Paris, Pirates, and Plunder

It may be blasphemous to some old school fans of Walt Disney Imagineering, but in my opinion, the French version of Pirates of the Caribbean is the best of the bunch. Not only is Disneyland Paris the most beautiful Magic Kingdom park, many of the famous Disney "E Tickets" have been reimagined from scratch. Pirates is no exception.

After passing through the quite beautiful tropical fortress, our winding queue takes daring guests to the dock, where they depart on watercraft sailing by the lovely Blue Lagoon Restaurant. Rounding the bend, our boats take on an upward journey, ascending into the upper reaches of the attraction. Surprises are found on every turn, but here are a few: pirates swing overhead, some climbing up and over the town's protective walls, and stray cats float by, naking their temporary rescue on kegs of rum.

Beyond and below, we see a fierce battle taking place as one of the pirate ships is into port, and villagers are fighting for the life of their beloved town. Before we linger and watch for too long, we are discovered by the pirates, and craft plunges down right into the middle of the action! Now our high seas adventure truly begins- and it includes scenes not seen Stateside with an ending that is absolutely explosive. No more spoilers, you'll just have to ride it for yourself to see why I rank it Number 1...

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)