Me to was so cool and magical as a kid I also have a memory of getting into trouble as a child when I was playing a slot machine and actually hit a minor jackpot that required a hand payout. I had the $5 left over from the arcade, and when my mom wasn't paying attention while we were walking through the casino, she stopped to talk to someone. So, I sneaked off just a few steps away, inserted the money into the slot machine, and won! 😂 They did allow my mom to claim the winnings, but they weren't very pleased with me or her. We were asked to leave the property.
I find the "family friendly" era of Vegas fascinating, I visited as a kid during that time and then recently as an adult and it's so strange to see all of the new and unique attractions that were there just gone now. I can't wait to see the episode about the Luxor, that place was a trip.
Right! I remember this show and statues that came to life and the Star Trek experience. Now Vegas is all about clubbing, gambling, and food. I’d rather go to a Disney or Universal park
I remember when I was a kid, my family visited Vegas. My parents did not know the show wasn't changed. So I spent the whole day eagerly waiting to see an awesome pirate battle. I have never been so disappointed to see scantily clad women shaking their things.
The first time I saw the show after the remodel was November 2005. We were in Vegas for a friends wedding. When I was last there in the summer of 2003 Buccaneer Bay had been closed down for construction, but I was under the impression that it was just a refit of the same show. The friend who was getting married was staying nearby, but hadn't seen the show yet. Thinking it was still Buccaneer Bay, I gave it my highest recommendation. When I talked to her the next day, she said it "kind of sucked". I was at a loss to explain her reaction. Until I had a chance to see it myself that night. My jaw just hit the floor. It sucked so badly and Buccaneer Bay had been so awesome.
This exact same thing happened to me! I was like 2 years old and i was on my dad's shoulders. We had heard the show moved but we didn't know it completely changed. The amount of disappointment in my dad's voice was immeasurable. I was kinda mad too! I've never forgiven them for that!
A couple of the performers spoke at my elementary school about the mechanics of the show and the stunts, including the guy on fire and the guy who rides the bow down. I have never forgot the presentation and that has to be almost 20 years ago. I miss that show so much.
With so many casinos/hotels concentrated in one area The family friendly approach set each casino apart. Now they all just blend together. Even as an adult I’m saddened that this place has change so much.
I feel the same way. In the past each hotel had there own unique elements that made you go wow. Now it is all a little bit disappointing. Tho the Flamingo exceeded my expectations last time I visited. Outside the hotel you could see actual flamingos and other birds for free.
gotta love how the newer owners of this place are like "ugh who likes pirates lets turn this place into another generic vegas gambler hotel, that'll bring the guests"
plus as soon as they started the de-theming and removing all the pirate stuff, Pirates of the Caribbean movies came out and pirates were HUGE again. The theming was the entire reason the hotel was great. I stopped bothering to go there at all once they tried to turn it into the "TI."
Lived here for 20 years now. I loved the old pirate show, and would go quite often. It was one of the main places we would go when friends or family were in town to visit. It was a favorite. Then when they changed it to the new show with all the gals, it wasn't as much of a favorite but was still enjoyable and exciting. That building has taken a lot of money from me and mine. They haven't gotten a penny from anyone of us since they took them away though. Another casino bust. Much rather take out money elsewhere now.
so lets review the facts The Pirate show was created and over the years a grand total of about 60 millions of people came to see the show block traffic and have people wait around for each of the new show and to the new owners that means people are not interested in pirates. the new owners were stupid and blind as bats.
The fact that they made an entire big-budget tv movie just to promote this resort is fantastic. Vegas videos are the best! I nominate the old Excalibur show for the next one!
The irony is that in 2003, when the revamp was completed, Disney premiered a little movie called Pirates of the Caribbean and basically revitalized the pirate genre. Treasure Island in its older form would have probably seen a resurgence of interest and the show would have been very popular.
Such a great show! We liked to hang around afterwards and watch the ship upright itself and go back into reset position. Vegas in the 90's was a fun time!
I've been to This Era of Vegas twice, 1995 and again in 1998. Never got to see the show, first time due to high winds making it unsafe to do a show with all that pyro and lack of trying the second time. New York, New York and Monte Carlo were quite a place to explore. MGM's amusement park was also lost on me, because they didn't make it easy to navigate to via the casino (on purpose (?)).
I live in Vegas. I remember seeing the original pirate show as a kid and loving it. The ship sinking was really incredible and huge. I remember the inside being so cool and detailed full of pirate and ship related scenery everywhere. In my opinion it was done perfectly. It looked expensive and still classy. After they remodeled… it looks like every casino on the strip now. Yeah it looks nice… they all look nice. They all look the same. I understand wanting to move from family friendly to focus on adults since it’s “Sin City” but it’s all so bland now. At the same time doing a new “theme” hotel would stick out too much now since everything is slowly removing the theming.
"We evolved...to a more sophisticated feel" might be the biggest lie considering what happened to TI. Their show objectively "devolved" from an all ages favorite to a sex-focused snooze fest. 90s Vegas was great, im at least happy I got to experience it.
I turned 21 in 1993 and Vegas was just amazing. Usually went 2-3 times per year to Vegas in the 90s. The TI show did not disappoint. The MGM grand with the wizard of oz, original lion mouth entrance, theme park, the Luxor and Excalibur were so cool, even for us newly “legal” adults! And I still loved the nostalgia old casinos that were still there: the stardust, frontier, the sands had so much character. Was in Vegas last week for a concert and didn’t even bother going on the strip.
Omg I got to see the original show and the “sin” version of it. The original show was really fun to watch as a kid, it really was like being at Disneyland for the duration of the show. I saw the showgirls version was I was 15 and it was so awkward because some parents had little kids and no one in the crowd was impressed by the new show.
