Pirates of the Caribbean opened in Florida’s Magic Kingdom on December 15, 1973. It was one of the first major additions to the park following its grand opening in 1971.
To accommodate the unexpected addition of Pirates of the Caribbean inside the Magic Kingdom, a portion of Adventureland was dubbed Caribbean Plaza, borrowing its theme from the 18th century English and Spanish colonies found in the West Indies.
The façade of the attraction is an impressive Spanish fort dubbed El Castillo (The Castle) and is based on the Castillo de San Felipe del Morro in San Juan, Puerto Rico.