June 26th trip - Pirates and Cafe Orleans :)

[pineapplewhipaddict]

Yesterday I went with a group of 8 people to the Happiest Place on Earth to celebrate the return of our beloved Pirates

I have to say that I was quite impressed with how the CMs handled the line situation. They kept things very orderly and managed traffic very well (in front of Pirates they would leave a gap, and let the walking crowds and people in line take turns in large groups to cross). They also watched the line and kept us updated for how long the wait would be wherever we were, and made sure no one would cut in line. While walking in line, there was plenty of media coverage being done, with some fabulous pirates talking in their accents and playing some music. I also saw the Imagineer that was on the MSN broadcast there watching the whole scene with a great amount of pride

As for PotC-well, it was fantastic! The whole ride is freshened up, so it felt like I was going on it for the very first time that it had opened. The new effects, sound, and AAs were absolutely spectacular! The queue inside of the building looks quite nice-judging from where the parrot is placed I don't think he'll have to be switched out for refurbs as often as he used to. And the map itself is quite cool and more relative to the ride. I was also pleased to see that the old pirate murals were kept intact, and that they added a Jack Sparrow too-and he fits very well with his counterparts My favorite Jack Sparrow is the one peeking by the dresses. Great gag! The battle scene is quite amazing now...before the refurb I must admit that I felt it wasn't all that spectacular, but with the music, updated effects, Barbossa and the fixed up people firing from the fortress, I find it to be incredibly spectacular! I'm also quite glad they fixed up some of the dialogue here, seeing as the people from the fort were conveyed rather stereotypical and making the scene seem more like a joke than something really cool. I really felt like I was in the middle of a battle scene. The Davy Jones effect was really awesome, too-it makes you just want to grab out and try to touch the "waterfall".

One thing slightly disappointed me, and it had nothing to do with the movie additions at all. For those that kept themselves updated, they knew that the wench chasing scene was supposed to come back in it's former glory. Well...not quite exactly. I only rode the ride once, and if someone saw differently please correct me if I'm wrong, but none of the wenches were being chased by the pirates-the wenches were the ones chasing them, but with brooms or rakes or whatever else they had in their hands to smack them with. I do believe that this is a serious step up from the old food situation, but I feel that this is still avoiding the truth about how pirates were. It would have been nice to see at least one pirate chasing one wench, but from what I saw that wasn't the case. I find that the ones rushing at them with the brooms is quite a likely scenario and it works, but, eh. Like my friend said, it was "tastefully done".

But past that one minor detail, it was wonderful to have the Pirates of the Caribbean back, restored and updated. It's a real treat, and I honestly don't think any purists will be disappointed with the attraction, and will absolutely love it!

I also must write a review for Cafe Orleans. I must say, the whole experience was incredibly enjoyable. I made reservations for our large group aboput a week ago with no problems for 1:10 pm. After checking in at our time, we were seated within a minute of waiting off to the side. All of the CMs were very sweet and friendly and went out on every limb to make sure we were all happy. Our waitress especially-she was absolutely amazing! If we took one sip from our drinks, she'd be back within the minute to refill it! She was also quite nice and was very helpful with us trying to figure out what to order and had our dishes ready wuite quickly. She was incredibly attentive and prompt. As for the food itself-absolutely spectacular! The presentation is wonderful-and thank heavens for how they serve the Monte Cristos now, they come in piece of four instead of two, so it's far easier to eat. It also comes with fresh grapes and strawberries. My boyfriend and I weren't so hot on the 3 cheese Monte Cristo, but then again we don't like Brie cheese much either. We both agreed that it was a great alternative for a vegetarian person though. Everyone in our party ordered different things and were quite pleased with their dishes-I might get that chicken salad next time I go. But if you do go, make sure you try the chocolate crepe souffle-positively to die for! Be careful when you try to eat it though, as the raspberry sauce is quite hot, but delicious. The mickey-shaped doughnuts were quite good too (unfortunately I was so stuffed that I could only taste these things). One little thing I should mention is that if you eat outside, be prepared to possibly be hit by some type of small fruit that's hanging in the tree up above (make sure you use that umbrella). All in all, it was quite fantastic and I'll be going there for every trip I make in all certainty.

