Dog in Disney's 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Ride Holds a Cool Secret
Pirates of the Caribbean is one of Disney World's oldest and most beloved rides (if it wasn't, they would have made a five-movie-long series based on it). If you've ever been on it, you know how much incredible detail was put into the animatronics and set pieces. That ride is bursting at the seams with Disney Imagineering history, though some details are very subtle and easy to miss if you're not in the know - little details like this one, involving the iconic watchdog in the ride's "jail cell" tableau:
I've seen that dog every time I went on Pirates of the Caribbean as a kid, and I never thought anything of it. According to Disney whiz @findingamyjoy, that isn't just any animal animatronic - that iconic canine is supposedly modeled after Walt Disney's own dog!
Who Was Walt Disney's Dog?
According to the Walt Disney Family Museum, Disney's dog was a Chow Chow named Sunnee, which Walt bought soon after he and his wife Lilly bought their first home in Los Angeles. Lilly was initially "not sold on the idea," but Walt managed to talk her into it - provided that he bought a cute Chow Chow.
Ever the showman, Walt didn't just go out and come home with a puppy one day. As the story goes, he bought Sunnee but kept him a secret until Christmas Eve. Walt then snuck Sunnee into a hatbox and presented it to Lilly. His wife reportedly screamed aloud when the hat she thought she was getting turned out to be a little puppy, but from that moment on, she was in love. And if that story sounds familiar, that's because it would later inspire the iconic opening scene from Lady and the Tramp!
Other Legends About Disney World's Animatronic Pups
One thing the Walt Disney Family Museum doesn't specify is whether or not the Pirates pup really is based on Walt's dog. If you look at photos of Sunnee and the Pirates' dog side by side, though, the resemblance is uncanny. With as many sneaky references and details as the Disney Imagineers added to the rides, it's not unthinkable that they'd throw in a reference to Walt's beloved pet!
Outside of tormenting captive buccaneers on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride, this prestigious pup allegedly has a place on another classic Disney ride, according to Amy Joy: "He's on Carousel of Progress, too!"
Now, this may or may not be true, depending on who you ask. According to Inside the Magic, Disneygoers have allegedly been told by Disney tour guides that these two animatronic pooches are the same character. However, the Disney Fandom wiki cites an unofficial backstory started by Disney cast members that says Rover (the dog from Carousel) was part of a "litter" of five other animatronic pups who could be found in rides all over the park (including the Haunted Mansion). Supposedly, said litter was "descended" from the Pirates' jailhouse dog and the dog from Fort Sam Clemens on Tom Sawyer Island.
Disney World history is full of legends, some fact, some fiction, and some a little mix of both. No matter what you believe, there's never an end to the incredible stories behind this iconic theme park!
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