Pirates of Caribbean - How wet???

[Skullcrusher]

I read a while back that Disney had installed new boats for POC and that guests were complaining about how wet they are now getting on the new boats - especially in the front rows. We have done POC many times in the past and gotten a little splash, but not drenched. We have several people in our party that do not want to get that wet, but we hate to miss one of our favorite rides - POC. Can anyone tell me if this is still the case or have they done something to fix it. Also, if please tell me your experience of sitting in the back row(s) and how wet that was compared to the front. Thanks.

We were there in November and front row. We definitely got a good soaking that we weren't prepared for. This has never happened before so I guess the new boats have a low freeboard.

 

[SweetMissy]

I had no idea, thanks for posting about this. Hubby and I go in 3 weeks and I guess we'll be sure to stay away from the front, lol.

 

[tzolkin]

When we were there for MVMCP we were going to request to not sit in the front row, but they were actually only putting one family per boat and seating them in the middle row anyway.

The seats and floor of our middle row were wet when we got in and more water did come in during the drop and the cannon splashes.

It's rather disappointing. We already avoid Kali and Splash most days because we prefer not to get wet. POTC is a family favorite, but I felt that I spent the first part of the ride worrying about getting wet and the second part annoyed that I had water in my shoes.

 

[pcstang]

When did this become a wet ride? I've been to WDW tons of times but, not in about 3 years. I've never gotten wet on POTC in all the times I've ridden. Doesn't where I sat.

 

[tzolkin]

When did this become a wet ride? I've been to WDW tons of times but, not in about 3 years. I've never gotten wet on POTC in all the times I've ridden. Doesn't where I sat.

They put in new boats recently and now it gets wet. I read about it here shortly before my last trip otherwise I would not have been expecting it.
also believe they increased the pressure on the cannon splashes, but maybe I'm just crazy?

They did change the warning signs out front to include a mention that you may get wet, but most people don't read the info for a ride they have done countless times over the last 20 years.

 

[CAS239]

I ride about once every other month and have never been closed to being soaked and have never actually seen anyone get soaked on it. I have every once in awhile been hit with a little water on my legs or lap, but not enough to care.

You might get a little wet in the front row, but unless you have terrible luck, you're not getting soaked.

I still think people are a little out there when once in awhile I see them put on a poncho like it's Kali River Rapids

 

[MNSteve]

my suggestion is if you dont want to get wet, don't ride. Family rode it in December and we were soaked. It will get you wet.

 

[Turtlesoup820]

We rode it last week, three times. Twice in the back row and once in the middle. We didn't get wet. Two of the times the cannons seemed like they were going to soak us, but didn't. The third time the cannons weren't even working. It did seem like the front row always had water sloshing in it.

 

[EnchantedFan]

It looks like there have been very mixed experiences. I'm thinking we may have to skip it. Sometimes it I better to just leave things alone. Maybe we will try talking to one of the CM and see what we find out when we are there in March.

 

[Jrits]

I got soaked in 1st row but then requested 4th row on future rides & was fine

 

[meeko987]

We were in the front row a few weeks ago. I was on the right side and my shoes and lower pants got pretty wet - not like I was submerged, but they were damp for a few hours. The backpack on the floor got wet on top and was sitting in water. Still enjoyed the ride, but I will avoid the front row from now on if I can.

 

[Disneylover99]

We were in the front row a few weeks ago. I was on the right side and my shoes and lower pants got pretty wet - not like I was submerged, but they were damp for a few hours. The backpack on the floor got wet on top and was sitting in water. Still enjoyed the ride, but I will avoid the front row from now on if I can.

I find the worst spot to get wet is the front row on the right hand side. I got a wave of water sloshed on me from the tops of my thighs to my feet when we rode during the last week of December. Thankfully, it was a warm day and I was wearing shorts and flip flops.

 

[coloredimage]

When we were there in August my best friend sat on the left edge (front row). Admittedly they had squeezed us up front with another pair of two (a mother and her grown son) so it was a pretty uncomfortable ride altogether but when we went down the little hill she got soaking wet. Added bonus was we went by one of the cannons at the right time and got our backs kind of soaked as well.

 

[SmallWorld71]

We rode on December 29th. They were using the back rows on all boats again; I specifically looked for this while we were waiting. Our party sat in the last 2 rows of our boat. I looked at the boat as it came into the loading area and there was no water inside the boat. Nobody in our boat got wet and we had primarily adults in our boat. DD11 was the smallest person in the boat.

 

[sportsfrk214]

I rode this ride on January 10. I have been on Pirates of the Caribbean at least 50 times in my life, and never have I gotten more than a few small splashes. On this day, I was seated in the front row, and thought nothing of it since I've been seated in this row comfortably many times. On the first drop, I got absolutely soaked. My sweater was wet, my jeans were soaked, and my shoes got soaked so I was walking around with soggy feet the rest of the day. I know it's a "water ride", but it is not one you are meant to get wet on. I got more wet on this than on Splash Mountain which I rode a week earlier. I hope the new refurb fixes the boats, because as a long time rider of POTC, I never in my life expected to get soaked on it.

 

[DVCcurious]

We're headed to WDW in April. After reading these comments we're going to skip Pirates. I've ridden Splash mountain a ton in every row and I've only ever gotten "soaked" once when I was in the front and we had....some larger guests... in the last two rows. But 99% of the time Splash has been nothing more than a little bit wet.

If I wanted to get wet I'd ride Kali. But I don't, and I don't. Looks like I can cross Pirates off my list, too.

 

[PACVII]

I think I was more wet from sitting in the seat then any splashing from the ride.

 

[Brian Noble]

When we were there in September, we were given the front row. We got soaked on that first drop. I was not expecting that at all. I've been on this ride so many times and never had that happen. It made for an uncomfortable day after that.

This happened to us in December as well---I hadn't really been paying attention to the boards, and had no idea that the new boats did this. It was Christmas week, so they were packing the boats relatively full. We were absolutely drenched from the thighs down, and I spent the whole ride thinking about how wet I was. I'm not sure a poncho would have helped that much---the water comes up from the front of the boat.

I haven't been on it since, and might not again until it goes under the knife later this year for its rumored uber-refurbishment unless it is a warm day and I'm wearing the right clothes (sandals, shorts, etc.) I skipped it on Marathon weekend, because I was going to the airport on my MK day.

 

[SmallWorld71]

This happened to us in December as well---I hadn't really been paying attention to the boards, and had no idea that the new boats did this. It was Christmas week, so they were packing the boats relatively full. We were absolutely drenched from the thighs down, and I spent the whole ride thinking about how wet I was. I'm not sure a poncho would have helped that much---the water comes up from the front of the boat.

I haven't been on it since, and might not again until it goes under the knife later this year for its rumored uber-refurbishment unless it is a warm day and I'm wearing the right clothes (sandals, shorts, etc.) I skipped it on Marathon weekend, because I was going to the airport on my MK day.

This whole thing is really weird and random. I posted a little further back that I was there Christmas week. The day we rode was a day that MK reached capacity and they were loading all rows of the boats. DD11 was the smallest person in our boat so the weight was there. Yet, nobody in our boat got any water on them. So bizarre.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

We rode twice in November and sat in the 2nd to last row both times and didn't get wet at all (the last rows were roped off). We are going again in March and will make sure to sit towards the back again.