*IT SAVED DISNEYLAND*: Pirates of the Caribbean

Pirates of the Caribbean literally saved Disneyland -that's what Alice Davis said of the last project Walt Disney himself had a hand in developing for his Anaheim park in California. Learn the tale of this swashbuckling adventure!
#disneyland #piratesofthecaribbean #themepark
RIDE FOOTAGE provided by ‪@LMGVids‬
• [4K] Pirates of the Ca...
MUSIC CREDIT:
"Call to Adventure" by ‪@ScottBuckley‬
• 'Call To Adventure' [C...
"Enchanted" by ‪@KeysofMoonMusic‬
• Enchanted - Emotional ...
"Way to Dream" by @KeysofMoonMusic
• Way to Dream - Inspiri...
"White Petals" by Keys of Moon
• White Petals - Romanti...
"Stars In Her Skies" by Scott Buckley
• Scott Buckley - 'Stars...
"Startup" by ‪@alexproductionsnocopyright‬
• Minimal Technology Cor...
"The Climb" by Scott Buckley
• 'The Climb' [Inspirati...
"Omega" by Scott Buckley
• 'Omega' [Emotional Hyb...
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I plan to sail to the UK to film dozens upon dozens of historic places for this channel, if you would like to learn more about it, or help support the effort, visit the link below!
GoFundMe: gofund.me/0598f205
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KZbin Membership: Become a member of my KZbin channel to receive exclusive perks like your name in the credits, early access to new videos, and so on. Learn more here: / @alexthehistorian
DISCLAIMER: I am not a University-educated historian, Alex the Historian was a nickname I got while working at Disneyland as a tour guide. After 7 years of using it as a stage name for my channel, it would be detrimental to the channel to suddenly change the name.

[@Eric_Ramirez_Gaming_101]

To me, Pirates of the Caribbean is a perfect theme park ride. It's made by people who know how to design both historical and personalized characters and sets. It has a rough beginning, but I see that as a fact it was one of the first rides of it's kind being made. It was made by artists who knew how to tell a story in a way that was exciting, interesting, and fun. Every time I go on Pirates, I can't help but enjoy it even though I know what's gonna happen each time, but I don't care, because it's plain fun. And I'm really happy that it's a ride that Walt himself was able to put together with the other guys that knew how to make his ideas a reality. Walt and his team certainly did their job and created a ride that has remained a key piece of Disneyland for over 50 years. 😊

[@jetsons101]

I still remember my first time on Pirates, my mom took my friend and myself to Disneyland within a few weeks of the opening. Now I take my grandson to Disneyland, "well and Knott's also," and still have fun just like when I was a little kid.... Thank Walt.

[@AlextheHistorian]

It's definitely one of those rides that never gets old, I could re-ride it over and over again and never tire of it!

[@jetsons101]

@@AlextheHistorian Pirates and Haunted two of the best dark rides ever....... We still make it to Disneyland about 7 times a year.

[@chrishintz1077]

I think that would make Walt (who did not live to see poc completed) smile. Thanks for sharing.

[@jetsons101]

@@chrishintz1077 Walt may be gone but his sprit will always be somewhere moving around at Disneyland.

[@zeroconsequences]

Thanks Walt and Walt(er Knott).

[@zach1810]

Having ridden three different Pirates of the Caribbean rides, California, Florida, and Paris. My favorite is still and will always be the original with the original redhead.

[@TheIndyMaestro]

I hated when you had to remove your original Pirates video, and the others you had to take down, so I am absolutely thrilled to see this one now!

[@chrisclapper9828]

You did a great job on this project, you should be proud. Good for you, but importantly, good for us who watched.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you very much!

[@Nightfall69]

Thanks Alex. Another informative and entertaining video. This is one of my favorite rides in the park.

[@aseainfo]

What a great video for hands down the best theme park ride ever created. When you mentioned the part about Marc Davis talking about the the last time he saw Walt, it created a little frog in my throat. It's clear that Walt loved his staff and they loved him. Just another reason out of MANY why Walt is my hero.

[@swedeis]

Brilliant work. Thank you. Missed your Disneyland Videos.

[@adenunzio2000]

I think I found your channel because of Disney stuff, maybe trains. I really enjoyed this. I think my second favorite is the monorail video. So much good stuff. Thanks

[@ricklord7144]

Well done! As a 7th grader and living in Southern California when Pirates opened, I was a frequent visitor to the park. Fascinated with the building process, I wish there were more construction pics of this awesome attraction! This is a video I am saving to my Disney playlist! Thumbs up #129

[@RapidTransit1941]

Alex I really enjoy you channel and who you are as a person; if only I had a lot of money I would complete your go fund me in full so you can sail both ways to England. I really mean it. Please don't stop making films and I know your channel will become stronger and stronger.

