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Credit: DisneyAt D23 Expo last weekend, Chairman of Disney Experiences Josh D’Amaro revealed some major changes coming to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Walt Disney World Resort. The Magic Kingdom Park attraction has stirred controversy in the last few years as cultural shifts make the raunchy ride themes uncomfortable for some Disney Park guests.
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Controversy over Pirates of the Caribbean began in 2018 when Walt Disney Imagineers reimagined an outdated, sexist scene from the ride: instead of men selling women as brides, independent female pirates sell stolen goods. The update debuted at Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, and Disneyland Paris Resort. Tokyo Disneyland still has the original auction scene.
Some nostalgic Disney Parks fans were upset over the change, while others felt Walt Disney Imagineering didn’t go far enough. Last year, one woman went viral after claiming the male animatronics made her feel ogled and offended.
“I just think this is kind of a weird ride,” the Disney Park guest explained. “I don’t know… It’s just a little bit rapey.”
Disney Parks fans have long wondered if Walt Disney Imagineering would update Pirates of the Caribbean to remove Captain Jack Sparrow, who joined the ride in the 2000s. Speculation began amid multiple legal battles between Johnny Depp and his ex-wife Amber Heard, who accused the actor of domestic abuse.
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Depp lost one libel case against The U.K. Sun; a magistrate judge determined that the newspaper could accurately call him a “wife-beater.” He won a 2022 defamation case against Heard; the Virginia jury found that Heard harmed Depp’s career and reputation when she called herself a victim of domestic abuse in a The Washington Post Op-Ed.
During the 2022 trial, plans leaked from Walt Disney Studios revealed that Margot Robbie was poised to replace Johnny Depp in the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise. News about the developing film has stalled, but many Disney Parks fans feared that animatronics of Robbie would replace Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
On August 10, D’Amaro revealed that Magic Kingdom Park will be making previously promised changes to Pirates of the Caribbean–but nothing about the ride is changing.
The Walt Disney Company first announced that a Pirates of the Caribbean lounge would come to Adventureland at Magic Kingdom Park in 2023. During the “Horizons: Disney Experiences Showcase,” D’Amaro shared concept art for the tavern and revealed that it would open in 2025.
“This rambunctious watering hole will offer a welcoming haven for all pirate-kind, big and small, and everyone in between,” Disney Parks Blog wrote. “Here, bandits and buccaneers-to-be from every corner of the seven seas are welcome to join together and raise a toast to the pirate life! In the newly released artwork, X marks the spot for a sea-worthy selection of grogs and grub inside this tavern location.”
Inside the Magic previously reported that the Pirates of the Caribbean gift shop closed temporarily, blocking access to thousands of Disney Resort guests. Its adjacent Quick Service restaurant, Tortuga Tavern, also closed permanently and now houses a temporary gift shop. Both closures are allegedly related to the construction of the Pirates of the Caribbean lounge.
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D’Amaro didn’t announce the exact opening date for the Pirates of the Caribbean tavern at Walt Disney World Resort. Follow Inside the Magic for updates on this and other construction projects at Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park.
What food and drinks would you like to see at the Pirates of the Caribbean lounge? Share your ideas with Inside the Magic in the comments.