We hit to the high-sailing seas Thursday evening for an advanced sneak of the D23 Expo 2017 and the swashbuckling exhibit called Walt Disney Archives Presents – A Pirate’s Life for Me: Disney’s Rascals, Scoundrels and Really Bad Eggs.
Ye who be brave or fool enough to enter will find hundreds of props, set pieces, photographs, and costumes celebrating the rich history of Disney pirates. Sure, Pirates of the Caribbean might be the first thing that comes to mind — both the classic attractions and the blockbuster film franchise — but there’s more to behold here. Some of most memorable marauders from the company history including Peter Pan’s Captain Hook and the salty baddies from the 1950 Treasure Island among others. You’ll be surprised how many Pirate related things they’ve dug up to put in this awesome exhibit… the DONALD DUCK GHOST PIRATE from James and the Giant Peach… whaaat???
For fans of the attractions, there’s a global showcase here from LA to Shanghai and the films are represented with original costumes worn by the star-studded cast, plus Davy Jones’ pipe organ, a 23-foot-tall set model of the Black Pearl ship, the Dead Men’s chest, and more original props and set pieces, including items from the new film, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.
Join us now as we sail across the seven seas for a sneak peek at Walt Disney Archives Presents – A Pirate’s Life for Me: Disney’s Rascals, Scoundrels and Really Bad Eggs. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to stay up-to-date all D23 Expo 2017 weekend!
Entering the Exhibit
The Barker Bird was out front of the exhibit animated and interacting with guests.
Disney Pirates
The exhibit started off with a general overview of all pirates in Disney’s history. A bunch of insights into various swashbuckling adventures including comics, coloring books, a never-made Donald Duck animated short, Treasure Island, Muppet Treasure Island, Treasure Planet, Blackbeard’s Ghost, Captain Hook (in everything from Peter Pan to Once Upon a Time to Descendants 2) and more!
Even smaller pirates references in things like the ghost pirates in James and the Giant Peach or the Kakamora in Moana got some representation here.
Pirates in the Park
Not all pirate references at Disneyland are for Pirates of the Caribbean so there’s a neat section devoted to some of the places at Disneyland to experience the pirate lifestyle including the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship Restaurant or the Jake and the Neverland Pirates section of the Disney Jr. show from Disney California Adventure.
Pirates of the Caribbean is a cherished classic and the archives have A LOT on record for not just the original attraction but also several concepts BEFORE the attraction when it was meant as a walk-through. There was even a cool piece from before 1955 in which Walt had already planned for a New Orleans area in his park.
There’s reference to all the Pirates attraction including the newest version built for Shanghai Disneyland‘s Pirates of the Caribbean attraction.
The Movies
A massive portion of the show floor was dedicated to showcasing props, costumes, maquettes, and concept art from the entire Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise.
See it for Yourself
Tickets for D23 Expo 2017 are still available for $81 for one-day adult admission and $59 for children 3–9. Members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club can purchase tickets for $72 for a one-day adult admission and $53 for children 3–9. Single-Day tickets are still available for Friday and Sunday. For more information on tickets and D23 Expo 2017, visit D23expo.com.
D23 Expo 2017 takes place at the Anaheim Convention Center from July 14-16, 2017.