[@AlextheHistorian]

That's so nice of you to say. I hope that I can get my channel back on track, I want to save up for that trip, but it seems for the last 6 months, the stuff I've been making is really hit or miss. But I'm going to keep trying.

[@waxifari5528]

One of the highlights/surprises of Tokyo was seeing so many OG attractions in their original (as written) glory and in absolutely pristine condition - pirates in particular. Yes, "Red" is still for sale lol in Japan. And for 45 USD single day ticket price - FML lol

[@SAOS451316]

The engineers at the Disney parks sure do fine work. This ride may be old but it's still very popular.

[@lindasolis9909]

Love the video. The history is so interesting, and your narration is great! Thanks so much for covering my favorite ride, I learned some new things! 😊

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thanks Linda!

[@michaelgulick8166]

There are *so* many videos on KZbin about The Haunted Mansion (and rightly so), but there are surprisingly few on the history of Pirates. Thank you so much for this!

[@stevenchatelain2732]

Great video, Alex!! Thanks for the memories.

[@scottfwalter]

You have a gift for crafting compelling documentaries. Can't wait for the next one!

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you!

[@ericgerds3980]

Outstanding job.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you!

[@jeffnew1213]

Fond memories of the French Quarter, Pirates, and Club 33.

[@user-cn6de7xe2o]

Thank you so much, Alex! Pirates is my favorite ride. Great job with the history! 🥰

[@TheParkLark]

Excellent docu-video Alex! Your narration is the star of the video. Disney fandom are people obsessed with escaping reality. But video like yours brings realism to the face of Disney Parks, and the people who built the shows. Nice work as always!

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you very much!

[@josephpiskac2781]

Alex great great job! My family was there near the opening of Pirates of the Caribbean. I think it was confusing though we were all taken by the huge ship bombardment scene.

[@mike.4277]

Very nice video 💯

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thanks!

[@katl6218]

One of my favorite rides! I love the old park and can't seem to get used to California Adventure.

[@dopenerd]

My Mom absolutely loved this ride. It definitely has a special place in my heart too. Thanks for bringing back the memories.

[@tufab3494]

I was anxiously waiting for this video. Theme Park related videos, specially about Disney, are always a great time watching. Greetings from a brazilian fan!

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@joshnowack]

@Alex - it has been a very long time since you’ve released Disney content. Your videos are always super insightful, extraordinarily well done, and even for a local who’s been to the park 1000+ times, I always learn something new. Thank you so much for this wonderful new video.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

[@ekaterinalott910]

Great history dive!

[@ronaldmiller2740]

GREAT VIDEO!! ALEX ,, WOW!! MY SON MAX 8 YR.S OLD LOVES THIS RIDE HE SAID AT FIRST IT WAS SPOOKY !!! BUT THE FAMILY ENJOYS THE RIDE AND OTHER RIDES THAT WALT GAVE ALL PEOPLE TO SEE AND ENJOY WITH PLEASURE ,,.. SUCH A BITTER SWEET ,,WALT WAS SUCH AN INVENTOR AND GAVE US ALL A GREAT TIME TO HAVE IN OUR LIVES ,,.. G d , BLESS WALT R.I.P. AMEN...

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you Ronald! I hope Max enjoyed the video.

[@3drage]

This is the best video about Pirates that I've seen. This ride continues to be my favorite at the park, especially as other favorites have been removed and shut down through the years.

[@crazychicktwo]

I visited the park in '79 for one day. The Pirates movie gave me all the nostalgia feels. When I bought the VHS movie, we put the kids in a cardboard box on the bed and they pretended to do the ride over & over. I took the family to the park because of Pirates. We went once every 1.5 years. Now I work in a seniors home and we are having a Pirates Day on June 24th!

[@adammm1838]

I could listen to you talk about Disneyland all day

[@brigittem2821]

Pirates of the Caribbean is one of my favorite attractions at Disneyland. It truly is one of the finest gold standard rides for guest immersion. Also, if I may venture to say, Pirates of the Caribbean is pretty much the only Disney theme park ride to successfully establish a movie franchise while others have failed to attract public interest. Anyway, those are my thoughts and thanks Alex for taking the time and effort in detailing the exciting journey of this fabled attraction. Cheers!

