Pirates of the Caribbean is a classic Disney attraction located in Adventureland at Magic Kingdom. It’s something that I rode when I was younger, visiting the parks with my family, and now my husband and I take our two kids, currently ages 5 and 3, on it as well. Between the ride and the movie franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean is pretty recognizable, so it may already be on your list for an upcoming Disney trip.
But if you’re visiting with young kids, you may wonder whether or not it’s actually a good choice for them. In this post, we’re going to answer some practical questions about the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and share our kids’ experience so parents can decide whether they should include the attraction in their own Disney day.
What Parts of Pirates of the Caribbean Might Scare Young Kids?
Overall, Pirates of the Caribbean is considered a family attraction, but there are certain parts of the ride that might be scary for young kids, especially if they’re sensitive to the dark, sudden drops, or loud noises.
The first thing to know is that this is a dark ride, and most of the scenes have very low lighting. There’s a small drop near the beginning of the ride. It’s over within a few seconds, but you’re in the dark leading up to and during the drop, so you can’t really see it coming or how far down you’re going. We let our kids know when the drop is about to happen so they can get ready, and I think that helps them feel more comfortable. You can also get splashed during the drop depending on where you’re sitting in the boat.
Pirates and skeletons are also a big part of the theming throughout the ride. I wouldn’t classify them as particularly scary, but they’re hard to miss. They’ve never seemed to bother our kids. They recognize that they’re just part of the ride, similar to seeing Halloween decorations.
After the drop, you’ll find yourself in the middle of a cannon fight between a large ship and a fort. The cannon blasts are somewhat loud, and the water effects make it look like cannonballs are landing around your boat. Occasionally, those splashes can reach the boat and get you a little wet too.
Every kid is different, and you know your little one best. In our experience, telling our kids about some of these parts ahead of time helps them feel less nervous. Watching a ride POV video can also be helpful before trying a new attraction, especially one like Pirates of the Caribbean that has a few surprises.
What Should Parents Know Before Riding Pirates of the Caribbean?
Pirates of the Caribbean is a great option for families with young kids because there is no height requirement. We’re always on the lookout for rides without a height requirement because my 3-year-old is generally too small to go on most rides that have one, so rides like this mean all four of us can enjoy it together.
The ride itself is approximately 8 minutes long. Average wait times vary, but it is a popular attraction, so we often don’t see waits lower than 15 or 20 minutes, and we’ve seen waits around 45 minutes to an hour on really busy days. During our recent visit, the posted wait time was 20 minutes, but we had a Lightning Lane, and from the time we entered the line to when we sat on the boat, it was less than 10 minutes for us.
The queue is entirely covered from the sun, although the extended queue is more open-air and can feel a little warmer. Once you get farther into the queue, you’ll start to feel the air conditioning. The line itself feels pretty long and winding, with mostly low lighting and a few pirate-themed details along the way. There’s nothing interactive for kids, though, so it can be a tricky wait if your kids don’t like standing in lines for very long, like mine.
As you approach the loading area, you’ll be guided toward a small boat with bench-style seating. Our family of four, including two adults and our two young kids, can comfortably sit together in a single row. There’s room for your bag at your feet and there are no restraints, so you may want to seat smaller kids in the middle because the water can be tempting to put their hands in as you’re riding.
After you get off the boat, you’ll walk a short distance before reaching a moving walkway that takes you toward the exit at an incline. Most people simply stand on it as it moves, but with young kids, you’ll want to make sure they watch their step getting on and off. The walkway brings you up out of the ride and into the gift shop. Our kids love looking at all the pirate-themed toys, and there’s plenty for adults to look through too. We usually take a few extra minutes to browse whenever we ride Pirates of the Caribbean.
Should You Use a Lightning Lane for Pirates of the Caribbean?
If you purchase Lightning Lane for your Magic Kingdom visit, and Pirates of the Caribbean is on your must-do list, I would recommend using it. If, on the day of your visit, you see that the park isn’t quite as busy as you expected, you could always try to swap out your Lightning Lane for a different ride. But I think in most cases, if you’re visiting with young kids, you’re going to be happy to have the ability to skip the regular standby line.
There are a couple of great places to sit and eat near Pirates of the Caribbean, so our family likes to try timing our Lightning Lane for close to lunchtime. We save time by skipping the standby line, and then right afterward, we can head to get something to eat. On our recent visit, we found the additional seating area at Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe to be perfect for our family. It’s right around the corner from Pirates and indoors with air conditioning. During our recent visit, there was plenty of available seating too.
How Do Our Kids Do on Pirates of the Caribbean?
Both of my kids have been on Pirates a few times now and seem to really enjoy it. My older son tends to get a little nervous leading up to it if we haven’t been on in a while because he remembers there’s a drop at some point. Once we’re on and he gets past the small drop, though, he remembers how much he enjoys it and will generally ask to go on more than once. He doesn’t seem to be bothered by any of the theming or other effects.
My younger son is pretty fearless when it comes to rides. So far, there doesn’t seem to be much that makes him nervous, so with him, the way we judge a ride is whether or not it holds his attention. Even though Pirates is about 8 minutes long, it doesn’t feel that long when you’re on it. You’re constantly moving from one scene to the next, and there’s so much to look at that we haven’t had any issues with this ride holding his attention.
Neither of my kids has seen the movies, so they don’t recognize the characters or really understand the storyline, but I think that’s one of the nice things about this ride. You don’t necessarily need to understand the story in order to enjoy it. Both of my kids are happy looking around, listening to the music and pointing out different things they see. My 3-year-old really likes spotting the animals throughout the ride, which may not be the main focus of a ride about pirates, but they’re some of his favorite things to point out. Both of my kids also really enjoy seeing the large pirate ship as we go by.
Would We Ride Pirates of the Caribbean Again With Our Kids?
Yes! Pirates of the Caribbean is one of those rides our whole family can enjoy together, and we try to get on it when we visit Magic Kingdom, especially if we’re able to grab a Lightning Lane. It has just enough of a thrill to make it exciting, but both of our kids still have a lot of fun on it.
One thing that has helped with our kids is giving them a little heads-up about the ride before we get on. Knowing that it’s going to be dark or that there’s a small drop coming can make those parts feel a lot less surprising. But you know your little one best, and if Pirates feels like it might be a little too much right now, there’s nothing wrong with working up to it.
You could try “it’s a small world” first if you want to see how they do on a slow-moving boat ride. It’s obviously a much brighter and more colorful experience, but it gets them used to riding in a boat. Peter Pan’s Flight could be another good one to try if being in the dark is more of the concern. Then maybe Pirates can be the next step when they’re ready for a little more adventure.