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Credit: DisneyOn Sunday, Pirates of the Caribbean abruptly shut its doors at Disneyland Resort, trapping dozens of guests on board the boat ride. One of those Disney Park guests shared their experience on social media as they sat helplessly waiting for assistance.
Pirates of the Caribbean opened in New Orleans Square at Disneyland Park in 1967, and versions later followed at Walt Disney World Resort‘s Magic Kingdom Park, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris. The classic Disney dark ride has undergone numerous changes in its nearly six decades, from the addition of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) animatronics in the 2000s to the 2018 bride auction scene update. That year, Walt Disney Imagineers turned the brides-for-sale into independent female pirates, including the beloved Captain Redd.
The auction scene change was controversial, with some Disney Parks fans arguing that a historic attraction shouldn’t be forced to align with modern cultural sensitivities. Still, others felt Walt Disney Imagineering didn’t go far enough when removing sexism from the Pirates of the Caribbean ride.
In 2023, one Disney Park guest went viral after stating she felt ogled by the male animatronics on Pirates of the Caribbean: “I just think this is kind of a weird ride. I don’t know… It’s just a little bit rapey.”
The guest’s comments amassed so much backlash that she eventually deleted the video, but not before other women shared similar feelings about the classic Disney Park attraction. One said she “always felt violated” on the ride.
“It feels like we’re the entertainment for them and I do not like it,” another replied.
A year and a half later, Disney hasn’t announced any further updates to Pirates of the Caribbean. However, one group of Disneyland Park guests recently experienced a darker side of the beloved New Orleans Square attraction.
On February 16, Redditor u/cuber-sub30 spoke out while they were trapped on a broken-down Pirates of the Caribbean.
“Been here for the last 5-10 minutes, still haven’t moved,” the Disney Park guest wrote.
The guest’s boat stopped before the lift hill to the unloading platform, trapping riders for more than 30 minutes. It is unclear whether Disney cast members evacuated guests or restarted the attraction to unload them normally.
Disneyland Resort rarely releases the reasoning behind temporary ride closures, and this instance was no different. The attraction eventually reopened and was operating normally at the time of this article’s publication.
Has a ride closure ever impacted your Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort visit? Inside the Magic would love to hear from you in the comments!