[@notmyrealname6150]

11:13 You ruined the illusion of the redhead for me. 😁

[@pedenharley6266]

Great job, Alex! I’ve only been to the version in Florida, but once again you’ve made me want to get to California to see the original. Many thanks!

[@peterdibble]

Excellent work!

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thanks Peter!

[@smartcookie326]

I went to Disneyland in 1974 when I was 5. I don’t remember much about the park, but I sure remember Pirates of the Caribbean! I was scared, but by the end I loved it. I do also remember a guy up in a tree with a rhinoceros trying to poke him in the butt (Jungle Cruise?) and the burning settlers cabin in Frontierland. Oh, and the Country Bear Jamboree!

[@illustrebuenavista5693]

WOW. Such a huge amount of research involved. Beautiful, clear pictures and video. Very clear well paced narration. Thank you. Very enjoyable, educational.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you!

[@trainsignal123]

Great Job- Love watching your historical videos and the DEPTH of the history which is so special. Thank You!

[@AlextheHistorian]

My pleasure!

[@MikeBramm]

Another awesome history video, Alex. I really enjoy the ones about Disneyland.

[@verite]

The writing and filmmaking on this is exceptional. Amazing work on this documentary!

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you!

[@ericnelson8422]

Outstanding Alex! Your attraction history's are, by far, the best! Thank you so much!!

[@NorseNerdleMeister]

Great job Alex, great to learn about lesser-known history and facts about this legendary ride!

[@zeroconsequences]

That's hilarious - I didn't know Wally Boag was the pirate captain during the opening celebration. What a legend! For anyone interested in the Golden Horseshoe, Wally and Betty Taylor's story is such a good one.

[@keouine]

Bravo. Folks say DL is too crowded but a couple years ago I rope dropped and was the only one about to get into a boat. I let it pass empty bc I thought it would be too creepy to ride alone. A second later more people showed up. I kind of regret not riding alone. I recall as a kid during Nixon admin that there were a lot more fireflies.

[@laurielaurie8280]

Great narration Alex 😊Looks like a fun ride.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you!

[@PleeseCallMeDan]

This was fun to watch. Thanks for the video!

[@ajoswick84]

This was very informative and well done!

[@sarahpalms5258]

My favorite ride!!

[@jeffreycharles5035]

So happy to see a Disneyland video! Is this one of the ones you had already made or brand new?

[@AlextheHistorian]

I had already made a Pirates video twice before, but this one was entirely re-written and re-done, so it's not the same.

[@gibsonaloha]

This timeless wonderful attraction is the true example of the creative genius of Walt Disney , & should never be altered or changed!

[@MsDisneylandlover]

The 1st drop i cant do lol N i am glad u r back with your Disneyland stuff. Please do some of the ghost story lol #DisneyDiva ❤

[@TrainerCTZ]

The Big Brother steps in to finish the legacy. Great form Mr. Roy Disney.

[@carlottasherwood1560]

Here is an interesting piece of trivia for you Alex. There is a scene in your video of people in a mock up of the auction scene. You can see people walking where the channel is. Well if you look in the upper right of the picture you can see a gas heater over the goat. That heater is made in Mercer Pa, about fifteen minutes from my house. The heater is a Reznor heater, and the owner of the company is a man named George Reznor. His great nephew is Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Hey that's pretty neat! Thanks for the info!

[@Caterpillarjon]

Soooooooooooooooo glad you started making Disneyland videos again

[@MsDisneylandlover]

Rip Walt D ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@MsDisneylandlover]

That Walt Disney part of story was sad..

[@paulineamakres7286]

THIS IS WHY KZbin WAS INVENTED.... JUST FOR THIS..... THANK YOU WALT THANK YOU ROY THANK YOU ALEX

[@chrismetzger8875]

Don’t tell him, Carlos don’t be chicken.

[@pecktox]

I was a grown man when I finally got to see pirates, which inspired me to make my own Halloween display.. thanks Lois..! Peck

[@MsDisneylandlover]

I missed the old Red hair 😢❤

[@trevorthesorcerer]

It’s sad that Disney removing all the jokes from their rides, I guess they’re not intelligent as Walt and his nine old men.

[@WhiteDragon689]

If they ever change the ride too much of get rid of it, Disney is done for. I remember when they changed the animatronics because feminists were angry that the pirates were chasing the women of the town. I even saw Captain Sparrow here and there but that did not take anything away.

[@jetsons101]

Alex, the "Drunken Pirate With The Hairy Leg" on the bridge at 9:19 has been missing the last 4 or 5 times we have been at Disneyland. Is he being fix or removed from the ride altogether???

