Pirates Find the Gold

BoxOfficeMojo reports that Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest had the biggest single day opening in history with more than $55,000,000 in sales. Disney is certainly doing their part to promote it. We went over to Disneyland for dinner last night and wanted to see the updated ride, but it had broken down and was not expected to be back in business for several hours.

They had set up queue lines (which we used to call "bullpens" when I worked there) outside the ride, so they've been doing a big business there. Back in 1975 when I was working in that area, one hour waits were not at all uncommon for Pirates during the busy days of summer. Over the years other attractions have taken precedence, and there have been many days when you could just about walk on the ride with little or no wait. Those days are gone for awhile.

Even though 31 summers have passed, to this day I can't ride Pirates without flashing back to my working days there. At the end of the ride the boats go up a steep ramp, and at the top they drop down a short ramp to pick up speed around the final corner. As you drop down that ramp there is a mechanical clacking sound that the machinery makes, and as soon as I hear that sound, I'm right back on the job. I used to duck in the exit of Pirates to cool off on hot days and my few minutes in the air conditioning were always accompanied by that clacking sound and the mournful clarinet music. It's weird how certain noises or smells can trigger strong memories.

Throughout the New Orleans Square area there were lots of new promotions related to the movie and ride. A band of pirates was singing songs, and the shop right next to the ride was full of Pirates stuff, including fake dreadlocks which seemed to be a favorite of teenage boys. Throughout the park we kept seeing people wearing Pirates t-shirts, so the marketing blitz is working.

Interestingly, the movie is getting so-so reviews, so we'll see if the word of mouth helps or hurts it in the coming days. My kids are anxious to see it, so sometime next week they'll find out how good it is for themselves.