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Credit: Ken Lund, FlickrMultiple Disneyland Resort guests recently shared eerie videos after getting trapped on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in New Orleans Square. The footage comes amid ongoing criticism of the attraction, which some Disney Park guests find offensive in its current form.
Pirates of the Caribbean originally opened at Disneyland Park in 1967, and alternate versions later opened in Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort, Tokyo Disneyland at Tokyo Disney Resort, and Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris Resort. The attraction has undergone several changes over the years, from the addition of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) audio-animatronics in the mid-2000s to the late-2010s reimagining of the bride auction scene. Once objectified women became independent female pirates, giving a feminist twist to the decades-old ride.
Some Disney Parks fans were disappointed by the auction scene change, arguing that it was wrong to sanitize the reality of piracy. However, other guests felt Walt Disney Imagineering didn’t change the attraction enough. In 2023, a viral video sparked discussion about the Pirates of the Caribbean ride after a woman said she felt uncomfortable by the male animatronics’ gaze.
“I just think this is kind of a weird ride,” the guest said in her video. “I don’t know… It’s just a little bit rapey.”
Although the video amassed plenty of backlash, some women shared similar views.
“It feels like we’re the entertainment for them and I do not like it,” one commenter wrote.
“I always felt violated on this ride,” said another.
Despite the ongoing debate about its content, Pirates of the Caribbean continues to welcome thousands of Disney Park guests daily. However, the Disneyland Park attraction recently shut down during a typical day of operations, frustrating several guests on board.
One guest, @blissful_moments_disney, shared this video of themselves trapped in their boat near the end of the ride. A Captain Jack Sparrow audio-animatronic moved repetitively while singing “Yo Ho (A Pirate’s Life For Me)” over and over and over…
@blissful_moments_disney Got stuck on Pirates of the Caribbean for 15 minutes… just me, Jack Sparrow, and the smell of water 😂💦 Honestly kinda iconic but also lowkey eerie 👀 Would you panic or vibe? SStuckOnPiratesDDisneyRideMalfunctionD#Disneyland2025#disney #disneyland PPiratesOfTheCaribbeanDDisneyTokDDisneyFailsTThemeParkVibesPPOVDisneyDDisneyFunnyUUnexpectedDisneyRRideBreakdownDisneyAdventure
Ironically, another guest, @ravishrealm, filmed the same ride stop from just feet away and posted a very similar video:
@ravishrealm We’re stuck on Pirates at Disneyland 😭 How long before we get off? #disneyland #disneyfail #disneymalfunction disney #disneypark#parkfail#anaheim#california#disneycalifornia#ride#amusementparkfail#amusementpark#pirates#piratesofthecarribean#ridefail
@blissful_moments_disney saw the video and commented, “I was stuck on it too😂.”
Both guests said they were stuck on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride for 15 to 20 minutes.
Disneyland Resort rarely issues public statements about attraction breakdowns, and this instance was no different. However, Pirates of the Caribbean eventually resumed normal operations and was functional at the time of this article’s finalization.
Have you ever gotten stuck on a ride at Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort? Inside the Magic would love to hear about your experience in the comments!