[@AlextheHistorian]

While I dont know about this specific case, I doubt he's being removed. They would have to have a very very good reason. Most likely he's been at the repair shop for a long time. Disney got rid of most of its repair shops when they built Galaxys Edge, so now whenever they need something fixed it gets sent to Burbank and waits a long time.

[@jetsons101]

@@AlextheHistorian Never knew that, thanks........

[@MsDisneylandlover]

I just had my 40th birthday at Disneyland from March 26th to Apirl 4th. My birthday was March 31st. And i got to meet Tiana. So kool although it rain 4 two days smh. But it was still kool ❤ .

[@AlextheHistorian]

Happy belated birthday! Tiana is my favorite, her story combines everything I like: good Louisiana food, New Orleans, and a touch of magic!

[@toddhensley880]

I do wish they would upgrade the scene where the women are chasing the pirates so it looked more like they are running instead of just spinning around on a giant turntable. Same with the ballroom dancing in the Haunted Mansion.

[@PURPLE_HAZE.de.]

13:56 rip Legend!

[@Mrgop]

My favorite attraction along with the Haunted Mansion. Especially on a hot day!

[@alexchanclas]

Great work, love your voice

[@AlextheHistorian]

Thank you!

[@MsDisneylandlover]

I love me some Tiana.

[@50rocket82]

Hey Alex this is a wild question/ request…. Do you or would you or have you be able to be hired to be our Disneyland tour guid for the day?

[@playwithmeinsecondlife6129]

I have been twice. I wish the lighting was better, I saw more through my camera than with the naked eye. The Haunted Mansion is the same way. I stumbled getting on and off both rides.

[@AlextheHistorian]

Oh really? I feel the opposite, I feel like they are both too bright, you can see the ceiling tiles in the Haunted Mansion graveyard, and the ceiling vents on Pirates.

[@playwithmeinsecondlife6129]

@@AlextheHistorian I am elderly. Are you young?

[@AlextheHistorian]

Yeah I'm in my early 30s

[@playwithmeinsecondlife6129]

@@AlextheHistorian Yes that is the difference. My night vision has deteriorated in the past 30 years.

[@Bobbybillybillbob]

I do wonder, what happens to some of the old animatronics that are still in good condition. It blows my mind that Disney doesn't come up with some kind of a museum of old animatronics, ride treasures etc Example, Splash Mountain, Thise Animatronics are not being reused, so bring some of them into a Disney Museum! Random artifacts like the Splash Mountain que line posters or the Tower of Terror props.

[@AlextheHistorian]

They do save a great deal of stuff, it's called "Disney Archives" and in fact they loan out some of their artifacts to various exhibits and museums across the country. But they cannot save everything.

[@Bobbybillybillbob]

@AlextheHistorian wait really! Pardon my ignorance, that's super cool! Do you have a video on that?

[@AlextheHistorian]

I don't have a video about Disney Archives, but I met it's founder, Dave Smith. Walt's older Brother, Roy, knew that Walt's death and his legacy were very important to the history of the company. He realized that a system of preservation must be created. Roy hired Dave Smith, a former librarian, to document and catalogue Walts office. The goal was to document it to such a high degree that if it were ever emptied out, the items could be put back into place precisely where Walt had them. Roy was so impressed with Dave's efforts, that he helped him found the Walt Disney Archives, and to this day they catalogue everything the company ever does. If it's a ride, they will determine what the most important things to save are, and then carefully box and crate them up for permanent storage in a climate controlled facility. I was a young man, and asked Dave if I could come work for him even though I had little experience. He said "You're 40 years too late kid, back then we took in whoever wanted to be an archivist based on their skills, but today you have to have all manner of college degrees and education, and also prior experience as an archivist." He died in 2019. He was such a nice guy, and very knowledgeable about the company's history.

[@Bobbybillybillbob]

@@AlextheHistorian Thank you SOOO much for sharing this!

[@oliversherman2414]

BUT WHY IS THE RUM GONE?!

[@koreeee4135]

Parsnip

[@oliversherman2414]

@@koreeee4135 lol

[@Traveller2036]

👍

[@MsDisneylandlover]

Can you please do Mansion next that is my favorite ride.

[@AlextheHistorian]

I already did a 2-part series on Haunted Mansion: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n2rFm4GsoqabibMsi=_4lU0SqloiVzaJa0

[@MsDisneylandlover]

@@AlextheHistorian i will click on it next I love mansion I was so sad when it was so close during my bday vacation smh..

