By now, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest has shattered box office records, pulling in more than $55 million in its first day in theaters and nearly $136 million in its first weekend. But before the public got to glimpse the studio's big-budget Johnny Depp vehicle, it premiered with a party at Disneyland on a scale so big, it might have predicted the movie's impressive run.Disney Studios senior vice president of worldwide special events Lylle Breier worked with a massive team from both the studio and the theme park to plan the premiere. The film's stars made their entrances on a 2,000-foot-long red carpet snaking through the park from Main Street to Adventureland. (Theme park guests began lining up at 1 AM—five hours before Disneyland opened—to buy admission tickets and stake their places along the carpet; by 6:30 AM, 5,000 people were already flooding Main Street. Disneyland hit a capacity 55,000 attendance for the day.) Arriving guests walked the carpet and then hopped right on the newly revamped Pirates of the Caribbean ride, which features animatronic characters from the movie.
A prescreening party—nicknamed the "Pirates' Ball"—took over Adventureland and New Orleans Square with food, drink, and entertainment, all provided by Disneyland. When it got dark, the 1,800 guests clustered on bleachers to view the movie on a 100-foot-wide outdoor screen. "The bleachers were set up like real stadium seating and the movie was projected digitally with surround-sound," Breier said. "It was as good a presentation as you'd seen in any movie theater." The setup took a week to put in place and utilized 400 Disney staff members. Breier added, "From studio special events to the park staff, it was entirely Disney personnel—a gigantic and monumental team effort."
After the screening, the park opened up again for guests to wander and enjoy desserts, coffee, and fireworks.
—Alesandra Dubin
Posted 07.13.06
Photos: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
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A prescreening party—nicknamed the "Pirates' Ball"—took over Adventureland and New Orleans Square with food, drink, and entertainment, all provided by Disneyland. When it got dark, the 1,800 guests clustered on bleachers to view the movie on a 100-foot-wide outdoor screen. "The bleachers were set up like real stadium seating and the movie was projected digitally with surround-sound," Breier said. "It was as good a presentation as you'd seen in any movie theater." The setup took a week to put in place and utilized 400 Disney staff members. Breier added, "From studio special events to the park staff, it was entirely Disney personnel—a gigantic and monumental team effort."
After the screening, the park opened up again for guests to wander and enjoy desserts, coffee, and fireworks.
—Alesandra Dubin
Posted 07.13.06
Photos: Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Related Stories
Disney Studios' Lylle Breier
Disneyland's Big Anniversary Planner
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest premiered at Disneyland with a 2,000-foot-long red carpet snaking through the park.
By 6:30 AM, 5,000 fans crowded in the park's Main Street to stake places near the carpet.
Jerry and Linda Bruckheimer were among the guests who rode the new Pirates of the Caribbean ride, revamped to include animatronic characters from the film.
Guests stuck around for fireworks after the screening.
