Welcome to Theme Park Insider! Join the community or log in
Theme Park Insider
Facebook Twitter Pinterest YouTube

Theme park wayback machine: Original promotional cards from Pirates of the Caribbean

Written by
Published: April 26, 2012 at 9:34 AM
I want to thank Theme Park Insider reader Richard Croft, who submitted photos of these 1966 promotional cards for Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean, which were released before the ride opened. What a fun look back at one of my favorite attractions!

Card 1

Card 2

Card 3

Card 4

Card 5

Card 6

Pirates was the first ride I ever kept my mother from riding. When the ride opened in early 1967, my parents visited Disneyland to go on it. But back in those days, pregnant women were not allowed to ride, and since I was due in October of that year, well, I kept my mom from going on Pirates until my first Disneyland visit, a couple years later.

Any other old timers care to share an early memory of Pirates?

If you have some fun and interesting items of theme park memorabilia (old maps, tickets, photos, etc.), let me know and we'll feature them on Theme Park Insider's home page.

Readers' Opinions

From Eric Malone on April 26, 2012 at 9:56 AM
Don't you have to be a fan of Pirates to get an account here? ;P
From Steve Alcorn on April 26, 2012 at 10:11 AM
Thanks for reminding me of those postcards; I have a set around here somewhere, but haven't seen them in years.

The funniest Pirates memory I have is of a private night-time party for WDI in 1987 where they redecorated the entire ride as a joke, and every scene contained a copy of Randy Bright's newly published "Disneyland: Inside Story"!

From Dominick D on April 26, 2012 at 11:57 AM
Cool postcards! I have a suggestion for next week: The Orange Bird that was created for MK (he just returned last week).
From Mark Kausch on April 26, 2012 at 3:20 PM
The only funny "memory" I have of Pirates isn't really mine - although it was confirmed by Blue Bayou staff when my wife and I asked (not that I would disbelieve Mr Koenig). That was of bored waiters late at night throwing rockhard rolls trying to make them skip across the flume, when they weren't trying to hit other CM's taking the cruise.
From Randall Peek on April 27, 2012 at 1:31 AM
As a kid I remember looking through the glass windows set in the front doors of the Pirates of the Caribbean. The ride was not due to open until the next year, but the building was in place. Inside was an artist's easel with a print of several pirates huddled around a treasure map. To my pre-teen mind there was absolutely nothing cooler than pirates, so I was a wreck until I actually got to ride it the following year. The fact that I remember that event more than forty years later shows just how effective the ride and its build-up were.
From Brandon Mendoza on April 27, 2012 at 9:48 AM
WOW! I love this! They don't make beautiful cards like this that often anymore. Everything seems to be edgy these days. =(

This article has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.

Previous article: SeaWorld drops plastic shopping bags (and we use that as an excuse to offer our souvenir shopping tips)