FROM DISNEYLAND TO THE MOVIES AND BACK AGAIN! ‘PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN’ FEVER SPREADS BEYOND THE FILM AND ATTRACTION TO NEW INTERACTIVE DISNEYLAND ADVENTURES
(ANAHEIM, Calif. - May 22, 2007) A longtime favorite Disneyland Resort attraction is reopening May 25 with new swashbuckling adventures as Captain Jack Sparrow and his gaggle of mates take over Tom Sawyer Island and turn 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 at Pirate’s Lair on TomSawyerIsland.
“The phenomenal popularity of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has allowed our Imagineers and cast members to bring the classic Tom Sawyer Island pirate experience alive in new, entertaining and fun ways like only Disney can do,” said Ed Grier, President of Disneyland Resort. “Through Disney’s signature brand of storytelling, guests will be immersed in a pirate experience like no other and find new ways to explore an island that’s been taken over by some of the most popular characters from the Pirates franchise, including Captain Jack Sparrow himself.”
Pirates aficionados who are gamers also will find a bounty of buccaneer booty when a Disney Parks wireless initiative brings technology to life like never before. Created in partnership with Disney Interactive Studios for Disneyland and Walt Disney World, guests with a Nintendo DS™ and a copy of the Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End Nintendo DS video game will be able to download content only found in Disney Parks in Southern California and Florida.
“The Year of a Million Dreams has been all about immersing our guests in the excitement of Disneyland, and this in-park videogame content is a groundbreaking way for them to participate in the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ adventure,” said Grier.
In Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End for Nintendo DS, players take on the roles of Captain Jack Sparrow, Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner in a journey based on the events, environments and characters seen on the silver screen in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.
Developed by Amaze Entertainment and published by Disney Interactive Studios, the game is rated E 10+ for “Everyone ten and older” by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) and will be available at retailers nationwide as well as for purchase in the parks.
At Disneyland, half the fun will be discovering “hotspot” locations in New Orleans Square (hint: as every pirate knows, X marks the spot) for downloads that unlock new content such as unlimited health and “savvy” as well as fun extras and additional costumes. This special content is only available in the parks through Labor Day weekend and is accessible with a Nintendo DS.
Both Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island and the Nintendo DS in-park play opportunities are additions to the line-up of the new immersive experiences debuting in 2007 as part of the Year of a Million Dreams celebration at Disney Parks.
Pirate’s Lair on TomSawyerIsland makes its debut day and date with the release of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, the third film in the popular Disney movie franchise. 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 Disneyland’s 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 TomSawyerIsland. 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 Disney park guests as part of the “wildest crew to ever sack the Spanish Main” in the classic Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
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 TomSawyerIsland, 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 TomSawyerIsland beginning in June.
Pirate’s Lair on TomSawyerIsland joins a full lineup of immersive experiences to be found at Disneyland during the Year of a Million Dreams celebration in 2007. The Resort is celebrating its “Dreams Come True” heritage by making literally millions of dreams, large and small, come true for eligible guests. Many money-can't-buy experiences—from exclusive Dream FASTPASSES for popular Disney attractions to around-the-world vacations or a stay in the special Mickey Mouse Penthouse at the Disneyland Hotel—will be awarded at random. There are other "Dreams Come True" opportunities for guests to meet and play with Disney Princesses at Disney Princess Fantasy Faire, duel with Darth Vader at Jedi Training Academy, create mayhem with the denizens of Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, or show their school spirit by joining in the fun of the High School Musical Pep Rally at Disney’s California Adventure park. The Year of a Million Dreams continues throughout 2007 both at Disneyland Resort and at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.