The only way that will ever happen is if our culture begin to promote more marriages which pro creates children. Our millennial and generations z aren’t getting married like they used to be which has less kids and if there is kids many of them are single mothers. Companies aren’t willing to invest in a product that won’t get them a lot of consumers. In the 90’s there were lots of millennials children and that’s the reason we had this cool stuff. I think the only marketing Entertainment company that still does that is Disney parks which has monopolize all the kid stuff because of the nostalgia in many Disney adults
For the past 30 years I have done parrot shows for a living as a pirate, even have my own 40ft long two masted schooner I set up at county fairs. I have been doing shows at the Las Vegas Renaissance fair at Sunset Park for much of that time. The original pirate show at the Treasure Island was the highlight of every years Vegas trip. I would sometimes while dressed in my own pirate outfit take one of my parrots into the Treasure Island and get swarmed with people wanting to get photos with us. Many times I have watched both the original show and the later siren show. The original show was by far the best show. As much as I enjoy watching semi naked women dance around (wenching is part of my job description as a pirate after all) the siren show was boring. The new painting of ship was boring. The original show was in no way boring. And now that they have installed a CV pharmacy over the original parking space of the British ship and removed most of the pirate theme from the hotel, the TI is even more boring. In fact, this same change has taken over all of Las Vegas, and it's all boring now. The Las Vegas strip has McDonalds and Pharmacies on it. WHY??? It's now just a large shopping mall, nothing else. Though I still do my show in Las Vegas at Sunset Park (was just there a few weeks ago with the show) I no longer spend any time on the strip because it is so boring. It is very sad how the suits have ruined what was once such a memorable Las Vegas experience.
I saw the original show and loved it !! So much so I could not wait to see its again on my next visit. Unfortunately it had been replaced by Sirens, and it was horrible… I mean truly and completely horrible….. it’s sad that they got rid of the theming, which made it stand out on the strip, and it just became another hotel without a soul.
90s Vegas was so awesome! We’d take family trips there during that time a few times a year. It had things for the whole family. Gambling for adults; Arcades and attractions for kids. Good times!
As a Vegas local growing up here in the 90s was amazing and totally amazing. Now it's gone so downhill, even as an adult I'm saddened to what my city has become
Growing up my mom worked at TI. They used to have kids Christmas parties for us kids and the girls from the pirate show would come down and be on stage talking. When Steve Wynn owned TI we also got free tickets to wet n wild every year and a lot of other cool things! Thanks for posting this! I've never actually seen the pirate show despite all of this 🖤
I saw this show when I was about 5-6 years old and it was my only memory of Vegas. For decades I thought I had just made it all up and the ship didn't really explode and nothing really sank. Imagine my surprise when I found out the show was real and it was identical to how I remembered!
Was at treasure island in the 90s and I loved this show. Went back for the first time last week. TI and Avengers STATION were empty. Although STATION was cool it didn’t seem to be creating the draw the TI owners wanted. Btw their “shopping” is the world’s largest 24hr CVS. In that same week Excalibur had the same giant line for check ins I remember seeing in the 90s.
Growing up in Vegas during this era, this was my favorite show hands down. If my family drove anywhere remotely close to the strip I would plead to drive by the Treasure Island to see the battle
As a old Cali historic man this really hit me hard in the stomach cause it was always the most funniest & most funest thing in the world! Can’t believe it closed!
When this show closed, they hardly gave any notice to the staff and let them go right before Christmas. After Steve wynn sold the property it went downhill so quickly.
fantastic vid, thanks so much for the memories ! The original pirate show is still the most fun I have ever had at a Vegas show, and I have been going once or twice a year since 1995. Afterwards, we would head to the Excalibur, and have prime rib at Sir Galahads... also sadly gone. I still love Vegas, but nothing today compares to those late 90's years...
This one certainly unlocked some ancient memories I had hidden away. I went to this show with my folks at the time, I barely remember it all. I definitely recall staring out the window of my pops Ford irritated we didn't just park right there and watch, it didn't matter to me that people were trying to drive normally. This, and the MGM theme park really made vegas a very strange yet interesting place to grow up. It was a constant bombardment of different things, from all these different parts of the world desperately trying to leave their mark on it. Thanks for making these, it's fun to look back on
I loved the old Treasure Island so much! I remembered going into the Mutiny Bay arcade and winning a ball there. That arcade was amazing! I saw the original pirate battle a year before they made the switch and finally stayed a few days at the hotel back in 2011. Sad that the hotel is now a shell of its former self. The original theme of the hotel is an inspiration for my “theme parks” in Planet Coaster
I loved the pirate show. Las Vegas hasn’t been the same since they cancelled it. Those were the days my friend. We thought they’d never end. We were wrong. 😭😭😭
One of the best shows on the strip! My husband was a pirate & played pirate captain from 96-2000… then it went to the Sirens of the Sea… nothing beat the original it was awesome!
Legendary Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr helped in the design of the sinking ship. I met him at a party once he told us the whole story. Particularly how Steve Wynn gave him an “impossible deadline” to figure it out. It was really cool. Also, any excuse to use that Lance Burton clip huh? LOL
I had dinner with Bob a couple years ago at Disney's Los Feliz home and told him that it was unceremoniously replaced with a Walgreens and Señor Frogs, d'oh!!
I recall hearing a story that it was a mistake to put the pirate show in front, it should have been in the back. Majority of the spectators moved on and didn't enter the casino so it didn't capture enough paying customers . If it was in back they would have to walk through the casino and leave the same way. The one time I watched it most left without entering, me included
I love watching videos like these. Growing up in Las Vegas, the pirate show at Treasure Island and the volcano, secret garden, and dolphin show at the Mirage were places I went to for elementary school field trips. We got behind the scenes tours to all of these attractions-as field trips. Even the field trips to the Jet Puff marshmallow factory and Ethel M’s chocolate factory couldn’t beat that.
another highlight of my childhood!! i distinctly remember walking the strip with my family from out of town and watching this as a sprightly 6 year old. my dad always made sure to go all out and take us to the strip when family was here. i’m still devastated that it’s gone.
