Sindbad

Sindbad is a character and the main protagonist from the Tokyo DisneySea attraction Sindbad's Storybook Voyage (originally Sindbad's Seven Voyages). Like Aladdin, he is based on a character from the Middle Eastern One Thousand and One Nights stories where he is based on the character from the Legend of Sinbad albeit portrayed differently in the aforementioned attraction.
==History==
===Background===
Sindbad is described as an explorer who sets off to go on a journey far away from his Arabian hometown in Baghdad. Throughout the journey in the original version of the attraction, Sindbad has a gang of crewmen to help protect him from danger, such as storms, monsters, and other sorts of traps.
In the 2007 revamp of the attraction, Sindbad has a pet tiger called "Chandu" instead of crewmen (whose figures were later used for villainous pirates as part of the revamp). Throughout the adventures, he and Chandu travel to faraway places and make friends with creatures they encounter. In this incarnation, Sindbad is shown to be thankful and friendly towards the creatures he encounters instead of fighting them back. He is also shown to be singing in a friendly manner before doing good deeds, such as thanking the mermaids who saved him and Chandu from a storm, rescuing rocs from villainous pirates, freeing the Giant in the Cave of the Giant, and making peace with the monkeys in the Land of the Monkeys using the drums he obtained from the Sultan of India at the Palace of the Sultan.
===Development===
When Tokyo DisneySea opened in September 4, 2001, the "Sindbad's Storybook Voyage" attraction opened as "Sindbad's Seven Voyages" where it featured Sindbad and his crew going on adventures to seek treasures nearby. However, the attraction was very unpopular with guests at this time due to its scary theme and its storyline. After the attraction closed in 2006 and reopened in 2007 as "Sindbad's Storybook Voyage", Sindbad received a major redesign and the script was completely rewritten - Sindbad's crew is replaced by a tiger cub named Chandu and the attraction itself was retooled with a different storyline as well as a song composed by Alan Menken who is known for his work on Disney films, such as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and others. Additionally aside from the Sindbad animatronics being completely redesigend, the pirates who were originally placed to be part of Sindbad's crew were completely recycled into making them being portrayed as villainous pirates. Despite the attraction being retooled, the original score from "Sindbad's Seven Voyages" can still be heard as area music in the Arabian Coast area at Tokyo DisneySea.
==Role in the attraction==
===Pre-2007 revamp===
When the attraction first opened, Sindbad had facial hair and has a crew to help him on his voyages. He does not appear in the mermaid and Rukh Island scenes in this version unlike in the current version. Sindbad then narrates from a distance while his crew take the treasure from the Cave of the Giant with the giant angrily watching them playing with his treasure. Trying to escape, Sindbad then raises his sword to fight back against the giant to save his crew.
In the Palace of the Sultan, the Sultan of India warns Sindbad about dangers on his way back to his Arabian Village where in the Land of the Monkeys, they prepare to attack. Surviving the ambush, Sindbad next appears on an enormous whale where it takes Sindbad and his crew back to his Arabian hometown where he and his crew unload the treasure from his adventures while a bearded salesman (presumably an older version of Sindbad) is selling Sindbad's boat.
===Post-2007 revamp===
This incarnation of Sindbad had a major redesign after the attraction reopened in March 2007 since the original version closed in fall 2006 because it became unpopular with guests due to its scary tone. When the guests pass through Sindbad's hometown, he then tells the guests that he is going on a voyage. In this incarnation, Sindbad now has a pet tiger cub named Chandu who goes on adventures with him while three wise men tell him to be careful of dangers ahead on his voyage.
In Mermaid Rocks, Sindbad's ship becomes destroyed during a rainstorm where he thanks a group of mermaids for rescuing him as Sindbad receives a new ship. On Rukh Island, Sindbad is then seen telling Chandu to protect the rocs from a group of pirates with help from the mother roc. In the Cave of the Giant, Sindbad then uses a roc's feather as a key to free the imprisoned giant without taking his treasure. Upon rescuing him, Sindbad and the giant sing together as he sends Sindbad and Chandu on their way where they arrive in the Palace of the Sultan in India. There, the Sultan of India tells Sindbad to use the instruments to help calm the monkeys who took over another area. Sindbad was able to make peace with the monkeys by using the drums the Sultan gave to him. Later, Sindbad and Chandu receive help from one more friend: a giant whale living in the Whale Straits area which takes the two back to his village where he unloads the treasure he found on his voyage and all the villagers in his hometown celebrate. At the end of the attraction, Sindbad thanks the guests for joining him in his magical voyage.
==Trivia==
*The character's name is typically spelled Sinbad without a "d" in the middle. However, the spelling used for this article is more accurate to the Arabic spelling and pronunciation.
==External links==
*Sindbad on Wikipedia.
Category:Theme park characters
Category:Males
Category:Middle Eastern characters
Category:Heroes
Category:Protagonists
Category:Disney characters
Category:Sailors
Category:Tokyo Disney Resort
Category:Tokyo DisneySea
Category:Adults