Are the Pirates of the Caribbean boats still taking on water?

[Lehuaann]

We would get splashed on DL POTC. Yes, the bigger drop is part of the reason - but this was during the canon scene. We would always watch that spot to see who was gonna get it! Once I rode WDW POTC, I recognized that suspense element was missing. Well, actually a lot is missing...

Perhaps they are trying to replicate some of the DL experience? Who knows.

 

[wdwfan757]

I got the chance to ride it about a dozen times in dec 2013 and jan 2014 and the degree of wetness absolutely depended on where I was sitting. I didn't think of it as a bad thing really, I kind of assumed it was some sort of new feature to make it more exciting . I've never been "drenched" with soaked feet, but my legs/socks have definitely gotten wet on some rides. On others though, I've been bone dry.

I've also gotten some splash from the "canons" though. It was just one time, so i'm assuming THAT was just bad luck

 

[noahdove]

We rode last August and my butt and leg to my shoes were wet...we went to watch the show in front of the Castle and we sat on the wall and I am sure my butt was sizzling when I first sat down...It was very hot and for that I was thankful that I didn't have to walk around wet..

 

[xie]

The Cast Members at Pirates do care. Safety is their first priority. As far as cramming guests into rows, they were only doing as instructed. All leadership teams instruct their cast to keep their hourly guest capacity as close as possible to the highest guest count. This includes not skipping ride vehicles and sitting 3 per row in omnimovers and just enough in each row at other ride types to be safe and in accordance with the attraction's operating guide. Without doing so, a wait that could be 40 minutes would turn into 70 minutes. You went during New Year's, which is when we have to do it. At shows, we have to open a preshow door as soon as the last group exits and keep them open until it is full. This could be 120 at Coaster or 425 at Monsters. Some shows can even seat close to 1,000 guests. Every seat must be taken and all available space must be filled. We have support coordinators who assist us with loading and park support auditing us every day to make sure we are doing so. We do this for you.

I understand what you're saying, but all I experienced on our multiple PoTC rides in January was overloaded boats, and poorly loaded boats. Overloaded boats are clearly a function of management making bad decisions and insisting on more people being loaded per boat. (In fact, there were 2 CMs arguing about this in front of guests as we boarded one day. They were complaining loudly about being forced to overload boats, likely because HM and BTMRR were down, leaving guests with fewer available rides.) Every PoTC ride we took that week the bottom of the boat was scraping the bottom of the ride and water was coming in. Too many people.

But the other part - the "let's not put all the dads on the same side of the boat" - that just takes some care when you're putting people in the lanes. You have to do more than "How many? Row 2." Otherwise, what happens is this: The dads (because lots of men actually do have manners) hang back, put the women and kids in the row first, and the right side of the boat then ends up with the majority of the vehicle's weight. So it lists, and water comes in over the right side.

 

[Kristina4109]

If there was any question that I'd be packing extra socks in our park bag, this settles it! Socks in ziploc bags, with extra ziplocs for the wet stuff! My daughter doesn't like the two drops at DL but I explained to her that at WDW there's only one so she's going on.

 

[ethibaul]

We got back on Saturday from our visit - I'd made a note to check this out. We sat in the last row of the boat, I loaded in first, then our 3 year old son, then my SIL, then my husband. We did not list to one side or another but from previous runs, the boat floor was wet, not just damp. The drop in the ride def made a splash, but in the back row we only got misted. I would suggest sitting back here and making note of the rider size for the other rows, and balancing your group accordingly, to avoid getting wet.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Thanks for the feedback, and welcome to the dis, ethibaul.

 

[Disneychick75]

Thanks for this thread, Dan! We're going to Disney World in May with our 7 month old grandson. I know now to sit in the back center so he won't get wet. I will also keep the diaper bag on my lap.

 

[andreajanowiak]

Just like to throw this in- Mom, Dad& I say front row in a full boat in February, and I got the most wet sitting in the dead center. My shoes were soaked, as if we were outside in a downpour. The splash after the drop got both my legs and arms wet. Also- I was wearing black canvas Vans, and the water left a big discolored splotch on the back of them.

 

[carissa1970]

I got pretty wet just sitting down in the front row, before the boat even started moving. It is my son's favorite spot to sit.

 

[conniehar90]

We were there last week. I told my kids about getting wet so they asked for the front! They did not get wet at all. On our second time on, we sat in the back and were fine then as well. However, I noticed on that ride that the floor was soaked when we got in - so at one point someone got soaked in that boat!

 

[HopperFan]

Been way more dampness happening last couple years. Was there on Wed and kinda snickered that DS didn't notice all the water on the floor and we got in next to last row in boat. I made sure he was on outside, I was in middle and other son who likes to get wet on the other outside. Yup, it was a damp ride - not sure any seat was safe but the last two rows got wet. I snickered some more cause DS was shocked, then shocked again when a cannon ball off the ship shot more water on him.

 

[noahdove]

I got soaked last August so this trip I will not even take the little ones on this ride...

 

[KariLynnL]

We rode in the first row two weeks ago and we all got soaked. We got more wet riding on POTC than we did on Splash Mountain sitting in the front row. Was not impressed at all as it was at night time.

 

[limitdis]

considering that any water in theme parks makes you instant sour smelling, I don;'t like to get wet on any rides...

of course, I have no choice on splash mountain, if you want to experience that ride.

 

[redsbe]

rode PoC 3X yesterday (4/7) did not see water in any boats nor got any in the ones I was in, appears many boats were either new or refurbished

 

[jrmcvay]

I'm so glad I saw this post! PoTC is my favorite MK ride but I don't like to get wet. Not even a little. My DD would flip out if she got soaked as well.

Looks like we might have to skip it this May or wear our ponchos when we ride it with flip flops!

 

[2girlsmom]

I haven't noticed a lot of extra water in the floors but in February when we rode, we got the wettest I have ever seen on this; kinda knew it was coming, during the cannon blast section, we could literally feel the air movement and then the splash was RIGHT next to the boat, that entire side of the boat was soaked head to toe! Every other time, the blasts are times so that the splash is farther away from the boats, maybe they are adjusting this for thrill factor?

 

[dixiegirl]

When did POTC get new boats?

Around very late July - beginning of August 2013.

DH and I had heard about the new boats and the water issue prior to our trip last Oct so we were expecting to get a bit wet. We rode several times during our trip and although our boat was wet on the floor when we got in, we didn't get soaked. But - I will also say that our boats were not full either. Think as others have stated it would really depend on the weight of the whole boat and the distribution of the weight.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

We rode front row a few days ago. The new boats made it a lot different. We did get sprayed a lot more than in the old boats and my daughter, sitting in front row outer right, got quite wet. It was a surprise from the old boats. And in the pirate ship scene there is a big water cannon that sprayed the first couple right side rows pretty good and scared a child. That was a little surprising in a negative way.

I thought the ride was perfect the way it was before. No need to make it more "exciting".

I liked the back row on the old boats. They were perfect for my family of 3. Oh well.