"Pirates of the Caribbean" was not the product of a single, grand inspiration but of a long-term creative evolution.

In the late 1950s, Walt Disney asked Imagineers to develop ideas for an attraction based on pirates. First envisioned as a wax museum, it was later conceived as a walk-through attraction and, beginning in late 1963, as a boat ride. Like so many Disney dreams of the time, the concepts for Pirates of the Caribbean exceeded the technology available to create them.

Work stopped on the show as the Imagineers focused their energies on four landmark attractions for the 1964-65 New York World's Fair. With their successes at the Fair, Imagineers were now armed with the new Audio-Animatronics® system, the skills to create life-like human and animal figures, special effects, and an array of new show technologies. Combined, these made possible the creation of the grandest and most spectacular theme park attraction the world had ever seen - Pirates of the Caribbean.

"FROM SKETCHPAD TO REALITY"

At Walt Disney Imagineering, a story is explored and interpreted through many talents. The drawings of Imagineering's artists serve as a visual guidepost for the creation of the entire attraction and are used by other Imagineers in a complex collaborative effort. These drawings become the basis for storyboards, ride layouts, scale models, special effects development, sculptural maquettes, costuming, lighting, and show set design, and even inspire the music and dialog.

When Pirates of the Caribbean opened, it was the most ambitious and technically advanced attraction ever attempted. It integrated foreground action with rich background environments and used emerging technologies as a means to achieve a creative vision, placing Guests in the middle of a three-dimensional story.

It was the last attraction personally supervised by Walt Disney and remains the quintessential Disneyland show. And it all began with the artists' visions, as showcased in this room.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN

The Movie

After more than 35 years of captivating Guests in Disney theme parks, the swashbuckling "Pirates of the Caribbean" will leap onto the big screen in July 2003. This new pirate adventure weaves familiar elements from the attraction into an action-packed tale that includes thrilling pirate battles, a young woman's rescue, and a search for hidden treasure.

Johnny Depp stars as Captain Jack Sparrow, Orlando Bloom as Will Turner, Geoffrey Rush as the evil Captain Barbossa, and Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann, the governor's daughter. Gore Verbinski directs the film, with Jerry Bruckheimer producing.

The settings, moods, action, and characters were first seen in a series of artists' renderings, which helped shape the creative vision for this film. We invite you to preview this new motion picture as seen through the eyes of the artists.