"Redd" Joins The Pirates

[SaharanTea]

It was a lighting trick. They were not always on which is why it was hit or miss.

Was it always there? I don't remember this at all. I feel out of the loop!

 

[rteetz]

Was it always there? I don't remember this at all. I feel out of the loop!

Its been there for years at least.

 

[BrianL]

The entire ride actually celebrates violent criminals.

I've already made my thoughts known on the change (mainly that it's not a big deal though I haven't actually experienced the new scene yet), but I wanted to address this assertion. The story of Pirates of the Caribbean is not a celebration of piracy and the ensuing criminal acts and general debauchery, but rather it is a prophetic warning to those who choose that kind of life. Now, this is more apparent at Disneyland where the ride hasn't been shortened, but in a nutshell, you begin by seeing the skeletons and other dead sailors who met their fate, all for the gold they could not take with them. How did this come to be? The riders are thrust into the middle of a battle with pirates running amok. They ransack the town and steal and drink, etc. having a great time. They do however end up in jail, as the town is burning. The pirates are trapped and will not escape. At DL there are additional scenes of the burning ships, a typically hellish ending to a classic Disney dark ride. They have paid the price...

...Except for Jack Sparrow of course. Now, I love Jack and the Pirates movies, but his presence in the ride does twist the narrative. Of course, we all know Jack is a pirate with a heart of gold, so maybe he deserves his riches. While I don't tacitly mind the inclusion of the movie imagery into the ride, it clashes a bit with the original intent, which I think is what rankles some about it. At DL he appears after the burning timbers scenes, right at the end as well, so, it's like he made it out, but not the rest of them.

At any rate, that's my take on it.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

I've already made my thoughts known on the change (mainly that it's not a big deal though I haven't actually experienced the new scene yet), but I wanted to address this assertion. The story of Pirates of the Caribbean is not a celebration of piracy and the ensuing criminal acts and general debauchery, but rather it is a prophetic warning to those who choose that kind of life. Now, this is more apparent at Disneyland where the ride hasn't been shortened, but in a nutshell, you begin by seeing the skeletons and other dead sailors who met their fate, all for the gold they could not take with them. How did this come to be? The riders are thrust into the middle of a battle with pirates running amok. They ransack the town and steal and drink, etc. having a great time. They do however end up in jail, as the town is burning. The pirates are trapped and will not escape. At DL there are additional scenes of the burning ships, a typically hellish ending to a classic Disney dark ride). They have paid the price...

...Except for Jack Sparrow of course. Now, I love Jack and the Pirates movies, but his presence in the ride does twist the narrative. Of course, we all know Jack is a pirate with a heart of gold, so maybe he deserves his riches. While I don't tacitly mind the inclusion of the movie imagery into the ride, it clashes a bit with the original intent, which I think is what rankles some about it. At DL he appears after the burning timbers scenes, right at the end as well, so, it's like he made it out, but not the rest of them.

At any rate, that's my take on it.

That makes sense. So in the original ride story, the traffickers get what’s coming to them. The current concluding scene implies that pirates get the gold. At least, pirates like Jack Sparrow. Maybe to make the MeToo-ers happy they should replace Jack with Redd. Strong female pirates get the gold.

There does, in recent years, seem to be a sacrificing of story line for marketability.

 

[BrianL]

That makes sense. So in the original ride story, the traffickers get what’s coming to them. The current concluding scene implies that pirates get the gold. At least, pirates like Jack Sparrow. Maybe to make the MeToo-ers happy they should replace Jack with Redd. Strong female pirates get the gold.

There does, in recent years, seem to be a sacrificing of story line for marketability.

Yeah, I mean, the "story" of a dark ride is not usually super apparent, which is sort of the point. You really have to look into the details. Jack's presence definitely changes the story, making it less dark. Those original Disney dark rides, like Snow White and Mr. Toad are in fact quite dark. They end the stories at the bad parts (the end of Mr. Toad is literally in Hell). They're somewhere between a storybook fantasy and a classic "ghost train" ride, so as to have that scary element. Jack is a very "un-piratey" pirate though as anyone who has seen the movies would know. He seems like the type who loves to stick it to the British and the East India Company, but not so much about robbing and murdering your average innocent townsfolk. I do know that the original intent of the ride was to show that pirates can have their fun, but in the end you'll get yours. It's like the song from Peter Pan:

Ohh, a pirate's life is a wonderful life
You'll find adventure and sport
But live every minute
For all that is in it
The life of a pirate is short

This falls directly into the sort of youthful dream of adventure on the high-seas and the price for that. It's almost presented as a legitimate life choice, as long as one knows the eventual outcome.

