This is a wonderful promotional magazine from 1974. The Pirates of the Caribbean attraction was first opened at Disneyland in 1967 and then at Walt Disney World in 1973, so this magazine was well timed to generate interest in the second version of the ride.
You’ve probably noticed by now that I love to collect old paper memorabilia. I find them to be a great way to do research into the history of roadside attractions, rides, and pretty much anything else!
So when I found this promotional magazine for Pirates of the Caribbean, and it included the attraction from both Parks, it was a no-brainer to add it to my collection.
Even this cover is now a piece of defunct history as the scene it depicts has been altered to be more accessible to modern sensibilities. ‘Take a wench for a bride’? Now everyone’s favorite redhead is a pirate herself! But her origin lives on in images like this one.
Revel in this fantastic and humorous cartoon depiction of the complete ride route. Can you spot any changes that occurred between the rendering of this picture and the construction of the actual ride?
It’s always a pleasure to see pictures of Walt enjoying the fruitage of his imagination. But in this case he never got to see the end result of this particular idea as he passed away in 1966, just three months before Disneyland’s version of Pirates opened.
You will find concept art, text explaining the planning processes and construction challenges, historical information about the Caribbean and its past, maps, and even song lyrics to round out your knowledge.
How is the ‘wildest crew that ever sacked the Spanish Main’ different in Disneyland than in Walt Disney World? This magazine will tell you!
With 50 pages of content, it’s impossible to display all of them here or even to cover what they share. But I hope I’ve given you a wee taste ta whet ye parched whistles wit, me ‘arties!
“Yo Ho! Yo Ho! It’s a bad pun for me! I plagiarize, blunder, all for a hoot, read up me ‘arties, Yo Ho!
I quip and recite and usually don’t get a hoot, read up me ‘arties, Yo Ho!” (Okay, I’ll stop).
