The park is huge and amazing. We’ve already visited several areas of the park and we continue to be surprised and awed by the size and abundance of this fantastic park. Yet just at the edge of our vision and consciousness is the enormous Pirate ship.

We’ve seen posters of this old sailing ship at the entrance gate and more information about it in the park brochure. It seems to be some type of multi-media show on the history of pirates around the world. OK, that sounds entertaining, but what really got our attention was a group of teenagers loudly exclaiming how thrilling the “ride” is. You and I exchange looks and wonder how any history show could elicit such praise from a group of teens. We ask them what they found so interesting about this show, but they just get real quiet and tell us to go see it for ourselves.

Unable to resist a mystery, we start walking towards the massive Pirate ship in the distance.

We study the old ship as we walk towards it. The park brochure invites us to a meal and multi-media show hosted by Professor Soliloquy, the world’s foremost authority on pirates in history. The description also explains that while we feast on pirate delicacies from the past, Professor Soliloquy will lecture on both the history of pirates and the many ghost stories and legends of Pirate mythology.

Hmm, sounds fairly interesting to us grown-ups but hardly the thrill ride the teenagers were gushing about.

Approaching the mammoth ship we notice dust and cobwebs hanging from the huge sign over the entrance ramp leading to the center of the ship. Also, a bit spooky is the persistent sound of waves, creaking timbers and wind coming from the interior of the ship. Attendants in sailing gear urge us and other new arrivals to hurry in before the next show begins.

Once inside, our eyes take a moment to adjust to the dark and damp interior of the old ship. We follow others through timber halls into a long and narrow room with hundreds of oak chairs on both sides of two long ornate dining tables. The lines of this huge room curve up and away from us following the contours of the ship. At one end of this room is a small stage with a lectern set up. All around us are walls of age-old oak covered in many places with rope, canvas, and paintings of famous pirates. These famous pirates seem to look down upon us modern mortals. Above us the timber ceilings are covered in most places with stained and torn canvas. The eerie light of the room comes from large iron chandeliers hanging every few meters.

The attendants direct us to take a seat at one of the tables. We keep glancing over the astounding amount of items that cover the table from end to end. Among the ornate gold goblets, utensils, candlesticks, dishes are pirate paraphernalia such as swords, treasure, hats, and blunderbusses. Then every few meters are centerpieces with exotic colorful flowers, fruit, large copper soup bowls and a huge serving dish containing either a giant crab or a lobster.

You decide to touch one of the crabs. However, you pull back in amazement when the crab moves its legs as if it’s ready to run away. All of the crabs and lobsters are now moving every few seconds (1). Then we both notice that the water in the large soup bowl is moving with life too (2). Thinking about our meal I really hope we’re going to eat something that’s still not moving.

As we get settled in our seats we feel the slight sway and roll of a ship at sea (3). It’s at this moment we notice the chandelier and wall paintings are also swaying in time to the sound of creaking ship timbers (4).

The attendants bring us cute little bibs with the Buccaneer’s Banquet show logo. After helping us to tie the bibs they bring us small trays of food and beverages. We sample spicy seafood dishes and numerous barbecue meat dishes, plus exotic fruits like pineapple, mango, and banana.

Suddenly a small TV monitor on the table in front of us comes to life with the cheery face of Professor Soliloquy. The Professor introduces himself and asks us to turn to see where he’s speaking from the small stage. He’s very excited and animated as he welcomes us and begins the lecture on the history of pirates around the world. Professor Soliloquy tells us to continue with our meals while he speaks. He explains the history of pirates while images of pirate history appear on the small TV screen in front of us. We’re happy to listen and watch while we munch on the countless dishes of pirate delicacies the waiters continue to bring us. The professor winds up his lecture with a segment about the pirate ghosts.

Here his voice becomes less cheerful and a little more ominous as he tells how this very ship we are on mysteriously appeared in our theme park.

Around us the sound of wind and waves become a little louder, while the air around us begins to swirl. At this moment the Professor asks, “Do we believe in ghost, especially pirate ghost?” The swaying of the ship becomes a little more pronounced (5). The canvas above us is rippled by the wind (6).