I don't so much mind Redd as a pirate. Remember, in the original scene, she was kind of "into it" so to speak, showing off a little, you know? Us enlightened folk today can think, "oh how horrible that is" but there is a tongue-in-cheek, comedic element, as well as a realistic element of temptation of various kinds. It's these kinds of things that make Pirates of the Caribbean such a well-loved classic, even when many of those who ride aren't cognizant of all of the finer points. I do think though that most people recognize the big picture as something rich and deeply artistic and that's why it is appreciated, and why any changes will always ruffle a few feathers.
Anyway, I'll stop nerding about it, but it is really interesting, to me anyway.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

Yeah, I mean, the "story" of a dark ride is not usually super apparent, which is sort of the point. You really have to look into the details. Jack's presence definitely changes the story, making it less dark. Those original Disney dark rides, like Snow White and Mr. Toad are in fact quite dark. They end the stories at the bad parts (the end of Mr. Toad is literally in Hell). They're somewhere between a storybook fantasy and a classic "ghost train" ride, so as to have that scary element. Jack is a very "un-piratey" pirate though as anyone who has seen the movies would know. He seems like the type who loves to stick it to the British and the East India Company, but not so much about robbing and murdering your average innocent townsfolk. I do know that the original intent of the ride was to show that pirates can have their fun, but in the end you'll get yours. It's like the song from Peter Pan:

Ohh, a pirate's life is a wonderful life
You'll find adventure and sport
But live every minute
For all that is in it
The life of a pirate is short

This falls directly into the sort of youthful dream of adventure on the high-seas and the price for that. It's almost presented as a legitimate life choice, as long as one knows the eventual outcome.

I don't so much mind Redd as a pirate. Remember, in the original scene, she was kind of "into it" so to speak, showing off a little, you know? Us enlightened folk today can think, "oh how horrible that is" but there is a tongue-in-cheek, comedic element, as well as a realistic element of temptation of various kinds. It's these kinds of things that make Pirates of the Caribbean such a well-loved classic, even when many of those who ride aren't cognizant of all of the finer points. I do think though that most people recognize the big picture as something rich and deeply artistic and that's why it is appreciated, and why any changes will always ruffle a few feathers.
Anyway, I'll stop nerding about it, but it is really interesting, to me anyway.

I love your analysis. I know that for some this kind of analytical detail is not their idea of fun, but it makes Disney more fun and interesting for me.

Deep Thoughts: Disney style.

 

[umichigan10]

Yeah, I mean, the "story" of a dark ride is not usually super apparent, which is sort of the point. You really have to look into the details. Jack's presence definitely changes the story, making it less dark. Those original Disney dark rides, like Snow White and Mr. Toad are in fact quite dark. They end the stories at the bad parts (the end of Mr. Toad is literally in Hell). They're somewhere between a storybook fantasy and a classic "ghost train" ride, so as to have that scary element. Jack is a very "un-piratey" pirate though as anyone who has seen the movies would know. He seems like the type who loves to stick it to the British and the East India Company, but not so much about robbing and murdering your average innocent townsfolk. I do know that the original intent of the ride was to show that pirates can have their fun, but in the end you'll get yours. It's like the song from Peter Pan:

Ohh, a pirate's life is a wonderful life
You'll find adventure and sport
But live every minute
For all that is in it
The life of a pirate is short

This falls directly into the sort of youthful dream of adventure on the high-seas and the price for that. It's almost presented as a legitimate life choice, as long as one knows the eventual outcome.

I don't so much mind Redd as a pirate. Remember, in the original scene, she was kind of "into it" so to speak, showing off a little, you know? Us enlightened folk today can think, "oh how horrible that is" but there is a tongue-in-cheek, comedic element, as well as a realistic element of temptation of various kinds. It's these kinds of things that make Pirates of the Caribbean such a well-loved classic, even when many of those who ride aren't cognizant of all of the finer points. I do think though that most people recognize the big picture as something rich and deeply artistic and that's why it is appreciated, and why any changes will always ruffle a few feathers.
Anyway, I'll stop nerding about it, but it is really interesting, to me anyway.

I love your analysis. I know that for some this kind of analytical detail is not their idea of fun, but it makes Disney more fun and interesting for me.

Deep Thoughts: Disney style.

I love analysis like this. For me the ride I nerd out on is haunted mansion, which has an even more vague story

 

[DVC-Don]

My wife is a red head and I always would join in with "We wants the redhead!" Gonna miss it.

 

[DWillowBay]

I guess I just don't understand how making her a Pirate is a more acceptable position for her.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I guess I just don't understand how making her a Pirate is a more acceptable position for her.

It's putting her in a position of power rather than seen as a piece of property

 

[DWillowBay]

It's putting her in a position of power rather than seen as a piece of property

I think the real woman of power is that woman, chasing the pirate and thwacking him on the head with the broom. Now THAT's power! ...or the dog who has held those keys for decades without giving them up! He's got power. It's just a great attraction....no matter what. Love POtC.

 

[Poor Gail]

Having now seen the changes in the flesh, so to speak, I feel a bit better about it. The pirates seemed to find the auction as silly as I did, and were only interested in the rum. If there is one thing I can see pirates wanting beyond women, it's booze. While I will sincerely miss the original scene, being a redhead myself, the new version isn't as jarringly out of place as I had feared.

 

[gillep]

Having now seen the changes in the flesh, so to speak, I feel a bit better about it. The pirates seemed to find the auction as silly as I did, and were only interested in the rum. If there is one thing I can see pirates wanting beyond women, it's booze. While I will sincerely miss the original scene, being a redhead myself, the new version isn't as jarringly out of place as I had feared.

I actually had the exact opposite reaction in seeing it in person for the first time last week. I didn't agree with the change at all when announced, but figured that one scene wouldn't be a big deal in an otherwise excellent ride. Upon seeing it, I found the scene beyond ridiculous and quite jarringly out of place to be honest. I will still ride, but for me at least, the attraction has certainly lost something.