I had that movie as a kid. One of the actors from the show scared me really bad so the hotel comped us a basket of "pirate booty" which had that movie in it.
The 90s treasure island was the shit and some of my favorite childhood memories are from here! TI also had the most amazing arcade I have ever been to in my entire life in it!
Sometimes I miss the Vegas of the late 90s. So many goofy resorts. When I was a kid, we'd pass through frequently and the only resort with any sort of theme was Excalibur, and it was on the edge of the Strip. Now it's surrounded by all sorts of other places.
this was the highlight of my trips to Vegas in the 90's as a little kid. i remember my mom and i getting to sit at the restaurant with a perfect view of one of the shows
I moved to Vegas in October of 1993 and lived there exactly 1 years before moving back here in 2010. This brings me way back and is a trip at how all of that stuff from back then is just long gone now.
Bravo on another great video. I was familiar with the show but never knew the story of the show. Regarding that promotional movie, I thought I could recall the voice of one of those pirates and, after some research, sure enough it was J.G. Hertzler. He played the Klingon General Martok in Star Trek: DS9. He's one of the masters behind a voice of characters that can be imposing as well as charming at the same time.
WOW! the memories this invoked. My parents took my sister and I as toddlers to Vegas in the early 2000's and I don't remember much but this show stood out to me. The heat from the pyrotechnics, the awe of the ship sinking What I would give to see it in person again
I'm so glad you did this. We went to Vegas in 94 at the height of the family thing and we waited all night to see this show. 12 year old me just thought it was awesome. Really cool to relive it, great video
I loved this show as a kid. I was obsessed with pirates and adored the show. I remember when they changed it and my mom panicked and had to tear us away realizing the show was no longer kid friendly haha. Thank you for the video. Brought back many wonderful memories.
As I was watching this, I couldn't imagine how on earth it would become extinct. It looked amazing! Like, in general I couldn't be paid to go to Vegas, but for that experience, I'd be tempted. And then to tear it all down for some generic "sexy ladies dance in scraps of clothing"? No wonder the new owners got rid of the pirate adventure: they had no imaginations. :P
Aww! This was a blast from the past. That pirate show was my single most fav memory from the one time I went to Vegas during this era. Never wondered how they retrieved the sunken ship…🤔 but even teenage me couldn’t help being impressed by the show.
I happened to get lucky to see both versions of this show. I remember being super impressed with the Pirates show even as 22-23 year old. I went back a few years later and caught Siren. I literally couldn’t believe what I was watching. It wasn’t that it was bad really it was just… to much and also kinda boring? I remembered being very disappointed they changed it.
I too got to see both. ‘98 was my first time . Then Sirens was horrible! It was awkward and just shameful compared to what it was! My imagination nope’d out so fast 😞
Born in 1997, (in Vegas) I saw bits and parts of the show but never fully saw the whole thing… it’s one of the things I wish I saw. 😭🥺 Family friendly vegas was some of the best times in my childhood. It actually made me love the fact I was born there. But as I grew older and as it all went away is when I wanted to leave. Now I live in louisiana. I still miss my Vegas but family friendly Vegas was the best.
I love that extinct Pirate Show! It was such a great experience using your imagination to find the treasure! I also love how they made a TV Movie about the Buccaneer Bay! That was my favorite!
I had no idea the show had been cancelled although I recently saw a Vegas vlog by Wonderhussy showing that the lake was drained and it was in a bit of a state. Thanks yet again for another fabulous video 👏🏻
Love this! Thank you so much for doing all the research and making this video. I took 2 Vegas trips with my parents in the 90s, one in 1992, and the other in 1996. It was insane how much had changed in just 4 years. Luxor, MGM Grand, and Treasure Island were the latest and greatest when I returned, with New York, New York right around the corner. The thing I recall the most though was this Pirate performance outside of Treasure Island in 1996. The whole Strip felt like one huge amusement park simply because of it!
I live in an area where (one of) the pirate dinner show(s) take place. I love it and I do not apologize. I wish I could’ve experienced this show. People would be like “so did you come here for the tables or the burlesque clubs?” And I’m like “no dude, pirates.” Edit: I mean the first version of the show haha.
Thank you for making this and crediting my video of it from ‘93! I really loved seeing the pirate show. It was so well done and brought so many people there. Sad to see it no longer runs. They put so much money and effort into it. A lot less people in front of Treasure Island these days. Thanks again!
I've lived in Vegas since '92. There's one reason for the disappearance of the outdoor shows, roller coasters, etc... The casinos figured out that they were costing more than what they were generating. It's ALL about the money. I actually ran a Bobcat skid steer loader with a concrete breaker on the front tearing out the Nile River ride in the Luxor. It was a sad time. I used to spend hours in the Luxor in the "Arcade" area, on the rides with my friends.
As a huge Treasure Island at the Mirage super fan, thank you for creating and editing this video, Expedition Theme Park!! I love that you did a lot of research and searched up vintage videos of the once iconic show! Battle of Buccaneer Bay never gets old, it was pretty campy but a well done pirate stunt show. I'm glad you featured this on your channel, this will give the Steve Wynn era Treasure Island Las Vegas more attention and appreciation than before. The Disneyland era of the Las Vegas Strip was great and I still miss the 90's to early 2000's Las Vegas before it went downhill when Treasure Island LV got de-themed and transformed into a ugly and bland hotel and casino! I'd also love that the legendary Imagineer Bob Gurr designed the sinking ship, which was the HMS Brittania. I hope to see more of your Expedition Vegas videos soon!
I remember visiting Treasure Island during its Pirate era when I was 14. It was also revolutionary that the resort was the first to host a Cirque du Soleil show, Mystere, which to this day is still one of the greatest performances I've ever seen. It really was more kid friendly, but they really went to the maximum effort with themeing. Shame to see that it went extinct and became just another generic casino with shops.
