Today we are going to be taking a look at an often overlooked detail in Pirates of the Caribbean. More specifically, an item in this scene:

While there are several details found within this scene that most guests don't catch on their first, second or hundredth trip aboard their ship, there is one specific item here that deals with the history of the attraction and the Disney company as a whole.

One of the main Imagineers that worked on the attraction was originally an animator for the company and was part of Walt Disney's legendary Nine Old Men. The man I'm talking about is none other than Marc Davis. While Marc brought characters like Snow White, Cruella de Vil, and the always popular Tinker Bell to the screen, it was later in his career that he began to develop characters in a three dimensional setting.

Walt brought Marc onto his team of Imagineers prior to Disneyland's opening where he worked on classic attractions like The Jungle Cruise, The Enchanted Tiki Room, and Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln. In the mid-1960s Marc worked on two of his most popular attractions: The Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean. While neither of these attractions has a very solid storyline, it's the character development that Marc created for the characters within the attractions that have made them classics.

So how does this all tie together to the picture above? If you take a look just above the archway you can find a shield with what appears to be a Latin phrase inscribed below it. In reality, this phrase isn't Latin at all, but a nod to the famous animator and Imagineer that brought so many characters we love to life. The phrase? Marci Daviso, or Marc Davis for short!