Pirates of the Caribbean

[goofyernmost]

Beginning is the scariest part in terms of visual, darkness, creepy music. When it's dark you will drop off down something no where near Splash Mountain (you are in big boat with no restraints) but I think the fear kicks in with the unknown. Because it's dark you don't know how far it will go, let him know it's not far. Then you land in "open sea" area with pirate ship and cannon explosions and sometimes splashes. Some of these blasts can get folks on right side wet as well. All about timing.

Yes you absolutely may get wet, there is even a sign out front that says so, it seems to be just random who it gets. We have gotten in boats with standing water on floor and wet seats. We have gotten off with shirts and shorts wet. Nothing soaking like Splash Mountain but enough someone would notice we are wet. Take a baggie if he truly is concerned or put it away.

Disney doesn't post signs lightly, be forewarned.

It is always possible on a water ride, however, I have ridden that ride, sometimes repeatedly, for 35 years and have never gotten wet even once. My advice is to just not ride in the front row.

 

[GPC0321]

Thank you all for the input!

DH has said he may just watch some people get off the ride and see if they look wet. Honestly, I'm ready to ride without him regardless - he sits out our multiple trips on Soarin' every trip, so if he's worried, he can wait behind!

DS is 15, but he is autistic and has a lot of anxiety, so I try to prepare him really well, and also make sure he truly wants to ride something rather than feel like I'm pushing him into it, otherwise he may decide next time that he doesn't trust ANY rides. He seems a little anxious about going through the "fog" at the start, but when I told him it was just fog, he seemed fine. I think we will chance it!!

Rode Pirates last April and were mid boat. Floor and seats were bone dry and I got about three drops of water on my arm during the "drop".
It's a fun ride. I bet your DS will love it. Maybe let him watch several POV videos of the ride between now and then so he's very familiar with it, and that will both give him confidence about it and get him kind of pumped up about experiencing it in real life.

 

[kellyarms20]

It is always possible on a water ride, however, I have ridden that ride, sometimes repeatedly, for 35 years and have never gotten wet even once. My advice is to just not ride in the front row.

I agree. Just don't sit in the front row. That's the only place I've ever gotten wet on Pirates. My shoes got soaked in the front row.

 

[Ladyfish77]

I don't remember my boys ever being scared on the ride. But my DH also made a big deal every time we rode about the scary dog scene at the end of the ride. So the boys were anticipating that scene, and of course when they got to it, it is not scary at all! So maybe that made it less scary for them at the beginning? Still our favorite joke when we ride!

 

[scrapquitler]

Thank you all for the input!

DH has said he may just watch some people get off the ride and see if they look wet. Honestly, I'm ready to ride without him regardless - he sits out our multiple trips on Soarin' every trip, so if he's worried, he can wait behind!

DS is 15, but he is autistic and has a lot of anxiety, so I try to prepare him really well, and also make sure he truly wants to ride something rather than feel like I'm pushing him into it, otherwise he may decide next time that he doesn't trust ANY rides. He seems a little anxious about going through the "fog" at the start, but when I told him it was just fog, he seemed fine. I think we will chance it!!

The fog screen doesn't always work. When we were there late march/early April we rode Pirates 5 times, and the fog screen was working only one of the times.

 

[HopperFan]

It is always possible on a water ride, however, I have ridden that ride, sometimes repeatedly, for 35 years and have never gotten wet even once. My advice is to just not ride in the front row.

And I have been riding on it for 44 years.
Many times each year as it's a favorite.

When they did the last major rehab, it changed.
It's been discussed often by folks who got wet.

I responded because a PP poster said front to back, you will not get wet.
Disney has posted a sign out front that you may get wet.

Yes, I have been on it and gotten off dry.
Yes, I have been on it and gotten off wet.
And while the front row may be the worse.
I've gotten wet further back as well.

I'm not going to tell someone you will stay dry, no worries....
When there is a chance they might get wet.

 

[goofyernmost]

And I have been riding on it for 44 years.
Many times each year as it's a favorite.

When they did the last major rehab, it changed.
It's been discussed often by folks who got wet.

I responded because a PP poster said front to back, you will not get wet.
Disney has posted a sign out front that you may get wet.

Yes, I have been on it and gotten off dry.
Yes, I have been on it and gotten off wet.
And while the front row may be the worse.
I've gotten wet further back as well.

I'm not going to tell someone you will stay dry, no worries....
When there is a chance they might get wet.

I believe that is what I said. I wouldn't have suggested using the front row because that is the most likely location for getting wet. I have sat everywhere else over the years, from second row to back and have never gotten wet so I will stand on the idea that it is far less likely the further back you go. The first sentence, however, pretty much sums it up. It's a water ride and that means that getting wet is completely possible. Location may not prevent that, but, the odds are that the degree of exposure lessens with distance from the front.