We used to go see that show at least once a year because every time friends and family would come into town. It was on there number one thing to do. I remember that the first time watching it when it changed and I had to pick my grandma’s jaw up off the floor, not gonna lie even for me as a child who had seen it a bunch of times I was so disappointed. Family fun entertainment is so underrated.
Omg me and my husband found it hilarious when you played the clip of those horrible dancers they legit remind me a high school talent show when a few girls from the dance company team decide to do a choreographed dance who in their right mind approved this show over the pirates 🤣
I remember going to see this with my parents when I was a kid in the 90s! It was really cool, and I believe it was all free. We just walked up on the strip and watched.
This was my favorite thing in the world. Everytime we would go to Vegas, every night we were out, I had to watch this show. Sometimes multiple times a night. Makes sense it had kids in mind
In ‘05 they did bring back the old pirate show to be used in Miss Congiliality 2 where Sandra Bullock had to save her friend and Will Shatner from drowning in the sinking ship after they were kidnapped.
I wish I would have appreciated this show more when I saw it as a kid, but I am glad I got to see the original version a couple times! Also, I had no idea about the “lore” set up with the movie, so that’s amazing.
I am thoroughly astonished to read the comments of this video and see that no one has caught on to the fact that this attraction was a main plot point for the final scene on Miss Congeniality 2!
wow Expedition Theme Park! This one is sooooo great, thank you for doing this! Still remember my first trip in vegas back in 1994, saw this very buccanner show and mystere and stayed at Treasure Island. That time in Vegas was on fire! Never saw the TI and Siren era....looks like I didn't miss much lol.
There was a "Battle Bar" behind the British ship that guests of the hotel could sit and watch the show. You literally were in the show. The British Captain would also be on the bridge of the ship when they "raised / reset" it. I must have seen that show 6 times the few days we stayed there. Also Black Dog, the evil pirate captain was played by J. G. Hertzler, also know for Star Trek DS9 Klingon General Martok.
I stayed here the year it opened. Have it on tape (camcorder style lol) from many different angles! I did see the Sirens version before they stopped altogether. This is so great!
Are you ready for more Expedition Vegas? Let me know which Expedition Extincts you would like to see!
The log flume at Blackpool Pleasure Beach, would be interesting I think
You could talk about the lion exhibit or the wizard of oz exhibit at mgm
The big one at blackpool would be great
I would be interested in a video on the weird Broadway fad Vegas went to in the mid 00's. Phantom, Hairspray, Jersey Boys, Rock of Ages... etc
@@jeremycollins1558 yes! Can't forgot Mama Mia as well. I loved the theater they had built for Phantom.
Im so lucky to have watched this show when i was a kid it was amazing!
Same here 🙂
Me to was so cool and magical as a kid I also have a memory of getting into trouble as a child when I was playing a slot machine and actually hit a minor jackpot that required a hand payout. I had the $5 left over from the arcade, and when my mom wasn't paying attention while we were walking through the casino, she stopped to talk to someone. So, I sneaked off just a few steps away, inserted the money into the slot machine, and won! 😂 They did allow my mom to claim the winnings, but they weren't very pleased with me or her. We were asked to leave the property.
Same here! Greetings from Bavaria
I find the "family friendly" era of Vegas fascinating, I visited as a kid during that time and then recently as an adult and it's so strange to see all of the new and unique attractions that were there just gone now. I can't wait to see the episode about the Luxor, that place was a trip.
There's an amazing behind the scenes promo video about the creation of Luxor uploaded here on UA-cam. I've watched it like three times, it's wild.
That motion simulation ride was wild.. miss the sega arcade
Right! I remember this show and statues that came to life and the Star Trek experience. Now Vegas is all about clubbing, gambling, and food. I’d rather go to a Disney or Universal park
Try growing up visiting vegas, and then moving there in 2000, excited about all the cool stuff, and it just starts going away before your eyes.
Honestly I was coming of age around that time and I regret never seeing Luxor in its prime
I remember when I was a kid, my family visited Vegas. My parents did not know the show wasn't changed. So I spent the whole day eagerly waiting to see an awesome pirate battle. I have never been so disappointed to see scantily clad women shaking their things.
The first time I saw the show after the remodel was November 2005. We were in Vegas for a friends wedding. When I was last there in the summer of 2003 Buccaneer Bay had been closed down for construction, but I was under the impression that it was just a refit of the same show. The friend who was getting married was staying nearby, but hadn't seen the show yet. Thinking it was still Buccaneer Bay, I gave it my highest recommendation. When I talked to her the next day, she said it "kind of sucked". I was at a loss to explain her reaction. Until I had a chance to see it myself that night. My jaw just hit the floor. It sucked so badly and Buccaneer Bay had been so awesome.
I saw the show as a kid and was excited to see it again as an adult. Had to explain to me lady that it was all ass before lol
This exact same thing happened to me! I was like 2 years old and i was on my dad's shoulders. We had heard the show moved but we didn't know it completely changed. The amount of disappointment in my dad's voice was immeasurable. I was kinda mad too! I've never forgiven them for that!
A couple of the performers spoke at my elementary school about the mechanics of the show and the stunts, including the guy on fire and the guy who rides the bow down. I have never forgot the presentation and that has to be almost 20 years ago. I miss that show so much.
That’s amaizing!
They hid a scuba tank in the front of the bow for the HMS captain. So simple but blew my little 6 year old mind.
I’m a big Disney fan, but this show was awesome even by Disney standards. The the size and scope was huge and the pyro and stunt work were top notch.
Agreed!
@@ExpeditionThemePark It kind of reads more like a Universal Studios show from how it was described
@@TheLomdr In execution, yes. More like a Universal story line. But the quality was more Disney-like.
It completely out disneyed disney.
With so many casinos/hotels concentrated in one area The family friendly approach set each casino apart. Now they all just blend together. Even as an adult I’m saddened that this place has change so much.
I feel the same way. In the past each hotel had there own unique elements that made you go wow. Now it is all a little bit disappointing. Tho the Flamingo exceeded my expectations last time I visited. Outside the hotel you could see actual flamingos and other birds for free.