So, in conclusion, Pirates of the Caribbean is fantastic in it's current form and Cafe Orleans is the new hot spot to eat, IMO .

[SaraNoH]

Great report, and I never would have thought about reporting on the fruit that may hit you in the head, but thanks for the head's up...LOL, no pun intended.

One thing--no pictures?

[RobotMirror]

Great review of both the ride and the eatery! I love it - thank you!

[pineapplewhipaddict]

One thing--no pictures?

Sadly no. My camera is dead :/

And thanks Frogberto!

[Radiobarry]

Thanks for the great reviews pineapple! It sounds like they have done just exactly what I'd hoped they'd do with POTC, and again I'm glad the Cafe is back as a sitdown eatery - although from what I'm seeing it will never take the place of the original.

--Barry

[RobotMirror]

I went on the ride tonight, twice, and what a difference a day makes! The board near the hub said Pirates had a 30 minute wait, and in front of the attraction, it said 25 minutes, but it was never over 20 minutes, both times. I did get stuck for 10 minutes right AT the first drop, but no worries.

I also ate at Cafe Orleans, and I'll post pictures soon. The recommendations of the Monte Cristo and the garlic fries are really spot on - they're both excellent!

And since Cafe Orleans patio is under a large mulberry tree, we did have berries falling to the ground (the staff warned us about this), and onto the table.

The staff was great, and brought out things promptly. They did one refill, and then neglected glasses, but were very nice about everything else. A great place to eat- I'll definitely be back.

Oh, and I had a Pineapple Whip on the way out, just to honor my friend pineapplewhipaddict.

[NikkiDancer]

Sounds Like Pirates was fun!

I am going to Disneyland for the first time in april, (been to WDW a million times!) I cant wait to smell and see the pirates ride again!

-Nikki

[luvindsnylnd]

Thanks for a great update!! Wonderful food and a wonderful ride, can't get much better than that!!

[RooBear]

The through-ness of yours and everyone's reporting on these updates proves why I trust you all so much.

Thank you for keeping all of us out-of-towners in the loops.

Peace out,
Roo

[DonDuck]

Great review of PotC and Cafe Orleans. Likely won't be able to visit DL until sometime next year, so I live vicariously through these posts. Pirates is definitely on the top of my list and I think I will need to make reservations at Cafe Orleans. Thanks again.

[ProfGriffin]

Question for those lucky enough to have experienced the re-opened Pirates of the Carribean.

Is that Pirate on the Bridge back? The one dangling his leg over the edge drinking? (And you can see the hair on his leg?) I loved that guy and was saddened by his dissapearance on my last trip.

-Prof. Griffin

[lilypad]

Thats cool that Disneyland has a few good sit down restaurants now, but can you only eat at Cafe Orleans by making reservations like Blue Bayou?

[RobotMirror]

Thats cool that Disneyland has a few good sit down restaurants now, but can you only eat at Cafe Orleans by making reservations like Blue Bayou?

Definitely not, although I have to say, that depends on the time of day you go. Last night we showed up at 6pm, and had no reservations or priority seating time. The wait was five minutes, and we were seated right away.

By the time we left, closer to 7pm, it was much busier. Remember, no restaurant in Disneyland takes "reservations", they use "priority seating", which is really a fastpass for dining. They take PS people first, and then people waiting for standby next.

[pineapplewhipaddict]

Question for those lucky enough to have experienced the re-opened Pirates of the Carribean.

Is that Pirate on the Bridge back? The one dangling his leg over the edge drinking? (And you can see the hair on his leg?) I loved that guy and was saddened by his dissapearance on my last trip.

-Prof. Griffin

Yes, he's back. He left Pirates earlier because he needed to go into refurbishment quicker

Glad to hear you enjoyed one of the tastiest treats in the world, Frogbreto! hehe.

[RobotMirror]

Yes, he's back. He left Pirates earlier because he needed to go into refurbishment quicker

Glad to hear you enjoyed one of the tastiest treats in the world, Frogbreto! hehe.

Actually, the "dirty foot pirate" was in rehab! 40 years of drinking rum will do that do you. But luckily, he's back. He lights his drinks on fire now, so that it burns off more of the alcohol.

And pineapplewhip, yes, that was my first time. Delicious!