The third installment of "Pirates of the Caribbean," another wildly popular franchise, takes an entirely different approach: the immersive experience. The "Pirates" films are steeped with pirate lore from literary sources, as well as from the beloved Disneyland attraction. Taking a cue from its theme park attraction daddy, "Pirates 3" is a complete, self-contained immersive experience. The site is visually rich and filled with cinematic discovery elements that guide the user through the familiar characters and introduces new villains and exciting set pieces.

Like all sequels -- especially sequels to sequels -- with the blessing of a significant pre-existing awareness comes the curse of possible over-exposure. Disney's "Pirates" site succeeds in walking that fine line (or gangplank) between creating a truly effective extension of the film and losing some older users with shorter attention spans and lower frustration thresholds.

The take-away: Although Jack Sparrow is the main attraction, the franchise itself has become the character.