The only thing that makes em stand out now is the architecture
gotta love how the newer owners of this place are like "ugh who likes pirates lets turn this place into another generic vegas gambler hotel, that'll bring the guests"
right?!
There is no way a pirate theme is less popular than the Roman Empire theme, a Renaissance Faire theme, a Venitian theme, and a French theme.
plus as soon as they started the de-theming and removing all the pirate stuff, Pirates of the Caribbean movies came out and pirates were HUGE again. The theming was the entire reason the hotel was great. I stopped bothering to go there at all once they tried to turn it into the "TI."
Lived here for 20 years now. I loved the old pirate show, and would go quite often. It was one of the main places we would go when friends or family were in town to visit. It was a favorite. Then when they changed it to the new show with all the gals, it wasn't as much of a favorite but was still enjoyable and exciting. That building has taken a lot of money from me and mine. They haven't gotten a penny from anyone of us since they took them away though. Another casino bust. Much rather take out money elsewhere now.
so lets review the facts The Pirate show was created and over the years a grand total of about 60 millions of people came to see the show block traffic and have people wait around for each of the new show and to the new owners that means people are not interested in pirates. the new owners were stupid and blind as bats.
The fact that they made an entire big-budget tv movie just to promote this resort is fantastic. Vegas videos are the best! I nominate the old Excalibur show for the next one!
it's got a great story and i'm glad that the father has learned a important lesson.
I never knew there was a TV movie made for this resort. If there are more movies like this, I would like to know, because it sounds interesting.
Yup love these bud
Yes, please
What TV movie promoted this resort? I'd like to see it.
The irony is that in 2003, when the revamp was completed, Disney premiered a little movie called Pirates of the Caribbean and basically revitalized the pirate genre. Treasure Island in its older form would have probably seen a resurgence of interest and the show would have been very popular.
Such a great show! We liked to hang around afterwards and watch the ship upright itself and go back into reset position. Vegas in the 90's was a fun time!
Agreed!
Loved visiting Vegas in the 1990. I don’t gamble so I don’t bother going anymore. I just fly to California now
I've been to This Era of Vegas twice, 1995 and again in 1998. Never got to see the show, first time due to high winds making it unsafe to do a show with all that pyro and lack of trying the second time. New York, New York and Monte Carlo were quite a place to explore. MGM's amusement park was also lost on me, because they didn't make it easy to navigate to via the casino (on purpose (?)).
I saw it once by accident when I was a kid and it kind of ruined it for me. LOL.
@@matthewbinder8021 details
I live in Vegas. I remember seeing the original pirate show as a kid and loving it. The ship sinking was really incredible and huge. I remember the inside being so cool and detailed full of pirate and ship related scenery everywhere. In my opinion it was done perfectly. It looked expensive and still classy. After they remodeled… it looks like every casino on the strip now. Yeah it looks nice… they all look nice. They all look the same. I understand wanting to move from family friendly to focus on adults since it’s “Sin City” but it’s all so bland now. At the same time doing a new “theme” hotel would stick out too much now since everything is slowly removing the theming.
There used to be an arcade called mutiny bay but I don’t remember when they closed it
"We evolved...to a more sophisticated feel" might be the biggest lie considering what happened to TI. Their show objectively "devolved" from an all ages favorite to a sex-focused snooze fest. 90s Vegas was great, im at least happy I got to experience it.
90s vegas was the best
As did I.
@@ExpeditionThemePark Actually, the late 70s till the mid 80s we’re the best. You could live like a king for $100 for a 3 day weekend!
Me, too!
Loved this time period.
I turned 21 in 1993 and Vegas was just amazing. Usually went 2-3 times per year to Vegas in the 90s. The TI show did not disappoint. The MGM grand with the wizard of oz, original lion mouth entrance, theme park, the Luxor and Excalibur were so cool, even for us newly “legal” adults! And I still loved the nostalgia old casinos that were still there: the stardust, frontier, the sands had so much character. Was in Vegas last week for a concert and didn’t even bother going on the strip.
I appreciate the background character at 20:48 visibly pulling a push door.
This show was legit. Good way to spend 20 mins. It was always packed in front of TI when this was showing.
Facts i remember looking at it back in 2013
Omg I got to see the original show and the “sin” version of it. The original show was really fun to watch as a kid, it really was like being at Disneyland for the duration of the show. I saw the showgirls version was I was 15 and it was so awkward because some parents had little kids and no one in the crowd was impressed by the new show.
I stayed there in '97. I was 22, still a kid as far as I'm concerned. We went there for my dad's 50th. Vegas really was a lot of fun then.
Good times yet!
Hoping the “family friendly” theming makes it way back to Vegas. So much fun!! Especially for us 90’s kids who enjoy the nostalgia and emersion.
Me too!
While they are at it they need to bring back the star trek experience
It won't. Vegas has become 100% corporate. Anything that doesn't "generate value for shareholders" will never happen.
The only way that will ever happen is if our culture begin to promote more marriages which pro creates children.
Our millennial and generations z aren’t getting married like they used to be which has less kids and if there is kids many of them are single mothers.
Companies aren’t willing to invest in a product that won’t get them a lot of consumers. In the 90’s there were lots of millennials children and that’s the reason we had this cool stuff.
I think the only marketing Entertainment company that still does that is Disney parks which has monopolize all the kid stuff because of the nostalgia in many Disney adults
I'm glad I got to see the original Pirate Show. That was so much fun! The Sirens of TI is fine but I miss the old pirates.
