...for anyone interested:
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MOST WELCOME NON-RIDE
ADDITION TO THE PARKS
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Captain Jack's Pirate Tutorial and the other new Live Entertainments in the Magic Kingdom. October 2006 saw the start of the Year of a Million Dreams, Disney's latest promotional effort in which they're supposedly giving away a million prizes, from pins and Mouse Ears to cruises and overnight stays in Cinderella Castle. Well, whether the prizes and the promotion turn out to be "all that" remains to be seen, but the introduction of several new live entertainments in theme parks are definitely a gift to us frequent park-goers. Captain Jack Sparrow's Pirate Tutorial, performed several times daily near the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, in particular is a fun diversion. Watching the children (and even the adults) play along as they learn how to handle a sword and hoist a sail is such fun, and the actors involved do a really great job. While I was saddened at the demise of the Sword in the Stone skit, the new Pirates show and the other new shows like Woody's Cowboy Camp and Let's Have a Ball, are a breath of fresh air.
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BEST ADDITION TO A RIDE THAT
WE DIDN'T THINK NEEDED ONE
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Hands down, this goes to the Pirates of the Caribbean makeover. I think the rehab of this beloved, almost iconic attraction was awaited with much trepidation. Would they "dumb down" our treasured buccaneers? Would they turn what has always been a cool ride into a lame-o advertisement for the Johnny Depp movies? I think it's safe to say that a huge collective sigh of relief was breathed throughout the Disney fan community when the new attraction was finally unveiled. The animatronics that were added were not only unobtrusive, they were actually impressive. Barbossa looks good, but Captain Jack Sparrow surpasses him by far. The three occurrences of this popular pirate in the old ride almost seem to belong there, as if they've always been there -- only the most ardent purist could possibly object to their addition. And the mysterious mist effect with Davy Jones at the ride's start -- one of the coolest effects since the "how do they do that?" technology that powers Turtle Talk with Crush over in Epcot. This was definitely a good change.