The swamp prelude in Disneyland’s Pirates of the Caribbean might be one of my favorite aspects of the ride. Similar to Radiator Springs Racers, both rides start gently and take their time before launching into things. This Blue Bayou section was made made to link the ride to its New Orleans setting and was partly inspired by an animated segment called The Blue Bayou which was made to be paired with Claire de la Lune in Fantasia (1940). It was ultimately pulled from the film and included in Make Mine Music (1946) with an original song, The Blue Bayou.

I was certain if I had a way to work fake fireflies to our tavern, but I definitely wanted to capture some of that ambiance. To do that I got an ocean wave projector that has among its sound loops, crickets! If you really want to complete the experience, Spotify has the actual banjo track used in the ride.