A classic for sure
For the past 30 years I have done parrot shows for a living as a pirate, even have my own 40ft long two masted schooner I set up at county fairs. I have been doing shows at the Las Vegas Renaissance fair at Sunset Park for much of that time. The original pirate show at the Treasure Island was the highlight of every years Vegas trip. I would sometimes while dressed in my own pirate outfit take one of my parrots into the Treasure Island and get swarmed with people wanting to get photos with us. Many times I have watched both the original show and the later siren show. The original show was by far the best show. As much as I enjoy watching semi naked women dance around (wenching is part of my job description as a pirate after all) the siren show was boring. The new painting of ship was boring. The original show was in no way boring. And now that they have installed a CV pharmacy over the original parking space of the British ship and removed most of the pirate theme from the hotel, the TI is even more boring. In fact, this same change has taken over all of Las Vegas, and it's all boring now. The Las Vegas strip has McDonalds and Pharmacies on it. WHY??? It's now just a large shopping mall, nothing else. Though I still do my show in Las Vegas at Sunset Park (was just there a few weeks ago with the show) I no longer spend any time on the strip because it is so boring. It is very sad how the suits have ruined what was once such a memorable Las Vegas experience.
I still enjoy the Renaissance fair. My children love the birds you bring. Thank you for keeping it alive♡ hope to see you this year
@@yanelymontoya1274 We will be there again this year.
I saw the original show and loved it !! So much so I could not wait to see its again on my next visit. Unfortunately it had been replaced by Sirens, and it was horrible… I mean truly and completely horrible….. it’s sad that they got rid of the theming, which made it stand out on the strip, and it just became another hotel without a soul.
The first was s good!
90s Vegas was so awesome! We’d take family trips there during that time a few times a year. It had things for the whole family. Gambling for adults; Arcades and attractions for kids. Good times!
As a Vegas local growing up here in the 90s was amazing and totally amazing. Now it's gone so downhill, even as an adult I'm saddened to what my city has become
Do you know what happen to the treasure island arcade and when it closed down
@@Freshnewz10it had an arcade?
I saw the original show, I’m happy I did!
Me too!
I only saw the second show. It was dull. We left after a couple of minites, because we were sure there was something more interesting not far away.
Growing up my mom worked at TI. They used to have kids Christmas parties for us kids and the girls from the pirate show would come down and be on stage talking.
When Steve Wynn owned TI we also got free tickets to wet n wild every year and a lot of other cool things!
Thanks for posting this! I've never actually seen the pirate show despite all of this 🖤
That’s awesome!
I saw this show when I was about 5-6 years old and it was my only memory of Vegas. For decades I thought I had just made it all up and the ship didn't really explode and nothing really sank.
Imagine my surprise when I found out the show was real and it was identical to how I remembered!
Was at treasure island in the 90s and I loved this show. Went back for the first time last week. TI and Avengers STATION were empty. Although STATION was cool it didn’t seem to be creating the draw the TI owners wanted. Btw their “shopping” is the world’s largest 24hr CVS. In that same week Excalibur had the same giant line for check ins I remember seeing in the 90s.
Growing up in Vegas during this era, this was my favorite show hands down. If my family drove anywhere remotely close to the strip I would plead to drive by the Treasure Island to see the battle
As a old Cali historic man this really hit me hard in the stomach cause it was always the most funniest & most funest thing in the world! Can’t believe it closed!
A shame for sure!
@@ExpeditionThemePark Right, Ain’t It!
So Treasure Island changed from ‘yo, ho, ho’ in 1993 to ‘Hoe, hoe, hoe’ in 2003
Hahahah yes
Pretty much.
Kudos to you for that statement!
Then it became "Ho ho hum."
@@DeadAbeVigoda Really!
The pirate show was always on my list every time I went to Vegas..
When this show closed, they hardly gave any notice to the staff and let them go right before Christmas. After Steve wynn sold the property it went downhill so quickly.
fantastic vid, thanks so much for the memories ! The original pirate show is still the most fun I have ever had at a Vegas show, and I have been going once or twice a year since 1995. Afterwards, we would head to the Excalibur, and have prime rib at Sir Galahads... also sadly gone. I still love Vegas, but nothing today compares to those late 90's years...
I live in Vegas and I remember seeing this as a kid. I'm not a fan of pirates but what they did is truly amazing
You know you're a Trekkie at heart when you recognize JG Hertzler as one of the bad pirates from the film based solely on his voice.
This one certainly unlocked some ancient memories I had hidden away. I went to this show with my folks at the time, I barely remember it all. I definitely recall staring out the window of my pops Ford irritated we didn't just park right there and watch, it didn't matter to me that people were trying to drive normally.
This, and the MGM theme park really made vegas a very strange yet interesting place to grow up. It was a constant bombardment of different things, from all these different parts of the world desperately trying to leave their mark on it.
Thanks for making these, it's fun to look back on
I loved the old Treasure Island so much! I remembered going into the Mutiny Bay arcade and winning a ball there. That arcade was amazing! I saw the original pirate battle a year before they made the switch and finally stayed a few days at the hotel back in 2011.
Sad that the hotel is now a shell of its former self. The original theme of the hotel is an inspiration for my “theme parks” in Planet Coaster
Do you know when they closed the mutiny bay?
I loved the pirate show. Las Vegas hasn’t been the same since they cancelled it. Those were the days my friend. We thought they’d never end. We were wrong. 😭😭😭
One of the best shows on the strip! My husband was a pirate & played pirate captain from 96-2000… then it went to the Sirens of the Sea… nothing beat the original it was awesome!
I apparently picked the perfect years to be a kid growing up in Vegas. I remember this show fondly!!!!!
Legendary Disney Imagineer Bob Gurr helped in the design of the sinking ship. I met him at a party once he told us the whole story. Particularly how Steve Wynn gave him an “impossible deadline” to figure it out. It was really cool. Also, any excuse to use that Lance Burton clip huh? LOL
I had dinner with Bob a couple years ago at Disney's Los Feliz home and told him that it was unceremoniously replaced with a Walgreens and Señor Frogs, d'oh!!
Makes sense, never knew!
