When Pirates of the Caribbean reopened a couple of weeks ago, the big fanfare was over the revised auction scene that saw the Redhead lose her role as lusted-after wench-to-be and become a pirate herself, overseeing the auction of villager goods. What was completely unexpected, however, was the addition of a completely new scene, in the tunnel passage between the pirate treasure rooms and the seige on the fort, where a misty screen formerly gave Davy Jones a medium to offer fair warning to passers-by.
Davy Jones is gone now, replaced by a static scene that nonetheless advances the storyline very nicely. As passengers approach, a skeletal pirate trapped in netting clutches a chest of gold. Interestingly, a jewelry-favoring octopus sits right beside him, perhaps a nod to the cephalopod pirate formerly here. As the boat turns past, the skeletal pirate magically gains his skin, becoming a live pirate right before audience eyes!
It's a clever way to transition from the dead pirates in the first half of the ride to the live pirates who occupy the bulk of the experience. After all, the ride is a bit of a time machine, starting off in present day before moving back in time to the heyday of the buccaneers. By literally transforming a skeleton into a live person, the Disney Imagineers have marked this transition in a nifty scene that also pays tribute to what used to be. And it's a pretty simple trick too, if you look closely enough. Check out the following series of photos to see more!
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| A dead pirate holds a treasure chest while an octopus looks on. |
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| The skeleton transforms into a live pirate as the boat passes! |
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| It's a snazzy effect. |
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| Look at the gold-digging cephalopod! |
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| The transformation effect is very simply achieved via a mirror that bisects the figure. |
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