3
Credit: Disney (all images)Despite a lengthy and extensive refurbishment, an iconic Disney ride seems to be failing again, with multiple effects broken and missing audio-animatronic characters.
Disneyland Resort is Walt Disney’s original theme park, home to beloved classic attractions like Peter Pan’s Flight, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, Matterhorn Bobsleds, the Haunted Mansion, “it’s a small world,” the divisive Splash Mountain, Disneyland Railroad, and Pirates of the Caribbean, the last attraction Walt Disney personally supervised before his passing in 1966. And while Cast Members and Disneyland Resort officials work hard to keep Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure in the best condition possible, it would appear that the Parks continue to face maintenance issues affecting Guests’ experiences.
Related: Despite Efforts, Disney Has a Long Way to Regain Its Pristine Reputation
During a recent visit to the Happiest Place on Earth, Inside the Magic noticed that a couple of effects in the iconic Disney ride Pirates of the Caribbean are already failing despite the lengthy and extensive refurbishment the attraction underwent not too long ago, making us wonder if the extended closure was worth the wait.
For fans of the attraction — and Guests who have been on the ride more than once —the story of Pirates of the Caribbean and the effects of the beloved attraction are not hard to identify. Captain Hector Barbossa attacking the port, the controversial auction scene, Captain Jack Sparrow (modeled after Johhny Depp’s character in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise) sneaking around the attraction, a group of singing pirates performing the beloved song (that will likely be stuck in your head for the rest of your visit to Disneyland) “Yo, Ho! (A Pirate’s Life For Me),” and complete mayhem after the pirates “kindle and char and inflame and ignite,” leaving the city in which the ride takes place in ruins with a massive fire.
Related: More Characters Reportedly Removed From ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ at Disney
However, as we mentioned before, we noticed a couple of effects missing from the attraction. The first one we encountered was at the beginning of the action, just after we saw Captain Hector Barbossa attacking the port seeking Captain Jack Sparrow.
You may remember a scene in which several men are tied up while a pirate interrogates a man, drowning him in a well while his wife yells, “Don’t tell him, Carlos! Don’t be chicken!” quickly closing her windows as a pirate shoots at the building. Well, during our visit — and for some time, according to locals — the windows remained closed, with Carlos’ wife nowhere to be seen while her audio track continued to play.
Related: Grotesque Image Removed From Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean Ride
The other, and perhaps most notable missing piece of the iconic ride came at the end of the trip when a group of pirates shoots at each other in a room full of gunpowder and explosives. During our visit, and for some, the group was cut in half, with two audio-animatronics missing from the scene (the two pirates placed together), despite both characters being present and functional when the ride reopened in 2022. You can enjoy a video of the attraction after its reopening below.
Regardless of the missing effects, Pirates of the Caribbean seemed to be working smoothly throughout the two days we visited the Park, continuously welcoming Guests eager to sample the life of a crook aboard a pirate ship in the fan-favorite ride and share a toast with Captain Jack Sparrow in the final scene of the beloved attraction.
While it is true that keeping a theme park with the magnitude of Disneyland working perfectly all the time is a titanic — and nearly impossible — task, it is concerning to see effects in the iconic Disney ride failing and audio-animatronics continuously disappearing after the months-long refurbishment Pirates of the Caribbean received last year.
Have you been to Disneyland Resort recently? What was your experience at the Parks like? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments below!