@@mackhavoc477 lmao oh my god I’ve been in that Walgreens but honestly never thought about where it would be in relation to the ships 😳
I recall hearing a story that it was a mistake to put the pirate show in front, it should have been in the back. Majority of the spectators moved on and didn't enter the casino so it didn't capture enough paying customers . If it was in back they would have to walk through the casino and leave the same way. The one time I watched it most left without entering, me included
Same with the Bellagio fountains, the mirage volcano, etc. though, if it were in back most people probably just wouldn't go
I love watching videos like these. Growing up in Las Vegas, the pirate show at Treasure Island and the volcano, secret garden, and dolphin show at the Mirage were places I went to for elementary school field trips. We got behind the scenes tours to all of these attractions-as field trips.
Even the field trips to the Jet Puff marshmallow factory and Ethel M’s chocolate factory couldn’t beat that.
another highlight of my childhood!! i distinctly remember walking the strip with my family from out of town and watching this as a sprightly 6 year old. my dad always made sure to go all out and take us to the strip when family was here. i’m still devastated that it’s gone.
A classic
Im so glad that I was able to experience all of the great shows in vegas
I had that movie as a kid. One of the actors from the show scared me really bad so the hotel comped us a basket of "pirate booty" which had that movie in it.
A real treasure!
I saw both versions of this when I was a kid. I remember loving the first show and was super excited to see it again... with my grandparents...
The 90s treasure island was the shit and some of my favorite childhood memories are from here! TI also had the most amazing arcade I have ever been to in my entire life in it!
Better than circus circus?
Kenny Ortega (Sirens of Pi) and the director of High School Musical. It made so much sense! 🤣
Sometimes I miss the Vegas of the late 90s. So many goofy resorts.
When I was a kid, we'd pass through frequently and the only resort with any sort of theme was Excalibur, and it was on the edge of the Strip. Now it's surrounded by all sorts of other places.
Me too!
Goofy? Nah, dawg.
I miss this show. Treasure Island was such a great resort back then. It’s a disaster now. Ruffin destroyed it, such a shame😿
I remember my parents taking me when I was little I miss the original show, I wish they still had to share with my kids.
this was the highlight of my trips to Vegas in the 90's as a little kid. i remember my mom and i getting to sit at the restaurant with a perfect view of one of the shows
A fantastic lesson in how to turn the most unique experience on the strip into a steaming pile of mediocrity.
Steve wynn was the man! A true visionary and one hell of a developer!!! Thank you steve for the memories!!
Pretty incredible how top notch the film and show were!
Yeahhh
I moved to Vegas in October of 1993 and lived there exactly 1 years before moving back here in 2010. This brings me way back and is a trip at how all of that stuff from back then is just long gone now.
Bravo on another great video. I was familiar with the show but never knew the story of the show.
Regarding that promotional movie, I thought I could recall the voice of one of those pirates and, after some research, sure enough it was J.G. Hertzler. He played the Klingon General Martok in Star Trek: DS9. He's one of the masters behind a voice of characters that can be imposing as well as charming at the same time.
WOW! the memories this invoked. My parents took my sister and I as toddlers to Vegas in the early 2000's and I don't remember much but this show stood out to me. The heat from the pyrotechnics, the awe of the ship sinking
What I would give to see it in person again
Me toooo
I found family friendly vegas way more fun tbh. The arcades and attractions were great
I'm so glad you did this. We went to Vegas in 94 at the height of the family thing and we waited all night to see this show. 12 year old me just thought it was awesome. Really cool to relive it, great video
Thank you so much!
Man, I busted a gut laughing when you mentioned the sexy dancers taking over the pirate ship.
As they do ha
I loved this show as a kid. I was obsessed with pirates and adored the show. I remember when they changed it and my mom panicked and had to tear us away realizing the show was no longer kid friendly haha. Thank you for the video. Brought back many wonderful memories.
As I was watching this, I couldn't imagine how on earth it would become extinct. It looked amazing! Like, in general I couldn't be paid to go to Vegas, but for that experience, I'd be tempted. And then to tear it all down for some generic "sexy ladies dance in scraps of clothing"? No wonder the new owners got rid of the pirate adventure: they had no imaginations. :P
Aww! This was a blast from the past. That pirate show was my single most fav memory from the one time I went to Vegas during this era.
Never wondered how they retrieved the sunken ship…🤔 but even teenage me couldn’t help being impressed by the show.
I happened to get lucky to see both versions of this show. I remember being super impressed with the Pirates show even as 22-23 year old. I went back a few years later and caught Siren. I literally couldn’t believe what I was watching. It wasn’t that it was bad really it was just… to much and also kinda boring? I remembered being very disappointed they changed it.
Yeah me too
I saw both versions of the show. The original was great. The "updated" one was terrible.
I too got to see both. ‘98 was my first time . Then Sirens was horrible! It was awkward and just shameful compared to what it was! My imagination nope’d out so fast 😞
2nd show was atrocious
Born in 1997, (in Vegas) I saw bits and parts of the show but never fully saw the whole thing… it’s one of the things I wish I saw. 😭🥺 Family friendly vegas was some of the best times in my childhood. It actually made me love the fact I was born there. But as I grew older and as it all went away is when I wanted to leave. Now I live in louisiana. I still miss my Vegas but family friendly Vegas was the best.
Vegas had so much more family friendly experiences in 90s early 2000s I can't wait for it all! Amazing videos!!
So much good stuff!!
As a Vegas transplant, these videos are super educational. And thank you for including the Lance Burton clip.....Every. Time.
Was so psyched to see that you covered this. As a child I loved that movie and as a Vegas loving adult I can't wait to see what you cover next!
Thank you so much!!!
I love that extinct Pirate Show! It was such a great experience using your imagination to find the treasure! I also love how they made a TV Movie about the Buccaneer Bay! That was my favorite!
Oh memories. I remember seeing this show in full when I was just in my middle teens. Great fun. 😌
Yep !
We worked our asses off on that hotel.... shame to see it gone. (I was a sculptor/scenic for the project.
