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Credit: DisneyFor two hours, dozens of Disneyland Resort guests found themselves trapped on the closed Pirates of the Caribbean ride. One of the Disney Park guests awaiting rescue shared her experience on social media.
The Pirates of the Caribbean boat ride is a must-do for most Disneyland Park, Magic Kingdom Park, Disneyland Paris, and Tokyo Disneyland guests. The iconic attraction has operated worldwide for decades–though not without some changes!
Pirates of the Caribbean Changes and Controversies
In the 2000s, Walt Disney Imagineering added Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) animatronics to Pirates of the Caribbean. Almost a decade later, they removed an outdated bride auction scene. Objectified female animatronics transformed into independent female pirates selling stolen goods.
The changes were controversial, particularly the auction scene update. However, some Disney Parks fans believe that Walt Disney Imagineers didn’t go far enough in removing sexism from Pirates of the Caribbean.
In 2023, one Disney Park guest went viral for saying she “loved” Pirates of the Caribbean but felt gawked at by the male animatronics on the ride.
“I just think this is kind of a weird ride,” she said upon exiting Disneyland Park. “I don’t know… It’s just a little bit rapey.”
Recent Breakdown
This week, TikTok user @alyssa1cano was stuck on Pirates of the Caribbean for almost two hours after the ride broke down. She shared her experience evacuating the New Orleans Square attraction in this video:
@alyssa1cano Has anyone else ever had to evacuate a Disney ride ? I cant beleive we were on here for almost 2 hours 😩😩😩. C’mon Disneyland , today was rough 😫 #disneyland #disneymom
“It was rough,” the Disney Park guest wrote.
Disney cast members eventually arrived to evacuate the guests. Per protocol, some attraction employees wore rubber waders to climb into the water and stabilize boats at evacuation points.
The guest was grateful to the cast members for their help but said the two-hour breakdown caused significant disruption in their day: “Especially when you have a schedule planned.”
It’s unclear what caused this breakdown of Pirates of the Caribbean. The ride has since reopened and was operating normally at the time of fact-checking for this article.
What’s the most extended amount of time you’ve been stuck on a Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort ride? In the comments, share your memories with Inside the Magic.