Yo ho, yo ho – these wild facts about Pirates of the Caribbean will surprise you – and teach you something new about the classic ride.

Pirates of the Caribbean is undeniably a Disney classic. It’s been a beloved attraction since it first opened at Disneyland Park in 1967, and as the last ride to have been personally overseen by Walt Disney himself, it holds a particularly special place in the park’s history. 

This seafaring dark ride became so popular that it’s since spawned versions at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, Tokyo Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, and Shanghai Disneyland. Each iteration of Pirates of the Caribbean features its own twist, making it unique across all of these theme parks. And they’re all quite impressive compared to Disney’s original plans for the attraction, which almost turned it into a walk-through wax museum.

The swashbuckling pirates and immersive journey into the past is beloved for its storyline, its famous theme song, and its memorable characters. But we’re not here to cover the facts you already know so well. Instead, we’re digging into the details of the attraction (yes, real skeletons included!) with Pirates of the Caribbean facts that almost sound made up.

Photo by Cliff Wang

1. Pirates of the Caribbean Was Inspired by a Movie

Sure, we all know that Pirates of the Caribbean inspired a hit film franchise of its very own, starting with 2003’s Pirates of the Caribbean. But what many don’t realize is the immersive, well-themed world of the Disney attraction actually pulled plenty of inspiration from a different movie.

When the development process for Pirates of the Caribbean began, Walt Disney asked animator Xavier “X.” Atencio to join the Imagineering team. In an effort to immerse himself in pirate lore and culture, X watched one of Disney’s very own films: Treasure Island. He pulled inspiration from the live-action movie as he helped bring the story and scenes of Pirates of the Caribbean to life.

So, in a way, Pirates started with a live-action film… and has really come full circle by spawning multiple live-action films of its very own.

2. The Animatronics Are Based on Real People – Including Disney Employees

You might not find any of the pirates or townspeople along the waterways of Pirates of the Caribbean to be familiar, but some guests have. 

Back when the ride’s Audio-Animatronics were being designed, sculptor Blaine Gibson pulled the faces of the various characters from his experiences people-watching. Gibson would stare at crowds and passing faces while out and about in public, then use them as source material for the faces he was sculpting of the pirates.

However, all of that inspiration finally caught up to him – and he had to redo some of his animatronics’ faces. For example, another Disney employee noticed that one of the pirates’ faces looked so much like one of their coworkers (specifically, the nose was near-identical) that Gibson had to redesign it so the employee in question didn’t notice his surprise appearance in the ride.

Photo by Cliff Wang

3. Walt Disney World Almost Didn’t Get a Version of Pirates of the Caribbean

It sounds almost too wild to be true, but Disney World almost didn’t have its own version of this classic attraction. That’s partly because of the Magic Kingdom’s location and partly because Disney underestimated the excitement around the ride.

When Disney World debuted in 1971 and Magic Kingdom Park opened, there were plenty of popular Disneyland attractions inside the park. But Pirates of the Caribbean was missing – and that’s because it was assumed guests here wouldn’t be interested in the ride. With Florida’s close proximity to the Caribbean, Disney assumed those who visited Disney World wouldn’t really be as intrigued by the history of pirates in the Caribbean as those out in California.

Instead, Imagineers planned a Western River Expedition attraction tied to Big Thunder Mountain, which would deliver a similar boat ride with theming unique to Magic Kingdom. However, much to everyone’s surprise, Disney World guests were quite vocal about the fact that they’d rather have a version of Pirates of the Caribbean. 

So, Disney changed gears and cancelled the Western River Expedition plans and instead announced a version of Pirates for Magic Kingdom. Two years later, the East Coast resort got its own spin, complete with a unique Spanish-inspired ride building to set it apart from its West Coast counterpart.

4. Pirates of the Caribbean is a Massive Ride

As you float through the attraction, it’s kind of hard to believe it’s as big as it is. All versions of Pirates of the Caribbean are impressively large – so much so it’s safe to say they’re absolutely massive.

Just take the original version at Disneyland Park, for example. Boats float past the pirates pillaging towns and going to battle at sea via roughly 630,000 gallons of water. That’s so much water it’s almost impossible to envision. As a point of reference, when the attraction goes down for refurbishment and is drained, it takes about three full days to completely empty it (and another three days to refill it!).

Plus, the ride’s scenes feature more than 100 different animatronics, including humans as well as animals – and yes, we’re including the pirate duo that looks suspiciously like Captain Hook and Mr. Smee in that total. 

Photo by Jaysen White

5. Yes, the Ride is Technically Telling a Story Backwards – But That’s Intentional

If you’ve ever wondered why Pirates of the Caribbean kicks off with the remains of long-gone pirates, there’s a reason. It’s totally intentional, as Imagineers mapped out the attraction’s story backwards.

Imagineers wanted to tell the pirate’s story from present – dead, with their riches buried, at least according to lore – to the past. So, the attraction’s boats sail from today’s timeline into the 17th and 18th centuries, taking guests “backwards” as they revisit the cannon fire, looting, and general misbehavior of a pirate’s life. 

What About Those Real Skeleton Rumors?

If you’ve heard the rumor that the skeletons featured in the early scenes of Pirates of the Caribbean are real human bones, don’t worry: It’s not confirmed that this is the case. 

It has been said over the years that in its first incarnation at Disneyland Park, Pirates of the Caribbean did in fact include real human skeletons. However, it’s since been rumored that any authentic bones were removed over time, so none (with possibly the exception of a single skull) remain today.

But neither of these rumors has actually been confirmed. So, while those skeletons sure look realistic in every iteration of the attraction at various Disney Parks, odds are they’re nothing more than highly realistic replicas.