Pirates of the Caribbean was such a hit at Disneyland park in California, Disney Imagineers decided to create a version for the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. They had to make a few revisions because of the water table in Florida, but the result is basically the same.
Guests board boats for a 10 minute cruise into a town where pirates have taken over. The pirates themselves are cutting edge anamatronics…or at least they were when they were created. They’re still better than most of the anamatronics out there. One pirate sitting on the bridge actually has a hairy leg. Although the scene could be disturbing (the pirates are setting fire to buildings and auctioning off women, after all), it’s all done in good fun, with the song, “Yo Ho, Yo Ho, a Pirate’s Life for Me” playing throughout.
Pirates of the Caribbean does have one small drop, and it is dark throughout the ride. I’ve never had a child that was scared of it, but children tend to be frightened by different things, so use your best judgement. The lines don’t tend to be super long, since the boats run continually and hold quite a few people.
A word of caution…you may think that you’re totally alone in the ride, but don’t be fooled. Disney employees monitor every boat with strategically placed cameras. Don’t believe me? Start a waterfight and see how fast a reprimanding voice appears from the speakers in the ceiling..