August 29, 1955 – The Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship and Restaurant Opens in Disneyland
“Part of the elaborately themed restaurant location included Skull Rock Cove where you could sit and enjoy your meal.”
On August 29, 1955, the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship and Restaurant opened in Disneyland’s Fantasyland. The restaurant was Peter Pan-themed, once standing where the Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction resides today. The restaurant was a quick-service spot serving several tuna dishes, including a tuna burger; it also featured an area of seating designed like Skull Rock from the animated feature. The restaurant remained under the Chicken of the Sea sponsorship until 1969, when it was renamed Captain Hook’s Galley, where it stood until 1982.The ship was originally made entirely of wood, but quickly started to rot from sitting in the water, and work was done over several years to replace the wood with concrete. During the redesign of Fantasyland, Imagineers tried to save the ship, but the ship had to be moved, and was eventually destroyed when parts were moved away and involved in an accident. The ship has since been recreated in Disneyland Paris, while parts of Skull Rock were reused for the Storybook Land Canal Boats.
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