On the TV monitor the professor’s voice and face changes as he speaks in a pirate brogue, “Well Mateys, would you like to see pirates come back from the grave to once again wander the Seven Seas?” The gentle animated face of the Professor has turned into the hairy and hoary face of a pirate (7). We look towards the stage to see that where there was once a dignified professor now stands a colorful pirate captain bathed in an eerie light (8). From the stage and from the TV monitors in front of us, the pirate captain asks us in a booming voice, “So whom among you scurvy mortals will crew with us pirates as we wander the ocean for plunder?”

The sound of an ocean storm reaches a deafening crescendo, as lighting seems to dance around us (9). Looking up we see pirate skeletons flying about the canvas ceiling (10). Looking to each other in concern we’re amazed to see our colorful bibs have turned into the skull and cross bones of a pirate flag. Looking to the show attendants for help, we’re shocked to see they have also turned into glowing pirate skeletons (11).

The attendants/pirates join the captain in a pirates jig about the room while the booming storm provides the music for their impromptu dance. Up from the soup bowls and under the hats on the tables raise pirate skulls to join in on the song. Even the giant crabs and the lobsters are snapping their claws in unison with the ghostly music (12).

Our shock and fear turn to tentative laughter as the ghost pirates sing of their former lives and how the life of a pirate is the only life they want to lead. One by one the many different costumed pirates dance by our chairs to give us a playful hug (13).

The storm gets louder, and unlike the ghost, we can no longer ignore the water sprinkling down upon us (14). More water comes gushing down the sides of columns between the two tables. A few pirates get washed down the length of the room by the rising luminous waters (15). It seems even a ghost ship cannot stay afloat in the storm that surrounds us. We hear the Pirate Captain ask, “Well mateys, it looks like we’re going to see old Davie Jones locker. I’d say you land-lubbers are joining our ghost crew whether you like it or not.” With that, all the pirates join the pirate captain in his raucous laughter.

As a thick fog (16) and eerie lights appear, we seem to be in some sort of spinning vortex radiating from the Pirate Captain who has returned to his spot on the stage (17). His lectern has turned into the ships wheel, which he spins crazily (18). The vortex spins faster as he spins the ships wheel. Then we’re blinded by one last bolt of light and thunder. We feel the ship roll one last time.

Everything goes dark and we fear the worst. It’s very quiet except for some sort of strange melody mixing with the noise of the receding storm and crashing waves.

Then we can see again except everything is bathed in a shimmering light of green and blue and purple (19). Now the pirates float around us accompanied by a good many fish, squid, our table crabs and lobsters, and the occasional jellyfish (20). Air bubbles float upwards in front of us (21). Huge whales, sharks and dolphin swim slowly in circles above us (22). The floating pirates are still singing but their voices sound warbled and underwater. One pirate floats down the length of our entire table followed by an undulating barracuda. Did we really sink below the ocean? Then the ocean and storm sounds coming roaring back and the lights fade to black once again.

Then just as quickly we’re back in the original long and narrow room with the table, chairs and displays (23). The ghost pirates are gone. The attendants look like they did when we first came in. The professor looks normal again and continues to drone on about the history of pirates. It’s as if the episode with the ghost pirates never happened. The lecture is over and the lights come up. We’re a little anxious to see the outside world again. Everything has returned to normal.

Well, except maybe for a wink or two from the pirate paintings (24).

Show F/X
1. Simple animation.
2. Water jets.
3. Inflated seat cushions
4. Animated scenery and point source sound f/x.
5. Inflated seat cushions
6. Wind fans.
7. Computer morphing.
8. Costume and mask change.
9. Sparking F/X.
10. Projection on scrim.
11. Invisible UV make-up, costume change and paint.
12. Animated scenery.
13. Great opportunity for guest photos.
14. Water spatter nozzles.
15. Pressurized water, water troughs and drains hidden in scenery.
16. Fog F/X.
17. Laser patterns.
18. Set piece rising from the floor.
19. Gobo lighting.
20. Flying harnesses and props on wire from ceiling tracks.
21. Bubble machines.
22. Rear projection on scrim.
23. Scenery reset.
24. Rear projection scrim on eye area only.