A longtime favorite Disneyland® Resort attraction has reopened with new swashbuckling adventures as Captain Jack Sparrow and his gaggle of mates have taken over Tom Sawyer Island and turned it into their own “Pirate’s Lair.” The pirates will loot and carouse as they attempt to recruit island Guests into their brotherhood of freedom and greed.
Building upon the hands-on play and exploration that have made the island a Disneyland favorite for children and adults alike since it opened more than 50 years ago, Pirate’s Lair takes its inspiration from Tom and Huck’s pirate games chronicled in Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” as well as from the Disneyland® Park famed Pirates of the Caribbean attraction and the blockbuster motion picture series.
The Pirate’s Lair experience embarks when aspiring pirates traverse the Rivers of America in Frontierland on rafts -- with island maps in hand -- and head ashore at Pirate Point where they are greeted by Captain Jack Sparrow’s warning of his presence on the isle.
Guests will soon discover that Captain Jack has joined his fellow adventurers from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies in a plan to overtake Tom Sawyer Island. William Turner has set up his blacksmith shop on Pirate Point and Elizabeth Swann has landed, as evidenced by her framed portrait, signed love letters and diary.
Quarrelsome pirates Pintel and Ragetti also have staked their claim. Appearing as special effects in the form of a pop-up head and a spooky skeletal arm, the pair attempts to frighten off would-be treasure-snatchers and other plunderers.
Cavern explorers in Dead Man’s Grotto will encounter ghostly apparitions, buried treasure and mysterious voices, as well as discover an ornate chest that holds the heart of the villainous Davy Jones. Brave souls seeking to claim the cherished chest will be shocked to feel the thump of his beating heart and hear the strains of his ghostly voice.
In a watery inlet alongside a ramshackle barrel bridge in Smuggler’s Cove, treasure seekers might spot a sunken ship. A closer look discovers a chest that can only be revealed by operating a hoist to lift it from its underwater nest.
Unwitting Guests roaming the island may stumble upon a rather intimidating suspended bone cage, similar to the one depicted in “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.” However, this seemingly unfortunate situation could lend itself as the perfect opportunity to pose for photos as trapped prisoners of the cannibal tribe that menaced Captain Jack.
Down another path, Guests may meet up with roving pirates seeking new recruits to take the Pirate Oath, as well as The Bootstrappers, a fun-loving band of rogues who are always looking high and low for sing-a-long participants.
Guests also should keep a keen lookout for pirates at other island landmarks like Tom & Huck’s Treehouse and Castle Rock, where -- as legend has it -- marauders have stashed their hoard of loot.
Captain Jack and several sly, cunning pirates take to the swords in “Jack Sparrow’s Swashbuckling Adventure,” an interactive and high-energy live performance. During the show, Captain Jack tricks a fellow pirate into helping him retrieve a map from the Casque of the Unknown that leads to the ultimate buried treasure. A brawl ensues and the pirates engage in swordplay, acrobatics and a cannon battle in their quest for the revered map. The performance runs several times daily on the island.
The crafty Captain Jack Sparrow, his ruthless and cunning nemesis Barbossa, and Davy Jones, the legendary ruler of the ocean depths, continue to entertain Guests as part of the “wildest crew to ever sack the Spanish Main” in the classic Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland Park (which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year) and the Walt Disney World® Resort.
Tom Sawyer Island opened in June 1956. It claims the distinction of being the only attraction personally designed by Walt Disney.
Along with the arrival of Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, summer 2007 will mark the return of FANTASMIC! This dazzling adventure inside Mickey Mouse’s magical imagination is an extravaganza of characters, light and special effects. It will be performed on the Rivers of America around Tom Sawyer Island beginning this month.
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Pirate Adventures
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Adventurous scallywags between four and 10 years old can sail the high seas and pillage....
plunder and pilfer their hearts out (or go on a quest for Mardi Gras fun) during special programs
that set sail from four different Walt Disney World Resort Hotels.
Here's what's offered for the booty- seeking adventures:
The Pirate Adventure at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa -
offered Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays form 9:30 - 11:30 am.
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