[@queeg6473]

I like the fact they had to change the boats as guests had become heavier. You mean fatter......

[@TankCop]

You said in a post to me not long ago you were done making Disneyland related videos. What changed?

[@AlextheHistorian]

I didn't want to do it. I felt strong-armed into doing it.

[@pecktox]

We wants the redhead... Pex

[@mikeveis6393]

Blue Bayou, like the song by Linda Ronstadt. (1977)

[@AlextheHistorian]

Maybe she named it after the ride, because Pirates of the Caribbean opened a decade before she released her song.

[@bunniesbunniesbunnie]

Jean Lafitte (somewhere, Offhand Disney twitches)

[@AlextheHistorian]

Dallin had agreed to do a cameo in this video but ultimately I decided not to. It would have been funny though.

[@toddhensley880]

LOL he was immediately who I thought of when you mentioned JL.

[@5capsfilms152]

Is it true thay walt Disney had his body frozen in the park to be revived again someone on you said that

[@AlextheHistorian]

Lol no it's not true, he was cremated and his ashes were buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in LA.

[@toddhensley880]

It’s not true, but it should be. The legend of Walt’s frozen head. 🥶

[@jeffdonoho2448]

Didn't Mel Blanc and June Foray do voices as well? Carlos(being dunked) and the woman in the window with shutters. Also, as to changes to the ride. I really wish they had rethemed the auction scene completely, to something else entirely....as in no auction at all. Later, I understand that they changed it so the Pirates were chasing the women for the food they were carrying. But, if it's not okay to have Pirates chasing women, why is it okay for the overweight gal to to be chasing the pirate for the food?

[@AlextheHistorian]

To the best of my knowledge, no Mel Blanc and June Foray didn't do voices for the ride. They would have been contracted actors for Warner Bros, and back then, when a studio found actors they liked, they made sure they only worked for that one and only studio. The fat woman has always chased the pirate with a plate of food, the changes were to the other chasers. Originally the scene featured pirates chasing the women to presumably have their way with them, but to try to hint to the audience that it was all in good fun, they featured the fay woman chasing the pirate. To take "sex" out of the narrative all manner of reasons for the chase have been implemented, including changing it so the other women were chasing pirates because they were stealing things. But the fat woman has always chased the pirate for one reason or another.

[@jeffdonoho2448]

@@AlextheHistorian I know the fat woman always chased him, but since they were taking sex out of the ride(because of PC), why leave the fat woman chasing for food?

[@jeffdonoho2448]

@@AlextheHistorian it looks like she voiced the woman somewhere around the year 2000? Ginny Tyler was the original voice, and June did the voice after Ginny died. But, it looks like it was Paul Frees for Carlos.

[@AlextheHistorian]

@jeffdonoho2448 that doesn't sound right. The voice of the woman in the window hasn't changed. It's still the same recording from 1966.

[@jeffdonoho2448]

@@AlextheHistorian I found it in a few places online...granted one being a Pirate's wiki.

[@brave_jedi9437]

Honestly, I hated that they changed the auction scene because it wasn’t “politically correct”. They should realize that this actually happened back then. Doing stuff like this would be like changing history, in a way. I could be wrong, but. That’s just my opinion

[@toddhensley880]

It’s a family ride, not a documentary.

[@brave_jedi9437]

@@toddhensley880 I know that. But still

[@brandonthailand2062]

I dont like PC pirates. Tokyo version now the best.

[@paiddj3397]

I refuse to ride it now. The original was the best show I've ever seen. Our children can't handle anything so now days we must be super careful how and what we say for fear that someone will be offended.

[@toddhensley880]

Times change, and things that seemed funny to previous generations is cringey later. I think it’s a hoot that the women are now chasing the pirates!

[@MrLittle1904]

Change is always constant in life, nothing stays the same

[@stanfordite1]

@@MrLittle1904 Change is not constant in my family's life and we have never changed.

[@stanfordite1]

Pirates will be restored to its original by its 75th in 2042 or earlier. Pirates will be made great again.

[@MrLittle1904]

@@stanfordite1 do your family members ever pass away, do they ever bring in a new life(baby), do you guys ever age? Have you ever moved to a new house or graduated school? That’s change

[@garyhenderson5256]

A WOMAN PIRATE? UM....NO

[@AlextheHistorian]

Why?

[@garyhenderson5256]

@@AlextheHistorian because history shows that there were not very many women Pirates if any at all

[@AlextheHistorian]

@garyhenderson5256 True, there weren't many, but there were women pirates, and they made a name for themselves with notable battles and other situations.