[Chat] Mermaids in Louisiana - A POTC Discussion

[MANEATINGWREATH]

By this point, everyone is aware of the addition of bloodthirsty mermaids to Florida's famously downsized Pirates of the Caribbean attraction. In case you aren't aware, Florida's Haunted Grotto sequence only features three scenes found in its Disneyland superior: Blackbeard, Dead Man's Cove, the small beach littered with skeletons, and then Hurricane Lagoon, the iconic galleon being bashed by a storm and steered by a skeleton. That's it. A talking Jolly Roger and the infamous ghost monologues used to be present before and after the only drop, but have since vanished.

With the billion dollar box office receipts for Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, mermaids, unique to the fourth film have made a home in Dead Man's Cove, creating an entirely new storyline for the grotto. Rather than suggesting a treasure hunt gone awry, it now seems to imply that these pirates and their mermaid prisoner (perhaps they were searching for the Fountain of Youth?) were killed in some kind of ambush, judging by the cutlasses and weaponry jabbed into their bones, a sight remaining from the original attraction. Despite this, a living mermaid lurks beneath the surface and continues to sing, also implying that these travelers may have been killed by mermaids. Who knows what the new storyline is...nonetheless the new effect is pretty cool and was very well done. This brings us to this thread's topic...

How would you feel if mermaids were added to Disneyland's Dead Man's Cove? Keep in mind that not only is Dead Man's Cove a bit bigger here, but is also the original, and one of the only scenes untouched in the 2006 refurbishment, aside from the addition of an eerie instrumental of "Yo Ho." Would you like to hear "Jolly Sailor Bold" and pay witness to a lurking mermaid and the rotten corpse of a poor mermaid? Or would you rather see the beach untouched and original. Discuss...NOW!

[Disneymike]

Re: Mermaids in Louisiana - A POTC Discussion

I believe there have been a few topics and posts ad nauseum regarding this recently.

Is Disneyland's Pirates of the Caribbean getting mermaids?

Mermaids and the "Jolly Sailor Bold" song was added to WDW Pirates, are we next?

[MANEATINGWREATH]

Re: Mermaids in Louisiana - A POTC Discussion

Thanks for pointing those out...I always come in behind the times haha. Well, we can always change the discussion topic of this thread.

How do you feel about movie changes to the ride? Obviously this has been a topic of great debate ever since 2006. Instead let's talk of what you would feel if other movie additions were made, including mermaids. How'd you feel if Will Turner of Elizabeth magically showed up overnight? Stuff like that. Personally I'd prefer the original to return with the movie characters less prominent (in addition to the storyline reverting back to a treasure hunt, Jack Sparrow is no longer hunted by the pirates. He now takes part quietly in the hunt and beats everyone else to getting the treasure).

[Slappypunk]

Re: Mermaids in Louisiana - A POTC Discussion

I say just leave it how it is. I really don't like how all the pirates obsess over Jack Sparrow in the ride. I'm just don't like the movie tie-in at all. You don't see them doing that to the Haunted Mansion.

[mycroft16]

Re: Mermaids in Louisiana - A POTC Discussion

You don't see them doing that to the Haunted Mansion.

Patience.

[Meville]

Re: Mermaids in Louisiana - A POTC Discussion

I'm fine with it. Mermaids are part of pirate lore, so it fits nicly with the theme.

[calsig31]

Re: Mermaids in Louisiana - A POTC Discussion

They actually need to take out the movie stuff that's there.

You don't see them doing that to the Haunted Mansion.

Eddie is coming...

[sbk1234]

Re: Mermaids in Louisiana - A POTC Discussion

While I don't have really strong feelings about the movie stuff being added, I'd smile more than a little if they were removed, and the ride was restored to its former (pre-food-chasing pirates) glory.

As for mermaids, I've always been partial to this bit of folklore, so there's a big part of me that would love to see mermaids in Disneyland (other than the lovely Ariel), but I really don't think it can happen in California. At least not in the grotto without a LOT of expensive remodelling. The boats travel VERY close to the sides, so there really isn't room to put in those underwater lighting effects to represent the mermaid. I look foreward to seeing the mermaids in Florida, but I don't think it would be practical to put them in here in California.

[MANEATINGWREATH]

Re: Mermaids in Louisiana - A POTC Discussion

The mermaids could work kind of, but it'd be a bit crammed, probably not giving enough room for a mermaid projection underwater (although there's a bit of room in between the canal and shoreline). There'd be room for a mermaid skeleton and destroyed rowboat though, and there's practically no major cost in playing "Jolly Sailor Bold" over the speakers. Only time will tell what lies in store for this classic.

If they were to change things up, I'd rather see the movie things toned down a bit. Obviously they're not going to remove them anytime soon. I'd prefer to see the return of the original Blackbeard, ONLY Davy Jones on the waterfall, the ghostly monologues implemented somewhere in the grotto (Tokyo still has them before the waterfall projection), a restoration of all of the original dialog, Jack never mentioned by name but still present (kind of joining the other pirates on the treasure hunt, albeit doing it quietly in an attempt to get it all to himself), and the non-PC chase scene. Kids're watching cartoons nowadays that talk more about sex than they should know. I think a chase scene with a rather harmless monologue about "hoisting me colors on the likes of that shy, little wench" is nothing compared to what's on TV.

[Disneymike]

Re: Mermaids in Louisiana - A POTC Discussion

The mermaids could work kind of, but it'd be a bit crammed, probably not giving enough room for a mermaid projection underwater (although there's a bit of room in between the canal and shoreline). There'd be room for a mermaid skeleton and destroyed rowboat though, and there's practically no major cost in playing "Jolly Sailor Bold" over the speakers. Only time will tell what lies in store for this classic.

