Behind The Attraction, one of the most original Disney+ series, has returned to take fans to places Guests have never seen before and hear stories first hand that have become a thing of lore. Kicking off the new season is an episode that takes us down the waterfalls of the quintessential Disney attraction Pirates of the Caribbean.
For those that missed out on the first season, Behind the Attraction pulls back the pixie-dusted curtain on attractions, resorts, and this season the food of Disney Parks. Coming from Dwayne Johnson & Dany Garcia’s Seven Bucks Productions and The Nacelle Company, and narrated by Paget Brewster (Community), this series is a love letter to every Disney fan that always wondered how the magic was made.
You’d be hard pressed to find a Disney Parks fan that doesn’t rate Pirates of the Caribbean among their favorite attractions, which is why I found it strange that this wasn’t showcased in the first season. However, they did it right by saving it for the premiere of season 2.
Holding true to the formula that made this show great (and taking us to the origins of the main focus of the episode), we take a trip back to 1950 and Walt’s first choice for a live-action film Treasure Island. Starting us off on our history lesson is Rebecca Cline from the Walt Disney Archives talking about how young Walt was a bookworm and loved the adventure stories that would later go on to inspire so many of the beloved films and of course attraction. Of course, something else happening in the 50s was Walt’s planning for Disneyland. Even though Pirates wasn’t part of the opening day lineup, they do talk about the Magnolia Park section and how that served as one of the earliest placemaking for what would eventually become New Orleans Square.
One of the true hallmarks of this series is the deep dive into the history. In this case, that means talking about the original walkthrough wax museum. That plan was scrapped when the 1964/65 New York World’s Fair became a turning point in Disney Parks history. Taking the things they learned from ‘it’s a small world’ and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, they realized they were going to need a bigger park. Well, maybe not a bigger park — but it was evident the small area set aside for the original plans were not going to work so they decided to think outside the berm. I’ll skip the full recap of the magic, pixie dust, and chickens (so much chicken talk) that went into the creation of the best Disney attraction ever made, but as a Disneyland boy I ate this up!
Once Pirates has opened at Disneyland, the other versions around the world are addressed in chronological order. From the challenges of no Pirates in Walt Disney World to the leap forward in audio-animatronics in Disneyland Paris, there hadn’t been a lot of change to the attraction — that is until Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle For The Sunken Treasure came about for Shanghai Disneyland that the game really changed.
For the new bar of Disney Parks attractions, time and care is taken to introduce the creative team and take as much time for Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle For The Sunken Treasure as was given for the original Pirates in Disneyland. Talking about the new technology and concept for this attraction really drives home the feel that this was created for fans by fans. I was lucky enough to be in Shanghai Disneyland for its opening day and as with all the parks, Pirates was the first attraction I went to and this show just makes me want to book my next trip now.
Pirates has always been one of my favorite attractions but watching this episode really changes the way I look at it and gives new appreciation to the best Disney attraction that, sadly, Walt never got to see. It really says something when a show addresses something like Pirates of the Caribbean but still in the end finds a way to tug on your heart stings.
Behind the Attraction Season 2 will debut all of its episodes on Disney+ November 1st.