall though, a very impressive rehab! I'll wrap it up on a high note though... The Blue Bayou's new menu! FANTASTIC! The Foods folks served us up some free meals recently, and it was all very, very good. The restaurant facility itself hasn't changed much, it just got a nice freshening and cleaning. And the view across the lagoon is sharper with the new lighting. Also, the new digital audio and all of those expensive new speakers are in the Bayou too, so you can hear things that you've never heard before while dining on the patio. And the food is excellent! I'll keep a good thought for our fellow CM's at the Blue Bayou that the paying Guests will be just as impressed with the new menu as we were. See you on the 26th! And don't forget to be prepared to tell the total number of people in your party to the host or hostess on the loading dock! ;-)
Originally Posted By tiggertoo Excellent report! I have to admit, I was a little nervous about the Hollywoodizing of Pirates, but it sounds as if it was done with tact. For this, I am grateful.
Originally Posted By Tinkerbellmama This sounds amazing. Now I am really bummed that it won't be open at all this week while we are ther, but Hey at least we ARE there and now I just have to convince hubby to take us back...maybe next summer for Nemo, too.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo "LOL! I assume that you married a va-va-voom redhead? )" In a heartbeat! Thanks for the update Westsider, this sounds fantastic.
Originally Posted By rader22 "WOW" I didn't think I'd be able to make it this year because of my health and finances, but last night I found out that I would be able to make it for a few days at the end of August. I cannot wait to get there and see the pirates. It was and always will be one of my favorite rides there. I am glad to know that all of the stupid PC things that they put in are gone. Also, I am looking forward to seeing and hearing all of the new things that they have done with the ride. Thank you Westsider for giving all of us a wonderful review of the ride.
Originally Posted By Diztwins Michael (sp?) on Mouseinfo Said that the attraction Will be Soft Opening today at 11am
Originally Posted By Autopia Deb Hmmm, I may have to try to sneak in a ride before the meets in July.
Originally Posted By Hans Reinhardt Sounds like BB didn't get a dramatic Pirates overlay afterall. Good.
Originally Posted By gardenrooms Thanks for the report. Can hardly wait! This had always been one of my fsvorite rides, and it sounds like it will continue to be so! Only now I'll have to wait in lines to go. Oh, well.
Originally Posted By TP2000 Who said Blue Bayou was going to be given a pirates overlay? I don't remember that info at all.
Originally Posted By TMICHAEL >>>Michael (sp?) on Mouseinfo Said that the attraction Will be Soft Opening today at 11am......I'm a moron... lost track of the date! next sunday! darn!<<< Yep, Pirates was locked up tight as a drum today.
Originally Posted By Silly old Bear OK, my husband is going nuts...please tell me that the Blue Bayou didn't get rid of the Monte Cristo. Thanks