If they were to change things up, I'd rather see the movie things toned down a bit. Obviously they're not going to remove them anytime soon. I'd prefer to see the return of the original Blackbeard, ONLY Davy Jones on the waterfall, the ghostly monologues implemented somewhere in the grotto (Tokyo still has them before the waterfall projection), a restoration of all of the original dialog, Jack never mentioned by name but still present (kind of joining the other pirates on the treasure hunt, albeit doing it quietly in an attempt to get it all to himself), and the non-PC chase scene. Kids're watching cartoons nowadays that talk more about sex than they should know. I think a chase scene with a rather harmless monologue about "hoisting me colors on the likes of that shy, little wench" is nothing compared to what's on TV.

Yep, the stuff on TV is WAY more suggestive and crude than the pre-PC Pirates.

[Pinrar]

Re: Mermaids in Louisiana - A POTC Discussion

I wouldn't mind. The mermaids at MK seem to be more about the old pirate legends and less about screaming "Hey!!! This is from the movie!!". The erie song, the skeleton...It really looks like death is in the atmosphere. It looks great. But like sbk said our boats travel close to the rocks. Maybe if they remove the waterfall scene and expand the cave.

[HMF]

Re: Mermaids in Louisiana - A POTC Discussion

It works with WDW's ride narrative but would be out of place in the DL Attraction.

[mickdaddy]

Re: Mermaids in Louisiana - A POTC Discussion

Patience.

Here is the real question which I think you might be hinting at, If the new up coming Del Torro Haunted Mansion movie does in fact center around the Hatbox Ghost and that leads to the addition of HBG into the attic of the HM are the fans still going to be upset because its a movie tie in or will they rejoice in tbe addition of a character they have all been "dying" for.

[frollofan]

Re: Mermaids in Louisiana - A POTC Discussion

Here is the real question which I think you might be hinting at, If the new up coming Del Torro Haunted Mansion movie does in fact center around the Hatbox Ghost and that leads to the addition of HBG into the attic of the HM are the fans still going to be upset because its a movie tie in or will they rejoice in tbe addition of a character they have all been "dying" for.

It depends. If the addition is crappy and intrudes greatly on the feeling of the attraction, then fans will obviously be pissed. If the addition is very detailed and cool looking and not forced, then I'm not complaining.

[LordVader]

Re: Mermaids in Louisiana - A POTC Discussion

Am I the only one here who finds the mermaid skeleton in Florida a tad on the goofy side?

[mondo]

Re: Mermaids in Louisiana - A POTC Discussion

The mermaids could work kind of, but it'd be a bit crammed, probably not giving enough room for a mermaid projection underwater (although there's a bit of room in between the canal and shoreline). There'd be room for a mermaid skeleton and destroyed rowboat though, and there's practically no major cost in playing "Jolly Sailor Bold" over the speakers. Only time will tell what lies in store for this classic.

If they were to change things up, I'd rather see the movie things toned down a bit. Obviously they're not going to remove them anytime soon. I'd prefer to see the return of the original Blackbeard, ONLY Davy Jones on the waterfall, the ghostly monologues implemented somewhere in the grotto (Tokyo still has them before the waterfall projection), a restoration of all of the original dialog, Jack never mentioned by name but still present (kind of joining the other pirates on the treasure hunt, albeit doing it quietly in an attempt to get it all to himself), and the non-PC chase scene. Kids're watching cartoons nowadays that talk more about sex than they should know. I think a chase scene with a rather harmless monologue about "hoisting me colors on the likes of that shy, little wench" is nothing compared to what's on TV.

what is/was this?

[MANEATINGWREATH]

Re: Mermaids in Louisiana - A POTC Discussion

Good point. Florida's grotto sequence starts pretty much right off the bat and has always been kind of a quick and creepy atmosphere perfect for bloodthirsty creatures of the deep. Disneyland throws you down a waterfall and up close and personal with the skeletons. There really is no room for mermaids that'd be structurally safe (you'd have to move some of the rocks) or well-fit. It'd be awkward to see a tiny mermaid swimming off to the side.

Mondo, the ghostly monologues were two speeches by unseen pirates located where Davey Jones and Blackbeard are now, as narrated by veteran voice actors Paul Frees and J. Pat O'Malley respectively, Paul Frees in which also voiced "Dead men tell no tales," the original Blackbeard, Carlos the Mayor, the Auctioneer, the original Pooped Pirate, the narrator of Adventure Thru Inner Space, and the Haunted Mansion's own Ghost Host. You can hear the monologues in this vintage footage at 1:26 until 2:15.

Despite having the Davey Jones waterfall, Tokyo Disneyland still features the monologues (in Japanese of course), albeit played in the Treasure Room, not the dark tunnel.

[Steve DeGaetano]

Re: Mermaids in Louisiana - A POTC Discussion

Mermaids are part of pirate lore...

Where ever did you get this idea?

[Wren]

Re: Mermaids in Louisiana - A POTC Discussion

You're not really in Louisiana anymore though once you go down the hill...

That hill that DL has is a bigger immersion factor than just floating into the cove of WDW, makes the transition easier.

The mermaids dont seem like that big of a deal to me honestly

[MANEATINGWREATH]

Re: Mermaids in Louisiana - A POTC Discussion

You're not really in Louisiana anymore though once you go down the hill...

I was just referring to the attraction's placement in New Orleans Square. :P