I had no idea the show had been cancelled although I recently saw a Vegas vlog by Wonderhussy showing that the lake was drained and it was in a bit of a state. Thanks yet again for another fabulous video 👏🏻
Thank you as always Mark!
Love this! Thank you so much for doing all the research and making this video. I took 2 Vegas trips with my parents in the 90s, one in 1992, and the other in 1996. It was insane how much had changed in just 4 years. Luxor, MGM Grand, and Treasure Island were the latest and greatest when I returned, with New York, New York right around the corner. The thing I recall the most though was this Pirate performance outside of Treasure Island in 1996. The whole Strip felt like one huge amusement park simply because of it!
I live in an area where (one of) the pirate dinner show(s) take place. I love it and I do not apologize. I wish I could’ve experienced this show. People would be like “so did you come here for the tables or the burlesque clubs?” And I’m like “no dude, pirates.”
Edit: I mean the first version of the show haha.
Thank you for making this and crediting my video of it from ‘93! I really loved seeing the pirate show. It was so well done and brought so many people there. Sad to see it no longer runs. They put so much money and effort into it. A lot less people in front of Treasure Island these days. Thanks again!
My parents loved the original show so much they still talk about it now
I worked on the model for Treasure Island for Joel Bergman. It was such an amazing time back then!
The 90s and early 2000s really were a golden age for themed entertainment, huh?
The Grateful Dead shows at Sam Boyd were amazing times, and the strip in the early 90's was incredible!
I've lived in Vegas since '92. There's one reason for the disappearance of the outdoor shows, roller coasters, etc... The casinos figured out that they were costing more than what they were generating. It's ALL about the money. I actually ran a Bobcat skid steer loader with a concrete breaker on the front tearing out the Nile River ride in the Luxor. It was a sad time. I used to spend hours in the Luxor in the "Arcade" area, on the rides with my friends.
Crazy I was 6 when I went to Vegas, stayed at Circus Circus, and saw this show back in the summer of '95
It's sad finding out about something really cool but knowing that it doesn't exist anymore. I would have loved to see the pirate show in person.
We always went to Treasure Island when we stayed there as kids. The pirate show was awesome and they had a sick arcade.
I use to love the Treasure Island show even all the adults in our family loved it.
Me too
As a huge Treasure Island at the Mirage super fan, thank you for creating and editing this video, Expedition Theme Park!! I love that you did a lot of research and searched up vintage videos of the once iconic show! Battle of Buccaneer Bay never gets old, it was pretty campy but a well done pirate stunt show. I'm glad you featured this on your channel, this will give the Steve Wynn era Treasure Island Las Vegas more attention and appreciation than before. The Disneyland era of the Las Vegas Strip was great and I still miss the 90's to early 2000's Las Vegas before it went downhill when Treasure Island LV got de-themed and transformed into a ugly and bland hotel and casino! I'd also love that the legendary Imagineer Bob Gurr designed the sinking ship, which was the HMS Brittania. I hope to see more of your Expedition Vegas videos soon!
I remember visiting Treasure Island during its Pirate era when I was 14. It was also revolutionary that the resort was the first to host a Cirque du Soleil show, Mystere, which to this day is still one of the greatest performances I've ever seen. It really was more kid friendly, but they really went to the maximum effort with themeing. Shame to see that it went extinct and became just another generic casino with shops.
We used to go see that show at least once a year because every time friends and family would come into town. It was on there number one thing to do. I remember that the first time watching it when it changed and I had to pick my grandma’s jaw up off the floor, not gonna lie even for me as a child who had seen it a bunch of times I was so disappointed. Family fun entertainment is so underrated.
Omg me and my husband found it hilarious when you played the clip of those horrible dancers they legit remind me a high school talent show when a few girls from the dance company team decide to do a choreographed dance who in their right mind approved this show over the pirates 🤣
Well, it was choreographed by a Kenny Ortega, who then afterward produced High School Musical lol
I remember going to see this with my parents when I was a kid in the 90s! It was really cool, and I believe it was all free. We just walked up on the strip and watched.
This was my favorite thing in the world. Everytime we would go to Vegas, every night we were out, I had to watch this show. Sometimes multiple times a night. Makes sense it had kids in mind
It really was so good
In ‘05 they did bring back the old pirate show to be used in Miss Congiliality 2 where Sandra Bullock had to save her friend and Will Shatner from drowning in the sinking ship after they were kidnapped.
I wish I would have appreciated this show more when I saw it as a kid, but I am glad I got to see the original version a couple times! Also, I had no idea about the “lore” set up with the movie, so that’s amazing.
I am thoroughly astonished to read the comments of this video and see that no one has caught on to the fact that this attraction was a main plot point for the final scene on Miss Congeniality 2!
WHY WOULD YOU TRIGGER SO MANY GOOD MEMORIES OF THE BEST FREE VEGAS SHOW THERE EVER WAS?!?!? 😭😭😭
Also…. Screw Sirens of TI!!!
Hahaha exactly!!
Correct on every level
i can't believe that quality of show was free. It really was something else, all those fire blasts and gunshots and stunt work!!!!
wow Expedition Theme Park! This one is sooooo great, thank you for doing this! Still remember my first trip in vegas back in 1994, saw this very buccanner show and mystere and stayed at Treasure Island. That time in Vegas was on fire! Never saw the TI and Siren era....looks like I didn't miss much lol.
There was a "Battle Bar" behind the British ship that guests of the hotel could sit and watch the show. You literally were in the show. The British Captain would also be on the bridge of the ship when they "raised / reset" it. I must have seen that show 6 times the few days we stayed there. Also Black Dog, the evil pirate captain was played by J. G. Hertzler, also know for Star Trek DS9 Klingon General Martok.
Interesting fact.
I stayed here the year it opened. Have it on tape (camcorder style lol) from many different angles! I did see the Sirens version before they stopped altogether. This is so great!
I like in Oklahoma and I love the channel. I love impressing midwesterners with info from Alton Towers and stuff. Hope you do Luxor.
I will and thank you!