With Disney Parks Closed, Fans Are Re-creating Their Favorite Rides At Home

A self-isolating Utah family staged an epic Pirates of the Caribbean, while others paid tribute to the Haunted Mansion and Star Wars Land.
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Disney theme parks may be officially closed through at least the end of March, but some self-isolating fans are finding imaginative ways to keep the Happiest Place on Earth alive in the comfort of their homes.

Last week, Julie Foster Thornock of Monroe, Utah, posted a video of her family re-creating Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride on Facebook. Each member of the Thornock family ― including dad Kirk and kids Brooke, Brin, Carson, Cannon and Chloe ― took part in the tribute.

Frequent park-goers will spot nods to some of the ride’s most memorable scenes, including the blue bayou and battle sequences, followed by a cameo from Jack Sparrow (played by Johnny Depp in the film series).

And just like the iconic ride, the Thornocks’ “boat” even plunges down a makeshift “waterfall.”

As of Monday afternoon, the family’s video had been viewed more than 4 million times on Facebook and shared more than 227,000 times. On YouTube, the video had received more than 190,000 views.

Brin Thornock, 18, told the Disney fan site Inside the Magic that, as frequent Disneyland visitors, her family was able to re-create Pirates of the Caribbean from memory.

“We know the ride well and we picked out key parts that would be familiar to people that know the ride,” she said. “It took us two hours total. It was really quick. I shot it on my phone and also edited on my phone!”

“Disney was founded on imagination and creativity, we hope we made Walt proud,” the teen continued. “We challenge other families to share the magic!”

Needless to say, the Thornocks aren’t the only families feeling wistful for Disneyland and Walt Disney World, both of which will be shut down until at least March 31 amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Check out a few other video re-creations of Disney rides that have emerged on social media in recent days.

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